2018 Honda Clarity PLUG-IN Hybrid

There is a fuel pump recall. I was notified on 12/20/23, called Honda to file a claim on 12/21/23 requesting a loaner vehicle due to safety concerns, took vehicle to the dealership to have it inspected on 12/21/23, emailed dealership on 1/2/24 requesting a loaner vehicle due to safety concerns, received a call 3 days later that there was nothing that could be done as part is not available. They told me they could not offer a loaner vehicle. It's been over 60 days since I contacted the dealer about this repair and nothing has been done.

WHILE I WAS CHECKING THE ENGINE OIL LEVEL, I SMELLED A STRONG GASOLINE ODOR. SINCE THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE HAS A KNOWN OIL DILUTION PROBLEM I HAD OIL ANALYSIS DONE AND THE RESULTS CAME BACK INDICATING THAT THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT LEVEL OF FUEL IN THE OIL WHICH CAN DAMAGE THE INTERNAL COMPONENTS OF THE ENGINE AND EVENTUALLY RESULT IN AN ENGINE FAILURE. I CALLED HONDA CORPORATE OFFICE TO REGISTER THE ISSUE AND ON FEB 24TH, I HAD MY OIL SAMPLED. I RECEIVED THE RESULTS ON MARCH 3RD AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED HONDA THE SAME DAY TO SHARE THE ANALYSIS. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY RECOURSE AS OF YET AND PENDING A RESPONSE.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS, THE CAR WAS ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH TRAFFIC AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MOUNTAIN. HOWEVER, AS I APPROACHED THE SUMMIT, NO MATTER HOW FAR DOWN I PUSHED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE CAR WOULD NOT INCREASE SPEED. WITH THE PEDAL COMPLETELY FLOORED (PAST THE HYBRID SYSTEM CLICK POINT) THE CAR WOULD STILL NOT PICKUP SPEED, NOR DID IT SOUND LIKE THE ENGINE WAS EVEN TRYING TO REV HIGHER. AS I KEPT APPROACHING THE SUMMIT WITH THE PEDAL FLOORED, THE CAR STARTED TO SLOWLY LOSE SPEED. AS A RESULT, I WAS NOT ABLE TO KEEP WITH TRAFFIC AND HAD TO MOVE TO THE FAR RIGHT LANE. DURING THIS EXPERIENCE, THE CAR WAS OPERATING IN HYBRID MODE WITH ABOUT 10% BATTERY CHARGE SAVED. MY PREVIOUS PHEV NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR EVEN THOUGH IT HAD LESS SYSTEM HORSEPOWER AND TORQUE. TO EXPERIENCE THIS WAS DISAPPOINTING. NOT KNOWING IF THE CAR WILL ACTUALLY ACCELERATE WHEN I NEED TO IS HIGHLY DISCONCERTING.

WE LEASED OUR VEHICLE IN NOVEMBER OF 2018. FROM THE TEST DRIVE AND GOING FORWARD WE NOTICED HIGH ENGINE IDLE DURING ACCELERATION BUT WAS TOLD THE CAR NEEDED TO BE CHARGED.(WE WERE NEVER TOLD OF ANYTHING REGARDING LOSS OF ENGINE POWER OR ACCELERATION IF THE BATTERY IS LOW! FALSE ADVERTISING!) AS THE DAYS WENT BY WE NOTICED THE ISSUE GETTING WORSE AND THAT THE REVVING WAS ACTUALLY THE CAR LOSING POWER WHEN DRIVING IN ANY CONDITION OR DRIVING MODE. WHILE DRIVING THE CAR AND THE BATTERY GETS TO TWO BARS THE CAR WOULD LOOSE POWER AND WILL NOT GO OVER 10 MPH. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MY WIFE ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS AND A FEW WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT SPEEDS OF 60 TO 70 MPH AND SUDDENLY THE CAR DOESN'T WANT TO GO AND THE ENGINE REVS AND THE RPM'S GO UP BECAUSE THE CAR IS LOOSING POWER AS YOUR STEPPING ON THE GAS PEDAL. MY WIFE HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE. THANKFULLY THERE WEREN'T MANY CARS AROUND HER. THIS IS A DANGERS SITUATION AND IS NOT NORMAL! MY WIFE FEARS FOR HER LIFE AND DOES NOT LIKE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE!!!. WE HAVE BROUGHT THE CAR TO SERVICE AND COMPLAINED ABOUT THE ISSUE AT LEAST 3 TIMES. THEY CLAIM THAT THEY CANT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO. THEY JUST TELL US TO PICK THE CAR UP AND JUST SEND US ON OUR WAY. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! WE'VE EVEN PUT IN A CLAIM WITH AMERICAN HONDA AND SO FARE THEY ARE NO HELP AS WELL! PLEASE FIX THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE SERIOUSLY GETS HURT OR DIES!!!

WE LEASED A 2018 HONDA CLARITY IN DECEMBER OF 2017. SINCE THEN, THE CAR HAS LOST POWER SEVERAL TIMES (OVER 25 TIMES). ATTACHED ARE 2 SEPARATE VIDEO CLIPS SHOWING THE CAR LOSING POWER. THE CAR FEELS LIKE THE ENGINE DISENGAGES AND THE REVOLUTIONS GO UP, BUT THE CAR SLOWS DOWN. I HAVE BEEN ON THE FREEWAY GOING UP A HILL, WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER. WE WENT FROM 65 MPH DOWN TO 20 MPH. I HAD TO FULLY STOP IN THE EMERGENCY LANE AND ACCELERATE AGAIN TO CLEAR THE ISSUE. THE LOSS OF POWER HAS HAPPENED ON FLAT RESIDENTIAL STREETS, BUSY MULTI-LANE HIGHWAYS, WHILE ACCELERATING OUT OF A DRIVEWAYS, AND ACCELERATING UP LARGE AND SMALL HILLS. THOUGH IT HAS TAKEN AWHILE TO ESTABLISH A PATTERN, IT APPEARS TO HAPPEN WHEN THE ELECTRICAL CHARGE FALLS TO 1 OR 2 BARS. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER OVER 3 TIMES WHO UPDATED THE SOFTWARE BUT THAT HAS NOT SOLVED THE PROBLEM. EVEN THOUGH THE DEALER HAS THE VIDEO CLIPS, THE DEALER HAS STATED THAT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE OR FIND THE PROBLEM AND RECOMMENDS THAT I CHARGE THE CAR EVERY NIGHT. THIS IS NOT THE CAR I PURCHASED. I SHOULD BE ABLE TO PLUG IN THE CAR TO CHARGE IT OR USE MY ENGINE TO CHARGE THE CAR. THE DEALER IS ALSO UNWILLING TO SOLVE MY ISSUES OR REPLACE THE CAR.

ON APPROX 6 OCCASIONS, WHEN EV POWER IS USED UP, THE CAR SWITCHES TO ICE MODE WITH ISSUES. WHEN TRAVELING UP HILL, IT FEELS LIKE THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT ENGAGING. THE VEHICLE LOSSES POWER, AND DOES NOT ACCELERATE. THE ICE REVS EXTREMELY HIGH WITHOUT SPEED GAIN. HAVE ALSO EXPERIENCED A DOWNHILL SITUATION WITH NEARLY FULL EV IN EV MODE. VEHICLE FEELS LIKE IT DISENGAGES DRIVETRAIN. WHEN PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR, THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. ONE FEELS HELPLESS WHEN THIS OCCURS. MOST OF THE TIME, THE CAR HAD SWITCHES FROM EV TO HV AUTOMATICALLY, WITHOUT ISSUE. BUT, THE ABOVE PHENOMENA HAS HAPPENED 6 TIMES IN THE LAST YEAR THIS IS UNSAFE. THE VEHICLE WAS SOLD AS AN EV, WITH A GAS ENGINE TO TAKE OVER WHEN EV RUNS OUT. AT NO TIME WAS THERE ANY EXPLANATION REGARDING POTENTIAL SITUATIONS THAT WOULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO BECOME UNSAFE AND LOSE POWER. ONE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO ENSURE RESERVE EV POWER FOR POTENTIAL POWER LOSS SITUATIONS. WHEN THESE SITUATIONS HAVE OCCURRED, UPON SHUTTING OFF THE CAR AND EXITING, THERE IS A STRONG SMELL OF BURNING RUBBER AND OTHER MATERIAL SIMILAR TO TRANSMISSION AND BRAKES, OR HOT METAL. CLEARLY SOMETHING IS OVERHEATING, AND IF THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SHUTDOWN AND ALLOWED TO COOL, A REASONABLE PERSON MIGHT CONCLUDE THAT SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE, ELECTRIC MOTORS, EV BATTERY, OR TRANSMISSION WOULD TAKE PLACE. I AM NO LONGER DRIVING THE VEHICLE AS A PURE EV FOR CITY DRIVING. THE FEAR OF POWER LOSS WITHOUT CONTROL IS EXTREMELY UPSETTING, AND CONSEQUENTLY, NOT GETTING THE VALUE OF VEHICLE. MY SPOUSE WILL NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE AS DRIVER OR PASSENGER IF THE TRIP IS TO EXCEED 20 MILES IN ONE DIRECTION. MY GAS SAVINGS HAS DROPPED CONSIDERABLY AS I AM UNABLE TO RISK RUNNING OUT OF EV BEFORE MY TRIP ENDS. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER 3 TIMES, AND INSPECTED BY HONDA OF AMERICA. THEY DENY THERE IS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE.

STATE OF DRIVING CONDITION: THE CAR WAS SET IN CRUISE AT 70 MPH IN HV MODE (NOT CHARGE MODE). EV RANGE WAS 30 MILE REMAINING, APPROXIMATELY 70% OF BATTERY REMAINING. THE HONDA CLARITY PHEV SPONTANEOUS EXCESSIVE REVVING THE ENGINE WHILE CRUISING AT A CONSTANT SPEED ON FLAT HIGHWAY ROAD THEN THE CAR DROPPED SPEED BY ITSELF WITHOUT ANY CAR IN FRONT. ONCE I NOTICE THE CAR DOES NOT HAVE POWER TO REGAIN TO SET CRUISING SPEED, I TURNED CRUISING OFF, SWITCHED THE CAR FROM HV TO EV THEN THE ENGINE STOP DOING HIGH REVVING. I DROVE IN EV FOR 2 MINUTES THEN SWITCH BACK TO HV THEN THE CAR REGAIN ITS POWER TO RESUME CRUISING SPEED. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN DRIVERS DID NOT AWARE WHEN THE CAR DECIDED TO CUT ITS POWER IN HV MODE. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I ENCOUNTER THE SITUATION, BUT I'VE NOTICED MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER DRIVER REGARD TO CLARITY PHEV SPONTANEOUS ENGINE REVVING ON MANY FORUM.

SO MY WIFE TOOK THE CLARITY ON HER REGULAR COMMUTE FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE A BUNCH OF RECALLS WERE PERFORMED ON THE CAR ON FRIDAY. ALONG WITH A01 SERVICE, PRODUCT UPDATES 18-089, 90, 91 AND 97 WERE PERFORMED ON THE CAR. SHE RAN INTO A DANGEROUS SITUATION. I'LL LIST THE STEPS BELOW. HAS ANYONE ELSE ENCOUNTERED THIS? I PLAN TO REPORT TO NHTSA ALSO. - SHE WAS DRIVING NORMALLY ON HER WAY BACK HOME IN ECON MODE AT AROUND 70 MPH OR UNDER. PRIOR TO THE UPDATES THE BATTERY NEVER USED TO GO BELOW 9 OR 10% (LAST TWO BARS). BUT TODAY IT WENT TO NO BARS LEFT. - THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS NOT RESPONSIVE AND THE SPEED STARTED DROPPING TO ABOUT 40 MPH. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS CLOSE BEHIND HER. SHE SWITCHED ON HER HAZARDS. - SHE TURNED ON HYBRID MODE AND THE CAR ACCELERATED UP AGAIN BACK TO HIGHWAY SPEEDS. IT WORKED NORMALLY ON THE REST OF THE JOURNEY HOME. SO ON ANY DAY BEFORE LAST WEEK, THE CAR WOULD A) NOT LET THE BATTERY GO BELOW 2 BARS B) KEEP UP SPEED AND AUTOMATICALLY SWITCH TO HYBRID MODE ONCE EV MODE WAS UNAVAILABLE. WHAT HAPPENED TODAY WAS SCARY. EDIT -

ON OCCASION WHILE BRAKING, THE CAR ATTEMPTS TO MOVE FORWARD EVEN THOUGH THE BRAKE IS APPLIED. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL HAS A SECTION DIVIDED BETWEEN POWER BEING USED AND CHARGE BEING STORED AS THE CAR IS DESIGNED TO CHARGE THE ELECTRIC BATTERY WHENEVER THE BRAKE IS APPLIED. WHEN THIS SITUATION OCCURS, THE BRAKE PEDAL IS FIRMLY APPLIED AND THE NEEDLE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL IS IN THE "CHARGING" AREA. THE CAR ATTEMPTS TO JERK FORWARD AND THERE IS SHAKING/VIBRATION AS THE APPLIED BRAKE KEEPING THE CAR IN PLACE FACES OFF WITH THE CHARGING SYSTEM THAT IS TRYING TO HAVE THE CAR MOVE FORWARD FOR WHATEVER REASON. THE RESOLUTION WHEN THIS OCCURS IS TO RELEASE THE FOOT FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL AND IMMEDIATELY APPLY IT AGAIN WHICH REQUIRES THE CAR TO JERK FORWARD MOMENTARILY. THIS OCCURRED IN A DRIVE-THRU WHERE THE CAR IN FRONT WAS FAIRLY CLOSE AHEAD.

VEHICLE RANGE CALCULATION IS INCORRECT FOR HIGHWAY/LONG DISTANCE TRAVEL. THE RANGE ESTIMATE SHOWS OFF EVEN WHEN FUEL LEVEL IS VERY LOW. FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN STARTING A TRIP IT MIGHT SHOW 1000 MILES RANGE. ON THE HIGHWAY, THIS WILL COUNT DOWN VERY QUICKLY, 1 MILE DRIVEN MIGHT COUNT DOWN 4 MILES OF ESTIMATED RANGE. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THIS RANGE ESTIMATE DOESN'T UPDATE QUICKLY ENOUGH TO REFLECT THAT THE PLUG-IN HYBRID VEHICLE IS DRIVING ON A LONG TRIP INSTEAD OF AROUND TOWN AND THE RANGE WON'T BE NEAR AS MUCH SINCE IT ISN'T ADDING ELECTRICITY AT HOME EVERY NIGHT. EVEN WHEN THE FUEL TANK GETS VERY LOW, LESS THAN 1 GALLON, THE ESTIMATE WILL OFTEN BE OFF BY 2 OR 3 TIMES, SO IT MIGHT SHOW 100 MILE RANGE WHEN I REALLY HAVE A 40 MILE RANGE. THIS IS DANGEROUS AS IF A DRIVER IS IN A REMOTE AREA WHERE GAS STATIONS ARE 50 MILES APART, A DRIVER MIGHT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE TO THE NEXT STATION NOT REALIZING THEY HAVE INADEQUATE GAS LEVEL.