HONDA CLARITY FUEL CELL · model year

2018 HONDA CLARITY FUEL CELL

2 NHTSA complaints, and 2 recall campaigns listed for this cohort. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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.

The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2018 CLARITY FUEL CELL is fuel/propulsion system with 1 filings, followed by vehicle speed control (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause. This cohort has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns listed below. Enter a VIN in NHTSA's official recall lookup to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

NHTSA currently has 79 investigation files overlapping the 2018 CLARITY FUEL CELL, and 9 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.

2
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

2 filings

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

ComponentCount
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1

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

View all investigations

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 vintage: August 2026. 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.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 2018 HONDA CLARITY FUEL CELL; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.