First generation
2018 Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid
The most reported problem on the 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid is A/C failure, with 14 complaints.
- 135owner complaints
- 1recalls
- 9involved a crash
- 4,900median miles at failure
Newest report Sep 28, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Problem sheets
No single problem on the 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid has enough owner reports for a sheet of its own yet. The counts below still cover every complaint on file.
Is the 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid reliable?
The 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid has 135 owner complaints on file with NHTSA, below the median of 177 for 2018 sedans on this site. Complaint counts rise with sales as well as faults, so read what owners report below before deciding.
At a glance
- Next to the 2019
- At 15 complaints for each year on the road, the 2018 runs 2.9 times the 2019 (5). That's the only adjacent model year with enough complaints to set beside it.
- Top problem
- Two problems run close. A/C failure has 14 complaints and stalling has 12, out of 135 in all. Too few of the A/C failure reports give a mileage to say when it starts.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 9 of the 135 complaints (7%) report a crash, a fire or an injury, about the 6% typical of vehicles on this site. Counted separately (one report can carry more than one), 9 reports mention a crash, 1 mentions a fire and 3 people were hurt.
- Recalls behind the top problems
- 1 recall is on file, but no problem here has enough reports to set against it.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2024 at 39 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 5. So far in 2026, 12 more have come in.
When each problem shows up
Each bar covers the middle half of the mileages owners reported for that problem. A quarter saw it earlier, a quarter later. The tick is the median. Most reported: a/c blows warm or the compressor fails, 14 complaints.
middle half of reports, median tick. The heavier grey bars have 75 or more reports.
Behind you
Around your mileage
Ahead of you
How this compares
135 complaints is 2.0 times fewer than the median 2018 model on this site and 1.3 times fewer than the median 2018 sedan. Among the 1 Clarity Plug-in Hybrid model years here it ranks 1st for complaints. Counts follow sales volume as much as reliability, so a truck that sells 700,000 a year draws more reports than a sedan that sells 200,000.
Service bulletins for the 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid
Honda filed 18 bulletins and other notices with NHTSA that list the 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid. 6 of them deal with a problem owners have reported on this car. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
A/C blows warm or the compressor fails 3 bulletins · 14 complaints
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 purchase with unlimited miles.
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.
1 more on this problem
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.
Hybrid or EV system warning, loss of power 3 bulletins · 12 complaints
The Hybrid System Failure message comes on the MID, and DTC P1D8D (Generator Motor Inverter Short) is stored.
Owner Notification Letter - On Clarity Plug-in Hybrid vehicles, there may be a software problem in the powertrain control module (PCM), causing a malfunction indicator light to come on and store one or more diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs).
1 more on this problem
Owner Notification Letter - On Clarity Plug-in Hybrid vehicles, there is a software problem in the climate control unit when running the heater, which may turn the malfunction indicator light on.
Complaints filed by year
39 complaints came in 2024, 6.5 times the year before. Owners file in waves when a problem gets press or an investigation, so a spike measures attention as much as failures.
NHTSA investigations
Pedestrian alert sounds. Closed aug 7, 2023, led to recall 22V-063.
NHTSA summary
Recalls that include the 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid
Whether your car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
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.
Risk and remedy
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.
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Questions
What is the most common problem on the 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid?
A/C failure, with 14 of the 135 complaints.
At what mileage do 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid problems start?
Of the 59 complaints that give a mileage, a quarter came by about 2,000 miles and half by about 5,000.
Is the 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid better or worse than the 2019?
Counted per year on the road, the 2018 has more complaints than the 2019: 15 a year against 5.
How many 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
9 of them (7%). The typical vehicle on this site is at 6%.