← New search

2020 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.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
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: 1 of 7 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.

  • Forward Collision Avoidance. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Lane Departure. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

1 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports

What owners actually said

7 reports
Mileage unknown · Aug 22, 2026
Electrical SystemForward Collision AvoidanceLane Departure

The 2020 Honda Clarity's multipurpose windshield camera fails intermittently, often at startup. The vehicle displays Brake System and Honda Sensing-related warnings, disabling Collision Mitigation Braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, and road-departure mitigation. The vehicle may otherwise operate, but multiple…

Read full complaint

The 2020 Honda Clarity's multipurpose windshield camera fails intermittently, often at startup. The vehicle displays Brake System and Honda Sensing-related warnings, disabling Collision Mitigation Braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, and road-departure mitigation. The vehicle may otherwise operate, but multiple driver-assistance safety systems are unavailable. A dealer attributed the issue to the windshield camera module and possible calibration. The warnings began approximately June 2025 and remain intermittent. The camera is available for inspection. No crash, fire, injury, or police report.

NHTSA ODI #11758781

Mileage unknown · May 12, 2026
Forward Collision AvoidanceLane Departure

The forward-facing multipurpose camera unit (ADAS camera) failed internally while driving, causing the simultaneous deactivation of multiple critical safety systems including Collision Mitigation Braking (CMBS), Road Departure Mitigation, and Lane Keeping Assist (LKAS). The failure is indicated by persistent dashboard warning me…

Read full complaint

The forward-facing multipurpose camera unit (ADAS camera) failed internally while driving, causing the simultaneous deactivation of multiple critical safety systems including Collision Mitigation Braking (CMBS), Road Departure Mitigation, and Lane Keeping Assist (LKAS). The failure is indicated by persistent dashboard warning messages stating 'System Fault' or 'Honda Sensing Problem'.A professional diagnostic scan confirmed DTC code U3000-49 (Multipurpose Camera Unit Internal Failure). The sudden and unpredictable loss of these automated safety features reduces the vehicle's ability to assist in avoiding collisions and increases the risk of a crash, particularly in emergency situations. This appears to be a widespread manufacturing defect in the camera hardware that poses an unreasonable safety risk to drivers and passengers.

NHTSA ODI #11737243

Mileage unknown · Mar 22, 2026
Forward Collision AvoidanceLane Departure

The ADAS camera system failed causing multiple warnings and failures including lane departure system, forward collision system, adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assistance.

NHTSA ODI #11726194

Mileage unknown · Dec 31, 2024
Electrical SystemUnknown Or OtherVehicle Speed ControlCrash

During a U-turn, when I turned the steering wheel my vehicle suddenly accelerated unexpected. I suspect there may have been a malfunction in the vehicle's electronic control system that caused this sudden unintended acceleration. I did alert Honda North America to study the problem. On [XXX], while driving on a narrow street…

Read full complaint

During a U-turn, when I turned the steering wheel my vehicle suddenly accelerated unexpected. I suspect there may have been a malfunction in the vehicle's electronic control system that caused this sudden unintended acceleration. I did alert Honda North America to study the problem. On [XXX], while driving on a narrow street at a speed of less than 5 miles per hour, my vehicle suddenly accelerated as I was making a U-turn. In my nervous response, I pressed the accelerator pedal, which exacerbated the situation and caused my vehicle to hit the driveway bushes at [XXX]   Fortunately, the property damage was minor, affecting only the bushes, and there were no injuries. I believe it is important to report this Sudden Unintended Acceleration problem for your file. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11633288

Mileage unknown · Apr 12, 2024
Visibility/wiper

A/C stopped working, so defrost is no longer working efficiently. Honda says they only cover the condenser under the extended warranty and not the evaporator and want to charge me over 2200 to repair. If they are extending A/C warranty for condenser it should cover the entire A/C system since everyone online that had an issue wi…

Read full complaint

A/C stopped working, so defrost is no longer working efficiently. Honda says they only cover the condenser under the extended warranty and not the evaporator and want to charge me over 2200 to repair. If they are extending A/C warranty for condenser it should cover the entire A/C system since everyone online that had an issue with the condenser eventually ends up with an evaporator issue as well and then the defrost or A/C do not work properly.

NHTSA ODI #11582682

Mileage unknown · Dec 23, 2022
EnginePower Train

Engine RPM's rise (near red line at times) with little to no propulsion. The slang I've found used in online forums, showing that this is a common problem, is "angry bees."

NHTSA ODI #11498681

3,060 miles · Aug 30, 2020
EngineUnknown Or OtherVehicle Speed Control

WHEN THE BATTERY IS LOW THE HONDA CLARITY'S RPM JUMP REALLY HIGH AND VEHICLE REVS REALLY HARD AND STARTS TO LOSE POWER. MY VEHICLE HAD TWO BATTERY BARS AND WHEN I TRIED TO CLIMB IT MOUNTAIN IT LOST SPEED. I WAS ALMOST HIT TWICE BECAUSE MY CAR KEPT LOSING SPEED AND IT WAS REVVING LIKE IT WAS STRUGGLING TO KEEP MOVING. VERY SCARY …

Read full complaint

WHEN THE BATTERY IS LOW THE HONDA CLARITY'S RPM JUMP REALLY HIGH AND VEHICLE REVS REALLY HARD AND STARTS TO LOSE POWER. MY VEHICLE HAD TWO BATTERY BARS AND WHEN I TRIED TO CLIMB IT MOUNTAIN IT LOST SPEED. I WAS ALMOST HIT TWICE BECAUSE MY CAR KEPT LOSING SPEED AND IT WAS REVVING LIKE IT WAS STRUGGLING TO KEEP MOVING. VERY SCARY SITUATION TO BE IN WITH OTHER CARS AND LITTLE CHILDREN IN MY CAR. I HAVE A VIDEO OF THE CAR REVVING.

NHTSA ODI #11352172

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

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.