We just hit the one year mark in our Clarity PHEV and absolutely love the car. However, during that one year, both the front and rear bumpers were hit while the car was parked (two separate incidents) requiring that they both be repainted. We also had a child on a bike hit the side rocker panel, which also required replacement. So on the bright side, no damage to any of the aluminum panels, but lots of heartache and time spent in the shop, which kind of has me souring on the car due to my OCD nature with cars. Anyone else in a similar boat or am I just being nuts? It's totally ok to call me the latter btw, as that's what my wife thinks
In a country filled with idiots who are somehow offended by efficiency, I just hope the crowd that likes to vandalize Tesla vehicles doesn't realize that the Clarity is also mostly EV-only for many people.
When I started driving hybrids I’ve noticed that I got flats tires way more often then a normal car. My theory on that is that electromagnetic field from the battery and motor just sucks all metal **** from the road under the car, and it punctures the tires
I think we will surely get more flats with this vehicle simply because it has no jack or spare tire ! If it wasn't for the fact that we don't tend to do road trips, I would do as some others have and procure a spare / jack.
Not a dent, ding or scratch on mine after 16 months of ownership. I should add that the car is seldom parked outside, and it is in a secured lot when at work.
When you're parking your Clarity, check out the people nearby. If they're wearing face masks, put yours on before exiting the car. If they're not wearing face masks, wait until you're away from the car and they're not watching to put yours on.
Nearing 2 years, 35,000 miles. One very lightly curbed wheel and the usual expected light rock chips on the front from interstateing...tires at about half life now. No complaints.
I like the car so much I worry about it more than I have with other cars. Like some here, I've scratched the hub/wheel from cornering on one side. I didn't judge the distance properly taking a tight turn around the curb. It's the kind of thing I notice, but it's not super noticeable. I think there really is a general uptick in accidents happening due to distracted driving (which really isn't the OPs case). In my last car, I got rear ended waiting for a red light. I was like, what the heck? I'm stationary. The person driving happened to be a young woman texting. Anyway, I think more of the distracted stuff is happening than I remember in the past. And of course you do have some folks who may damage your vehicle (i.e. parking lot) and walk away without leaving a note. I think city size matters too. It's the reason insurance is higher when population density goes up. I live in a smaller place (250K) so I think that helps too. But yes, can definitely understand being PO'd if the car gets damaged. Like others, I try to baby mine as much as one can.
