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Honda Clarity Fuel Cell may lose power while driving

NHTSA campaign 18V921000 · Reported 2018-12-20 · Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

high How serious is it? About this label

Serious, because the car can lose power unexpectedly in traffic; the notice does not tell owners to park it, but get the software updated promptly.

What's wrong, in plain English

These hydrogen fuel cell cars were already fixed once under an earlier recall, but that software fix did not fully do the job. The computer that runs the fuel cell can misread a small dip in voltage and cut power, so the car may lose some or all of its power while you are driving. Losing power in traffic can lead to a crash. Honda dealers will load the corrected software, free of charge.

What you should do

1. Look up your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm your Clarity is included.
2. Contact a Honda dealer or Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138 and mention recall A3O.
3. Have the fuel cell control software updated at no charge, even if you had the earlier recall done.

Affected vehicles (1)

2018 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell

Who to contact

Honda — official Honda recall lookup

Customer service: 1-888-234-2138

Any franchised dealer for the brand can do the repair. Phone numbers are taken from manufacturer sites and recent NHTSA notices; if one has changed, the number in your own recall letter is the one to use.

The bigger picture

Why do Honda electrical recalls keep causing power and lighting failures? · all 12 Honda recalls in this area

Official notice

Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
Summary: 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.
Safety 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.

Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.