AI Damage2019 Honda Clarity Plug-IN Hybrid reliability: common problems
Owners of the 2019 Honda Clarity Plug-IN Hybrid filed 42 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and vehicle speed control. The maker issued 4 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 42
- involving a crash
- 2
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 24% of all complaints
- 2 Vehicle speed control 21% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 17% of all complaints
- 4 Fuel/propulsion system 14% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel system 14% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 10% of all complaints
- 7 Visibility 7% of all complaints
- 8 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
- Engine: 10 complaints (24% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 9 complaints (21% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 7 complaints (17% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 1.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 6 complaints (14% of all).
- Fuel system: 6 complaints (14% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 42 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| Visibility | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Lane departure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
I was rear ended on the freeway that l caused my car to hit a guard rail, head on. I remember getting rear ended and then blacked out on hitting the guard rail. I then had chest pain. My driver's side airbags deployed with the driver's side front foot area airbags deploying.
Monday sep 7, 2020 around 11:20 am unintended acceleration my wife was driving the car and in process to park in our house garage. When she got on the drive way, she pressed the brake and stopped in front of the garage door to open it.
My 2019 Honda Clarity has had a hybrid battery failure that triggers âCheck Engineâ and âPower Systemâ warnings, making the vehicle unsafe and unreliable to drive.
Currently the high voltage inverter is squealing, it is currently at the dealership. They have verified it is the inverter that is malfunctioning but they will not warrenty the repair because they are saying it needs to completely fail and throw a code.
The vehicle's high-voltage hybrid propulsion inverter is emitting a severe, high-pitched mechanical squealing noise during acceleration and regenerative braking.The high-voltage inverter serves as the foundational link regulating current between the lithium-ion battery and the electric drive motor.
The contact stated that the BRAKE Hold system, hill start assist, collision mitigation system, VSA, and the electric parking brake warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driven to a safe location and turned off. The vehicle was restarted. Additionally, the warning lights were no longer illuminated.
The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.
Both the condenser and evaporator failed at 5 years and 55k miles and cause the AC system to not work, which in turn will not defrost the front windshield in the winter (visibility concern). The dealer has confirmed the issue when I took it into the service department on June 13th, 2025.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 5,630 of 32,257 model years in the NHTSA data (top 17% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Clarity Plug-IN Hybrid has 38 complaints (5 years in the data). This year has 42, about average.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- Owner Notification Letter - On some 2018-21 Clarity Plug-In Hybrid models, the A/C condenser may leak…
Owner Notification Letter - On some 2018-21 Clarity Plug-In Hybrid models, the A/C condenser may leak refrigerant. American Honda is extending the warranty on the A/C condenser to 10 years from the original date of…
- Dealer Message - Today, May 28, 2021, American Honda is announcing a warranty extension for certain…
Dealer Message - Today, May 28, 2021, American Honda is announcing a warranty extension for certain 2018-2020 Accord and Accord Hybrid, 2018-2020 Civic, 2017-2021 Civic Hatch, 2017-2021 Civic Type R, 2018-2021 Clarity…
- Service Bulletin - American Honda is extending the warranty on the A/C condenser to 10 years from the…
Service Bulletin - American Honda is extending the warranty on the A/C condenser to 10 years from the original date of purchase with unlimited miles. This warranty extension only covers vehicles that have a defective…
- Service Bulletin - The Hybrid System Failure message comes on the MID, and DTC P1D8D (Generator Motor…
Service Bulletin - The Hybrid System Failure message comes on the MID, and DTC P1D8D (Generator Motor Inverter Short) is stored.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2019 Honda Clarity Plug-IN Hybrid?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, vehicle speed control, electrical system. Total complaints: 42. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: A/C or heater (17%), loss of power / limp mode (14%), warning lights, check engine (14%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2019 Honda Clarity Plug-IN Hybrid?
NHTSA lists 4 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2019 Honda Clarity Plug-IN Hybrid from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2019 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.