NHTSA recalls & complaints · 2017–2021

Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid recalls, complaints and VIN decoding

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns and 185 owner complaints for the Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid, covering model years 2017 to 2021. The 2018 model year drew the most complaints (134), and Engine is the component owners name most often.

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint flat files, updated September 25, 2026.

Decode your Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid VIN

See the model year, plant and build details of one vehicle, then the recalls for its exact year.

2 recall campaigns on file
185 owner complaints (unverified reports to NHTSA)
5 model years with data (2017–2021)

most complaints: 2018 (134 for that model year)
top component: Engine (37 complaints)
latest recall 23V858000 (reported Dec 18, 2023)

12 complaints reporting a crash (6.5%)
1 complaint reporting a fire (0.5%)
4 complaints reporting an injury (2.2%)
1 complaint reporting a death (0.5%)

Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid complaints by model year

5 model years · NHTSA complaints

The 2018 model year has the most complaints: 134 of 185, or 72.4%. Next come 2019 (42) and 2020 (7). The fewest are for 2021, with 1 complaint.

Owner complaints per model yearHighest yearOther years

Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death

Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death
Model year	Complaints	Reporting a crash	Reporting a fire	Reporting an injury	Reporting a death
2017	1	0	0	0	0
2018	134	9	1	3	0
2019	42	2	0	1	1
2020	7	1	0	0	0
2021	1	0	0	0	0
All model years	185	12	1	4	1

Crash, fire, injury and death columns count complaints that report at least one of them, not people.

Most-reported Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid components

top 15 · NHTSA categories

Engine is the component named most often, in 37 complaints (20.0% of all 185), followed by Fuel/Propulsion System (29) and Electrical System (28).

Components named most often in Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid complaints (top 15)

Components named most often in Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid complaints (top 15)
Component	Complaints	Share of complaints
Engine	37	20.0%
Fuel/Propulsion System	29	15.7%
Unknown or Other	29	15.7%
Electrical System	28	15.1%
Power Train	25	13.5%
Vehicle Speed Control	23	12.4%
Fuel System, Gasoline	20	10.8%
Forward Collision Avoidance	19	10.3%
Visibility/Wiper	15	8.1%
Lane Departure	14	7.6%
Service Brakes	12	6.5%
Exterior Lighting	11	5.9%
Air Bags	5	2.7%
Seat Belts	4	2.2%
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)	2	1.1%

One complaint can name several components, so the shares add up to more than 100%. Component names are NHTSA’s top-level categories.

What NHTSA owner complaints mean

These figures count complaints that vehicle owners and other members of the public have submitted to NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. NHTSA uses complaints, together with other data, to spot safety issues that may warrant an investigation and to check whether existing recalls go far enough.

They are reports, not findings. Each complaint is the submitter's own account. Its presence in the database does not mean NHTSA has confirmed a defect.
Counts are not defect rates. The data doesn't say how many vehicles were sold, so a raw count can't tell you what share of vehicles had a problem.
Popular models collect more complaints. A model sold in large numbers will usually gather more complaints than a rare one, simply because more people own it.
One complaint can name several components. Totals by component can therefore add up to more than the number of complaints.
Coverage starts in 1995. NHTSA's complaint file contains complaints received since January 1, 1995.

Use complaint patterns as a prompt for questions: whether a recall covers the issue, whether the vehicle you are considering has had the fix, and what a mechanic finds on inspection. For confirmed safety defects, see the recall list for this model.

Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid recalls

2 campaigns · newest first

Every vehicle recall campaign NHTSA lists under the model name Clarity Plug-In Hybrid, newest first. The 2 campaigns cover model years 2018 to 2019. The 2019 model year appears in the most campaigns (2).

2 recall campaigns

Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid recall campaigns covering each model year
2018: 1 campaign	2019: 2 campaigns

Highlighted: the model year with the most campaigns.

NHTSA campaign 23V858000
Reported Dec 18, 2023
Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Fuel Pump
Model years 2018–2019
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:
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.
Filed by Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
NHTSA campaign 20V326000
Reported Jun 4, 2020
Seat Belts › Rear/Other
Model year 2019
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:
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.
Filed by Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

Recall text is shown as NHTSA publishes it. NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline, 1-888-327-4236, also answers recall questions.

How to read this recall list

This list shows every safety recall campaign NHTSA has on file for this make, model and model year. It is not specific to one vehicle: a recall often covers only vehicles built in a certain date range or with a certain part, and many of the vehicles it covers will already have been repaired.

What each recall field means

What each recall field means
Field	What it tells you
Campaign number	NHTSA's unique ID for the recall, such as 20V771000. Quote it to a dealer or when searching NHTSA's site.
Component	The system or part involved, for example air bags, brakes or electrical software.
Summary	What the defect or non-compliance is and which vehicles are covered.
Consequence	The safety risk if the problem isn't fixed.
Remedy	What the manufacturer will do, such as a repair, replacement or software update, and whether it is free.

Some recalls carry an NHTSA consumer advisory, “Do Not Drive” or “Park Outside”. Follow it until the repair is done.
A single campaign often covers several models or model years, so the same campaign number can appear in more than one list.
Recalls are shown as NHTSA publishes them. Very recent campaigns may take time to appear.

Does your vehicle have an open recall? Only a VIN check can tell you. Enter the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or on the manufacturer's website. Our VIN recall check guide explains what each option covers.

Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid questions

5 questions

How many recalls does the Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid have?

NHTSA lists 2 vehicle recall campaigns for the Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid, covering model years 2017 to 2021. The most recent, 23V858000, was reported on December 18, 2023 and is filed under “Fuel system, gasoline”. The 2019 model year is covered by the most campaigns (2).

Which Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid model year has the most complaints?

The 2018 model year, with 134 of the 185 complaints in NHTSA’s file (72.4%). The next are 2019 (42) and 2020 (7). Complaint counts also reflect how many vehicles of each year were sold and how long they have been on the road, so they are not a reliability ranking.

What is the most common Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid complaint?

Engine is the component named most often: 37 complaints, or 20.0% of all 185. Fuel/Propulsion System (29) and Electrical System (28) follow. Complaints are unverified reports from owners, not confirmed defects, and one complaint can name several components.

Does every recall on this page apply to my Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid?

Not necessarily. Each campaign lists specific model years, and many cover only vehicles built in a certain period or fitted with a certain part; repairs already carried out aren’t shown. To see whether a recall is open on your vehicle, enter its VIN at NHTSA’s recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or ask a Honda dealer.

How many Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid complaints report a crash, fire, injury or death?

Of the 185 complaints, 12 report a crash, 1 a fire, 4 at least one injury and 1 at least one death. These figures count complaints, not people, and each complaint is the submitter’s own unverified account.

8 models · most complaints first

The Honda models with the most NHTSA complaints, and the Honda VIN decoder with every Honda model page, WMI code and VIN note.

Honda Accord 1995–2026 · 69 recalls · 22,939 complaints
Honda CR-V 1997–2026 · 63 recalls · 15,939 complaints
Honda Civic 1995–2026 · 62 recalls · 15,375 complaints
Honda Odyssey 1995–2026 · 82 recalls · 12,672 complaints
Honda Pilot 2003–2026 · 62 recalls · 9,283 complaints
Honda Fit 2007–2020 · 34 recalls · 2,194 complaints
Honda Ridgeline 2006–2026 · 39 recalls · 2,171 complaints
Honda HR-V 2016–2027 · 13 recalls · 1,840 complaints

All Honda models and WMI codes Look up recalls by year

Data: NHTSA recalls and complaints flat files, updated September 25, 2026. Recall campaigns are vehicle (V) campaigns listed for this model name; complaints are counted once per NHTSA ODI number and model year.