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2019 Honda Clarity PLUG-IN Hybrid

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Compare all Clarity PLUG-IN Hybrid years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 19 of 42 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

2 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports

Engine complaints

10 reports
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Mileage unknown · Nov 18, 2024
EngineFuel/propulsion System

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 signi…

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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 ODI #11625961

125,000 miles · Aug 20, 2024
EngineVehicle Speed Control

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 v…

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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 ODI #11609826

Mileage unknown · Jan 23, 2023
EnginePower Train

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 ODI #11503147

Mileage unknown · Nov 22, 2022
Engine

This is a 2019 Honda Clarity hybrid vehicle, with 53000 miles at the time of incident. I was driving up hill going about 55 miles per hour, all of the sudden the speed kept dropping even though the gas pedal remained pressed. Pressing the gas pedal more had no effect on speed, except to increase the engine RPM and the high-pitch…

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This is a 2019 Honda Clarity hybrid vehicle, with 53000 miles at the time of incident. I was driving up hill going about 55 miles per hour, all of the sudden the speed kept dropping even though the gas pedal remained pressed. Pressing the gas pedal more had no effect on speed, except to increase the engine RPM and the high-pitched noise. Luckily I was on the right lane. Pulled the car over to the shoulder and turned it off. The problem went away after restart. From researching on google, this seems to be a quite common occurrence with Honda Clarity. Since it couldn't be replicated at will, it's difficult to solve. There are speculations online that it could be software related, but my honda dealer wouldn't document the issue.

NHTSA ODI #11494624

Mileage unknown · Jan 22, 2022
EngineFuel/propulsion System

Car engine makes loud banging noise when it is running on gas instead of electrical battery. I had asked Honda dealer to review but they say they can not do anything about it. It is feels as if car making so much banging noise from engine has inherent issue and will eventually catch fire.

NHTSA ODI #11448485

30 miles · Jul 26, 2020
Engine

7.25.2020 - WHEN CAR IS RUNNING FOR 45 MINUTES, 85 DEGREES F, EV ON, ECON OFF, ENGINES LOSES POWER AND REVS HIGH AFTER 40MPH. 7.18.2020 - WHEN CAR IS RUNNING FOR 45 MINUTES, 89 DEGREES F, EV OFF, ECON ON, ENGINES LOSES POWER AND REVS HIGH AFTER 40MPH. 2015 TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN HAD THE SIMILAR ISSUE OF THE CAR LOSING POWER …

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7.25.2020 - WHEN CAR IS RUNNING FOR 45 MINUTES, 85 DEGREES F, EV ON, ECON OFF, ENGINES LOSES POWER AND REVS HIGH AFTER 40MPH. 7.18.2020 - WHEN CAR IS RUNNING FOR 45 MINUTES, 89 DEGREES F, EV OFF, ECON ON, ENGINES LOSES POWER AND REVS HIGH AFTER 40MPH. 2015 TOYOTA PRIUS PLUG-IN HAD THE SIMILAR ISSUE OF THE CAR LOSING POWER AFTER DRIVING FASTER THAN 62 MPH WITH EV MODE ON. A RELAY SWITCH RECALL OCCURRED THAT FIXED THIS ISSUE.. SO FAR.

NHTSA ODI #11341513

20 miles · Jul 5, 2020
Engine

JULY 4, 2020 DROVE WITH OUR FAMILY OF 2 BABIES ON A LOCAL HIGHWAY WITH A MAXIMUM SPEED OF 50MPH AND TRAVELING A ROUND-TRIP DISTANCE OF 52 MILES. OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES WERE ABOUT 89℉. AFTER DRIVING FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES, THE ENGINE WOULD REV AT A HIGH RPM AT 40MPH. IT COULD BE HEARD AND FELT OVER THE RADIO'S MUSIC. GIV…

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JULY 4, 2020 DROVE WITH OUR FAMILY OF 2 BABIES ON A LOCAL HIGHWAY WITH A MAXIMUM SPEED OF 50MPH AND TRAVELING A ROUND-TRIP DISTANCE OF 52 MILES. OUTSIDE TEMPERATURES WERE ABOUT 89℉. AFTER DRIVING FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES, THE ENGINE WOULD REV AT A HIGH RPM AT 40MPH. IT COULD BE HEARD AND FELT OVER THE RADIO'S MUSIC. GIVING MORE GAS DIDN'T MAKE THE CAR DRIVE FASTER. ON THE WAY HOME, ABOUT 40 MINUTES INTO THE DRIVE, THE ENGINE REVVED HIGH AGAIN AT 40MPH, LOST OF POWER, AND THIS TIME MAKING THE CAR'S SPEED SLOW TO 30MPH BECAUSE WE WERE APPROACHING A RED LIGHT, LUCKILY. THIS ISSUE OCCURRED BEFORE ON JULY 27,2020 WHEN MY WIFE DROVE THE CAR AND CONPLAINED ABOUT IT DRIVING SLOW AND ENGINE REVVING LOUD. THIS CAR HAS ONLY 1,884 MILES ON IT AND WAS BOUGHT IN JANUARY 2020. LEMON LAW.

NHTSA ODI #11337549

12,500 miles · Jun 24, 2020
EngineUnknown Or OtherVehicle Speed Control

MY CAR IS LOSING POWER AND GETTING LOUD NOISE WHILE DRIVING ON AN UPHILL ROAD. I HAVE SHOWN MY CAR TO 3 DIFFERENT DEALERS AND THEY COULDN'T FIX IT. I HAVE SEEN MANY ONLINE REVIEWS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND STILL, HONDA IS NOT HELPING ITS CUSTOMER. *TR

NHTSA ODI #11330558

100 miles · Oct 16, 2019
Engine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 HONDA CLARITY PLUG-IN HYBRID. WHEN THE VEHICLE SWITCHED FROM RUNNING ON THE BATTERY TO FUEL, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. IN ADDITION, THE ENGINE RAN ON VERY HIGH RPMS AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER WITHOUT WARNING AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 HONDA CLARITY PLUG-IN HYBRID. WHEN THE VEHICLE SWITCHED FROM RUNNING ON THE BATTERY TO FUEL, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. IN ADDITION, THE ENGINE RAN ON VERY HIGH RPMS AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER WITHOUT WARNING AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND POWERED OFF THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100.

NHTSA ODI #11268872

600 miles · Apr 26, 2019
EngineVehicle Speed Control

THE CAR DRIVES FINE WHEN THERE IS SUFFICIENT BATTERY. WHEN BATTERY LEVEL DROPS TO LOW (2 BARS) THE CAR DOES NOT RESPOND TO ACCELERATOR. THE ENGINE BECOMES SLUGGISH AND REVS UP QUITE A BIT. I HAVE DRIVEN ~650 MILES SO FAR AND THIS HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES ALREADY. LUCKILY IT HAPPENED ONLY ONCE IN THE HIGHWAY WHERE THIS WOULD HAVE BEE…

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THE CAR DRIVES FINE WHEN THERE IS SUFFICIENT BATTERY. WHEN BATTERY LEVEL DROPS TO LOW (2 BARS) THE CAR DOES NOT RESPOND TO ACCELERATOR. THE ENGINE BECOMES SLUGGISH AND REVS UP QUITE A BIT. I HAVE DRIVEN ~650 MILES SO FAR AND THIS HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES ALREADY. LUCKILY IT HAPPENED ONLY ONCE IN THE HIGHWAY WHERE THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS AND LIFE THREATENING.

NHTSA ODI #11204059

Official recalls

2

23V858000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump

Dec 18, 2023

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.

20V326000 · Seat Belts:rear/other

Jun 4, 2020

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019 Clarity Fuel Cell, Clarity Electric, and Clarity Plug-in Hybrid vehicles with rear seat belt assemblies with a dual-mode locking mechanism. The seat belt webbing sensor locking mechanism may not lock as intended.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: In the event of a crash, the seat belt may not properly restrain the occupant, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear seat belt assembly production dates, and replace the assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 24, 2020. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is Z7L.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.