2018 Honda Clarity PLUG-IN Hybrid

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 HONDA CLARITY PLUG-IN HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ONCE THE HYBRID VEHICLE FINISHED ELECTRIC POWER, IT WOULD SWITCH TO GAS. WHILE IN GAS MODE, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE UP A HILL. IN ADDITION, THE ENGINE REVVED EXTREMELY HARD AND WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,418. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.

CAR REVS UP WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY BUT DROPS SPEED TO 10MPH. IT HAS DONE THIS 2 TIMES ONCE IN TOWN AND ONCE ON US 23 WHILE DRIVING 70MPH. THEIR ARE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE CAR DOING THE SAME THING TO OTHER CLARITY OWNERS AND THIS IS A HIGHLY DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT HONDA SHOULD TAKE CARE OF! REINEKE HONDA IN FINDLAY OHIO HAD MY CAR FOR ABOUT 3 WEEKS AND WHILE TEST DRIVING IT THE CAR DID THE SAME THING FOR THE SERVICE MANAGER MIKE STEVENS. THEY TOOK A CONTROL BOX OFF A BRAND NEW CLARITY PER HONDA'S SUGGESTION AND I AM DRIVING THE CAR AND HAD NO NEW PROBLEMS SO FAR. THEY WERE NOT SURE THIS WOULD FIX THE ISSUE BUT SO FAR IT HASN'T HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS IS A DANGEROUS FAILURE IN THE CAR AND I AM LUCKY I WASN'T DRIVING IN COLUMBUS, OHIO THE 2ND TIME THE CAR DID IT OR I WOULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED! HONDA NEEDS TO MAKE SURE THIS PROBLEM IS FIXED!!!

3 DAYS AFTER PURCHASE I WAS DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER. I MANAGED TO PULL TO A SLOW LANE BUT THE LACK OF POWER CONTINUED FOR ANOTHER 5 MINUTES. IT HAD BEEN RUNNING ON BATTERY JUST PRIOR AND I HAD 2 BARS OF POWER LEFT. THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS ABOUT 15 DEGREES. THE INTERNAL COBUSTION ENGINE BEGAN TO RACE BUT ONLY BEGAN TO GIVE ADEQUATE POWER TO THE WHEELS AFTER 5 MINUTES. A TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE. HONDA CHECKED OUT THE CAR AND SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. I AM HEARING OF OTHER CASES BEING REPORTED LIKE MINE.

WHEN VEHICLE IS IN ANY MODE THAT REQUIRE THE INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE, IT PERSISTENTLY GETS STUCK IN A HIGH REV, HIGH RPM, STATE AT ANY SPEED. THIS CAUSES POWER FLUCTUATIONS AND EXTREME ENGINE NOISE. THIS CREATES CHALLENGING AND POTENTIALLY UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS DUE TO THE SENSITIVE STATE OF THE ENGINE WHEN STUCK IN THIS MODE.

I AM SUBMITTING MY ONLYCOMPLAINT ABOUT MY NEW HONDA CLARITY. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE BY HONDA THAT IS ALL OVER THE INTERNET YET IT APPEARS HONDA IS IGNORING THE ISSUE. THE CLARITY LOOSES POWER WHEN IT CONVERTS FROM BATTERY TO ENGINE POWER UPON LOW BATTERY STATUS. THIS IS DRASTICALLY NOTICED IF THE VEHICLE IS TRAVELING AT A HIGH SPEED SUCH AS THE 75 MPH SPEED LIMIT OF OUR INTERSTATES IN NEBRASKA OR IF THE VEHICLE IS UNDER HARD ACCELERATION SUCH AS WHEN I WAS ENTERING THE INTERSTATE FROM THE ON RAMP. INSTEAD OF MERGING INTO 75 MPH TRAFFIC I BECAME AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN AS THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE BEYOND ABOUT 40-50 MPH FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE. MY DEALER SAID HONDA IS DENYING THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET. SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET IN A BAD ACCIDENT DUE TO THIS MAJOR MANUFACTURER DEFECT.

I HAVE ADVISED THE DEALERSHIP THAT I ONLY HAD ABOUT 3 HOURS OF HIGHWAY MILES ON MY ICE BUT AT 6000 MILES THE CAR ALERTED ME TO BRING IN MY CAR FOR SERVICE. I WANT TO TAKE CARE OF MY CAR BUT THE MINTAINANCE COST AND NEEDLESLY CHANGING THE ENGINE OIL AND FITER STEERS ME AWAY FROM TRUSTING THE MAINTANANCE SUGGESTED TO US BY HONDA. EVERYONE KNOWS DEALERS MAKE MORE PROFIT FROM MAINTANANCE THAT FROM SALES. IF CLARITY CUSTOMERS (AND ALL HYBRID CARS THAT USE A COMBINATION OF ELECTRIC PROPULSION AND INTERNAL CUMBUSTION) ARE NEEDLESSLY PAYING DEALERSHIPS FOR MAINTAINANCE I SEE A FORM OF CUSTOMER DECIEPT. I WOULDNT BE SURPRISED IF HONDA WOULD SHOW ME A DOCUMENT PROVING TO DEALERSHIPS THAT THE SALE OF THIS CAR WILL MAKE MAINTAINANCE FASTER, CHEAPER, AND REQUIRE LESS MECHANICALLY SKILLED LABOR TO SERVICE - THUS ALLOWING THE DEALERSHIP TO MAKE THE NECESSARY CHANGES TO THEIR SEVICE CENTERS.

4 TIMES ENGINE WENT INTO EXTREME HIGH REV LIKE BEING STUCK WIDE OPEN IN FIRST GEAR WITH SUDDEN LOSS OF SPEED TWICE ON THE FREEWAY. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. REPORTED TO HONDA, THEY DENIED EVERYTHING AND MAINTAINED THAT "HIGH REVS" IS NORMAL AS STATED IN THE OWNERS MANUAL. TIS IS EXTREME HIGH REVS AND SUDDEN LOSS OF SPEED, IT IS NOT NORMAL. 5 OR 6 OTHER CLARITY OWNERS ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND ABOUT HONDA IGNORING THE ISSUE. I REQUESTED THROUGH ARBITRATION TO BE REIMBURSED AS I BROUGHT MY CAR FOR REPAIR 4 TIMES (2 DIFFERENT DEALERS) AND FOR A MULTITUDE OF ELECTRONIC ISSUES RELATED TO HV. HONDA DENIED EVERYTHING AND FOUND EXCUSES FOR EVERY SINGLE ISSUE. I WAS DENIED REIMBURSEMENT AND NOW I AM STILL STUCK WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT CONTINUE EVERY DAY! I HAVE DETAILED NOTES, DATES, VIDEOS, PHOTOS, TESTIMONIES OF OTHER OWNERS THAT I WOULD BE HAPPY TO SHARE. THE DAY OF THE ARBITRATION THE CAR WOULD NOT START BUT ARBITRATOR SAID HE COULD NOT USE IT AS IT WAS NOT PART OF THE ORIGINAL ISSUE. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. I EVEN OPENED A CLAIM WITH MY INSURANCE AGENCY IN CASE I GET INTO AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE CAR DOING WHATEVER IT WANTS. THANKS