CLARITY

The Honda Clarity — a midsize car explained

The Honda Clarity is a midsize car built from 2004 to 2021.

Data · NHTSA & EPA · 2004–2021 · 16 model years · Updated Sep 10, 2026 · 4.5 ★★★★★★★★★★ ForCar Score
Quick answer

The Honda Clarity is a midsize car built from 2004 to 2021. Engines offered: Plug-in hybrid, Fuel cell, Electric. Worth buying? It scores near the top of what we track at 4.5/5 — and the year you pick matters far more than the badge (best and worst years →).

2004–2021
Years
12
Recalls
114
Top MPG
—★
NHTSA
0
Complaints

What the Clarity is

The Honda Clarity is a midsize car that Honda built from 2004 to 2021 — 18 model years. It has been offered with Plug-in hybrid, Fuel cell, Electric power. Its closest sibling in the Honda range: Accord.

Honda Clarity tire size, oil type & owner specs

The fitment Clarity owners look up most — tires, wheels, oil and batteries. Exact wheel and tire sizes decode from your VIN or the driver's door-jamb placard; the universal items are listed below.

Wheels & tires
Wheel sizeby VIN
Tire sizeby VIN
Bolt patternby trim
Tire pressure32–36 PSI
Engine oil
Oil typeFull synthetic
Gradeon oil cap
Capacityby engine
Battery
Main battery12V · group by trim
Key-fob cellCR2032
Wiper blades
Front bladesby generation
Rear bladeif equipped
Fuses
Fuse boxeshood + dash
Diagramon box lid
Light bulbs
Headlightby trim
Tail / brakeby trim
Fogif equipped

Exact tire, wheel, oil grade, capacity and battery group are added per trim and model year — decode your VIN above for the factory fitment. Universal items shown as-is.

What engines does the Honda Clarity have? Power & range

The Honda Clarity is offered with 3 powertrains — Electric, Fuel cell, 1.5L 4-cyl Plug-in hybrid. Here's the lineup by engine, transmission and drivetrain — 3 for the Honda Clarity, against one or two on most rivals.

FIG.06·Honda Clarity Powertrains
EngineDisplacementTransmissionDriveFuel
ElectricElectric motorSingle-speedFWDElectricity
Fuel cellElectric motorSingle-speedFWDHydrogen
Plug-in hybrid1.5L · 4-cylCVTFWDRegular Gas and Electricity
ROWS 3·SOURCE EPA + NHTSA vPIC
340 mi
Electric range
2.2 hrs
Charge · 240V
42
MPGe combined

Horsepower, torque and fuel-tank size decode from your VIN — exact figures vary by engine and trim.

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov (engines, drivetrain, range, charge time). Horsepower & torque from NHTSA vPIC on VIN decode.

The Clarity by the numbers

What the federal and market records say about the Honda Clarity. Each line opens the full breakdown by year.

FIG.05·Honda Clarity by the numbers
TopicClarityDetail
Recalls12 campaignsNHTSA, all years
Reliability4.5 / 5Best and worst years
Insurance$1,355/yrEstimated full coverage
Used value73 listingsWhat it sells for now
ROWS 4·SOURCE NHTSA, EPA, HLDI and market listings

Frequently asked questions

What kind of car is the Honda Clarity?

The Clarity is a midsize car, built from 2004 to 2021. Engines offered: Plug-in hybrid, Fuel cell, Electric.

What is the Honda Clarity warranty?

New models carry 3 years / 36,000 miles basic cover and 5 years / 60,000 miles on the powertrain. Worth knowing: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, so most repairs land after the basic warranty ends.

Is the Clarity reliable?

It scores 4.5/5 in our data. The honest answer depends on the year far more than the model — see the best and worst years, and when this car starts to break.

How do I check a specific Clarity?

This page describes the model; it cannot tell you whether that car has an open recall or a branded title. Run its VIN against the records — free, and matched to the exact production run.

More in Honda

More Honda models
ModelYearsRecallsBest MPGForCar score
Honda Civic1981–202641249 mpg4.0/5
Honda Accord1981–202641548 mpg4.0/5
Honda CR-V1997–202617740 mpg4.0/5
Honda Pilot2003–202619723 mpg4.0/5
Honda Odyssey1995–202620622 mpg4.0/5
Honda Fit2007–202094118 mpg4.0/5
ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA + EPA
Data sourced from NHTSA (recalls, complaints, safety ratings) and EPA fueleconomy.gov (MPG). Best/worst-year analysis is ForCar's own aggregation of complaint volume. Last updated Sep 2026. — ForCar Editorial Reviewed by , founder of ForCar.
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