2020 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid

Owner complaints

What owners report most

1. Forward collision avoidance6
2. Lane departure4
3. Electrical system3
4. Vehicle speed control2
5. Engine2
6. Unknown or other2
7. Visibility/wiper1
8. Power train1

Latest complaints

• Oct 25, 2026NJ
  Electrical system · Forward collision avoidance › Automatic emergency braking · Forward collision avoidance › Warnings
  # NHTSA VEHICLE SAFETY COMPLAINT **Subject: Sudden Unintended Braking, Violent Vehicle Bucking, and Loss of Propulsion – 2020 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid** **Vehicle Information** - Manufacturer: Honda - Model: Clarity Plug-In Hybrid - Model Year: 2020 - Mileage: Approximately 35,000 miles -…

  # NHTSA VEHICLE SAFETY COMPLAINT **Subject: Sudden Unintended Braking, Violent Vehicle Bucking, and Loss of Propulsion – 2020 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid** **Vehicle Information** - Manufacturer: Honda - Model: Clarity Plug-In Hybrid - Model Year: 2020 - Mileage: Approximately 35,000 miles - Incident Date: October 2026 (exact date to be confirmed) - Incident Location: [XXX] - Servicing Dealership: DCH Paramus Honda, [XXX] - Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): [Insert VIN] ## Description of Safety Incident I am reporting a serious and potentially life-threatening vehicle safety malfunction involving my 2020 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid, which experienced sudden, unintended, violent braking and a subsequent severe loss of propulsion while traveling on a public roadway. The incident occurred approximately five minutes after I picked up my vehicle from DCH Paramus Honda, an authorized Honda dealership, following a warranty-covered replacement of the air-conditioning condenser. The vehicle had approximately 35,000 miles and was operating normally before this repair. While driving home to [XXX], at the intersection of [XXX], my vehicle suddenly and unexpectedly began violently jerking and bucking, with the wheels seemingly locking, before coming to an abrupt stop. **There was no vehicle, pedestrian, or other obstacle directly ahead of my car. The roadway was clear, and there was no apparent reason for emergency braking.** I did not intentionally activate the emergency parking brake or initiate an emergency stop. Immediately following this event, numerous dashboard warning indicators illuminated, including the following specific messages: - **Collision Mitigation Braking System Problem** - **Power System Problem** The vehicle was initially unable to function normally. After restarting it, the car operated only at severely reduced power, with a m INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

• Aug 22, 2026CA
  Electrical system · Forward collision avoidance › Automatic emergency braking · Lane departure › Assist
  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…

  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.

• May 12, 2026CA
  Forward collision avoidance › Adaptive cruise control · Lane departure › Assist · Lane departure › Warning
  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…

  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.

• Mar 22, 2026MD
  Forward collision avoidance › Adaptive cruise control · Forward collision avoidance › Warnings · Lane departure › Assist

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

• Dec 31, 2024CACrash
  Electrical system · Unknown or other · Vehicle speed control
  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]…

  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)

• Apr 12, 2024CA
  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…

  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.

• Dec 23, 2022CA
  Engine · Power 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."

• Aug 30, 2020CA3,060 mi
  Engine · Unknown or other · Vehicle 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…

  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.

Defect investigations

NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.

• Pedestrian alert sounds

  DP22005Opened Jan 27, 2023Closed Aug 7, 2023Recall 22V063000
  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…

  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.

Service bulletins

Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.

• 10206988ServiceNews Article - There are several possible causes for the SRS DTC U3000-49 (Internal Failure of the SRS Unit) to be stored. If you can duplicate the DTC, the troubleshooting will take you through the step-by-step process in isolating the faulty component. In most situations, the SRS Unit should be last on the list of components to replace. Here is a quick tip for troubleshooting a faulty seat weight sensor.
• 10206395ServiceNews Article - There are several possible causes for the SRS DTC U3000-49 (Internal Failure of the SRS Unit) to be stored. If you can duplicate the DTC, the troubleshooting will take you through the step-by-step process in isolating the faulty component. In most situations, the SRS Unit should be last on the list of components to replace. Here is a quick tip for troubleshooting a faulty seat weight sensor.
• 10202598ServiceNews Article - There are several possible causes for the SRS DTC U3000-49 (Internal Failure of the SRS Unit) to be stored. If you can duplicate the DTC, the troubleshooting will take you through the step-by-step process in isolating the faulty component. In most situations, the SRS Unit should be last on the list of components to replace. Here is a quick tip for troubleshooting a faulty seat weight sensor.
• 10199344Owner 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 purchase with unlimited miles. This warranty extension provides coverage for the original owner and any subsequent owners. No action is required on your part unless you experience a problem.
• 10194978Dealer 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 PHEV, and 2019-2021 Insight vehicles. This warranty extension covers the A/C condenser to address concerns of leaking refrigerant. American Honda is extending the warranty on the A/C condenser to 10 years from the original date of purchase.
• 10194957Service 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 A/C condenser from the factory. The A/C condenser was not manufactured to specification. As a result, corrosion may develop in the form of tiny holes in the condenser tube walls that allow the refrigerant to leak out. This does not apply to any vehicle that has a leaking condenser due to foreign object damage. It also does not apply to any vehicle that has ever been declared a total loss or sold for salvage by a financial institution or insurer, or has a branded or similar title under any state's law.
• 10187007Service Bulletin - The Hybrid System Failure message comes on the MID, and DTC P1D8D (Generator Motor Inverter Short) is stored.

Every Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid model year

Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.