Total Complaints
2 filings
HONDA CLARITY FUEL CELL · model year
2018 HONDA CLARITY FUEL CELL
2 NHTSA complaints, and 2 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2018HONDACLARITY FUEL CELL carries 2 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and Not Rated/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2018 CLARITY FUEL CELL is fuel/propulsion system with 1 filings, followed by vehicle speed control (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 2 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 77 investigation files overlapping the 2018 CLARITY FUEL CELL, and 9 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
2
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 — Not rated
· Front: Not Rated/5
· Side: Not Rated/5
· Rollover: Not Rated/5
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
Recalls (2)
18V92100020/12/2018
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
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
19V31500018/04/2019
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL
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.
Recent Complaints
20200521VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
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
20200430FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
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.
Mileage: 16,193
Compare 2018HONDACLARITY FUEL CELL to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 9 Open
PE25017Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Inaccurate Rear Passenger Seat Belt Warning Status
PE25016Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Loss of Motive Power
PE25018Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Inadvertent Deployment of Side Air Bags
PE25008Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Engine failure
EA25004Engineering AnalysisOpen
No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2018 HONDA CLARITY FUEL CELL have?▼
The 2018 HONDA CLARITY FUEL CELL has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2018 HONDA CLARITY FUEL CELL?▼
The 2018 HONDA CLARITY FUEL CELL received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of Not Rated/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2018 HONDA CLARITY FUEL CELL?▼
Yes, the 2018 HONDA CLARITY FUEL CELL has 2 recall(s). The most common affected component is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2018 HONDA CLARITY FUEL CELL?▼
The most-complained component for the 2018 HONDA CLARITY FUEL CELL is FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.
Is the 2018 HONDA CLARITY FUEL CELL safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2018 HONDA CLARITY FUEL CELL has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.