2018 Honda Clarity PLUG-IN Hybrid

TWICE I EXPERIENCED EXTREME HIGH REVS (LIKE THE CAR WAS IN NEUTRAL AND YOU HAVE THE PEDAL TO THE METAL)WITH ABSOLUTE LOSS OF POWER AND SPEED DOWN TO 30 MPH FIRST TIME ON FREEWAY & 10 MPH SECOND TIME ON HIGHWAY. HAPPENED TWICE WHEN BATTERY WAS LOW (EACH TIME BATTERY DISPLAY ACTUALLY WENT DOWN TO 1 BAR WHICH I'VE BEEN TOLD BY DEALER THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GO BELOW 2 BARS WHEN HV KICKS IN) AND ON SLIGHT INCLINE. SUPER SCARY DANGEROUS, FAMILY SCREAMING OF FEAR INSIDE VEHICLE)! ALSO HAVE RANGE DISPLAY ERROR, ENGINE TURNING ON WHEN BATTERY IS FULL ALMOST EVERY DAY AND NO CHARGING WHEN HV CHARGE ENGAGED. ORIGINAL DEALER TEST DROVE CAR 300 MILES, DID UPDATE AND TOLD ME NOTHING WRONG WITH CAR. I WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR, IT SAT AT DEALER FOR A MONTH. AFTER FIGHTING WITH HONDA AND GOING NOWHERE WITH THEM OR DEALERSHIP I TOOK IT BACK AND ALL ISSUES WHERE STILL THERE. TOOK CAR 3 TIMES TO DEALER #2 WHO SAID THEY CANNOT HELP, TO DEAL WITH HONDA. I EVEN EMAILED VIDEOS AND PHOTOS BUT THEY DID NOT SEEM TO CARE OR MAKE EFFORT TO RESEARCH IT. TOOK TEST DRIVE WITH TECH, HE HAD EXCUSES FOR EVERYTHING. HAD OPENED TICKET WITH HONDA, ORIGINALLY A SPECIAL TECH GUY WAS SUPPOSED TO COME CHECK THE CAR, 2 MONTHS LATER STILL NOTHING, AFTER DOZENS OF CALLS TO HONDA THEY TOLD ME THAT NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE CAR AND THEY CANCELLED THE SPECIALIST AS THEY CANNOT JUSTIFY THE COST OF IT. I EVEN HAD TO PAY FOR THE LOANER AND AGAIN HONDA SAID THEY CANNOT JUSTIFY COVERING IT. THEY SAY TO CONTACT DEALER, DID NOT DO ANYTHING AND ENDED UP TELLING ME TO GET A LAWYER. I AM NOW STUCK WITH A CAR THAT HAS MAJOR ISSUES MOST OF THE TIME, I HAVE TO STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO SHUT CAR OFF 2 TO 3 TIMES IN THE MORNING WHEN THE BATTERY IS FULL AND GO THROUGH LOTS OF GAS BECAUSE TH E BATTERY DOES NOT RECHARGE AND THE ENGINE IS REVVING EXTREMELY HIGH. I AM ALSO WORRIED ABOUT THE LONG TERM DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE.

THE CLARITY PHEV IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH PUBLIC CHARGING STATIONS (E.G. CHARGEPOINT) THAT FEATURE DUAL CHARGING PORTS AND AN ENERGY MANAGEMENT CONTROLLER (EMC). THE VEHICLE'S ONBOARD CHARGER WILL SHUT OFF WHEN IT SENSES THE CHARGING STATION'S EMC IS ACTIVATED WHEN BOTH PORTS ARE ENGAGED FOR SIMULTANEOUS CHARGING. MULTIPLE FAILED ATTEMPTS TO RESTART CHARGING WILL RESULT IN A "TOTAL SYSTEM FAILURE" WARNING FROM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO NOT START AND DRIVE. OWNERS COULD BE STUCK IN A PARKING STALL FOR UP TO 4 HOURS TO ALLOW THE SYSTEM TO SELF-HEAL/RECOVER FROM THE TOTAL SYSTEM FAILURE BEFORE BEING ABLE TO START AND DRIVE THE CAR. ISSUE HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED BY HONDA DEALERSHIP, BUT NO INFORMATION FROM HONDA OR THE DEALERSHIP ON A FUTURE SOFTWARE UPDATE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. I THINK HONDA SHOULD PERFORM ITS DUE DILIGENCE TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR THE CLARITY PHEV AND POTENTIALLY FOR ITS ALL-ELECTRIC VERSION TO RESOLVE THIS MAJOR FLAW.

ALTHOUGH CAR LESS THAN ONE WEEK OLD AND UNDER 470 MILES, ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WHILE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AFTER STARTING THE CAR: ENGINE SYSTEM PROBLEM, BRAKE SYSTEM PROBLEM, ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL PROBLEM, ROAD DEPARTURE MITIGATION SYSTEM PROBLEM. TURNING CAR OFF AND RESTARTING ENGINE DID NOT CLEAR THE PROBLEM, AND LIGHTS REMAINED ON WHILE DRIVING. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED (HONDA OF PASADENA).

WITH DRIVING WITH A FULLY CHARGED BATTERY DRIVING IN ECON (EV) MODE, THE INTERNAL COMBUSTION (ICE) CAME ONLINE WHEN STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN. AFTER ACCELERATING, THE ICE STOPPED RUNNING AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES AND THE CAR RESUMED RUNNING IN EV MODE. THIS REPEATED SEVERAL TIMES, AND NOT ALWAYS WHEN THE CAR WAS STOPPED. THIS BEHAVIOR HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES, BUT NOT ALWAYS.

I FILLED THE SEVEN GALLON GAS TANK YESTERDAY, AND THE DASHBOARD RANGE DISPLAY CALCULATED THE RANGE OF THE CAR ON GAS POWER AS 871 MILES. I HAVE BEEN DRIVEN MOSTLY ON ELECTRIC BATTERY POWER, BUT WITH ONLY SEVEN GALLONS OF GAS IN THE TANK, THAT RANGE IS ABSURD. NEW DRIVERS OF THE VEHICLES MIGHT BELIEVE THE RANGE AND INADVERTENTLY STRAND THEMSELVES SOMEWHERE.