2019 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid

Fatalities reported

Owners filed 42 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine. It has been recalled 2 times.

Most common 2019 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid problems

9 of the 42 complaints (21%) are about the engine.

ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Engine9
000
Fuel System, Gasoline · fuel system5
000
Vehicle Speed Control · throttle and acceleration4
100
Electrical System4
000
Visibility/Wiper · wipers3
000
Unknown or Other3
000
Fuel/Propulsion System · fuel and propulsion system3
000
Service Brakes · brakes2
000
Seat Belts2
000
Exterior Lighting · headlights2
000

2 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Fuel Pump23V858000
Filed Dec 18, 20232,490,460 vehiclesHonda (American Honda Motor Co.)

Defect. Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Risk. Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.

Seat Belts › Rear/Other20V326000
Filed Jun 4, 2020128 vehiclesHonda (American Honda Motor Co.)

Defect. Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019 Clarity Fuel Cell, Clarity Electric, and Clarity Plug-in Hybrid vehicles with rear seat belt assemblies with a dual-mode locking mechanism. The seat belt webbing sensor locking mechanism may not lock as intended.

Risk. In the event of a crash, the seat belt may not properly restrain the occupant, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy. Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear seat belt assembly production dates, and replace the assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 24, 2020. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is Z7L.

All 2 campaigns on file, newest first.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Air BagsCrash3 injured1 killed
Filed Jul 24, 2026CA

I was rear ended on the freeway that l caused my car to hit a guard rail, head on. I remember getting rear ended and then blacked out on hitting the guard rail. I then had chest pain. My driver's side airbags deployed with the driver's side front foot area airbags deploying. The airbags on the steering wheel did not deploy. There's a dash cam footage of this below that shows my car hitting head on with the guard rail at 31mph. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Electrical System
Filed Jun 25, 2026CA

My 2019 Honda Clarity has had a hybrid battery failure that triggers “Check Engine” and “Power System” warnings, making the vehicle unsafe and unreliable to drive. I brought the car to Norm Reeves Honda Cerritos on 12/29/2025, and the battery—still under warranty—has been on backorder for over 6 months with no repair completed. The dealer repeatedly requested new diagnostic readings but has not fixed the issue. I have asked for a loaner due to safety concerns, but none has been provided. The ongoing delay leaves me with a vehicle that cannot operate safely, and Honda has not offered a timely resolution. Despite ongoing communication with American Honda Automobile Customer Service and Norm Reeves Honda Superstore Cerritos, the issue has remained unresolved.

Electrical System
Filed May 27, 2026CA

Currently the high voltage inverter is squealing, it is currently at the dealership. They have verified it is the inverter that is malfunctioning but they will not warrenty the repair because they are saying it needs to completely fail and throw a code. This is the right time to fix it prior to catastrophic failure, can you please help.

Electrical System
Filed May 27, 2026CA

I am writing to report an unresolved high-voltage safety defect involving the Motor Power Inverter Module on my 2019 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid. The vehicle's high-voltage hybrid propulsion inverter is emitting a severe, high-pitched mechanical squealing noise during acceleration and regenerative braking.The high-voltage inverter serves as the foundational link regulating current between the lithium-ion battery and the electric drive motor. A failing inverter module presents an immediate, unreasonable safety hazard. Internal failure, thermal runaway, or component degradation within the inverter stack creates an imminent risk of sudden high-voltage isolation fault. This will result in an immediate vehicle stall and a total loss of propulsion while driving at highway speeds, leaving the vehicle stranded in traffic with no power to accelerate out of harm's way, creating a severe crash hazard.Furthermore, an authorized Honda dealership—Visalia Honda (Groppetti Automotive) in California—has failed to properly diagnose, isolate, or resolve this high-voltage drivetrain defect despite the vehicle being brought in specifically for this issue. Despite the component being legally covered under California’s mandated 15-year/150,000-mile extended emissions and hybrid warranty, the dealership has taken no constructive corrective action, allowing a known, physically degraded high-voltage component to remain active on public roadways.Federal intervention and a formal technical investigatio

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Mar 11, 202644,000 milesCT

The contact owns a 2019 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that the BRAKE Hold system, hill start assist, collision mitigation system, VSA, and the electric parking brake warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driven to a safe location and turned off. The vehicle was restarted. Additionally, the warning lights were no longer illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while it was cold, and the temperature was below zero degrees. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with an electric servo brake control unit/pedal seal simulator failure. The contact was informed that the electric servo brake control unit/pedal seal simulator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that parts were not in-stock and that the parts needed to be ordered. The contact researched the failure using an online chat group and was advised to take the vehicle back to the dealer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact informed the dealer that the failure could be because of a failing battery. The dealer replaced the battery. A month later, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that while sitting in the vehicle with the engine idling and the foot on the brake pedal, the vehicle rolled backwards. The vehicle almost crashed into the vehicle that was p

Unknown or Other
Filed Sep 17, 2025CA

Took my car in due to the AC not working. We were told that AC Condenser and AC evaporator was broken. The AC condenser was replaced due to a recall and was placed under warranty a few years ago. Honda, indicated that AC Condenser was still under Warrenty, but the AC Evaporator is not. When it was explained to us at Honda Dealership in Dublin, CA. That the two parts go hand in hand, and that they would not be able to replace the AC Condenser until the AC Evaporator was replaced. As Honda requires a “pass” reading. The repair man at Honda also indicated that with AC Evaporator being broken imposes health risks such as breathing issues, dizziness, exposure to mildew and bacteria, as we were breathing in the gas from refrigerant that was leaking and burning then going in to the cabin of our vehicle when the AC was running. We have contacted Honda of USA and filed a case they indicated that due to our cars mileage, age and out of warranty that they have decided to decline assistance. This will be an ongoing issue as the two parts should be under warranty to get both of them fixed accordingly and to reduce health exposures.

Fuel System, Gasoline
Filed Aug 28, 2025CA

The contact owns a 2019 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts for the recall repair were not yet available. The contact called several other dealers, including Lake Elsinore Honda (18450 Collier Ave, Lake Elsinore, CA 92530), Diamond Valley Honda (300 Carriage Cir, Hemet, CA 92545), and DCH Honda of Temecula (26755 Ynez Rd, Temecula, CA 92591); and all confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Service Brakes
Filed Jul 18, 2025RI

I was entering the highway on ramp with a car in front of me going slow, when saw it was clear switched lanes and attempted to speed up to highway speed and the car's automatic braking system activated, flashed "BRAKE" on the dash with nothing in front of me, lane was clear, and then it applied the brakes hard. Came to an almost complete stop with my foot on the gas, had to remove foot to be able to accelerate again, luckily there was no near car behind me or it would have rear ended my car.

Unknown or Other
Filed Jun 17, 2025CA

The evaporator for my air conditioning unit failed. I have 43,000 miles miles on the vehicle and kept up the maintenance on the car directly with the dealership. When the A/C doesn't work, the car can't defrost the windshield properly, which is a USDOT defined safety issue.

Visibility/Wiper
Filed Jun 13, 2025CA

2019 Honda Clarity. Both the condenser and evaporator failed at 5 years and 55k miles and cause the AC system to not work, which in turn will not defrost the front windshield in the winter (visibility concern). The dealer has confirmed the issue when I took it into the service department on June 13th, 2025. Honda will replace the condenser for free with Service Bulletin 21-017 which extended the warranty to 10 years. The evaporator is not covered under any warranty and would cost $2,610 to replace. This is a known issue that Honda should cover under a warranty or recall due to it being a safety issue in addition to a comfort issue.

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Nov 18, 2024CA

I am writing to express my serious concern regarding the safety recall for my 2019 Honda Clarity (VIN: [XXX] ). The recall, dated February 2024, pertains to a potential fuel pump failure that could cause engine stalling while driving, posing a significant safety risk. Despite the severity of this issue, I have encountered significant delays and difficulties in getting the necessary repairs completed at my local Honda dealerships. When I contacted them about the recall immediately after receiving notice, I was informed that they do not have the required parts in stock. Furthermore, the date at which the dealers said that they would be receiving the parts continues to get pushed back from the estimated timeframe for receiving these parts, initially stating it would be 2-3 months, but this has been an ongoing issue with no resolution in sight and well past 60 days. This prolonged delay is unacceptable given the potential safety implications. The recall notice clearly states that a fuel pump failure could lead to an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash. I am deeply concerned about my safety and that of my passengers while operating this vehicle. I respectfully request that Honda take immediate action to: 1. Expedite the delivery of the necessary parts to my local dealership. 2. Provide a firm date for when the recall repair can be completed on my vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Fuel System, Gasoline
Filed Sep 20, 2024CA

The contact owns a 2019 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

Visibility/Wiper
Filed Aug 22, 2024CA

Air conditioner failed due to faulty condenser and faulty evaporator leaking refrigerant. Window defroster no longer functions resulting in poor visibility. Honda dealer refused to complete repair as evaporator is not included in Service Bulletin 21-017. Dealer quoted $2800 to repair and offered no goodwill discount when requested through Honda America.

Engine
Filed Aug 20, 2024125,000 milesCA

The contact owns a 2019 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Honda of Escondido (1700 Auto Park Way Escondido, CA 92029); where the vehicle was diagnosed but the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

Fuel System, Gasoline
Filed Aug 2, 202430,000 milesOH

The contact owns a 2019 Honda Clarity Plug-in-Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start, and the vehicle also failed to accelerate properly. No warning lights were illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

Exterior Lighting
Filed Jul 9, 2024AZ

This is an issue, not an incident. When using the regenerative braking paddles on the steering wheel, the vehicle can decelerate at a rapid pace. When this happens, the brake lights do no light up even though it’s slowing down at a rapid pace. This could cause an accident if cars behind do not notice the deceleration.

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed May 20, 202422,000 milesCA

The contact owns a 2019 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, during sunny weather, the vehicle unintendedly braked without warning. The warning light "Brake" was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred. The contact also experienced a failure with Lane Keeping Assist and Road Departure Mitigation, where the vehicle jerked out of the desired lane without warning and the vehicle failed to return to the intended lane. The contact disabled the system due to the failure. The contact stated that when the heater or A/C was activated, the speedometer suddenly started going down and the vehicle failed to exceed 20 MPH. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed; however, no cause for the failure was found. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 22,000.

Fuel System, Gasoline
Filed May 3, 2024CA

The contact owns a 2019 Honda Clarity Plug-In-Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Visibility/Wiper
Filed Apr 24, 2024CA

A/C condensor AND evaporator inspected and found leaking at no fault or damage to the car. Original owner, 5 years, 50k miles which us an abnormality for failure in these parts. Many reported the issue on forum [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Fuel System, Gasoline
Filed Mar 7, 2024NY

The contact owns a 2019 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Unknown or Other
Filed Aug 21, 2023CA

Evaporator in AC system failed after 48000 miles

Electrical System
Filed Jul 6, 2023CA

The backup camera turns on every time when the vehicle's ignition is on, or all of sudden the backup camera turns on while driving which causes a dangerous illusion. The illusion makes the driver would have hit something because you're not reversing, instead you're driving forward. Furthermore, once the backup camera is activated, you cannot access all your information on the vehicle. The infotainment screen is overwrited by the backup camera.

Exterior Lighting
Filed May 13, 2023NY

Driver side headlight allows moisture to enter, contine to get headlight error. Turn signals and hazard signals stopped working. Dealer indicates that entire headlight assembly must be replaced at a cost of $2000.00. No sign of exterior damage.

Seat Belts
Filed Mar 17, 202321,000 milesCA

The contact owns a 2019 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and merging into a lane, the Lane Keep Assist engaged, and the vehicle shuddered significantly and veered towards the opposite direction. Additionally, the steering wheel was significantly resistant. The contact stated that the failure mainly occurred when slowly merging into another lane. The contact stated that she would need to quickly merge to prevent the failure from occurring. The message “Lane Keep Assist” was displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that the automatic emergency braking (AEB) warning light would illuminate while driving, though there were no other vehicles or objects nearby. The contact stated that the seat belt being latched sound was not audible and the seat belt would unintendedly unlatch occasionally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that no issues were found. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V326000 (Seat Belts) as the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 21,000.

Engine
Filed Jan 23, 2023CA

When driving in gas mode, the engine is revving high as in high rpm . I am not sure if the gear is shifting or has problems. The car revs high and the more I push the accelerator the louder the engine sound.

Engine
Filed Nov 22, 2022CA

This is a 2019 Honda Clarity hybrid vehicle, with 53000 miles at the time of incident. I was driving up hill going about 55 miles per hour, all of the sudden the speed kept dropping even though the gas pedal remained pressed. Pressing the gas pedal more had no effect on speed, except to increase the engine RPM and the high-pitched noise. Luckily I was on the right lane. Pulled the car over to the shoulder and turned it off. The problem went away after restart. From researching on google, this seems to be a quite common occurrence with Honda Clarity. Since it couldn't be replicated at will, it's difficult to solve. There are speculations online that it could be software related, but my honda dealer wouldn't document the issue.

Service Brakes
Filed Sep 19, 2022MD

The brake module failed while driving resulting in total loss of breaking ability

Electrical System › Propulsion System › Traction Battery › Thermal Management › Fan
Filed Aug 16, 202220,000 milesCA

The contact owns a 2019 Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid. The contact stated that after refueling and recharging the vehicle, the mile range indicator would display inaccurate mileage range information. The contact indicated that the mile range display would sometimes be far above the range capability of the vehicle and in some cases well below the range that should be achievable with a full battery charge and full tank of fuel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who performed a software update and hot reset but the failure continued to occur. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 20,000.

Engine
Filed Jan 22, 2022NJ

Car engine makes loud banging noise when it is running on gas instead of electrical battery. I had asked Honda dealer to review but they say they can not do anything about it. It is feels as if car making so much banging noise from engine has inherent issue and will eventually catch fire.

Seat Belts
Filed Sep 30, 202012,143 milesCA

ON 09/29/20 AT APPROX. 1710 HRS. WENT TO MY VEHICLE, WHICH WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY. I WAS TAKING MY TEN YEAR OLD SON TO THE PARK. WHEN HE ENTERED THE VEHICLE (REAR DRIVER SIDE) AND TRIED TO PUT ON HIS SEAT BELT, HE STATED, "DAD, MY SEAT BELT BROKE." I WENT TO CHECK THE SEAT BELT AND NOTICED THAT THE SEAT BELT WAS COMPLETELY TORN OFF. I THEN TOLD MY SON TO GO TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE SEAT (THE PASSENGER REAR) AND USE THAT SEAT BELT. HE THEN EXCLAIMED, "THIS ONE IS TORN ALSO!" I CHECKED ON THAT SEAT BELT AS WELL AND NOTICED THAT SEAT BELT WAS FRAYED AND TORN, BUT WAS STILL ATTACHED BY A SMALL SECTION. I TOLD MY SON TO USE THE MIDDLE SEAT. AS I INSPECTED THE SEAT BELT TO THE MIDDLE SEAT, I NOTICED THAT THE SEAT BELT SHOWED SIGNS OF FRAYING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BELT. I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND I WAS TOLD THAT BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY ISSUE, THAT THEY WOULD CONTACT HONDA CORPORATE IN ORDER TO HAVE AN INVESTIGATION DONE AND THAT THEY COULD NOT CONTINUE WITH ANY REPAIRS UNTIL HONDA CORPORATE AUTHORIZED THE REPAIRS.*DT*JB*JB

Vehicle Speed ControlCrash
Filed Sep 8, 20205 milesCA

MONDAY SEP 7, 2020 AROUND 11:20 AM UNINTENDED ACCELERATION MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR AND IN PROCESS TO PARK IN OUR HOUSE GARAGE. WHEN SHE GOT ON THE DRIVE WAY, SHE PRESSED THE BRAKE AND STOPPED IN FRONT OF THE GARAGE DOOR TO OPEN IT. THEN RELEASED THE BRAKE AND THE CAR MOVE FORWARD SLOWLY, WITHOUT PRESS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. WITH HER FOOT STILL OVER THE BRAKE PEDAL, SHE THEN GENTLY PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL IN ORDER TO STOP, THEN THE CAR IMMEDIATELY START TO ACCELERATE AND HIT THE GARAGE WALL THEN STOP. SHE HAVE BEEN PARKING THE CAR IN THE GARAGE EVERY DAY FOR A YEAR AND NEVER HAVE THIS HAPPENED.

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Aug 8, 20208,740 milesCA

WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL (HONDA SENSING) IS ACTIVATED ON THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE IS SUPPOSED TO HOLD THE SET SPEED AND KEEP ITS DISTANCE FROM ANY VEHICLES IN FRONT OF IT IN THE SAME LANE. HOWEVER, IF THE SET SPEED IS 65 MPH THE VEHICLE 90% OF THE TIME WILL DRIVE AT 64 MPH WITH NO OBSTRUCTION AHEAD. IF ANOTHER VEHICLE IS DRIVING SLOWER THAN 65 MPH IN THE SAME LANE AND THE CLARITY IS APPROACHING IT, THE HONDA SENSING RADAR WILL NOT DETECT THE OBSTRUCTION AND NOT SLOW DOWN TO KEEP ITS PRE DETERMINED DISTANCE, WHICH CAN CAUSE AN IMMINENT CRASH. I HAVE HAD HIS MALFUNCTION ON BOTH OF MY 2019 HONDA CLARITY PLUGIN HYBRIDS AND MY FORMER 2019 HONDA INSIGHT. I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN OVER TEN NEAR-TOTAL CRASHES ON THE HIGHWAY DUE TO THIS MALFUNCTION. THIS VEHICLE IS DANGEROUS AND THE HONDA SENSING FEATURE A SAFETY HAZARD.

Engine
Filed Jul 26, 202030 milesCA

7.25.2020 - WHEN CAR IS RUNNING FOR 45 MINUTES, 85 DEGREES F, EV ON, ECON OFF, ENGINES LOSES POWER AND REVS HIGH AFTER 40MPH. 7.18.2020 - WHEN CAR IS RUNNING FOR 45 MINUTES, 89 DEGREES F, EV OFF, ECON ON, ENGINES LOSES POWER AND REVS HIGH AFTER 40MPH. 2015 TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN HAD THE SIMILAR ISSUE OF THE CAR LOSING POWER AFTER DRIVING FASTER THAN 62 MPH WITH EV MODE ON. A RELAY SWITCH RECALL OCCURRED THAT FIXED THIS ISSUE.. SO FAR.

Engine
Filed Jul 5, 202020 milesCA

JULY 4, 2020 DROVE WITH OUR FAMILY OF 2 BABIES ON A LOCAL HIGHWAY WITH A MAXIMUM SPEED OF 50MPH AND TRAVELING A ROUND-TRIP DISTANCE OF 52 MILES. OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES WERE ABOUT 89℉. AFTER DRIVING FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES, THE ENGINE WOULD REV AT A HIGH RPM AT 40MPH. IT COULD BE HEARD AND FELT OVER THE RADIO'S MUSIC. GIVING MORE GAS DIDN'T MAKE THE CAR DRIVE FASTER. ON THE WAY HOME, ABOUT 40 MINUTES INTO THE DRIVE, THE ENGINE REVVED HIGH AGAIN AT 40MPH, LOST OF POWER, AND THIS TIME MAKING THE CAR'S SPEED SLOW TO 30MPH BECAUSE WE WERE APPROACHING A RED LIGHT, LUCKILY. THIS ISSUE OCCURRED BEFORE ON JULY 27,2020 WHEN MY WIFE DROVE THE CAR AND CONPLAINED ABOUT IT DRIVING SLOW AND ENGINE REVVING LOUD. THIS CAR HAS ONLY 1,884 MILES ON IT AND WAS BOUGHT IN JANUARY 2020. LEMON LAW.

Engine
Filed Jun 24, 202012,500 milesCA

MY CAR IS LOSING POWER AND GETTING LOUD NOISE WHILE DRIVING ON AN UPHILL ROAD. I HAVE SHOWN MY CAR TO 3 DIFFERENT DEALERS AND THEY COULDN'T FIX IT. I HAVE SEEN MANY ONLINE REVIEWS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND STILL, HONDA IS NOT HELPING ITS CUSTOMER. *TR

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Feb 18, 20203,040 milesCA

THREE TIMES NOW, OUR NEW 2019 HONDA CLARITY HAS PUT ME AND MY FAMILY IN DANGER. TWICE IN NOVEMBER 2019, ONCE IN JANUARY 2020, THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER IN THE MIDST OF DRIVING UP HILLS, ONCE AT HIGHWAY SPEED. EACH TIME THE CAR HAS PRODUCED A TERRIBLE BURNING SMELL AND SOUNDS OF HIGH REVVING OF THE ENGINE. IN ALL OF THESE INSTANCES, THE BATTERY WAS LOW, BUT THE GAS LEVEL AND REPORTED RANGE OF THE CAR WAS HIGH. ONCE THE CAR WAS IN ECO MODE, TWICE IT WAS IN OTHER MODES. WE HAVE BEEN TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES, AND THEY HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH NATIONAL HONDA, WHO SAY THAT THESE SYMPTOMS ARE A 'NORMAL CHARACTERISTIC' AND THAT 'PROPER DRIVE MODES SHOULD BE USED,' AS IF THE PROBLEM WAS SOMEHOW MY FAULT FOR NOT USING THE PROPER MODES. I WAS SENT A VERY SHORT VIDEO EXPLAINING DRIVING MODES. IF THIS CAR IS DESIGNED SO THAT SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER, BURNING SMELLS AND AN INABILITY TO DRIVE UP A HILL ARE A 'NORMAL CHARACTERISTIC' THEN THIS CAR IS A HAZARD. IF THE CAR IS UNABLE TO GO UP A STEEP HILL WITHOUT A CERTAIN BATTERY LEVEL, THEN THE CAR SHOULD NOT BE DESIGNED TO DEPLETE THE BATTERY BELOW THAT LEVEL NO MATTER WHAT MODE THE DRIVER HAS IT IN. IF THE HONDA SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM IS FOR ME TO USE MODES TO KEEP THE BATTERY OVER 60% CHARGED AT ALL TIMES, (WHICH IS WHAT THEY SUGGESTED THE SECOND TIME I WENT IN) OR TO STAY OFF OF HILLS WHEN THE BATTERY IS LOW (AS THEY SUGGESTED WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN THE 3RD TIME) THEN IT IS NOT THE PLUG-IN CAR WITH THE DRIVING RANGE I THOUGHT I WAS BUYING. HERE I

Air Bags
Filed Dec 13, 20198,790 milesCA

TRY TO START VEHICLE AND IT GOES CRAZY, ALL SYSTEMS FAIL AND WILL NOT START. THIS WAS AFTER SITTING FOR ABOUT HALF HOUR IN A PARKING LOT. NEED TO GET OUT LOCK ALL DOORS WALK AWAY FOR 2 TO 5 MINS. ONCE RENTER THE SYSTEMS RESTART BUT ALL SETTINGS FAIL AND NEED TO RESET. I POSTED A YOUTUBE VIDEO (HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/N0FSEPKA5D8)

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Nov 22, 20192,500 milesCA

ON A RANDOM BASIS OUR NEW CLARITY SUDDENLY LOSES POWER AND SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL EVEN THOUGH WE ARE JUST CONTINUING IN DRIVE MODE. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES A MONTH SINCE WE BOUGHT THE CAR IN JUNE 2019. WE HAVE HAD THE CAR TESTED AT THE DEALERSHIP WHERE WE BOUGHT THE CAR AND THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. IN AUGUST THIS YEAR WE WERE MAKING A 2 HOUR DRIVE AND ON A TOLL ROAD WITH AN INCLINE IN RIVERSIDE, CA THE REVVING SOUND WAS REALLY LOUD AND WHEN I PUSHED THE GAS PEDDLE, NOTHING HAPPENED. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND TURNED OFF THE CAR. I TURNED IT BACK ON AND PUT THE CAR IN HYBRID MODE AND OUT OF ELECTRIC AND PULLED BACK ON THE ROAD. THE EXACT SAME SOUND AND LACK OF ACCELERATION OCCURRED. WE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID TO USE AAA TO BE TOWED WHICH WE DID. AGAIN, OCEAN HONDA COULD NOT FIND AN ISSUE ON THEIR COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM OR ROAD TESTING FOR 2 DAYS. WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THE ISSUE A COUPLE TIMES A MONTH IN VERY DIFFERENT DRIVING CONDITIONS, SPEEDS, MODES, ETC. WE CONTACTED HONDA AMERICA AND THEY HAD THE CAR TESTED AT OUR NEW LOCATION IN RANCHO MIRAGE AT HONDA OF THE DESERT. AGAIN, TESTING SHOWED NOTHING. HONDA AMERICA HAS OFFERED NO SOLUTION AND WE ARE NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE THE HONDA CLARITY FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN LOCAL DRIVES. I PUT DATE OF WORST INCIDENT IN SECTION WHERE ASKED WHEN PROBLEM OCCURRED, BUT IT IS ONGOING.

Engine
Filed Oct 16, 2019100 milesCA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 HONDA CLARITY PLUG-IN HYBRID. WHEN THE VEHICLE SWITCHED FROM RUNNING ON THE BATTERY TO FUEL, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. IN ADDITION, THE ENGINE RAN ON VERY HIGH RPMS AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER WITHOUT WARNING AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND POWERED OFF THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100.

Power Train
Filed Sep 19, 20192,500 milesCA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 HONDA CLARITY PLUG-IN HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CONTACT WOULD SWITCH FROM HYBRID TO BATTERY OPERATION. WHEN DOING SO, THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND SHUT OFF. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, IT RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO METRO HONDA (9399 AUTOPLEX ST, MONTCLAIR, CA 91763, (909) 542-9637) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT NO FAILURE CODES WERE FOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 2,500.

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed May 21, 20192,200 milesCA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 HONDA CLARITY PLUG-IN HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH UP A HILL, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE AND LOST POWER. ADDITIONALLY, THE MILES PER GALLON FOR A FULLY CHARGED BATTERY WAS SUPPOSED TO BE 48 MILES; HOWEVER, THE ACTUAL RANGE WAS 38 MILES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO NORM REEVES HONDA SUPERSTORE WEST COVINA (LOCATED AT 1840 E GARVEY AVE S, WEST COVINA, CA 91791, (626) 251-2995) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE MECHANIC TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE CHARGED AND OPERATED AS INTENDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,200.

Engine
Filed Apr 26, 2019600 milesCA

THE CAR DRIVES FINE WHEN THERE IS SUFFICIENT BATTERY. WHEN BATTERY LEVEL DROPS TO LOW (2 BARS) THE CAR DOES NOT RESPOND TO ACCELERATOR. THE ENGINE BECOMES SLUGGISH AND REVS UP QUITE A BIT. I HAVE DRIVEN ~650 MILES SO FAR AND THIS HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES ALREADY. LUCKILY IT HAPPENED ONLY ONCE IN THE HIGHWAY WHERE THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING.

All 42 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2018
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20211000Routine
20208000Routine
2019 — this page42201Fatalities reported
2018137110Routine
20171000Routine

Compare every Clarity Plug-In Hybrid year →

Reading this record

1 death reported in complaints filed with NHTSA.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Dec 18, 2023. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.