28 of the
290 complaints filed about the Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid
are about the electrical system —
10% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2018.
COMPONENT FAILURE: 2018 Honda Clarity PHEV Air Conditioning Evaporator Core. Complete refrigerant leak. Available for inspection/repair at Norm Reeves Honda Huntington Beach. Confirmed July 29, 2026, via borescope/UV dye. Repair estimate: $3,151-$3,217. SAFETY RISK: Vehicle is inoperable without A/C on Southern California freeways during extreme heat. Operating in 100+ degree heat causes heat exhaustion, reduced driver alertness, and high accident risk. DEALER/INDEPENDENT CONFIRMATION: Confirmed by Norm Reeves Honda Superstore Huntington Beach (July 29, 2026) using borescope camera and UV dye. Written estimate provided. No independent inspection. MANUFACTURER/POLICE/INSURANCE: No inspections by American Honda, police, or insurance. Component is inside the vehicle and available for manufacturer inspection. WARNING SIGNS & TIMELINE: Aug 9, 2025: A/C blowing warm (95,737 mi); pressure checked as "normal." Feb 16, 2026: Total failure; condenser replaced under TSB 21-017 (101,548 mi). Dealership missed concurrent evaporator evaluation. Apr 24, 2026: A/C failed again (103,562 mi). Dealership photographed active "AC leak," marked "Requires Immediate Attention," but abandoned repair for 3 months. Jul 29, 2026: Catastrophic evaporator failure confirmed (107,857 mi per the dealer). PATTERN & REQUEST: This documents a pattern where 2018-2021 Clarity evaporator failures follow factory-defective condensers (TSB 21-017). Dealership missed multiple opportunities to diagnose/prevent this (August, February, and April). Vehicle is now unsafe for hot-weather commuting. Reporting to NHTSA to establish a record for potential warranty extension/recall regarding concurrent evaporator/condenser failures. Records and photos available. * More details in attached docs.
NHTSA complaint #11757196 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
COMPONENT FAILURE: 2018 Honda Clarity PHEV Air Conditioning Evaporator Core. Complete refrigerant leak. Available for inspection/repair at Norm Reeves Honda Huntington Beach. Confirmed July 29, 2026, via borescope/UV dye. Repair estimate: $3,151-$3,217. SAFETY RISK: Vehicle is inoperable without A/C on Southern California freeways during extreme heat. Operating in 100+ degree heat causes heat exhaustion, reduced driver alertness, and high accident risk. DEALER/INDEPENDENT CONFIRMATION: Confirmed by Norm Reeves Honda Superstore Huntington Beach (July 29, 2026) using borescope camera and UV dye. Written estimate provided. No independent inspection. MANUFACTURER/POLICE/INSURANCE: No inspections by American Honda, police, or insurance. Component is inside the vehicle and available for manufacturer inspection. WARNING SIGNS & TIMELINE: Aug 9, 2025: A/C blowing warm (95,737 mi); pressure checked as "normal." Feb 16, 2026: Total failure; condenser replaced under TSB 21-017 (101,548 mi). Dealership missed concurrent evaporator evaluation. Apr 24, 2026: A/C failed again (103,562 mi). Dealership photographed active "AC leak," marked "Requires Immediate Attention," but abandoned repair for 3 months. Jul 29, 2026: Catastrophic evaporator failure confirmed (107,857 mi). PATTERN & REQUEST: This documents a pattern where 2018-2021 Clarity evaporator failures follow factory-defective condensers (TSB 21-017). Dealership missed multiple opportunities to diagnose/prevent this (August, February, and April). Vehicle is now unsafe for hot-weather commuting. Reporting to NHTSA to establish a record for potential warranty extension/recall regarding concurrent evaporator/condenser failures. Records and photos available. More details in the attached docs.
NHTSA complaint #11757198 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11746360 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11740506 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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 investigation into Honda's clarity hybrid propulsion inverter systems are required to address this vehicle stalling hazard before an electrical failure results in a highway collision.
NHTSA complaint #11740510 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I will first start with our problems/concerns. We had experienced a complete lost power in freeway speed (65 mph) when the battery is depleted, that is when the battery bar goes to zero bar instead of 2 bars usually. I attached a photo from the video I took for your reference. This experience was the engine ramp up and not getting any power while driving on freeway, escpecially obvious during uphill slope. It is a safety hazard where we had to manuver in order avoid traffic since we could not maintain freeway speed. This originally happened around 2022, but we checked with Norm Reeves Honda Cerritos and they told us nothing is wrong and because there was no fault code, nothing they can do. When the Recall service canoaign 24-031 came, we were relieved because we think the problem is going to be fixed. We brought our Honda Clarity to the dealer on 2/3/2025 for the recall and everything was fine (meaning we can drive on HV after our battery is depleted). But around December 2025, my wife experienced the same situation where she couldn’t keep up with the freeway speed after exhausted the electric range of 34 miles. We took it to dealer again on 1/16/2026 and described the situation, dealer came back and said nothing has been found and there were no fault code. After that, the only way that we are trying to do is to avoid the battery to get down to zero miles, but since our battery is only getting 34 miles full charge instead of the 47 miles when it was new (dealer also said this is normal depreciation, I am not sure about that). Again, thank you for helping since losing engine power and speed on freeway is pretty scary and I hope this is enough information for my case. Here are answers to your questions. VIN: [XXX] Mileage: 85300 Dealership: Norm Reeves Honda Cerritos Details: Vehicle losing power on freeway speed after battery is depleted. As described above. First time it happened: Around 2022 First time dealer address my concern rather than told me th INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION A
NHTSA complaint #11738192 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rear camera and Side camera and infotainment system all do not work. Screen does work because we get the welcome message when starting the car. We brought the car to the dealership and they told us that the screen needs to be replaced (Which appears to be working) at a cost of $5400 which they stated may not fix this issue. In addition we tried to get the fuel recall repaired but they told us they could not do it because there is too much fuel in the tank. - The tank holds a total of 8 gallons
NHTSA complaint #11713849 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
There is an issue with the front, right turn signal light flickering uncontrollably. This flickering is occurring during the vehicle’s operation, posing a significant safety risk as the amber light is incorrectly signaling to other vehicles on the road. The flickering also occurs while the vehicle is parked and off—draining the battery. It has been occurring intermittently with my vehicle for over two years. This issue is widely reported online, with dozens of posts on websites and forums.
NHTSA complaint #11664121 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
During a U-turn, when I turned the steering wheel my vehicle suddenly accelerated unexpected. I suspect there may have been a malfunction in the vehicle's electronic control system that caused this sudden unintended acceleration. I did alert Honda North America to study the problem. On [XXX], while driving on a narrow street at a speed of less than 5 miles per hour, my vehicle suddenly accelerated as I was making a U-turn. In my nervous response, I pressed the accelerator pedal, which exacerbated the situation and caused my vehicle to hit the driveway bushes at [XXX] Fortunately, the property damage was minor, affecting only the bushes, and there were no injuries. I believe it is important to report this Sudden Unintended Acceleration problem for your file. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11633288 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Several times now while driving on the interstate at the average speed of 70 to 75 which is the speed limit in my Area the battery level while fully charged it's supposed to only drop down to 20% I have noticed several times now while on the interstate I've been barely able to drive 40 mph as it is dropping the power level down to almost zero there is no bars being illuminated they're supposed to be two bars for 20% and even one bar for 10% and twice now in a matter of 2 weeks I've noticed that it goes down to zero bars and the engine is revving very very high and I have very little power available this is quite dangerous on the interstate and I wish this could be resolved or I'll be getting rid of this car
NHTSA complaint #11625238 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
All lock actuators freeze and prevent doors from opening . Doors do not open unless manually unlocked from inside . Child has been locked in car due to door lock malfunction .
NHTSA complaint #11594893 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
All the sensor is showing as a problem on the dashboard the vehicle was not in any accident and no damages to the front radar or front camera sensor. Multiple error problems continue to show on the dashboard.
NHTSA complaint #11568550 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11530764 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11479604 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11479604 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AFTER CERTAIN DRIVE MILE CAR DASH BOARD HAS LOUD CLICKING SOUND, WHICH DOESN'T GO AWAY FOR A WHILE EVEN CAR IS TURNED OFF. WHILE DRIVING OR STOPED. DEALERSHIP OR AMERICAN HONDA HAS NO SATISFACTORY ANSWER FOR THE CONCERN. WORRY ME IF VEHICLE GONNA STOP ON FREEWAY.
NHTSA complaint #11415762 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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)
NHTSA complaint #11288858 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 HONDA CLARITY PLUG-IN HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE BATTERY WAS DEPLETED AND THE ENGINE MODE ENGAGED; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS RECHARGED AND WORKED AS DESIGNED. THE ENGINE SYSTEM, ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, ROAD DEPARTURE, AND POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATORS WERE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,700. THE VIN WAS INVALID.
NHTSA complaint #11266735 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11256682 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.