Head-to-head reliability
Honda Clarity vs Toyota Camry
How the Honda Clarity and Toyota Camry compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.
Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records
Honda Clarity averages fewer NHTSA complaints per year. Honda Clarity has 226 complaints and 8 recalls on record; Toyota Camry has 2,128 complaints and 31 recalls. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The numbers
Side-by-side NHTSA record
Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.
| Category | Honda Clarity | Toyota Camry |
|---|---|---|
| Total complaintsAll model years combined | 226 Better | 2,128 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 8 Better | 31 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 16 Better | 181 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 45.2 Better | 212.8 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 6 Better | 163 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 1 | 1 |
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall records.
What actually goes wrong
The problems owners report
The most-complained-about systems on each vehicle — what fails, and what owners say in their own words.
Honda Clarity
- 01ENGINE43
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM38
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER37
- 04FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM34
- 05POWER TRAIN30
“I am writing to express my serious concern regarding the safety recall for my 2019 Honda Clarity (VIN: [XXX] ). The recall, dated February 2024, pertains to a potential fuel pump failure that could cause engine stalling while driving, posing a significant saf…”
“This is a 2019 Honda Clarity hybrid vehicle, with 53000 miles at the time of incident. I was driving up hill going about 55 miles per hour, all of the sudden the speed kept dropping even though the gas pedal remained pressed. Pressing the gas pedal more had n…”
Toyota Camry
- 01POWER TRAIN391
- 02UNKNOWN OR OTHER340
- 03ENGINE312
- 04SERVICE BRAKES290
- 05ELECTRICAL SYSTEM241
“My 2020 Toyota Camry SE suffered a sudden and premature transmission failure at only 114,000 miles. I am a college student and I cannot afford a major repair like this on top of my monthly car payment. The car began showing hesitation and sluggish acceleratio…”
“I purchased my vehicle from a certified used car dealership in Connecticut in 2020 with a little over 1800 miles. Since purchasing the vehicle, it has been very reluctant to down shift and had slight transmission whine. I was notified of a recall for I believ…”
Official recalls
Safety recalls on record
Federal recall campaigns — the defect, the risk, and the fix. Confirm any open recall was completed before you buy.
Honda Clarity — 8 recalls
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Clarity Fuel Cell vehicles. Internal components may corrode and cause the water pump to fail.
The risk: A failure of the water pump can cause the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of crash.
The fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the water pump, free of charge. The recall began June 10, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is L4N.
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Clarity Fuel Cell vehicles previously repaired under recall 18V-068. The previous software remedy may have been incomplete. As a result, the fuel cell control unit (FC-ECU) may misinterpret a small cell voltage drop, causing the vehicl…
The risk: A loss of power can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: Honda has notified owners, and dealers will update the FC-ECU software, free of charge. The recall began February 14, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is A3O.
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017 Clarity Fuel Cell vehicles. The fuel cell control unit (FC-ECU) may misinterpret a small cell voltage drop, causing the vehicle to have reduced, or a complete loss of, power.
The risk: A loss of power can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will install a software update, free of charge. The recall began February 28, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is R0L.
The defect: 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.
The risk: In the event of a crash, the seat belt may not properly restrain the occupant, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: 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 1-888-2…
Toyota Camry — 31 recalls
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020 Toyota Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid and Lexus ES300h and 2019-2020 RAV4 and RAV4 Hybrid vehicles equipped with 2.5L 4-Cylinder engines. Porosity in the engine castings may result in cracks than can allow coolant to le…
The risk: A coolant leak can cause the engine to overheat and cause a vehicle stall in conventional gasoline vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash. Additionally, for all involved vehicles, the engine may get damaged mechanically, possibly resulti…
The fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the engine including the engine block, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 3, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus at 1…
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 4Runner, 2019-2020 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2017-2019 Highlander, 2018-2020 Camry, 2020 Corolla, 2018-2019 Land Cruiser, 2017-2020 Tacoma, 2019-2020 RAV4, 2019-2020 Sequoia, 2017-2020 Sienna, 2019-2020 Tundra, 2…
The risk: If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly with an improved one, free of charge. Owners of specific models were notified that remedy parts were available starting January 21, 2021. Owners of other models wil…
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short cir…
The risk: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue…
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Camry and Camry Hybrid vehicles. The second-row center and right-side seats may have insufficiently welded head restraint brackets. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle…
The risk: A head restraint bracket that is insufficiently welded may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will replace the 60% rear seat-back frame sub-assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 19, 2024. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 24TB0…
Year by year
Which model years to avoid
Complaints per model year for both vehicles — lower is better. The spikes are the years to scrutinize.
| Year | Honda Clarity | Toyota Camry |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 7 | 155 |
| 2020 | 9 | 268 |
| 2019 | 45 | 390 |
| 2018 | 160 | 732 |
| 2017 | 5 | 148 |
Check the actual car
Comparing models is smart. Checking the VIN is essential.
Brand averages tell you the trend. A VIN check tells you what's wrong with the specific Honda Clarity or Toyota Camry in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.
Go deeper
Full reliability reports
- Comparison
- Honda Clarity vs Toyota Camry
- Honda Clarity total complaints
- 226
- Toyota Camry total complaints
- 2,128
- Honda Clarity total recalls
- 8
- Toyota Camry total recalls
- 31
- Honda Clarity avg complaints/year
- 45.2
- Toyota Camry avg complaints/year
- 212.8
- More reliable overall
- Honda Clarity
- Honda Clarity top complaint area
- ENGINE
- Toyota Camry top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN