2019 Honda Clarity

Showing the 2019 Clarity Fuel Cell Touring. NHTSA's VIN data shows it with a 1.5 L engine, but that may not be every version of it, so the numbers below cover every version of this model year. Every version

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

Fuel economy
42–68 mpgcombined; city 44–68, highway 40–67; every version of this model year; plug-in hybrid versions on gasoline, 110 MPGe on electricity
Five years of fuel
$8,000EPA's own estimate for plug-in hybrids: its national gasoline and electricity prices and the share of miles it expects on electricity; not priced for any state; every version of this model year; fuel only, 15,000 miles a year
NHTSA overall safety rating
Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
Recall campaigns
2over its history; check a VIN for open ones
Owner complaints
45filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Trims

NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2019 Clarity. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 45 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 Clarity. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.

Complaints by part of the car
PartComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuries
Engine10000
Electrical system9000
Vehicle speed control9100
Unknown or other7000
Fuel system, gasoline6000
Fuel/propulsion system6000
Power train4000
Service brakes3000
Visibility/wiper3000
Air bags2103
Exterior lighting2000
Forward collision avoidance2000
6 more parts
Lane departure2000
Seat belts2000
Electronic stability control (ESC)1000
Engine and engine cooling1000
Fuel system, other1000
Service brakes, hydraulic1000

Complaints by model year

Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.

  1. 20140
  2. 20175
  3. 2018163
  4. 201945
  5. 202010
  6. 20214

Every Clarity year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2019 Clarity over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.

Fuel system, gasoline: delivery

NHTSA campaign 23V858000 · reported Dec 18, 2023 · 2,490,460 vehicles potentially affected

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: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

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.

NHTSA's record and documents

Seat belts: rear/other

NHTSA campaign 20V326000 · reported Jun 4, 2020 · 128 vehicles potentially affected

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019 Clarity Fuel Cell, Clarity Electric, and Clarity Plug-in Hybrid vehicles with rear seat belt assemblies with a dual-mode locking mechanism. The seat belt webbing sensor locking mechanism may not lock as intended.

Risk: In the event of a crash, the seat belt may not properly restrain the occupant, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear seat belt assembly production dates, and replace the assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 24, 2020. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is Z7L.

NHTSA's record and documents

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 12 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2019 Clarity, the latest on Sep 16, 2022. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: engine and engine cooling (4), fuel system (3), visibility (3), electrical system (2), diesel (1).

NHTSA defect investigations

Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.

InvestigationPartOpenedStatus
Defect petition DP22005
Pedestrian alert sounds · covers 43 makes
Electrical systemJan 27, 2023Closed Aug 7, 2023
Petition withdrawn
NHTSA's record and documents

Maintenance

Oil

The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2019 Clarity.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Specs

EPA class: midsize cars. EPA greenhouse gas score: 10 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
Clarity EV
Front-Wheel Drive
120 kW AC PMSMAutomatic (A1)Electricity
89 miles of range
126 / 103 / 114 MPGe
Clarity FCV
Front-Wheel Drive
Automatic (A1)Hydrogen68 / 67 / 68
Clarity Plug-in Hybrid
Front-Wheel Drive
1.5 L, 4 cylAutomatic (variable gear ratios)Regular Gasoline or Electricity
48 miles on electricity, 340 miles in all
44 / 40 / 42 on gasoline
110 MPGe on electricity

Sources and dates

Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data