Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: a solid ownership case with specific caveats below.
Owners have filed 134 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid, and it carries 1 recall. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel system | 15 | 11% |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 14 | 10% |
| Unknown or other | 12 | 9% |
| Visibility/wiper | 8 | 6% |
| Power train | 8 | 6% |
| Exterior lighting | 7 | 5% |
| Engine | 5 | 4% |
| Forward collision avoidance | 4 | 3% |
| Electrical system | 4 | 3% |
| Electrical system | 3 | 2% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
COMPONENT FAILURE: 2018 Honda Clarity PHEV Air Conditioning Evaporator Core. Complete refrigerant leak. Available for inspection/repair at Norm Reeves Honda Huntington Beach. Confirmed July 29, 2026, via borescope/UV dye
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
COMPONENT FAILURE: 2018 Honda Clarity PHEV Air Conditioning Evaporator Core. Complete refrigerant leak. Available for inspection/repair at Norm Reeves Honda Huntington Beach. Confirmed July 29, 2026, via borescope/UV dye
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
The forward-facing Honda Sensing camera mounted behind the windshield (Nidec monocular camera, Honda part number 36160-TRW-A04) failed at approximately 85000 miles on XXX The failure produced simultaneous dashboard warni
NHTSA complaint: Lane departure
It looks like this is possibly at this point a wide spread issue with most if not it will be all honda clarity models. The lane departure warnings, adaptive cruise control, front camera honda sense electronics keep to go
NHTSA complaint: Forward collision avoidance
To Whom It May Concern, I am the owner of a 2018 Honda Clarity, and I am submitting this complaint to request that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigate what appears to be a widespread d
NHTSA complaint: Forward collision avoidance
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 reco
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
I will first start with our problems/concerns. We had experienced a complete lost power in freeway speed (65 mph) when the battery is depleted, that is when the battery bar goes to zero bar instead of 2 bars usually. I a
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
Driver’s side sun visor increasingly hard to operate and finally broke internally due to high forces to adjust. Cannot use to shield driver’s eye from sun glare as intended thus reducing visibility. Passenger side also
NHTSA complaint: Visibility/wiper
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
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, F
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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
| Reliability raw | 81 | excellent |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 82 | excellent |
| Maintenance | 90 | excellent |
| Depreciation | 65 | good |
| Performance | 39 | below average |
| Efficiency | 64 | average |
Percentile ranks against other midsize & large cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 134 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and fuel system is the most reported area with 15 of them (11%). There is 1 recall on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 81/100 (excellent) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 82/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2018 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: worth a look, because a solid ownership case with specific caveats below. Its overall ownership score is 75/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.