As mentioned in an earlier thread I intend to pick up a PHEV Clarity tomorrow. However, a well know rating company’s rating on reliability gives me great pause as the rating on reliability is 1 out of 5 stars. They go on to mention multiple warning lights that go one when there wasn’t a problem, a faulty cabin temperature sensor, and the trunk failing to open. Just wondering if anyone has had these issues. Like I said 1 out of 5 stars from the rating company is very troubling.
Low Reliability Rating (1 out of 5)
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Dwheat17
I've read some of the same reports...my question is...how does someone make a reliability determination about a vehicle out on the road less than a year? Ask me in 5 years and I'll let you know.
Reliability is subjective...I am more concerned if a motor blows oil or the rear axle falls off then about idiot lights going off or a sensor is bad. Every new car I have ever owned has had issues of some sort or another at the beginning.
I bought a brand new 2001 Subaru outback sedan. A semi noticeable wind whistle could be heard coming from the front passenger door. Multiple trips to the dealership proved fruitless and a utter waste of my time. Everyone could hear the noise but none of the rocket scientists could figure it out. Finally the dealership told me to go away as they did all they could do and Subaru USA said likewise. About year 8 I finally put a thin bead of caulk around the front of the side view mirror where it attaches to the car...Wala...sound virtually gone. Factor that plus the rotors on those early years were problematic and the head gasket issues...bottom line...I kept the car 17 years and 200k miles and turned out to be a very reliable car
Point is...every new car has issues...some are worth paying attention to...others are are not. IMHO the issues brought out so far are typical new car BS...It'll be 3 years minimum till anyone can say if it's reliable or not.
4 months, 4k miles and the Clarity has been a nice, decent car with normal nuances...nothing more nothing less.
Good luck.
I've read some of the same reports...my question is...how does someone make a reliability determination about a vehicle out on the road less than a year? Ask me in 5 years and I'll let you know.
Reliability is subjective...I am more concerned if a motor blows oil or the rear axle falls off then about idiot lights going off or a sensor is bad. Every new car I have ever owned has had issues of some sort or another at the beginning.
I bought a brand new 2001 Subaru outback sedan. A semi noticeable wind whistle could be heard coming from the front passenger door. Multiple trips to the dealership proved fruitless and a utter waste of my time. Everyone could hear the noise but none of the rocket scientists could figure it out. Finally the dealership told me to go away as they did all they could do and Subaru USA said likewise. About year 8 I finally put a thin bead of caulk around the front of the side view mirror where it attaches to the car...Wala...sound virtually gone. Factor that plus the rotors on those early years were problematic and the head gasket issues...bottom line...I kept the car 17 years and 200k miles and turned out to be a very reliable car
Point is...every new car has issues...some are worth paying attention to...others are are not. IMHO the issues brought out so far are typical new car BS...It'll be 3 years minimum till anyone can say if it's reliable or not.
4 months, 4k miles and the Clarity has been a nice, decent car with normal nuances...nothing more nothing less.
Good luck.
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Reliability rating
As mentioned in the two previous posts and an owner since May with around 5500 miles now, I'm in the not concerned department. I still have not had the minor recall's done, trying to wait until I need an oil change. The car runs great, mileage is what I expected, and I still recommend it when given the opportunity. Plus being a gadget and new technology freak, I really enjoy driving the car past gas stations and imagining all of the computers and machinery and screens working together in harmony. This is just the most recent purchase of the two hundred + cars I've owned in my short life of nearly 75 years LOL.
As to Clarity_newbie's post, I totally agree with your assessment. The internet and social media (of which this board is a type) have given people that will never say to your face the things that are sometimes said. That's not to say that 1st run models don't have gremlins. With the hundreds of thousands individual parts from suppliers that have to be assembled to be a working machine, it should be expected there will be some. There are some and they are in most cases very minor. Honda is addressing and fixing them. What would worry me would be Honda not owning up to it's past reputation of a Company that highly values it's customers and their issues.
We're on the pointy tip of the spear. Honda has committed to the statement that by 2030 (not that long for planning purposes) 70% of their vehicle production will be PHEV models. These 1st production models will be watched over and issues taken care of.
As mentioned in the two previous posts and an owner since May with around 5500 miles now, I'm in the not concerned department. I still have not had the minor recall's done, trying to wait until I need an oil change. The car runs great, mileage is what I expected, and I still recommend it when given the opportunity. Plus being a gadget and new technology freak, I really enjoy driving the car past gas stations and imagining all of the computers and machinery and screens working together in harmony. This is just the most recent purchase of the two hundred + cars I've owned in my short life of nearly 75 years LOL.
As to Clarity_newbie's post, I totally agree with your assessment. The internet and social media (of which this board is a type) have given people that will never say to your face the things that are sometimes said. That's not to say that 1st run models don't have gremlins. With the hundreds of thousands individual parts from suppliers that have to be assembled to be a working machine, it should be expected there will be some. There are some and they are in most cases very minor. Honda is addressing and fixing them. What would worry me would be Honda not owning up to it's past reputation of a Company that highly values it's customers and their issues.
We're on the pointy tip of the spear. Honda has committed to the statement that by 2030 (not that long for planning purposes) 70% of their vehicle production will be PHEV models. These 1st production models will be watched over and issues taken care of.
Hi everyone- I’ve had mine since Oct.6 and love it. Daily commute 10-20 mi. No gas use yet except in the beginning when I pushed the accelerator down and to play with the various modes and HV. Haven’t taken it on the long haul yet. Getting by with the 120v supplied charger overnight plugged into the garage so far but I can see wanting a level 2 charger in the near future but don’t feel like I need to put down $500+ installation of a compatible socket. I doubt I’ll get it hard wired as I like the idea of taking the level 2 charger if needed. As far as the reliability, I’ve had no issues at all- everything works- no lights, errors, etc. Just smooth EV driving in Eco mode mostly but don’t like that the regen paddles reset themselves except in Sport mode.
Low reliability rating
The bases for that rating are questionable. The electric problems are fixed with the software updates. With the exception of the trunk issue, their other complaints have nothing to do with reliability. Shift buttons confusing? Engine gets loud when climbing hills or other situations that require more oomf? Seat position lacks lumbar support? I've had one since May and have experienced nothing that would lead me to question the Clarity's reliability.
Terry
The bases for that rating are questionable. The electric problems are fixed with the software updates. With the exception of the trunk issue, their other complaints have nothing to do with reliability. Shift buttons confusing? Engine gets loud when climbing hills or other situations that require more oomf? Seat position lacks lumbar support? I've had one since May and have experienced nothing that would lead me to question the Clarity's reliability.
Terry
Read other reviews too
dwheat17,
I've had my Clarity since August 2018 and have not experienced any of the 'reliability' issues listed in CR's review. I did notice their reliability ratings on engine aspects were high and the problems they reported were listed under 'body hardware' and would appear to be mostly minor.
I suggest not making your purchase decision dependent on that one review, but look also at the many other professional reviews you can find online. Almost all of these reviews give the Clarity high marks, supported by many positive owner comments.
dwheat17,
I've had my Clarity since August 2018 and have not experienced any of the 'reliability' issues listed in CR's review. I did notice their reliability ratings on engine aspects were high and the problems they reported were listed under 'body hardware' and would appear to be mostly minor.
I suggest not making your purchase decision dependent on that one review, but look also at the many other professional reviews you can find online. Almost all of these reviews give the Clarity high marks, supported by many positive owner comments.
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I have had my Clarity for 3 months and 3,000 miles and have had none of those issues. Car is great. I drive about 25 miles one way to work. EV mileage is down in cold weather from 54 to 34, But I am able to charge it at work, In 3000 miles I have used some gas at an average of 159 mpg.
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