Honda bulletin A20-061
What it saysThe MIL comes on with DTC P1FBF (air pump controller failure [internal failure warning]) during startup. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Honda filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Oct 21, 2020, received Sep 9, 2020, about the fuel/propulsion system — 2 documents under this number. It names 3 model years (2017–2019). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationService Bulletin - The MIL comes on with DTC P1FBF (air pump controller failure [internal failure warning]) during startup.
Trouble codes it names: P1FBF
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A20-061 | Service bulletin | Oct 21, 2020 | 10181841 | PDF, 151 KB |
| A20-061 | Service bulletin | Sep 2, 2020 | 10179515 | PDF, 47 KB |
What the document itself lists
Labour operation and the time the manufacturer allows
| Operation | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1255B8 | Update the air pump controller software | 0.2 hrs |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (2 pages), read Oct 4, 2026. A part number is shown only where it matches Honda’s own catalogue shape, an operation only with its code and time, and a description only where the reader got it whole; anything it could not settle is left out, and the PDF is the record. Times are the manufacturer’s warranty allowances, not a quote. Listings and prices on eBay Motors are the seller’s.
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The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Doing the repair yourself, or pricing it before the shop does? Search the part by fitment on eBay Motors — the listing and the price are the seller’s.
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Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 3 model years this bulletin names have filed 213 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 53 of them name Fuel/Propulsion System — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
On the 2018 Honda Clarity, the 14 owners who gave an odometer reading for Fuel/Propulsion System reported it at a median of 12,650 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
I received a notice in the mail last YEAR stating that there was a problem with fuel pump in Honda Clarity and there would be a recall. I cannot get my car serviced. Honda will not respond. A dealer said not safe to drive. And they said they have no idea if they will even have parts this YEAR. Help please
2018 Honda Clarity · Fuel/Propulsion System · filed with NHTSA Mar 18, 2024 · ODI 11578115
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Clarity fuel cell. While driving approximately 65 MPH, the fuel system indicator illuminated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and instructed the dublin dealer to ship the vehicle to an unknown dealer in los angeles, ca where the hydrogen fuel tank was replaced.
2017 Honda Clarity · Fuel/Propulsion System · filed with NHTSA Nov 12, 2019 · ODI 11279670
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Clarity Plug-In-Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted.
2019 Honda Clarity · Fuel/Propulsion System · filed with NHTSA May 3, 2024 · ODI 11586798
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the fuel/propulsion system
Source: same model, same component group3 other manufacturer communications filed against the Honda Clarity under the same component group (fuel/propulsion system), newest first.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| A20-092 | Service bulletin | Dec 9, 2020 | Service Bulletin - The customer cannot refuel the vehicle completely at certain hydrogen stations. |
| A19-054_version3 | Service bulletin | Apr 6, 2020 | Service Bulletin - The fuel cell (FC) system uses an electric water pump to circulate insulating fluid and remove excess heat from the fuel… |
| A19-006 | Service bulletin | Apr 6, 2020 | "Service bulletin - The telematics system is reporting deterioration of the fuel cell stack. This deterioration can reduce fuel cell output.… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Honda, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Honda A20-061 a recall?
No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the A20-061 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way. Every Honda warranty extension on file lists the ones Honda has filed.
Which vehicles does A20-061 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 3 model years: 2019 Honda Clarity, 2018 Honda Clarity, 2017 Honda Clarity. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.