Honda Clarity
Registered from 2017 to 2021.
About this model
The Honda Clarity is a nameplate used by Honda on alternative fuel vehicles. It was initially used only on hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles such as the 2008 Honda FCX Clarity, but in 2017 the nameplate was expanded to include the battery-electric Honda Clarity Electric and the plug-in hybrid electric Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid, in addition to the next generation Honda Clarity Fuel Cell. Clarity production ended in August 2021 with US leases for the fuel cell variant continuing through to 2022. As of 2025, the Honda Clarity (2016-2021) is the last known production car to feature fixed rear wheel skirts.
From the Wikipedia article Honda Clarity, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it stands out against its peers
- Forward collision avoidance: more complaints than 92% of 2018 cars — 11% of its 160 complaints, where an ordinary 2018 car has 3%.
- Gasoline: more complaints than 92% of 2018 cars — 9% of its 160 complaints, where an ordinary 2018 car has 2%.
- Visibility/wiper: more complaints than 90% of 2018 cars — 9% of its 160 complaints, where an ordinary 2018 car has 3%.
- Lane departure: more complaints than 96% of 2018 cars — 7% of its 160 complaints, where an ordinary 2018 car has 1%.
Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.
Crash test
| Stability control | Standard |
| Forward collision warning | Standard |
| Lane departure warning | Standard |
Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.
Specification
| Year | Measured |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 103 hp · 1843 kg · 2750 mm wheelbase · 5.6 L/100km (EPA) · 5.3 L/100km city · 5.9 motorway · 410 Wh/km |
| 2020 | 103 hp · 1843 kg · 2750 mm wheelbase · 5.6 L/100km (EPA) · 5.3 L/100km city · 5.9 motorway · 410 Wh/km |
| 2019 | 103 hp · 1843 kg · 2750 mm wheelbase · 3.5 L/100km (EPA) · 3.5 L/100km city · 3.5 motorway · 193 Wh/km |
| 2018 | 103 hp · 1843 kg · 2750 mm wheelbase · 3.5 L/100km (EPA) · 3.4 L/100km city · 3.5 motorway · 193 Wh/km |
| 2017 | 174 hp · 3.5 L/100km (EPA) · 3.4 L/100km city · 3.5 motorway · 416 Wh/km |
Recalls
Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.
54% of 2019 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.
18V068000
A loss of power can increase the risk of a crash.
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.
18V921000
A loss of power can increase the risk of a crash.
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.
19V315000
A failure of the water pump can cause the vehicle to stall, increasing the risk of crash.
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.
20V326000
In the event of a crash, the seat belt may not properly restrain the occupant, increasing the risk of injury.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear seat belt assembly production dates, and replace the assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 24, 2020. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is Z7L.
23V858000
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Regulator investigations
Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.
Pedestrian alert sounds
Defect petition, opened January 2023, closed August 2023.
What the maker told its dealers
Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.
Honda filed 5 bulletins about the 2021 Clarity.
- Air bags: 2
- Engine and engine cooling: 2
- Visibility: 1
- ServiceNews Article - There are several possible causes for the SRS DTC U3000-49 (Internal Failure of the SRS Unit) to be stored. If you can duplicate the DTC, the troubleshooting will take you… · February 2022
- ServiceNews Article - There are several possible causes for the SRS DTC U3000-49 (Internal Failure of the SRS Unit) to be stored. If you can duplicate the DTC, the troubleshooting will take you… · January 2022
- Service Bulletin - The MIL comes on with DTC P1F86 FC Cell Voltage Too Low (Caution). · December 2021
- Service Bulletin - The MIL comes on with DTC P1F86 FC Cell Voltage Too Low (Caution). · November 2021
- Owner Notification Letter - On some 2018-21 Clarity Plug-In Hybrid models, the A/C condenser may leak refrigerant. American Honda is extending the warranty on the A/C condenser to 10 years from the… · July 2021
Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.