2019 Honda CLARITY PLUG-IN HYBRID
Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report
Quick Summary
The 2019 Honda CLARITY PLUG-IN HYBRID has 64 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.8x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is fuel system problems (19% of all complaints), specifically: 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.
64
Total Complaints
0
Recalls Issued
—/5
Safety Stars
0.8x
vs Segment Avg
Known Problems
FUEL SYSTEM
12 complaints- • 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
- • 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 T
- • 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.
“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”
— NHTSA complaint filing
ENGINE
10 complaints- • 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 HIG
- • 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 COAS
- • 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
“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 HIG”
— NHTSA complaint filing
SPEED CONTROL
9 complaints- • 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 HIG
- • 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
- • 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 A
“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 HIG”
— NHTSA complaint filing
ELECTRICAL
7 complaints- • 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 (939
- • 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
- • 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 o
“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 (939”
— NHTSA complaint filing
OTHER
7 complaints- • 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 A
- • 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
- • 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,
“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 A”
— NHTSA complaint filing
Estimated Repair Costs
Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.
🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist
Based on 64 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:
- ☐FUEL SYSTEM: 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
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐ENGINE: 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 HIG
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐SPEED CONTROL: 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 HIG
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐ELECTRICAL: 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 (939
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)
Honda CLARITY PLUG-IN HYBRID — Year Comparison
How does 2019 compare to other years? Fewer complaints = more reliable.
Full years-to-avoid analysis →NHTSA Safety Rating
No NHTSA safety rating available
At a Glance
- Complaints
- 64
- Recalls
- 0
- Fire reports
- 0
- Crash reports
- 1
- Injury reports
- 0
- Segment avg
- 80
Check a Specific VIN
See recalls for YOUR 2019 Honda CLARITY PLUG-IN HYBRID