2010 Honda Insight 1.3L Electric · FE10 LTU

A sixteen-year-old Honda Insight with eight recorded DVSA tests shows an MOT profile dominated by lighting lens and brake condition concerns rather than structural or corrosion defects, which is broadly reassuring for a hybrid of this age. The most recent test on 20 October 2025 was a clean pass with no advisories, and the 2024 test carried only minor items relating to headlamp lens product and a rear registration plate lamp, plus a similar lens advisory on the 2023 pass. The single failure recorded on 22 December 2023 was a straightforward major defect on the nearside front anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover, which allowed dirt ingress, accompanied by the same lens minor. Across the seven passed tests, only the 2021 examination raised a mechanical advisory of any substance, flagging pitted and scored rear brake discs on both sides. There are no advisories relating to corrosion, exhaust integrity, suspension bushes, or steering components, which is notable for a vehicle now in its mid-teens. Annual mileage of roughly 9,500 miles is close to the average for a sixteen-year-old car and there are no extended gaps in testing history, with annual tests recorded every year from 2020 through 2025, suggesting the car has remained in regular use rather than being laid up for prolonged storage. That continuous pattern of use is mechanically favourable because it tends to keep seals, bushes, brake components and the hybrid system exercised rather than allowing fluids to degrade and surface corrosion to take hold on rotating assemblies. The relatively even accumulation also means the recorded wear items are broadly consistent with steady road use rather than any sudden change in duty cycle. The fact that the 2022 test recorded a boot full and a child seat fitted, which restricted inspection of the rear belt and stowed area, is a procedural note rather than a defect, but a buyer should be aware that the examiner could not view those areas on that occasion. For a prospective buyer, the anti-roll bar linkage flagged in December 2023 is the most relevant component to inspect, because replacement parts on these linkages are inexpensive but a worn ball joint will produce clonking or rattling over speed humps, uneven surfaces and during direction changes. It is worth pushing firmly on each front corner by hand to check for any play or slop in the link, and listening carefully for any knock transmitted through the bodyshell on the test drive. The rear brake disc advisory from late 2021 is also worth scrutinising; at the recorded mileage the pads and discs may well have been renewed since, but uneven braking, vibration through the brake pedal or a grinding sensation under light pedal pressure would indicate the rear calipers or sliding mechanisms are binding. A check of the rear caliper slides for free movement and an inspection of the disc surfaces for lipping or hot spots is sensible. The headlamp lens items across three consecutive tests suggest the polycarbonate units are oxidising or have surface contamination that has been gradually worsening. While only cosmetic at present, deteriorated lenses reduce light output at night and will eventually fail an MOT, so budget for a restoration kit or replacement units. The 2022 advisories noting an under tray and floor pan covers prevented inspection of the inner CV gaiters and front to rear fuel and brake pipes, so a buyer should physically remove or peer beneath any covers to confirm the gaiters are intact and that the brake and fuel lines running along the underside are free from corrosion, surface rust blistering or any weeping of fluid. Finally, given the hybrid drivetrain and high overall mileage, a brief inspection of the hybrid system warning lights on start-up, confirmation that the engine cuts cleanly when stationary and that the transition between electric and petrol propulsion is smooth will round out a sensible pre-purchase evaluation.