Honda Ridgeline

Where it stands out against its peers

• Back over prevention: more complaints than 95% of 2017 cars — 10% of its 337 complaints, where an ordinary 2017 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.

Before you buy one

Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.

• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 58 owners reported this
• ENGINE — 55 owners reported this, 2 involving a fire
• FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 31 owners reported this
• BACK OVER PREVENTION — 26 owners reported this
• POWER TRAIN — 24 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING — 8 owners reported this, 1 involving a fire
• STRUCTURE — 8 owners reported this
• SERVICE BRAKES — 7 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• VISIBILITY/WIPER — 7 owners reported this, 1 involving a fire
• POWER TRAIN,ENGINE — 6 owners reported this
• EXTERIOR LIGHTING — 5 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER — 4 owners reported this
• FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — 4 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 3 owners reported this
• POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 3 owners reported this
• POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE — 3 owners reported this
• VISIBILITY — 3 owners reported this

Crash test

Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.

Specification

Recalls

Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.

49% of 2022 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.

• 12V025000

  AN INCORRECT LABEL COULD LEAD TO IMPROPER TIRE INFLATION WHICH COULD RESULT IN A TIRE FAILURE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

  HONDA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE SPARE TIRE AND IF NECESSARY, EXCHANGE THE SPARE TIRE ASSEMBLY OR REPLACE THE TIRE INFORMATION PLACARD FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 10, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA AT 1-800-999-1009.

• 12V432000

  Without the proper passenger airbag indicator, the driver and other vehicle occupants may not be informed or aware that the front passenger airbag is off and will not deploy in a crash, thereby potentially increasing the risk of injury to a front passenger seat occupant that may have chosen to sit or been seated elsewhere in the vehicle if the correct indicator had been given.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger airbag indicator free of charge. The safety recall began on September 21, 2012. Owners may contact Honda Automobile Customer services at 1-800-999-1009.

• 16V061000

  In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are JY0, JY1, and JY2.

• 16V888000

  Corrosion of the wiring harness can cause increased electrical resistance, unexpectedly activating the vehicle stability assist (VSA) system, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear wiring harness and related components, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is KD3.

• 17V029000

  An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall bagan March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KD9 and KE0.

• 18V041000

  An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 16, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are U0H, and G0I.

• 18V221000

  In the event of a crash, if the seat does not remain secured to the floor, the seat occupant has an increased risk of injury.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver seat frame assembly in Acura MDX vehicles, and replace the driver and front passenger seat slide rail frames in Honda Pilot and Ridgeline vehicles, free of charge. The recall began May 30, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall is D0S, and T0T.

• 18V268000

  An incorrectly installed air bag may deploy improperly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began June 22, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are K1P, and M1O.

23 more campaigns have been filed against this model. A dealer can check by VIN which apply to one car.

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.

• Engine failure

  Preliminary evaluation, opened August 2025, still open.

• No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages

  Engineering analysis, opened March 2025, still open.

• Rear-View Camera Failure

  Engineering analysis, opened February 2025, still open.

• Engine failure

  Recall query, opened November 2024, closed August 2025.

• Rear-View Camera Failure

  Recall query, opened June 2024, closed February 2025.

• Rear-View Camera Failure

  Preliminary evaluation, opened February 2024, closed August 2024.

• Rear-View Camera Failure

  Preliminary evaluation, opened February 2022, closed December 2022.

• Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  Engineering analysis, opened September 2021, still open.

• Electrical overstress

  Engineering analysis, opened April 2019, closed September 2024.

• Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  Engineering analysis, opened February 2015, still open.

• Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  Preliminary evaluation, opened June 2014, closed March 2015.

• Fire

  Preliminary evaluation, opened February 2009, closed June 2009.

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 3 bulletins about the 2026 Ridgeline.

• Electrical system: 1
• Engine: 1
• Fuel/propulsion system: 1

• Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2024-2026 Odysseys & Ridgelines and 2024-2025 Passports with a customer complaint of the Malfunction Indicator Light… · May 2026
• Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2024-2026 Odysseys & Ridgelines and 2024-2025 Passports with a customer complaint of the Malfunction Indicator Light… · April 2026
• Over The Air - This update contains various performance enhancements and UI improvements. · March 2026

Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.