2018 Honda Clarity: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings
EPA rates the 2018 Honda Clarity at 42–68 mpg combined (gas versions) and 114 MPGe combined with 89 miles of EPA-rated range across 3 versions. NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 163 owner complaints for this model year.
Safety recalls
3
EPA combined mpg
42–68
NHTSA overall rating
—
Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT
NHTSA lists this vehicle as CLARITY ELECTRIC, CLARITY FUEL CELL, CLARITY PLUG-IN HYBRID.
Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Honda dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.
2018 Honda Clarity recalls
NHTSA's recall file lists 3 safety recalls for the 2018 Honda Clarity, newest first.
Fuel system, gasoline: Delivery: Fuel pump
NHTSA 23V858000Reported Dec 18, 2023
Filed by
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) (manufacturer recall no. KGC, KGD)
Units affected
2,490,460 (estimate)
Problem
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.) (manufacturer recall no. N5H)
Units affected
1,082 (estimate)
Problem
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.) (manufacturer recall no. A3O)
Components
Electrical system: Software; Hybrid propulsion system
Units affected
1,082 (estimate)
Problem
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.
Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.
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2018 Honda Clarity fuel economy by version
EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination; electric figures are in MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent). Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.
Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.
EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.
2018 Honda Clarity crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
2018 Honda Clarity NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Rollover risk
Forward collision warning
2018 Honda Clarity Electric 4 DR FWD
Not rated
Not rated
Not rated
Not rated
—
Standard
2018 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell 4 DR FWD
Not rated
Not rated
Not rated
Not rated
—
Standard
2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In 4 DR FWD
Not rated
Not rated
Not rated
Not rated
—
Standard
Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.
Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.
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2018 Honda Clarity owner complaints
Owners have filed 163 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Honda Clarity, most recently on Oct 10, 2026. 11 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 3 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.
Most-cited components in 2018 Honda Clarity complaints
Component named in complaints
Mentions
Engine
29
Fuel/propulsion system
27
Unknown or other
27
Electrical system
24
Power train
22
Fuel system, gasoline
15
Visibility/wiper
15
Service brakes
14
Vehicle speed control
13
Exterior lighting
10
Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.
