Clarity production suspended due to COVID-19?

M

Mitch Bekritsky

New Member
We're hoping to buy a new car in the next 3 weeks and we were really interested in getting a 2020 Clarity PHEV Base, so I headed over to the dealer today (we live in NYC) after calling ahead to schedule a test drive. When I show up, one of the salesmen says there are no Claritys on the lot and that production has been suspended due to COVID, so they don't know when they're going to get them back in the showroom or get any from their distributor. Does anyone know if this is true or not? If production is offline and they need to ship the cars from overseas, it sounds like our hopes of getting a new Clarity are shot unless we extend our timeline.
 
You will rarely be misled as long as you accept statements from car dealers as false.

Honda suspended production in North America and Europe. The Clarity is made in Japan. It is possible that supply line disruptions have caused delays or reductions in the number of US (NY) bound Clarities.

A quick search of the intergalactic web of knowledge did not reveal any information that Honda has suspended production in Japan.
 
...and everything you read on the interweb is true, so...

I believe there are a limited number of Clarity's in showrooms on the east coast. You can do search on Cars.com, or other websites to find what is available near you.

Your salesman was probably doing a bait and switch, to get you to buy something he had in stock.

I was under the impression that Clarity's were delivered more to California, and were not available to showrooms in the rest of the country. They could be ordered. The delivery has opened up a little in the rest of the US, but it was limited even before Covid.

Sorry for the delay in responding, there are other people on this forum that are much better with Clarity availability.
 
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I called Honda Customer Service to confirm, and while they couldn't say anything about the Clarity specifically, they did say that production of some models had been suspended, so...I guess it's possible? If not, then maybe delivery has been suspended.

Around NYC the Clarity is a fairly rare car, but I didn't think it would be this difficult to track down. They don't seem to be in showrooms, but the dealer initially made it seem as though it could be ordered when I spoke on the phone, then backtracked when I visited the showroom. Very likely a bait and switch. It's odd that Honda isn't even trying to sell these cars outside CA / WA. I feel like I'm practically begging to buy one and still getting nowhere.

At this point, I guess I'm best off calling around to other dealers or buying CPO. Or start a thread here and see if anyone in the forum has had luck recently buying a Clarity on the east coast...
 
I bought mine Dec 2018 in MA but there were plenty also in RI and CT. I think in general they did not sell great out here and many dealers may not have reordered.
 
DaleL said:
According to INSIDEEVs, the Clarity PHEV is only stocked in showrooms in California. However, it can be ordered by any Honda Dealer in the USA. https://insideevs.com/news/393494/2020-honda-clarity-plug-in-hybrid-returns/

"Honda has just announced that the 2020 Clarity Plug-in Hybrid is now available at dealerships in California. If you don't live in California, there's no need to worry, as Honda says you can order the car in all 50 U.S. states."
Click to expand...

So much for the “everything you read on the interweb is true” theory.

There are a couple dozen in stock at dealers in Washington and Oregon. Some in Indiana and Minnesota as well.

Of course, that was from the interweb so it could be false.
 
Thanks everyone for the help. The 2019 Honda Clarity in NJ is new and nearby, so I emailed a few dealers near me to see if they'd do a swap and what price they'd charge. This way I can get the NYS PHEV rebate and get the lower doc fees from a NY dealer. The remaining options are really far away, so they are not swappable and really hard to get to since I don't currently own a car.

There are a few good CPO deals to be had on 2018 Clarity Touring models around though...I may have to look into those.
 
Good to know JFon! Did you do that recently? Taking the train would be an option in different times, but between the sparser train schedules, potential risk of public transportation, and needing to be home for work and taking care of our kid, the deal would really need to be locked in for me to consider a trek. I've already been burned once... that was enough ;)
 
Mitch Bekritsky said:
There are a few good CPO deals to be had on 2018 Clarity Touring models around though...I may have to look into those.
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Of course, a CPO car won't be eligible for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit. So if you're in a position to take any or all of that $7,500 credit, you need to consider that. You could possibly get a new Clarity for less than a CPO Clarity.
 
Already factored in insightman :)

A CPO 2018 Base Clarity would need to be pretty cheap to walk away from the EV tax credit. I've seen some for as low as $19k, which is far enough below what I'd think I can get a dealer down to on a new Clarity + fees - Federal tax credit - NYS rebate, but once it edges above $21k, it's less of a good deal compared to buying a new one. In this case, the CPO saves about $5k over new at MSRP.

With a CPO 2018 Touring Clarity, the deal gets a bit more interesting. It's still a savings of about $5k vs new @ MSRP + fees - tax credit - rebate, but there, you're getting a car that would be mid-30s off the lot for mid-to-low 20s.

I'd still prefer a new Base Clarity if possible, but if I'm hoping to buy a car by mid-June, I'm not sure I'll have the opportunity to consider that option unless I can (a) find a dealer who will do a swap or (b) they start shipping Claritys again.
 
Something to keep in mind. That mid-30’s car isn’t mid-20’s until you get the state tax refund and file your tax returns.

You either have to fork over $34K or borrow $34K. You can adjust your W-4 to make the larger loan payment or put the extra take home pay back into savings. Or just buy a used car for $19-24K. Less out of pocket and a done deal.

We bought in August of 2019, did our taxes in Feb 2020 and are still waiting for the Oregon rebate after 9 months.
 
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New York is good in that their rebate is point-of-sale, so there shouldn't be a wait to get it. The federal credit would come later, but if we could spend that $7.5k on a new car and not taxes, that seems like an easy decision. It definitely feels less rewarding though than just knocking that money off the price tag of the car.

Of course, spending less on the car upfront also means that I would be saving that money for something else too -- hopefully not car repairs.

I'm reaching out to dealers about swaps, which seems unlikely / difficult, and also about CPO 2018 Clarity Tourings. This is my first car purchase in almost 10 years and I haven't owned a car for the last 6, so I'm loathing dealing with the dealerships...
 
Mitch Bekritsky said:
Thanks everyone for the help. The 2019 Honda Clarity in NJ is new and nearby, so I emailed a few dealers near me to see if they'd do a swap and what price they'd charge. This way I can get the NYS PHEV rebate and get the lower doc fees from a NY dealer. The remaining options are really far away, so they are not swappable and really hard to get to since I don't currently own a car.

There are a few good CPO deals to be had on 2018 Clarity Touring models around though...I may have to look into those.
Click to expand...
We took Amtrak from Toledo, OH to Buffalo, NY and bought a 2019 Clarity from West Herr Honda in Lockport, NY last June. Got a rental car near the Buffalo Amtrak station and drove up to get the car. We had the dealer do the battery capacity test before doing all of that. They resisted doing the test a little, but did end up doing it. When we got the car it was fully charged and fueled. I would do it again if needed.
 
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I really appreciate all the feedback here, it's made this a much easier process.

Good note about getting the battery capacity tested before I pick up the car, Danks!

I'm also talking to Paragon Honda, as JustAnotherPoorDriver did, to see if they can work with me a little more effectively than my first dealer choice (chosen on proximity, not reputation). They haven't said anything about the Clarity being unavailable, so maybe there's hope there.

Otherwise, the CPO options look pretty good. Both the CPO Touring models I'm looking at have clean records (unsurprising). They've also both been sitting on the lot for almost 2 months, so I'm hoping I can get a decent price on them if I do go that route.
 
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