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For customers that want an SUV-quality ride with a truck bed, the 2020 Honda Ridgeline seems to be the obvious choice. It’s not a full-size truck, but Honda says it will “amp up your ride.” Yet, owners are complaining about the engine, electrical system and exterior lighting.
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Contents
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Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
---|---|
Engine | |
Electrical System | |
Exterior Lighting | |
Unknown Or Other | |
Power Train | |
Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | |
Fuel/propulsion System | |
Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | |
Structure:body | |
Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection |
The engine is the most important component of any truck because it supplies the power needed to get the job done. Yet, the Honda engine is a big disappointment.
One Edmunds user states, “Do not purchase any Honda Ridgeline vehicle unless you don’t mind an obnoxious intermittent motor noise coming from the dashboard that Honda knows about but either refuses/can’t fix. The factory claims it is a ‘characteristic of the vehicle’ that the dealerships are aware of and yet [dealer] sold it without disclosing that this annoying noise occurs. Since purchasing, I have had other people tell me they have had the same noise as far back as 2009.”
There aren’t a lot of communications from the manufacturer to the service department, leaving people to wonder what they are trying to hide. However, there is Service Bulletin #AMV200501 that discusses a leaky front arm oil control valve because of a deteriorated lower gasket. There’s no reason for this defect to occur on a new truck and shows just how little Honda cares about craftsmanship. This engine leaves nothing to be amped up about.
The electrical system on the Honda truck isn’t much better. What’s interesting is how customers seem to complain about multiple issues.
Here’s a long list from one Edmunds reviewer. “Blindspot activation comes on too close to rear end of your vehicle to take evasive action and the indicators would be better if located on mirrors. Remote control features are confusing- for example tailgate will not unlock automatically with fob in pocket–requires pressing unlock button two times, then doing this will not also unlock all doors, requires pressing unlock two more times. There is no instant radio mute on the steering wheel requiring you to decrease volume to lower radio. Blue tooth phone requires multiple commands to make a phone call. Collision monitoring system goes off continuously when going through a fast food drive through–can only be stopped by putting transmission in park!”
Sadly, Honda has nothing to say about any of these defects. It’s as if nothing is happening. Maybe the only way to amp up the ride was to take it back to the Stone Age before technology was important. This truck might have won awards twenty years ago, but not today.
Driving at night can be scary if the lighting systems aren’t adequate. That’s precisely what we see with the 2020 Ridgeline.
One NHTSA complaint states, “When driving on a highway, the auto dimming high beam headlight system often fails to dim the high beams when an oncoming vehicle is approaching – often causing the oncoming driver to ‘flash’ his high beams in anger. The system will also dim the high beams when it shouldn’t. When there’s no vehicle ahead of you at all. The dealership has been unable to find a fix for the problem.”
It doesn’t take long to figure out that Honda didn’t put a lot of care into building this truck. NHTSA Campaign Number talks about a massive recall due to the tonneau cover not being properly secured to the pickup. Because of this defect, wind can remove the cover from the vehicle, causing a road hazard. If there’s anything to get amped up about, it would be sending this truck to the junkyard.
Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes Honda pay legal fees. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.
Category | Electrical System, Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection, Unknown Or Other |
Date | Mar 21, 2023 |
State | IL |
Description | The rear opening and closing of the tailgate caused a break in the wiring harness, causing the rearview camera to fail. This is due to a design flaw and identical to what has happened in the 2017-2019 models. |
Category | Unknown Or Other |
Date | Feb 14, 2023 |
State | OR |
Description | The window pillar is made of cheap thin plastic that melts easy and I believe is a fire danger. I have had two incidents, the first in july of 2021 shortly after I purchased my vehicle and I reported it to honda product complaint 12387373. Honda replaced the molding with the same exact part. I have had another issue on the same side with the same part in a different location in the middle of february in 40 degree temperatures in front of an office building. Honda is saying there is no issue. I believe that since this has happened twice now it is a fire hazard. |
Category | Unknown Or Other |
Date | Feb 14, 2023 |
State | WI |
Description | The back up camera failed. I can't see what is behind me when backing up. |
Category | Electrical System, Engine |
Date | Feb 05, 2023 |
State | NC |
Description | Condition: truck is stopped, the auto engine idle is on action: release the brake to press the accelerator result: the truck fails to restart, shuts off the engine completely, puts itself in neutral, and all the lights in the dash illuminate I have to place the truck in park and restart the engine. Sometimes the engine is difficult to restart, and I have to try several times. This has happened 3 times since november, and 3 other times the truck has almost stalled when restarting. |
Category | Exterior Lighting |
Date | Feb 04, 2023 |
State | PA |
Description | Since this vehicle was purchased new the automatic high beams have not worked correctly and will often stay on for incoming traffic. There is no fix for this issue at the moment. Mentioned this issue to honda corp and dealership and never heard a response from over two years ago. Brought vehicle recently to other dealer and mentioned my vehicle still has this issue. They completed an unrelated software update. Needless to say my ridgeline is still having this issue. |
Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings |
Date | Feb 04, 2023 |
State | PA |
Description | Since new vehicle''s forward collision warning stating "brake" will occasionally appear for oncoming traffic. Vehicle has attempted to brake as well. There is no fix from honda motor co. Vehicle also has an issue with automatic high beams (which has no current fix) which has been filed separately. |
Category | Fuel/propulsion System |
Date | Jan 26, 2023 |
State | GA |
Description | The plastic fuel line coming from the gas tank cracked and there is no way to replace a small hose and honda make me purchase a brand new tank for a repair of 00 that should have been covered under warranty. The line failed at 25,000 miles |
Category | Electrical System |
Date | Jan 23, 2023 |
State | IL |
Description | Back up camera has stopped working. When the vehicle is put in reverse the guide lines continue to appear, while there is no video of what is behind the vehicle. I looked up recalls on 2020 ridgeline, and there are no reports. 2017-19 backup camera recall for similar problem. Honda dealer appointment to confirm is 3 days from today. There were no warning signs of failure. |
Category | Unknown Or Other |
Date | Jan 15, 2023 |
State | CA |
Description | This complaint is about tesla vehicles that I passed or passed me yesterday in southern california on the 15 and 210 freeways. The conditions were treacherous with low visibility and rain. At least one dozen tesla vehicles were encountered and none had their lights on although it was raining and visibility was low. They did have front âdriving lightsâ illuminated but no rear lights were visible. In california, it is the law to have your lights on if it's raining. The lack of rear lights presented a dangerous situation in foggy and damp conditions even though it was not nighttime. These observations were made between 10 am and noon as well as 3:30 pm and 5 pm. My honda ridgeline had its lights set on automatic and they were illuminated the entire time. I can't understand why the tesla vehicles didn't have any lights displayed in the rear of the car unless they were breaking. It must be a software oversight because I observed various models and production years. This needs to be rectified for all our safety. |
Category | Electrical System |
Date | Dec 23, 2022 |
State | AL |
Description | Backup camera stopped working. Possible electrical wiring harness defective and severed prematurely. This was a safety feature that stopped working on a vehicle that's not even 3 year old. |
Category | Electrical System |
Date | Dec 20, 2022 |
State | NJ |
Description | Wire harness for back up camera needed to be replaced. Dealer said not covered by current recall, ie 2020's are not covered |
Category | Exterior Lighting |
Date | Nov 23, 2022 |
State | OH |
Description | In winter weather driving the led headlights become covered in snow and ice. I have to keep finding a safe place to pull over and manually clear the snow and ice off the headlights so I can see properly without dazzling other drivers. |
Category | Exterior Lighting |
Date | Nov 10, 2022 |
State | MN |
Description | Auto high beam feature fails to go to dim quickly enough when on coming traffic appears. Yet it will dim for white or yellow road sign reflections. The system is very unpredictable and causes people to flash me often. Recurring problem since new. |
Category | Engine |
Date | Oct 12, 2022 |
State | TX |
Description | Engine fails to restart after idle stop engaged. Engine stops normally when brake pedal is pressed and vehicle comes to full stop. Brake pedal is then released to restart engine but the engine does not start. Dashboard says "shift to park". The transmission is shifted to park and then start button is pushed to restart engine. Sometimes the start button has to be pushed multiple times to restart engine. This is a safety issue because the vehicle cannot move in traffic, crossing an intersection, etc. It is equivalent to an engine stall. This happens approximately 10% of the time when the idle stop is engaged. Also, sometimes the engine will start but after a hesitation or a struggle to start. In this situation, "collision mitigation system warning" displays on the dashboard. This happens probably 25% of the time. Battery and starter have no problem starting the vehicle outside of these conditions. |
Category | Electrical System, Engine, Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings |
Date | Oct 11, 2022 |
State | VA |
Description | Several times over the past two months, I started having issues with the auto engine idle stop. I'm at about 25,000 miles and my vehicle has completely stalled out 4 times in two months. This is due to a failure of the auto engine idle stop system to restart the engine after I take my foot off the brake pedal. This has put my safety and others at risk in all of these incidents, all happened in busy, high traffic areas. In one instance it took a full minute to be able to turn my car back on. One time it triggered the collision system, and I couldn't restart my car for several minutes. After looking up this issue, I know there is an ongoing nhtsa investigation into the honda pilot models, but this needs to be expanded to the ridge line models. |
Category | Electrical System, Engine |
Date | Oct 05, 2022 |
State | OK |
Description | Stopping at a stop light on 10/4 & 09/27 engine shut down and wouldn't start. People behind me honking their horns for me to go. Enginewouldn't start and had gone fromdr to park. Dash said somethinglike press brake and start button. The whole time the light was green,ir wouldn't start. The 1st time it happened I thought it was the econ on but the 2ndtime it wasn't on. I have an appointment today at eskridge in okc. This is so scarry,ithought I needed to report it. I am scarred that engine and everything will shut down again. |
Category | Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:evaporative Emissions:canister |
Date | Sep 14, 2022 |
State | WI |
Description | Warning light keeps coming on in my 202 honda ridgeline: "emission systems problem" the first time I took it in they indicated there was no problem charged me 8. 00. Second through forth time it went in they replaced the "evap canister vent valve" problem comes back within 2 weeks. The light has tripped a fifth time but went out on it's own, honda dealer said the light needs to be on in order to trouble shoot. This was a issue on 2017 - 2019 ridgelines blogs indicate repair was replacement of injectors. Just looking for help to get my issue resolved once and for all. |
Category | Electrical System, Engine, Lane Departure: Assist |
Date | Jul 06, 2022 |
State | FL |
Description | Beginning about 3 months ago the automatic idle stop (ais) would randomly not function at start-up during the length of a drive though there was no indication of any issue on the dash. Shutting off and restarting would allow usually allow it to function normally. About 6 weeks ago the ais stopped the engine at a red light, and when I removed my foot to accelerate the engine did not start, the car shut off. It took a couple of seconds to realize the vehicle was down, I had to shut the car completely off and restart to get moving almost getting rear-ended since I did not move when the light changed even though my brake lights went off, confusing the driver behind me. Ais failing to start has become more frequent and now happens at least every other day. In traffic this is a safety issue for sure. Additionally, the lkas system randomly displays a new message on the dash that it is disabled for a few seconds while driving on the freeway and then clears itself. Other seemingly related electrical issues started at the same time. On several of the occasions that the ais failed to restart, all dash lights flickered rapidly, and the speedometer needle bounced wildly. After shutting down and restarting the a and b trim computers had been zeroed as well as the mpg average being zeroed, and the economy mode had been switched of. These nuisance electrical issues are not a safety concern themselves but may help point to a common failure which does cause the safety issues of the ais and the lkas systems. I believe you are investigating similar ais issues on the honda pilot which shares many of the electrical and drive train components with the ridgeline. |
Category | Engine |
Date | Jun 30, 2022 |
State | WA |
Description | No restart after engine auto start/stop engages. Multiple times when the engine auto stop is engaged engine has to crank for multiple seconds to restart or won't restart at all. This creates an unsafe condition when trying to make a turn at an intersection or when trying to turn onto a road from a parking lot. |
Category | Engine, Fuel/propulsion System, Power Train |
Date | Apr 20, 2022 |
State | WI |
Description | On numerous occasions (at least 5 times) the following occurred: upon exiting the highway after approximately 90+ minutes of driving, the truck's check engine light starts flashing and the vehicle goes into "limp mode" and will barely accelerate to avoid oncoming traffic from behind. The vehicle must be stopped and turned off to clear the engine light and return to normal performance. The on-board computer does not store any diagnostic codes when this occurs. There are numerous documented incidents exactly like this one on the honda ridgeline owners forum. I have taken my truck to the dealer three times with no resolution. The dealer consults with honda tech support, who is unsure how to solve this issue. Assorted repairs have been documented on the aforementioned honda forum, to no avail. This is definitely a safety issue when the truck loses power in traffic. I have almost been hit from behind while the vehicle is in limp mode. The initial occurence happened in november 2021 and most recently again april 16, 2022. Essentially for a year and a half honda has done nothing to fix this problem. |
Category | Structure:body |
Date | Apr 10, 2022 |
State | NY |
Description | I received a recall notice #21v-932 per honda service bulletin 21-086 and took my 2020 honda ridgeline in on march 22, 2022. The recall notice specifies that gaps between hood seal and grill allow for air entry that leads to hood vibration allowing the hood latch to break loose and hood to open while driving. I have such an air gap and to make matters worse this gap also allows elements to enter my engine compartment getting everything wet/soiled- including electricals. After the recall repair was competed, I still had a sizable air gap between the hood seal and the grill. The dealer service department manager said it was operating according to honda specifications and that's all he could do. I complained and he said he would contact honda motors of america. He received a reply from honda motors that ignored my complaint. My complaint is that page 15 of this honda service bulletin 21-086 recall notice specifies âinspect the resting position of the hood seal. Ensure that the hood seal is making contact along the front grillâ. After repair, my vehicle still has a good size air gap between the hood seal and grill which does not meet the repair requirements of the recall notice. Not only that, the repair on my vehicle did not address the root cause of the problem which is to prevent air from entering and causing vibration. And this could be on many honda vehicles! I tried to attach a word document with additional information but your system would not allow. Please contact me using email because I have hearing loss from vietnam war and communicating over the phone is very difficult for me!!!! |
Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking |
Date | Feb 25, 2022 |
State | AZ |
Description | 1st time we were driving on a mountain highway at 70 mph, when the truck self applied the brakes and we were nearly rear ended by another truck, there was no vehicle directly in front of our car to cause this to happen. I took the truck to the dealer as soon as we returned home, they found nothing wrong! A few weeks later this happened again for no apparent reason however thus time no other car was near enough to cause a incident. I returned the truck to honda service after 1st calling honda usa and having them document our concerns. Once more they could offer no reason or correction. This continues to randomly happen to thus day. I have 2 service documents to back up both times I returned to the dealer. |
Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking |
Date | Feb 24, 2022 |
State | FL |
Description | Like other honda models being investigated, this 2020 ridgeline also applies the automatic braking system with on vehicle directly ahead (nearest vehicle is 2 lanes over). The date below is today, but events were in the past |
Category | Power Train |
Date | Feb 11, 2022 |
State | NY |
Description | The contact's son owns a 2020 honda ridgeline. The contact stated that while her son was reversing, the vehicle shifted to neutral independently. The warning message "stop. Driving when safe. Transmission problem, see manual." was illuminated. The contact's son shifted to reverse and continued to drive the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred twice the next day while reversing. The contact's son turned off and parked the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the failure could not be replicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The contact was awaiting a call back from the manufacturer. The failure mileage was approximately 11,721. Consumer traded in this truck on 2/14/2022 and traded up to a 2022 ridgeline. Consumer had the truck for a week and it did the same thing. |
Category | Structure:body |
Date | Jan 13, 2022 |
State | CA |
Description | The february 2022 edition of consumer reports, page 19, identifies 2017-2020 honda ridgeline (and others) as having a faulty hood latch that could release as the vehicle is in motion thereby blocking the driver's view of the road. I cannot find any evidence on your website or that of honda's about a recall or a fix for this issue. Please look into this matter and get back to me as soon as possible. Thanks [xxx] email: [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6). |
Category | Engine |
Date | Dec 17, 2021 |
State | GA |
Description | Strong engine oil odor after driving and then parking vehicle. Also checked engine oil, has a very strong gasoline smell to engine oil. Dealer claims unable to replicate, however I pointed out the smell to them once I arrived. Dealer mentioned that the smell was normal. They took the vehicle in anyway and claim again that the smell is normal. There are no warning lights or anything to indicate a problem. Smell first noticed around 5600 miles. Vehicle now at 16000 miles and still getting the same result with odor and fuel smell in the oil. |
Category | Power Train |
Date | Nov 02, 2021 |
State | CA |
Description | Driving up a grade my small dog move forward onto forward part of console and steped on gearshift buttons and vehicle shifted in to neutral. Engine rev. Up to 5000 rpm. Had to remove dog from gear shift panel slow down engine and vehicle back in gear and excelerate away from large truck approaching the rear of my vehicle. Vary scary, why does honda put a push button transmission controls on a console between the seats. |
Category | Engine |
Date | Sep 17, 2021 |
State | CA |
Description | I understand my vehicle has a start and stop function. It does not work as it's intended per honda dealership and page 400s of the owners manual. My car is been shutting off randomly as I'm giving it gas moving forward ( 1 time) and we'll over 10 times as I'm backing up into my driveway. When I am backing up, it's normal and out of no where, my vehicle shuts off and it shifts back to neutral then starts to roll forward. When my truck shuts off as I'm in reverse, my reverse camera becomes audio or audio off when it's suppose to show the rear camera back up. And my dash board, the oil light and battery comes on. I've brought it up to honda dealership and I keep getting the run around. This is a safety concern! It's a safety concern for myself, family and also the people around me driving if this happens to shut off on the freeway or even on the city road. I have my kids in the car and I could get crush from all directions if my car shuts off randomly. What do honda need in order to fix this? My car getting crushed in an accident? Honda states they could not replicated it so I provided dash cam footage, live video footage. And still I'm getting the run around. Please help. Honda stated my after market parts caused this issue. But could not explain to me why and how it caused it?? I have a carb legal intake and an led light strip. Nothing fancy! No harness no nothing! Just simple fuse power and ground. I've brought my vehicle in before for this issue ( with my carb legal intake) and honda deemed it âsafe and could not replicate itâ so I carried on and installed my led light strip properly. They could not explain it to me how my parts caused the issue. So I put my car back to stock specs as they recommended. And immediately my car shuts off like I stated in this. I did not buy a honda to have issues. At this point I'm over owning this car. It's brand new! There is a bigger issue. And I feel like I am wasting my time. At this point- I need more help. |
Category | Exterior Lighting |
Date | Jul 23, 2021 |
State | AL |
Description | the automatic high beams on my 2020 rarely activate and when they do, they dim almost immediately after seeing their own reflection even on tiny road markers. Occasionally, they'll activate or flash oncoming traffic which creates a hazard to their visibility and my safety. I alerted my local honda dealership at a scheduled service but they stated their were no service bulletins in effect for the automatic high beam system, and therefore nothing they would do. |
Category | Unknown Or Other |
Date | Jun 10, 2021 |
State | TX |
Description | Sunroof spontaneously shattered while driving. Sunroof is not safety glass and shattered into thousands of shards. If the inner cover had been open the driver would have been hit in the face with these glass shards while driving at highway speed. There was nothing on the roadway that could have caused this explosion. Smooth paved road and no close traffic. We believe it is a defect and the type of glass is inherently dangerous to be used in a motor vehicle. |
Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking |
Date | May 07, 2021 |
State | AL |
Description | On 12 or more occasions the truck braked for no reason. Nothing in front of me. It's been to the shop 3 times for this. I have done research on this problem and found out honda has several law suites on their cmbs system going back to 2015. So why have they been aloud to keep this system in cars and trucks. |
Category | Exterior Lighting |
Date | Apr 08, 2021 |
State | IL |
Description | The automatic high beam function is erratic and has switched to high when on-coming traffic is approaching. It also switches to low when there's no on-coming traffic. This typically happens during highway travel. |
Category | Exterior Lighting |
Date | Apr 07, 2021 |
State | AZ |
Description | The auto high beam feature does not work correctly. Turns on and off at it's own reflection from roadside sings of all shape and sizes. Flashes other vehicles when it is supposed to be on low beam. Have complained to honda and was told if I did not like it too deactivate the feature. |
Category | Service Brakes |
Date | Feb 03, 2021 |
State | MA |
Description | The brakes are soft if you hit the brakes out of the "clear blue". If you recently pressed them within the last couple of seconds, the pedal has a much firmer and grabbier perception. The brakes function nicely, but the variance in brake feel could be detrimental where fractions of a second matter. The vehicle does it all the time regardless of terrain or temperature. |
Category | Fuel/propulsion System |
Date | Feb 02, 2021 |
State | IL |
Description | On two occasions, I was driving at freeway speeds in a cold climate for about an hour. I decelerated onto an off ramp. Upon acceleration, I received a flashing check engine light and reduced power. I was able to limp home at decreased speeds. I was able to pull codes p0304 - cylinder 4 misfire, p0305 - cylinder 5 misfire, c342d - manufacturer control. The problem went away after restarting the vehicle. I took the vehicle to the dealer, but they were unable to see any codes or reproduce the issue. |
Category | Power Train |
Date | Dec 01, 2020 |
State | MD |
Description | Honda vehicles equipped with the zf-9 speed transmission cannot be placed into "neutral" if the vehicle's battery is flat. A special honda tool that is not included with each vehicle, is the only way to place the zf 9 speed transmission into neutral, to allow for towing, or physically moving the vehicle out of traffic, if the vehicle's battery fails. Honda should include this tool #07aaa-tz3a100 lock release, with every honda equipped with the zf 9 speed transmission. |
Category | Exterior Lighting |
Date | Nov 11, 2020 |
State | GA |
Description | When driving on a highway, the auto dimming high beam headlight system often fails to dim the high beams when an oncoming vehicle is approaching - often causing the oncoming driver to "flash" his high beams in anger. The system will also dim the high beams when it shouldn't.- when there's no vehicle ahead of you at all. The dealership has been unable to find a fix for the problem. I find other owners complaining of the same problem here... Https://www. Ridgelineownersclub. Com/threads/auto-high-beam-cool-maybe-not. 215738 |
Category | Unknown Or Other |
Date | Aug 06, 2020 |
State | TX |
Description | The rear window switch does not function on demand when activating to open the back window in stationary or in motion. It does function properly when you least expected and not at the will of the operator. |
Category | Power Train |
Date | Jul 20, 2020 |
State | MD |
Description | 2020 honda vehicles that are equipped with the zf 9 speed transmission are impossible to place in neutral, if the battery is dead. Honda sells a tool (honda 07aaa-tz3a100 lock release) for 5. 00. Using this tool is the only way to place these vehicles in neutral, if the battery is dead. Honda should be including this tool free of charge in every 2020 vehicle equipped with the zf 9 speed transmission. |
Who are we? We are Lemberg Law, a Consumer Law Firm
Lemberg Law is a consumer law firm helping victims of bad manufacturing and run-arounds from auto companies. We are ranked A+ by the BBB. Call our Helpline today! There is no charge unless we win.
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I own a Honda 2020 AWD Ridgeline. Honda mailed a 10-year Warranty Notice dated March 2023 regarding: “Engine Does Not Auto Restart After Entering Auto Idle Stop”. Honda does not offer a fix to this problem until the vehicle fails and leaves the owner stranded anywhere on the road/freeway.