BestCarRank
Honda

2020 Honda CLARITY PLUG-IN HYBRID

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Excellent Reliability

Quick Summary

The 2020 Honda CLARITY PLUG-IN HYBRID has 15 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.2x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is speed control problems (27% of all complaints), specifically: when the battery is low the honda clarity's rpm jump really high and vehicle revs really hard and starts to lose power. my vehicle had two battery bars and when i tried to climb it mountain it lost speed. i was almost hit twice because my car kept losing speed and it was revving like it was struggli.

3 crash reports

15

Total Complaints

0

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

0.2x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

SPEED CONTROL

4 complaints
27%
  • • WHEN THE BATTERY IS LOW THE HONDA CLARITY'S RPM JUMP REALLY HIGH AND VEHICLE REVS REALLY HARD AND STARTS TO LOSE POWER. MY VEHICLE HAD TWO BATTERY BARS AND WHEN I TRIED TO CLIMB IT MOUNTAIN IT LOST SPEED. I WAS ALMOST HIT TWICE BECAUSE MY CAR KEPT LOSING SPEED AND IT WAS REVVING LIKE IT WAS STRUGGLI
  • • 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], wh
  • • The ADAS camera system failed causing multiple warnings and failures including lane departure system, forward collision system, adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistance.
Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“WHEN THE BATTERY IS LOW THE HONDA CLARITY'S RPM JUMP REALLY HIGH AND VEHICLE REVS REALLY HARD AND STARTS TO LOSE POWER. MY VEHICLE HAD TWO BATTERY BARS AND WHEN I TRIED TO CLIMB IT MOUNTAIN IT LOST SPEED. I WAS ALMOST HIT TWICE BECAUSE MY CAR KEPT LOSING SPEED AND IT WAS REVVING LIKE IT WAS STRUGGLI”

— NHTSA complaint filing

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS

4 complaints
27%
  • • The ADAS camera system failed causing multiple warnings and failures including lane departure system, forward collision system, adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistance.
  • • The ADAS camera system failed causing multiple warnings and failures including lane departure system, forward collision system, adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistance.
  • • The forward-facing multipurpose camera unit (ADAS camera) failed internally while driving, causing the simultaneous deactivation of multiple critical safety systems including Collision Mitigation Braking (CMBS), Road Departure Mitigation, and Lane Keeping Assist (LKAS). The failure is indicated by p
Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“The ADAS camera system failed causing multiple warnings and failures including lane departure system, forward collision system, adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistance.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

2 complaints
13%
  • • WHEN THE BATTERY IS LOW THE HONDA CLARITY'S RPM JUMP REALLY HIGH AND VEHICLE REVS REALLY HARD AND STARTS TO LOSE POWER. MY VEHICLE HAD TWO BATTERY BARS AND WHEN I TRIED TO CLIMB IT MOUNTAIN IT LOST SPEED. I WAS ALMOST HIT TWICE BECAUSE MY CAR KEPT LOSING SPEED AND IT WAS REVVING LIKE IT WAS STRUGGLI
  • • Engine RPM's rise (near red line at times) with little to no propulsion. The slang I've found used in online forums, showing that this is a common problem, is "angry bees."
Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“WHEN THE BATTERY IS LOW THE HONDA CLARITY'S RPM JUMP REALLY HIGH AND VEHICLE REVS REALLY HARD AND STARTS TO LOSE POWER. MY VEHICLE HAD TWO BATTERY BARS AND WHEN I TRIED TO CLIMB IT MOUNTAIN IT LOST SPEED. I WAS ALMOST HIT TWICE BECAUSE MY CAR KEPT LOSING SPEED AND IT WAS REVVING LIKE IT WAS STRUGGLI”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

2 complaints
13%
  • • WHEN THE BATTERY IS LOW THE HONDA CLARITY'S RPM JUMP REALLY HIGH AND VEHICLE REVS REALLY HARD AND STARTS TO LOSE POWER. MY VEHICLE HAD TWO BATTERY BARS AND WHEN I TRIED TO CLIMB IT MOUNTAIN IT LOST SPEED. I WAS ALMOST HIT TWICE BECAUSE MY CAR KEPT LOSING SPEED AND IT WAS REVVING LIKE IT WAS STRUGGLI
  • • 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], wh
Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“WHEN THE BATTERY IS LOW THE HONDA CLARITY'S RPM JUMP REALLY HIGH AND VEHICLE REVS REALLY HARD AND STARTS TO LOSE POWER. MY VEHICLE HAD TWO BATTERY BARS AND WHEN I TRIED TO CLIMB IT MOUNTAIN IT LOST SPEED. I WAS ALMOST HIT TWICE BECAUSE MY CAR KEPT LOSING SPEED AND IT WAS REVVING LIKE IT WAS STRUGGLI”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

1 complaints
7%
  • • Engine RPM's rise (near red line at times) with little to no propulsion. The slang I've found used in online forums, showing that this is a common problem, is "angry bees."
Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“Engine RPM's rise (near red line at times) with little to no propulsion. The slang I've found used in online forums, showing that this is a common problem, is "angry bees."”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

SPEED CONTROL(~50K mi)
$500
DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS(~50K mi)
$500
ENGINE(~50K mi)
$500
OTHER(~50K mi)
$500
TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)
$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 15 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

  • ☐
    SPEED CONTROL: WHEN THE BATTERY IS LOW THE HONDA CLARITY'S RPM JUMP REALLY HIGH AND VEHICLE REVS REALLY HARD AND STARTS TO LOSE POWER. MY VEHICLE HAD TWO BATTERY BARS AND WHEN I TRIED TO CLIMB IT MOUNTAIN IT LOST SPEED. I WAS ALMOST HIT TWICE BECAUSE MY CAR KEPT LOSING SPEED AND IT WAS REVVING LIKE IT WAS STRUGGLI

    Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500

  • ☐
    DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS: The ADAS camera system failed causing multiple warnings and failures including lane departure system, forward collision system, adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistance.

    Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500

  • ☐
    ENGINE: WHEN THE BATTERY IS LOW THE HONDA CLARITY'S RPM JUMP REALLY HIGH AND VEHICLE REVS REALLY HARD AND STARTS TO LOSE POWER. MY VEHICLE HAD TWO BATTERY BARS AND WHEN I TRIED TO CLIMB IT MOUNTAIN IT LOST SPEED. I WAS ALMOST HIT TWICE BECAUSE MY CAR KEPT LOSING SPEED AND IT WAS REVVING LIKE IT WAS STRUGGLI

    Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500

  • ☐
    OTHER: WHEN THE BATTERY IS LOW THE HONDA CLARITY'S RPM JUMP REALLY HIGH AND VEHICLE REVS REALLY HARD AND STARTS TO LOSE POWER. MY VEHICLE HAD TWO BATTERY BARS AND WHEN I TRIED TO CLIMB IT MOUNTAIN IT LOST SPEED. I WAS ALMOST HIT TWICE BECAUSE MY CAR KEPT LOSING SPEED AND IT WAS REVVING LIKE IT WAS STRUGGLI

    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 2020 compare to other years? Fewer complaints = more reliable.

2020
15Excellent Reliability
2019
64Average
2018
196Below Average
Full years-to-avoid analysis →

NHTSA Safety Rating

No NHTSA safety rating available

At a Glance

Complaints
15
Recalls
0
Fire reports
0
Crash reports
3
Injury reports
0
Segment avg
80

Check a Specific VIN

See recalls for YOUR 2020 Honda CLARITY PLUG-IN HYBRID

Compare With

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