Research · complaint index

Honda Clarity years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say

We compared 5 model years of the Honda Clarity by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. 2018 stands out with at least twice the typical complaint rate.

01 —Complaint index

Complaints per year on the road

1.0 = typical year for this model
View as table
Model yearComplaints per year since release
20170
20183
20190
20200
20211
YearComplaintsPer year on roadIndexRecallsCrashesSignal
2021311.201Typical
2020301.000Typical
2019300.910Typical
20182636.722Most complaints
2017400.930Typical
  • 20213 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
  • 20203 complaints · 0 recallsTypical
  • 20193 complaints · 1 recallTypical
  • 201826 complaints · 2 recallsMost complaints
  • 20174 complaints · 3 recallsTypical
Data from NHTSA Complaints & Recalls APIs · synced Oct 31, 2026
02 —FAQ

About this comparison

What Honda Clarity years have the most complaints?

Adjusted for years on the road, 2018 drew at least twice the typical rate of NHTSA owner complaints among the 5 model years compared.

Is this a reliability rating?

No. These are counts of unverified owner complaints to NHTSA. They are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so a popular year can collect more complaints. Use them to find patterns, then read the reports.

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.