Showing the 2018 Clarity Fuel Cell Touring. NHTSA's VIN data shows it with a 1.5 L engine, but that may not be every version of it, so the numbers below cover every version of this model year. Every version
Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
42–68 mpgcombined; city 44–69, highway 40–67; every version of this model year; plug-in hybrid versions on gasoline, 110 MPGe on electricity
Five years of fuel
$8,000EPA's own estimate for plug-in hybrids: its national gasoline and electricity prices and the share of miles it expects on electricity; not priced for any state; every version of this model year; fuel only, 15,000 miles a year
NHTSA overall safety rating
Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2018 Clarity. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 163 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Clarity. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Engine
29
1
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
27
1
0
1
Unknown or other
27
1
1
0
Electrical system
25
0
0
0
Power train
22
0
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
18
4
0
2
Fuel system, gasoline
15
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
15
0
0
0
Service brakes
14
2
0
0
Vehicle speed control
14
6
0
2
Lane departure
12
0
0
0
Exterior lighting
10
0
0
0
11 more parts
Air bags
4
3
0
2
Structure
3
1
0
0
Wheels
3
0
0
0
Seat belts
2
0
0
0
Steering
2
1
0
1
Back over prevention
1
1
0
1
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
0
0
0
Hybrid propulsion system
1
0
0
0
Seats
1
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
1
0
0
0
Visibility
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2018 Clarity over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
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.
Risk: A failure of the water pump can cause the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of crash.
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.) 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.
Risk: A loss of power can increase the risk of a crash.
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.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 46 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2018 Clarity, the latest on Nov 14, 2023. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (31), fuel system (11), visibility (8), engine and engine cooling (7), diesel (6).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Defect petition DP22005 Pedestrian alert sounds · covers 43 makes
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2018 Clarity.
EPA class: midsize cars. EPA greenhouse gas score: 10 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Clarity EV Front-Wheel Drive
120 kW AC PMSM
Automatic (A1)
Electricity 89 miles of range
126 / 103 / 114 MPGe
Clarity FCV Front-Wheel Drive
Automatic (A1)
Hydrogen
69 / 67 / 68
Clarity Plug-in Hybrid Front-Wheel Drive
1.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (variable gear ratios)
Regular Gasoline or Electricity 48 miles on electricity, 340 miles in all
44 / 40 / 42 on gasoline 110 MPGe on electricity
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data