Most common 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid problems
Share of the 137 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid complaints by model year
Best Clarity Plug-In Hybrid years: 2020. Compare all years →
2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid recalls (1)
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
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…
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid:
Pedestrian alert sounds
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.
What 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid owners say
Fuel & propulsion system all 39 →
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Clarity Plug in Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that his wife informed him that the vehicle failed to start upon pushing the "Push to Start" button. The contact stated that his wife was able to start the vehicle after several attempts. Additionally, the contact stated while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed downhill and depressing the accelerator pedal, the engine revved, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact was unaware if there any warning light was illuminated. The contact's wife was able to drive to her destination. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. …
Here is an update to the issue I had raised with your office in March-April 2026: Honda Van Nuys performed the 35,000-mile routine maintenance on the Honda Clarity on February 24, 2026. At that time, Honda Van Nuys recommended (and I approved) that they clean the throttle. The odometer read 33,882 miles. I drove the car 337 miles when the unintended acceleration accident occurred on March 18, 2026 - 2.5 weeks after Honda Van Nuys cleaned the throttle. The airbags deployed. The throttle seems to be the part that failed based on the attached EDR report. The odometer read 34,219 at that time. The car is now considered totaled by GEICO. In addition, Honda Van Nuys has done all maintenance work on the Honda Clarity, including some major removal of the dashboard and back seats, since I purchased the car there in 2018, as outlined in the attachment. …
Engine & cooling all 25 →
Hello, I have received a safety recall notice (23V-858) from Honda back in February and another one in July. I have tried to get them to repair it a few times, but they said they do not have the part yet but should have it sometime in the fall. They are telling me that they are only fixing cars with issues at the moment, which I cannot with 100% certainty say my car has the issue they are talking about. The CSR told me that I would have to pay for diagnostics if they found my car not having the issue in question, which of course I do not want to do. My question is, does Honda not have the duty to fix my car in a timely manner if they have issued a recall for it? I have been waiting for at least 7 months now? That is way too long? Thank you for your attention in this matter [redacted]
Since fuel pump recall fix by dealership, "Emission System Problem" started appearing in my car due to the way fuel pump recall was fixed. They already attempted to fix the issue 5 times but unable to provide permanent fix. Honda corporate office also not willing to help. This is a safety issue as when I drive the car, I smell gas and my car is constantly with dealership without permanent fix.
Electrical system all 20 →
Several times now while driving on the interstate at the average speed of 70 to 75 which is the speed limit in my Area the battery level while fully charged it's supposed to only drop down to 20% I have noticed several times now while on the interstate I've been barely able to drive 40 mph as it is dropping the power level down to almost zero there is no bars being illuminated they're supposed to be two bars for 20% and even one bar for 10% and twice now in a matter of 2 weeks I've noticed that it goes down to zero bars and the engine is revving very very high and I have very little power available this is quite dangerous on the interstate and I wish this could be resolved or I'll be getting rid of this car
Rear camera and Side camera and infotainment system all do not work. Screen does work because we get the welcome message when starting the car. We brought the car to the dealership and they told us that the screen needs to be replaced (Which appears to be working) at a cost of $5400 which they stated may not fix this issue. In addition we tried to get the fuel recall repaired but they told us they could not do it because there is too much fuel in the tank. - The tank holds a total of 8 gallons
2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5L 4-cyl plug-in hybrid | CVT | FWD | 44 / 40 / 42 |
EPA ratings. Class: Midsize car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid a good car?
There isn't enough complaint history for the Clarity Plug-In Hybrid to compare model years reliably. So far owners have filed 137 complaints with NHTSA.
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid?
The fuel & propulsion system — 39 complaints, 28% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the engine & cooling (25) and electrical system (20).
How many recalls does the 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid have?
There is 1 recall for the 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid, the most recent from December 18, 2023 (fuel pump). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2020. See the full Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid years comparison.
At what mileage do 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 3,000 miles; 94% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.