The Honda Clarity has been in the market for years. Before you buy it, it is better to have a clear idea of what problems to expect. This blog has outlined all of the significant issues you can expect in a Honda Clarity. Before we dive deep into it, here is a short answer.
The significant problems with the Honda Clarity include faulty seat belt retractors and the Honda Sensing system malfunctioning. A recall has been issued to rectify the seat belt retractors issue. The PHEV faces battery charging issues, and some electrical system parts are prone to malfunctioning. The 2018 model also faces a sudden loss of power issue, and there are minor glitches with the infotainment screen.
In the above paragraph, we’ve only provided you with a summary of this article. Several things are still left to be explained, such as the details of these problems, their symptoms, and how much it will cost to get them fixed.
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1. Honda Sensing System Malfunctioning
The Honda Sensing system is an intelligent technology that will alert you of obstructions on the road that you might otherwise miss. The system is designed to kick into gear and activate as soon as the car reaches a certain speed, but there may be times when it turns off automatically for the safety of the driver and the passengers involved. Other times, the system might stop responding because of a glitch in the system.
Either way, if the system is not working, it will manifest itself in obvious ways. There will be no pressure on the brakes as your vehicle nears the rear of another. Additionally, cruise control will not be responsive, and the lane tracking system will not bring the car to the center of the lane if you veer off course. And the most obvious giveaway is that you will not be given the street sign prompts; the sensing system is mainly designed to bring those to the driver’s attention.
Resolving the problem might not be as big of an issue as it seems. The most common cause for this disturbance is because the sensors, which are located at the front, and the sides of the car, are obstructed; so, when clearing off snow from the car be sure to target the sensors. And as previously mentioned, this can also come as a result of your speed.
Certain functions are activated at certain speeds, such as Lane Keeping Assist which activates at 45MPH-90MPH, and Adaptive Cruise Control which activates at 25MPH and above.
If there is an inherent problem with the system, which rarely happens, you can get it replaced for upwards of $1000.
2. Faulty Seat Belt Retractors
Another widespread problem with Honda Clarity is its seat belt retractors. It will sometimes randomly activate the retract even when there aren’t any obstructions around, and the brakes haven’t been touched. Or, more frighteningly, not retract in the event of a crash.
This, of course, is a severe violation of the international safety code and was the reason a Honda Clarity recall has been issued for 128 models of the 2019 Honda Clarity Electric vehicles so that they could rectify the issue.
If you notice that your seatbelts are acting out of the ordinary, especially the ones on the rear seats, you might want to contact your car dealer. The major symptoms are tightening and shaking for no apparent reason.
The main constituent of a seatbelt retractor is the accelerometer. The seatbelt functions do not pertain to the Honda sensing system or the computer-operated mechanizations.
Getting a new set of working accelerometers for the Honda clarity should not cost you anything. The recall was put into place to encourage the owners and the owners of said vehicle to come forward and have their seatbelts inspected and, if the need arises, to have them replaced free of cost. All you have to do is visit the proper retailer, and this issue should be resolved.
3. Problems with Electrical Equipment
Electrical problems in the car might override the sensing system causing it to go into overdrive. The vehicle’s autonomous safety and precautionary features such as brake assist or crash mitigation braking system will activate excessively and without warning, even when there is no crash threat.
The converse is also true, and if the car’s battery depletes to zero, it will not engage the engine. However, upon recharging the battery, the car will function as it usually would.
Users might also experience several error message prompts on the control panel when they start the car, including “plug-in charging system problem” or “power system error”. This could also ripple into power steering problems and a faulty pressure monitoring system.
The charging in the battery, or lack thereof, could also lead to your car not engaging with the engine, potentially leaving you stranded on a freeway.
The only real way to overcome this issue is by using the appropriate battery charger, i.e., the one that meets the battery’s specifications. The ideal would be to use the 120V charger that comes with the Clarity Plug-in Hybrid at the time of delivery. Otherwise, any charger with the specifications mentioned above will do the trick.
4. Loss of Power Despite High Revving
The 2018 Honda Clarity is known for several engine problems, most notably the car slowing down and over-revving. This is a common problem faced by the 2018 Clarity hybrid owners. The Honda dealership has failed to identify the reason. This problem is annoying as it can spoil your driving experience and damage your engine.
The symptoms include the following: When turning the car on, it sounds like it has shifted to a lower gear and makes a large engine revving noise as if the engine is revved to its peak. It can also happen when you are driving the car, and the engine will start to make high revving sounds like you have pushed the acceleration paddle to the maximum even when you’re in park.
The quick fix to this problem is to put the car back into EV mode and back into HV mode. This seemed to solve the problem. Since the cause of this problem is unknown, the fixing cost is also highly variable. If you face this problem, you should take your car to the nearest dealer.
5. Plug-In Charging System Problems
One problem that haunts the Honda Clarity owners is its charging issue. The issue manifests itself with the error message ‘Plug-in charging system problem. Range limited’ or ‘Power system problems’ when charging your car at a station.
This problem is annoying and can be dangerous for long trips to places where the charging points are rare. If you get this message out of the blue, you can get stranded in places. A quick fix is to restart your Honda Clarity a few times, and the error goes away. Honda has also issued a software update that solves this problem.
If you buy a Honda Clarity hybrid, you should ensure that the car software is up to date. If you face this problem, a quick trip to your local dealer should be able to solve the issue.
6. Inoperable Display Screen
Honda Clarity also suffers from display screen problems. Many owners of the new Honda Clarity have reported that their car screen glitches and doesn’t work correctly.
The screen becomes inoperable, which takes a toll on the available infotainment, which is particularly annoying in long-distance travel. Sometimes the navigation system goes haywire – it swirls around and shows that you are across rivers and mountains instead of the route you are on.
The quick fix is to turn off the car for a few minutes and then start it back on. The issue will be resolved if you’re lucky, but it is only a temporary fix. The permanent solution is to reboot the console. To do this, press and hold the audio power button for several seconds, and you should get a message asking if you want to reboot. The reboot takes a few minutes.
If your audio power button does not work correctly after the reboot, you have to do a 12V reboot. This is done by disconnecting the negative cable on the 12V battery for a minute, then reconnecting it.
After a 12V reboot, if you start your car, you will get ominous-sounding warning messages about ABS, VSC, etc. this is normal and will go away in the first mile of driving.
What Are The Worst Years for the Honda Clarity?
The Honda Clarity is a reliable car that will last you for around 150,000 miles. It comes with a 100,000 miles or eight years warranty period as well. As far as the reliability bit is concerned, Honda has got you covered.
The worst year for the Honda Clarity is undoubtedly 2018. According to Car Complaints, this year has the single most reported problem out of all model years for this vehicle. From engine problems such as oil dilution, high revs coupled with a loss of power, and faulty EV mode – to a plethora of brake and fuel system problems, this year had it all.
This was not unexpected; the 2018 Honda Clarity was one of the early models. A lot has changed since then. The 2022 upgrade of this car is the best Honda has to offer. Improved fuel economy, a comfortable yet elegant interior, and a more powerful engine should tick mark the requirements of every car enthusiast.
The other models are also good options; they offer top-tier features at a reasonable price. Although the latest model might be the most expensive option of the lot, it comes with the most luxurious of features and the best performance levels.
Sources
- https://www.clarityforum.com/threads/screen-does-not-operate-properly.1560/#:~:text=Problems%20with%20the%20infotainment%20system,to%20do%20a%2012V%20reboot.
- https://motorandwheels.com/honda-clarity-problems/
- https://www.clarityforum.com/threads/power-system-problem.1784/https://www.clarityforum.com/threads/loss-of-power-and-engine-over-rev-help-with-tools.1325/
His interests in cars, motorcycles, and machines led him to the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore where he is currently a mechanical engineering sophomore.
His future aims include the development of an energy-efficient prototype vehicle for the Shell Eco-Marathon competition and getting a Master’s Degree in Automotive Engineering from Germany.