RoadVitals

2018 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.
2
Latest May 21, 2020
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.
2
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 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2018 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell, most frequently naming the driver assistance and fuel system categories. 2 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; and 20 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

  • Driver assistance150.0%
  • Fuel system150.0%

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

2 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

Recent owner complaints

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

Driver assistance
Filed May 21, 2020

2018 HONDA CLARITY. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE NOT ACCELERATING OVER 30 MPH. *LD *JS THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE SAT IN PARK FOR 30 MINUTES, AFTER WHICH IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE PAST 30MPH AND THE RPMS ESCALATED TO RPMS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO 3 DIFFERENT REPAIR SHOPS NONE WERE ABLE TO MAKE THE REPAIRS. THE CONSUMER STATED THE MPG DROPPED FROM 44 TO 24.7.*JS

NHTSA ID
11325815
Incident
Dec 11, 2019
Fuel system
Filed Apr 30, 2020

2018 HONDA CLARITY FUEL CELL EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN REDUCTION IN POWER DUE TO A FAILURE OF THE FUEL CELL POWER GENERATION. THE CAR DISPLAYED AN ERROR MESSAGE "POWER SYSTEM PROBLEM. STOP DRIVING WHEN SAFE" WHILE DRIVING AT FREEWAY SPEEDS ON THE FREEWAY. THE CAR THEN HAD LOW POWER AND WAS RUNNING OFF THE BATTERY. AFTER PULLING OVER AND TURNING OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTING, IT HAD THE SAME ERROR WITH LOW BATTERY ONLY. THEN WE TURNED OFF, WAITED ABOUT TEN MINUTES, RESTARTED THE CAR, AND THE FUEL CELL SYSTEM SEEMED FINE. THE BATTERY BEGAN TO CHARGE. WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM SINCE THEN. THIS CAR HAS PREVIOUSLY ALREADY HAD ALL RECALLS COMPLETED, INCLUDING THE SOFTWARE UPDATE TO ADDRESS POWER SYSTEM FAILURES LAST YEAR.

NHTSA ID
11322892
Incident
Apr 5, 2020
Mileage
16,193 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—
2018Viewing220—
2017330—

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.