RoadVitals

2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
3
Latest Nov 12, 2019
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
3
Latest Apr 18, 2019
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell, most frequently naming the other / unspecified, driver assistance and electrical categories. 3 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 27 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Other / unspecified233.3%
  • Driver assistance116.7%
  • Electrical116.7%
  • Fuel system116.7%
  • Steering116.7%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

3 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
19V315000

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL

Apr 18, 2019
1,082 units potentially affected
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 remedy: 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.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)Manufacturer number N5HView on NHTSA.gov
18V921000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE; HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM

Dec 20, 2018
1,082 units potentially affected
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 vehicle to have a partial or complete loss of power.
The risk: A loss of power can increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy: 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.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)Manufacturer number A3OView on NHTSA.gov
18V068000

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE; HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM

Jan 25, 2018
471 units potentially affected
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 remedy: 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.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)Manufacturer number R0LView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Fuel systemOther / unspecified
Filed Nov 12, 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 HONDA CLARITY FUEL CELL. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE FUEL SYSTEM INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DUBLIN HONDA (877-418-8323, LOCATED AT 6300 DUBLIN BLVD, DUBLIN, CA 94568), BUT THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE A HYDROGEN VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INSTRUCTED THE DUBLIN DEALER TO SHIP THE VEHICLE TO AN UNKNOWN DEALER IN LOS ANGELES, CA WHERE THE HYDROGEN FUEL TANK WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND RETURNED TO THE CONTACT. ADDITIONALLY, THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V315000 (EQUIPMENT). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SAME DUBLIN HONDA DEALER WHERE THE WATER PUMP WAS REPLACED. LATER, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE CHECK POWER SYSTEM INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SAME DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL STACK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 10,000.

NHTSA ID
11279670
Incident
Aug 25, 2017
Mileage
10,000 mi
Other / unspecified
Filed Sep 24, 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 HONDA CLARITY FUEL CELL. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V315000 (EQUIPMENT) AND STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. KEN HARVEY'S DUBLIN HONDA (6300 DUBLIN BLVD, DUBLIN, CA 94568) CONFIRMED PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

NHTSA ID
11257802
Incident
Mar 18, 2019
Driver assistanceElectricalSteering
Filed Feb 22, 2018

THE CAR WAS PARKED FOR ABOUT 10 MINS. RETURN TO CAR AND START IT. THE 'POWER MANAGEMENT' WARNING DISPLAYED. FOLLOWING WITH BRAKE SYSTEM, TPMS, ELECTRIC POWER STEERING, AND RDM INOPERATE MESSAGE SHOW UP. CAR COULD NOT START UP.

NHTSA ID
11074217
Incident
Feb 21, 2018
Mileage
1,400 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

ONL6CK09212022

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Owner's Notification Letter - Product Update - Our records indicate that a Product Update has not been completed on this vehicle (Vehicle Identification Number XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX). The software that monitors the temperature in the fuel cell tank may not be up to date. This may cause the vehicle to incorrectly display a hydrogen system warning on the instrument panel and store a system malfunction.

A22090A

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Dealer Message - In the event you experience a sub tank wire harness rodent damage on the 2017–2020 Clarity FCV, after repairing / replacing the wire harness, wrap the areas shown below with RODENT DETERRENT TAPE, P/N 4019-2317.

A20-092

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

Service Bulletin - The customer cannot refuel the vehicle completely at certain hydrogen stations.

A20-061

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

Service Bulletin - The MIL comes on with DTC P1FBF (air pump controller failure [internal failure warning]) during startup.

A20-061

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

Service Bulletin - The MIL comes on with DTC P1FBF (air pump controller failure [internal failure warning]) during startup.

A19-054_version3

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

Service Bulletin - The fuel cell (FC) system uses an electric water pump to circulate insulating fluid and remove excess heat from the fuel cell stack. During manufacturing, the water pump's magnetic surface was not treated for corrosion resistance. Over time, the corrosion may prevent the water pump's motor from starting, which will prevent the vehicle from starting. If this happens while driving, the vehicle can only be driven for a short distance at greatly reduced power.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Honda Clarity Fuel Cell by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2021000—
2020000—
2019010—
2018220—
2017Viewing330—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.