2018 Honda Clarity Electric problems & reliability
24 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Honda Clarity Electric. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown OR Other | 7 | 29% |
| Electrical System | 5 | 21% |
| Engine | 4 | 17% |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 17% |
| Visibility/wiper | 4 | 17% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 3 | 13% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 13% |
| Power Train | 3 | 13% |
| Lane Departure | 2 | 8% |
| Air Bags | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The vehicle exhibits a dangerous electrical defect involving uncontrolled power-cycling. After shutting down the car, it automatically restarts itself in a continuous loop. During these episodes, the dashboard flickers, the drivetrain shudders, and the vehicle becomes unresponsive to manual 'Stop' button or brake…”
Electrical System · filed Jan 3, 2026
“Since last Wed. (9/24/2025), the car started to show the warnings of "Adaptive Cruise Control Problem", "Brake Hold System Problem", "Brake System Problem", "Electric Parking Brake Problem", and "Road Departure Mitigation System Problem" from time to time. I bought this VHonda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid 2018 in June 2023…”
Service Brakes · filed Sep 28, 2025
“The AC hasn't been out for a while and the defrost option doesn't work because of that. I believe that is a safety issue.”
Unknown OR Other · filed Sep 14, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Pedestrian alert sounds
Defect Petition DP22005 · opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · led to recall 22V063000
Technical service bulletins
12 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2018 Honda Clarity Electric. The 10 most recent:
Service Bulletin - The Clarity Plug-In Hybrid and Clarity Electric may not start charging when plugged in or may stop charging before the high-voltage lithium-ion battery is full.
A18-097 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 12, 2019
Service bulletin - The Clarity Plug-In Hybrid and Clarity Electric may not start charging when plugged in or may stop charging before the high-voltage lithium-ion battery is full.
A18-097 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 27, 2018
Service bulletin - During vehicle assembly, the warranty information CD that was placed in the vehicle did not list the correct warranty coverage for the state of Oregon. The failure to include the proper warranty…
A18-096 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 6, 2018
Service bulletin - There is a software error in the miles per gallon calculation, which affects the HV range display by reading unusually high.
A18-091 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 6, 2018
Service bulletin - There is a software problem in the PCM, which may cause the MIL to come on with DTC P26A3 (electric water valve malfunction), DTC P100C (electric VTC motor speed signal circuit malfunction) and/or…
A18-090 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 6, 2018
Service bulletin - There is a software problem in the climate control unit when running the heater, which may turn the MIL on. There are up to three updates that must be performed on applicable vehicles. Check the iN…
A18-089 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 6, 2018
Dealer message - Today, American Honda is announcing several product updates a?ecting certain 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) models. There may be multiple combinations of these campaigns per VIN. To clearly…
ABOM10042018901 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 4, 2018
Service bulletin - This bulletin is replaced by S/B 18-089, Product Update: 2018 Clarity Plug-In Hybrid EVTC & 3-Way Valve Software Update (P100C/P0010/P26A3)
A18-079 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 4, 2018
Service bulletin - This bulletin is replaced by S/B 18-091, Product Update: 2018 Clarity PHEV Driver Display Software Update (Mileage)
A18-069 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 4, 2018
Service bulletin - The Clarity Plug-In Hybrid and Clarity Electric may not start charging when plugged in or may stop charging before the high-voltage lithium-ion battery is full. The battery charger software does not…
A18-097 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 20, 2018
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2018 Honda Clarity Electric in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2018 Honda Clarity Electric?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.