2021 Honda Clarity
The 2021 Honda Clarity is sold in the U.S. as a plug-in hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell midsize car with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Clarity FCV, is EPA-rated at 68 mpg combined. NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year so far (Safety Signal A). Owners have filed 4 complaints, most often about the forward collision avoidance.
Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Range | kWh/100mi | Charge (240V) | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarity Plug-in Hybrid | Plug-in hybrid | FWD | 1.5L 4-cyl + 135kW AC PMSM | 44 | 40 | 42 (76 MPGe blended) | 48 mi electric | 31 | 2.2 h | $1,500 |
| Clarity FCV | Hydrogen fuel cell | FWD | 130 kW AC PMSM | 68 | 67 | 68 | — | — | — | — |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 42983, 47539.
Factory warranty running out?
The 2021 Honda Clarity is in the years where high-voltage electronics and module repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.
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Recalls (0)
Source: NHTSA recall databaseNo NHTSA recall campaigns are on file for the 2021 Honda Clarity. New campaigns appear here within a week of NHTSA posting them.
NHTSA defect investigations
Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds closed
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matt
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005
Owner complaints
Source: NHTSA complaint database1 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported
Filed per year: 2020: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2025: 1
Most-cited components
What owners describe
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAPNHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.
Other Clarity model years
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.