2019 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid Owner Complaints

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)

NHTSA ID

11752625

Incident

Jul 14, 2026

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 ID

11746360

Incident

Dec 29, 2025

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 ID

11740510

Incident

May 16, 2026

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 ID

11740506

Incident

May 16, 2026

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 parked behind it. The contact immediately turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was driven to the residence without the failure recurring. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.

NHTSA ID

11723571

Incident

Feb 1, 2026

Mileage

44,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11688006

Incident

Aug 28, 2025

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.

NHTSA ID

11683661

Incident

Dec 18, 2023

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.

NHTSA ID

11674482

Incident

Jul 10, 2025

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.

NHTSA ID

11667468

Incident

May 10, 2025

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.

NHTSA ID

11666847

Incident

Jun 13, 2025

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)

NHTSA ID

11625961

Incident

Feb 1, 2024

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.

NHTSA ID

11615572

Incident

Sep 20, 2024

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.

NHTSA ID

11610231

Incident

Aug 19, 2024

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.

NHTSA ID

11609826

Incident

Apr 15, 2024

Mileage

125,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11606063

Incident

Jun 15, 2024

Mileage

30,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11600336

Incident

Jul 8, 2024

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.

NHTSA ID

11589741

Incident

Jun 22, 2023

Mileage

22,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11586798

Incident

May 3, 2024

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)

NHTSA ID

11585088

Incident

Apr 21, 2024

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.

NHTSA ID

11575954

Incident

Mar 7, 2024

Evaporator in AC system failed after 48000 miles

NHTSA ID

11539864

Incident

Aug 17, 2023

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 ID

11530764

Incident

Jun 26, 2023

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.

NHTSA ID

11521809

Incident

May 13, 2023

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.

NHTSA ID

11512450

Incident

Aug 17, 2022

Mileage

21,000 mi

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.

NHTSA ID

11503147

Incident

Jan 21, 2023