The original plastic steering wheel of our ZE1 has been pretty shabby from the beginning. The 2017 dealer price for a new steering wheel was between 450 USD and 500 Euro. Alternatively we would have been able to get it restored with a new leather covering. Since I didnt want a thicker wheel I tried to find a better unit online. There have not been many used ones on ebay for the last year. On http://www.insightcentral.net/ someone mentioned that the Honda S2000 steering wheel is basically the same as the ZE1s and interchangeable.
I bought a Honda S2000 AP1 steering wheel on ebay.com and got it shipped to Germany. The S2000 wheel was equipped with additional buttons for the cruise control.
We have just installed the S2000 steering wheel in our Insight without having any adaption issues. The airbag screws are under the covers on the left and right side. The additional cruise control buttons are just attached with two screws. If the steering wheel has cruise control option you have to change the back cover too.
One of the major difficulties is to handle the clock spring. When you pull the steering wheel off the column it will fall out. But dont panic. To get it reinstalled you have to wind the wiring back in. Properly installed you can turn the clock spring 2,5 times to the left and 2,5 times to the right (with steering wheel still uninstalled). When the front wheels are aligned you just have to place the clock spring in central position and get the steering wheel mounted.
WARNING: Please be aware that working on Supplement Restraint Systems such as airbags, seat belt tensioner etc. is dangerous and should be conducted just by trained professionals.
