What Honda Clarity Electric owners have reported to NHTSA, the service bulletins the manufacturer sent dealers, and any federal defect investigations, by model year. See Honda Clarity Electric safety recalls or check your VIN.
Complaints owners filed with NHTSA, by the model year of the vehicle. A high count can also mean a popular year, so compare it with how many were sold.
| Year | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injured | Deaths | TSBs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2019 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
The vehicle systems named most often in Honda Clarity Electric complaints (one complaint can name several).
In the owners’ own words, as filed with NHTSA. Unverified reports; NHTSA removes personal details before publishing.
The vehicle exhibits a dangerous electrical defect involving uncontrolled power-cycling. After shutting down the car, it automatically restarts itself in a continuous loop. During these episodes, the dashboard flickers, the drivetrain shudders, and the vehicle becomes unresponsive to manual 'Stop' button or brake inputs. Most critically, the car autostarts while parked in an enclosed garage. As a Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV), once the EV battery depletes, the internal combustion engine (ICE) engages automatically. This creates a life-threatening risk of Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning for residents in the connected home. A Honda dealership has professionally diagnosed the cause as a failure of the…
Since last Wed. (9/24/2025), the car started to show the warnings of "Adaptive Cruise Control Problem", "Brake Hold System Problem", "Brake System Problem", "Electric Parking Brake Problem", and "Road Departure Mitigation System Problem" from time to time. I bought this VHonda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid 2018 in June 2023 as the HoneTrue Certified. Then probably the same time, the car lose the EV mode by itself, and only drives in the gas mode. I found this issue and late manually changed it to EV mode. WHile then it again dropped the EV mode during the driving today (9/28/2025). When I tried to press the EV button, it shows "Drive Mode Change Unavailable"! After stopped at home, I re-started th…
The AC hasn't been out for a while and the defrost option doesn't work because of that. I believe that is a safety issue.
The steering makes a horrible clunking sound, and is impercice/sloppy. Dealership refused to acknowledge any issue. Increased effort required to stay within lane. Tie rods are not damaged or worn, issue appears to be with steering rack as far as I can tell.
I bought this car used with a governmental help from replace my ride program, since I bough the car form a dealer [XXX] ) within few days, I took it to the dealer twice for thermostat replacement and spark plugs. and recently, There was an extended warranty from Honda for the ac condenser as this car has a major problem with ac. I took it to the dealer Honda of Riverside, California and they told me, indeed your condenser needs replacement and the good news, In California, Honda has extended its warranty. Then, they said, but you need to replace your evaporator and I need to pay $2350.26 and they refused to replace the ac condenser under warranty without replacing the evaporator and paying …
AC working intermittently since the day I bought. Honda replaced the condenser but now the evaporator is leak. This caused the defrost can not work properly. The leaking condenser and the evaporator are well known problems for Clarity owners. Honda should recall this.
The A/C isn't working (AGAIN!) this time due to a leak in the A/C evaporator. The dealership just replaced the condensor 7 mos ago and now the evaporator is bad. Honda's whole A/C seems to be a problem for everyone.
I received a notice in the mail last YEAR stating that there was a problem with fuel pump in Honda Clarity and there would be a recall. I cannot get my car serviced. Honda will not respond. A dealer said not safe to drive. And they said they have no idea if they will even have parts this YEAR. Help please.
Repair instructions and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about known issues. A TSB is not a recall, and the repair is usually free only while the car is under warranty; ask your dealer for the bulletin number.
ServiceNews Article - There are several possible causes for the SRS DTC U3000-49 (Internal Failure of the SRS Unit) to be stored. If you can duplicate the DTC, the troubleshooting will take you through the step-by-step process in isolating the faulty component. In most situations, the SRS Unit should be last on the list of components to replace. Here is a quick tip for troubleshooting a faulty seat weight sensor.
ServiceNews Article - There are several possible causes for the SRS DTC U3000-49 (Internal Failure of the SRS Unit) to be stored. If you can duplicate the DTC, the troubleshooting will take you through the step-by-step process in isolating the faulty component. In most situations, the SRS Unit should be last on the list of components to replace. Here is a quick tip for troubleshooting a faulty seat weight sensor.
ServiceNews Article - There are several possible causes for the SRS DTC U3000-49 (Internal Failure of the SRS Unit) to be stored. If you can duplicate the DTC, the troubleshooting will take you through the step-by-step process in isolating the faulty component. In most situations, the SRS Unit should be last on the list of components to replace. Here is a quick tip for troubleshooting a faulty seat weight sensor.
Service Bulletin - The Clarity Plug-In Hybrid and Clarity Electric may not start charging when plugged in or may stop charging before the high-voltage lithium-ion battery is full.
Service bulletin - The Clarity Plug-In Hybrid and Clarity Electric may not start charging when plugged in or may stop charging before the high-voltage lithium-ion battery is full.
Service bulletin - During vehicle assembly, the warranty information CD that was placed in the vehicle did not list the correct warranty coverage for the state of Oregon. The failure to include the proper warranty coverage may cause confusion and potential customer dissatisfaction.
Service bulletin - There is a software error in the miles per gallon calculation, which affects the HV range display by reading unusually high.
Service bulletin - There is a software problem in the PCM, which may cause the MIL to come on with DTC P26A3 (electric water valve malfunction), DTC P100C (electric VTC motor speed signal circuit malfunction) and/or P0010 (variable valve timing control [VTC] malfunction).
Service bulletin - There is a software problem in the climate control unit when running the heater, which may turn the MIL on. There are up to three updates that must be performed on applicable vehicles. Check the iN VIN status inquiry for applicability.
Dealer message - Today, American Honda is announcing several product updates a?ecting certain 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) models. There may be multiple combinations of these campaigns per VIN. To clearly identify each vehicle's needs, be sure to do an iN VIN status inquiry for units in dealer inventory and during customer visits. Also, to help ensure customer satisfaction and reduce inconvenience, make sure all parts and software are available when customers arrive. PROBLEM Climate Control: In certain operating conditions, a software issue with the climate control unit and P
Service bulletin - This bulletin is replaced by S/B 18-089, Product Update: 2018 Clarity Plug-In Hybrid EVTC & 3-Way Valve Software Update (P100C/P0010/P26A3)
Service bulletin - This bulletin is replaced by S/B 18-091, Product Update: 2018 Clarity PHEV Driver Display Software Update (Mileage)
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opens these when complaints point to a possible safety defect. Many end in a recall.
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-spe
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation public data (complaints, manufacturer communications, investigations), model years 2010 and later. Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA.
In complaints filed with NHTSA for model years 2017–2020, owners most often name: electrical system, unknown or other, service brakes. 31 complaints are on record.
No. A complaint is an unverified report from an owner. A technical service bulletin (TSB) is the manufacturer telling dealers how to fix a known issue; it is not a safety recall and is usually covered only under warranty. A recall is a formal safety action, and its repair is free.
File a vehicle safety complaint at NHTSA.gov. NHTSA reads every report, and patterns of complaints are what open defect investigations and, eventually, recalls.
