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The Ridgeline, Honda’s only midsize pickup truck, has been around since 2006. The second-generation launched as a 2017 model, 34 years after the Japanese company started producing vehicles in the U.S.
Four years later, in 2021, Honda announced the arrival of a new, “redesigned” Ridgeline. In a media release on 14 January 2021 they say: “2021 Honda Ridgeline Arriving Next Month Ready to Rumble with Rugged New Look.”
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2019 2020 2022
Contents
- 1| NHTSA Complaints for the 2021 Honda Ridgeline
- 2| Most Common Problems with the 2021 Honda Ridgeline
- 3| 2021 Honda Ridgeline Powertrain & Engine Problems
- 4| 2021 Honda Ridgeline Electrical Problems
- 5| 2021 Honda Ridgeline Exterior Lighting Problems
- 6| What if your 2021 Honda Ridgeline is a lemon? Your Lemon Rights
- 7| Complaint Data
Don’t be stuck with a lemon. You have legal rights to cash, return or buyback.
The law makes Honda pay legal fees.
We've fixed thousands of lemon problems. Message or call 877-795-3666 today.
NHTSA Complaints for the 2021 Honda Ridgeline
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Engine | |
| Exterior Lighting | |
| Power Train | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Electrical System | |
| Structure:body | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | |
| Vehicle Speed Control |
But this is not a third-generation Ridgeline. In fact, many reviews say that the new pickup truck has no mechanical updates. The main criticism is that the so-called makeover is really just a new look that focuses on body style.
The question, though, for 2021 Honda Ridgeline owners focuses on what kind of problems to look out for. Knowing what other 2021 Ridgeline owners are complaining about will help you identify a lemon if you think you’ve got one.
Lemberg Law highlighted issues about the 2020 model in an article, 2020 Honda Ridgeline Problems and Top Complaints.
There are 16 complaints on file with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the 2020 model. And they cover 16 different problems. But for the new-generation 2021 Ridgeline, there are already 17 complaints that cover a total of 23 problems.
Most Common Problems with the 2021 Honda Ridgeline
The most commonly reported problems with the 2021 Honda Ridgeline are related to the powertrain and engine, both of which are related. They are mentioned in a total of 6 complaints. Both the electrical system and exterior lighting are linked to 3 issues each.
There are 2 complaints that focus on forward-collision avoidance, as well as a couple of problems mentioned in the category Unknown or Other. There is also one issue each with the fuel/propulsion system, structural problems, and issues with wheels.
We are going to focus on the top three.
2021 Honda Ridgeline Powertrain & Engine Problems
These complaints include accusations of serious design flaws. One complainant goes as far as to say: “This is an unsafe vehicle to drive and can cause injury or DEATH.”
A 2021 Ridgeline owner having problems with the engine and CEL flashing says a major problem is that dealers can’t identify a cause because the code deletes itself. When this happens, the problem disappears, but only temporarily. This particular complaint describes how the problem recurred three times.
There is a similar discussion on the Ridgeline OwnerClub forum.
Others talk about the engine light flashing and the Ridgeline losing speed on the highway. A major issue one complaint highlights is that when the vehicle “dies” it’s impossible to restart it without a special tool, Honda part #07AAA-TZ3A100. But it isn’t available from Honda dealers.
Because the bolt that must be manually turned and locked is outside the truck and under the hood, this “is also a hazard.”
Another complaint says that when the vehicle is in drive and stops on a steep hill, it slips backward. This results in the software putting the transmission in neutral and shutting off the engine.
“This leaves the vehicle coasting backward with very little steering or brakes. This happened to me and I coasted backward across a street. If a car had been coming it would have hit me sideways.”
2021 Honda Ridgeline Electrical Problems
The biggest complaint relating to electrical problems is that the wireless charger connects and disconnects. This results in the cell phone getting hot and not charging.
One complaint states that Honda knows about the problem but the unit has already been replaced and the fault persists.
“My concern is that this charger can make my phone explode with huge consequences.”
Another complaint claims that it isn’t only the 2021 Honda Ridgeline that has the wireless charger problem. Pilots, Accord, Civic, and Odyssey models have the same problem, according to the complaint.
2021 Honda Ridgeline Exterior Lighting Problems
The automatic high-beam system is the major exterior lighting problem with the 2021 Ridgeline. Complaints range from it being too sensitive to it functioning erratically.
One complaint says: “In short, the new automatic high-beam system is not only useless but offensive to other drivers. I’m afraid the flashing (it causes) will induce road rage or gain unwanted attention from law enforcement officers.”
Another, basing his conclusion on multiple internet-based comments on the issues, says he believes the “issue is not from failure but from a design or setting defect.” However, dealers are unable to confirm this.
What if your 2021 Honda Ridgeline is a lemon? Your Lemon Rights
When cars have a substantial defect that the manufacturer has attempted to repair several times, there’s a good chance you have a lemon. Sometimes dealers don’t know how to do repairs or don’t have the parts available.
So, if you think you’ve got a lemon, you need help from a good lemon law firm like Lemberg Law. Call us and we’ll assess your situation and your rights.
If your car is a lemon you have legal rights that may include a refund or replacement of your vehicle. We won’t charge you because the law says Honda must pay the legal fees if you’ve bought a lemon.
Complaint Data
| Category | Visibility/wiper |
| Date | Jan 27, 2023 |
| State | FL |
| Description | I purchased this 2021 honda ridgeline new. The windshield washers quit working about six months later. For the past 12 months I have been trying to get the replacement nozzles from no less than 8 different honda dealers. They are on national back order and after repeated orders, most recently with honda of asheville nc I contacted the honda customer support. Case # 13583397. Now after almost 30 days and at least 6 calls and e-mails to them I still have no idea if they will ever get these nozzles for me. As you can imagine with adverse weather conditions it is a major safety issue to have poor visibility out of the windshield. Please help!! These are specially designed low pressure nozzles so they are not available anywhere but honda. |
| Category | Exterior Lighting |
| Date | Jan 22, 2023 |
| State | WI |
| Description | The auto dimming feature on my ridgeline does not operate properly. Does not dim when on coming traffic approaches sometimes, and others do not stay on when it should. This has happened since I took possession of the vehicle and still happens today. |
| Category | Structure:body |
| Date | Jan 09, 2023 |
| State | CA |
| Description | Tailgate fell down while taking off from a red light, ground was flat and even. The vehicle also didn't trigger the light that the tailgate was open. |
| Category | Exterior Lighting |
| Date | Dec 21, 2022 |
| State | WI |
| Description | The auto-highbeam feature does not operate properly. The highbeams are frequently engaged when an oncoming car is no more than 300 feet away. This irritates the oncoming motorist and creates a dangerous situation causing risk of a crash. The auto-highbeams also have a tendency to switch to low beam at inopportune times because the glare from roadside signs is recognized as an oncoming motorist. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train |
| Date | Dec 20, 2022 |
| State | MN |
| Description | When driving at 70mph for a couple of hours and exiting the freeway, the truck will go into limp mode and won't accelerate. This only happens when it's very cold, less than 10 degrees fahrenheit both times it happened to me. The engine service light will start to flash. You need to park and restart in order to clear the issue. The last time it happened, I needed to merge onto a busy freeway with very little room to pull over. It was quite dangerous for my family and I. I spoke with burnsville honda in mn when I was there for service this summer and honda is aware, but there is currently no known fix. It sounds like it's affecting multiple models of newer honda vehicles with the v6 engine. |
| Category | Electrical System, Engine |
| Date | Dec 13, 2022 |
| State | NH |
| Description | The auto start/stop function fails to restart the truck after stopping. I has in the middle of an intersection waiting to turn left. The auto stop turned off the engine. When I let go of the brake the truck failed to restart. I was stuck in the middle of the intersection when other cars were trying to get around me because the traffic lights changed. I couldn't restart the truck at first. Had to put it in park; push the brake down; hit the start button and then the truck finally started. Then had to put it back in drive. But I was still in danger of getting hit, because it wasn't my turn to go due to the traffic lights. I'm still under the bumper to bumper warranty and I take the truck to dealership tomorrow. The dashboard reads, “auto engine idle stop system problem†|
| Category | Exterior Lighting |
| Date | Nov 30, 2022 |
| State | MD |
| Description | The 'automatic high beam/low beam' function is totally worthless. Any reflective sign along the road turns the high beams off. The system on my earlier 2017 honda ridgeline worked almost 100%. This 2021 system basically doesn't work. In addition you must reach 45 mph before it activates. On many of the back roads that I travel on, the speed limit is less than 45 mph. I have heard that honda changed the system on the 2021 model. Bring back the older system (my 2017), or don't feature it all. It's non-functional and honda should not be allowed to advertise it! |
| Category | Exterior Lighting |
| Date | Nov 24, 2022 |
| State | KS |
| Description | 1) the automatic high beam functionality, and it is available for inspection 2) safety of others is out at risk, as the automatic high beams will turn on even if an incoming car is detected, and in most cases will flash off and on automatically with oncoming traffic, resulting in the oncoming driver being blinded and unable to operate their vehicle safely. 3) it's been inspected by the dealer, who determined this is proper functionality despite the safety concern. 4) no warning lamps or messages whatsoever. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Nov 21, 2022 |
| State | OH |
| Description | Auto engine idle shut off engages when the vehicle comes to a stop. Upon releasing my foot from the brake pedal, the truck shifts into park as the engine restarts. This happens about 75% of the time when engaged. If I turn this feature off, I experience no issue. This is a government mandated feature that appears to be a problem. I need support in making sure that honda takes responsibility for this issue. |
| Category | Exterior Lighting |
| Date | Oct 19, 2022 |
| State | FL |
| Description | Automatic high beam lights system is terribly dangerous! Not even close to working as advertised. They do not drop to low beam with virtually all oncoming traffic. They are constantly tricked and flicker when looking at reflective signage. They create confusion and very dangerous distraction. This is a well known design flaw with these late model ridgelines and the dealers can't do anything to correct. Please convince honda motors to correct this dangerous situation soon. |
| Category | Exterior Lighting |
| Date | Jun 17, 2022 |
| State | PA |
| Description | Vehicle is equipped with automatic high-beam headlights. The feature has not worked properly since I bought the truck new in april 2021. Hi-beam lights will activate for a few seconds and then turn off for about 10 seconds and continually repeat the sequence regardless of road specifics. A few times, the headlights have flashed oncoming vehicles less than 100 feet away. I have taken the vehicle in for repair three times to two different dealers and contacted honda customer assistance for advice. The dealers have the same response after each repair: we have no guidance from honda how to fix and cannot do anything. Honda customer service has no provided any solutions so I am forced to disable the feature to avoid the issue of flashing oncoming vehicles. I have also posted you tube videos of the behavior hoping that it would help the service folks. They acknowledge the behavior but cannot fix: https://youtu. Be/zmv23fx4r20 https://youtu. Be/kp623lkkaxs https://youtu. Be/w3tfnh1mney https://youtu. Be/jygzx13jjx4 https://youtu. Be/8sflczwpwec |
| Category | Engine, Power Train |
| Date | Jun 08, 2022 |
| State | IL |
| Description | I will be filing a issue with our 21 honda pilot too as the same problem has occurred in both vehicles with the same engine and transmission. This has happened a total of 3 different times. When I drive the ridgeline for a long time (over 4 hours)on the expressway and then pull off on a ramp and turn left the vehicle will go into safe mode. The engine light will start flashing and you can not drive over 30 mph. The engine runs rough and idles hard. I have contacted honda and the dealership I purchased it from. Honda has acknowledged this is a problem and has occurred multiples with many different vehicles. The dealership I work with has acknowledged the same thing as they have several vehicles that have been brought in with this problem. I have waited several months for honda to come up with a solution, so far they have not. This is a safety concern because what would happen if this same situation came up when I'm pulling my trailer or on the expressway at higher speeds. This could cause an accident. This first started on my ridgeline in november of 2021. It has happened several times since then. Every time there is no code the computer keeps, even though each time the engine light is flashing. What I have been told is the computer thinks the engine has backfired and goes into safe mode, but honda doesn't know why it does this. If you turn the vehicle off and restart it, the problem goes away. When the dealership has run a diagnosis off the computer, there are no codes the computer throws. Even though the check engine light is flashing when this occurs. |
| Category | Exterior Lighting, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | May 18, 2022 |
| State | MN |
| Description | The auto-dimming headlights on my 2021 honda ridgeline do not work properly. They don't engage high beams when they are supposed to, and when they do come on the flash on and immediately turn off. It has gone off and on on dark roads and is very distracting and dangerous. Sometimes they flash other drivers causing angry responses from other drivers. I brought my vehicle in to the honda dealership and they told me it is working properly. This is not true, because I previously owned a 2019 honda ridgeline and the auto-dimming headlights worked perfectly. My wife also owns a honda crv that has the feature and it also works correctly. I feel this problem should be addressed before someone gets injured due to distraction from the lightning going of and on and possible road rage from other drivers thinking your flashing them. This problem has been ongoing since I purchased my new vehicle. I also found many others complaining on honda ridgeline facebook groups. So it's not an isolated incident. |
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings |
| Date | May 18, 2022 |
| State | WI |
| Description | Automatic emergency braking has engaged on a two way highway curve a couple times until I disabled it for the remainder of the trip. The “brake†forward collision warning screen and alarm sounds frequently on 4-lane 2-way 30 mph road with a slight curve which it mistakes car in adjacent oncoming lane as a car it may collide with, I was able to eliminate it from applying brakes be adjusting sensitivity to low but the warning still pops up. Additionally, the automatic brights feature is inadequate resulting in flashing/blinding oncoming drivers, I have resulted in turning the feature off which process is more complicated than it should be. |
| Category | Structure:body |
| Date | May 12, 2022 |
| State | TX |
| Description | On the new honda ridgeline hpd there are small front fender flairs. At the bottom they are fastened with screws but at the top they are fastened with 3m tape. My vehicle has 2k miles so I decided to take it on the interstate. Going about 75 mph the wind resistance the tape gave away and the flair flipped right back into the tire. I thought my tire had blown as there was pulling and a loud noise. If I had overcorrected there could have been a tragic accident. I was able to get the vehicle to the side of the road and saw the issue as the fender flair was all chewed up from the tire. And for what? Using tape instead of a secure system. Going at that rate of speed and assuming your tire just blew is an accident waiting to happen and this could be easily prevented. |
| Category | Electrical System, Structure:body, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | May 11, 2022 |
| State | MO |
| Description | Water is leaking apparently trough the bed underneath the carpet below the backseat area, and this could lead to corrosion of the wires below the carpet. Or something worst. |
| Category | Electrical System, Unknown Or Other, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Apr 29, 2022 |
| State | FL |
| Description | First incident happened 3/10/2022. Went to start my 2021 ridgeline (12k miles) in the morning, started traveling down my driveway when all warning lights flashed. Truck went into limp mode rendering it unable to drive. Towed it to honda dealership where I was told a rodent chewed threw my harness wires. Honda repaired it and I went on my way. Second incident happened 4/27/22. I am traveling down i95 going 70mph for about an hour. I exit onto sr 200 and immediately my truck goes into limp mode with the exact same problems that occurred on 3/10/22. I am in rush hour traffic with no warning that my truck was about to go into limp mode. I towed it to my honda dealership again. They said my harness wires are fine and have no idea what is wrong with my truck. This is a very dangerous safety hazard as my truck without warning will go into limp mode while driving. |
| Category | Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | Apr 18, 2022 |
| State | OH |
| Description | After traveling on a 3 1/2 hour trip and on 2 hour trip both times after taking a curve called dead mans curve engine light started blinking and truck would not accelerate had to pull over on busy freeway and turn off went to honda both times and they could not get a code 1/16/22 @1000 miles on truck. 3/27/22 @2500 miles on truck |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Apr 04, 2022 |
| State | MN |
| Description | After approximately 2 unbroken hours of driving north on I-35 from minneapolis on january 24th, 2022, I exited the freeway at exit 214 near moose lake. I came to a stop at the top of the ramp (stop sign) to allow cross traffic to clear and then proceeded to accelerate while turning left to cross the bridge over the freeway. About halfway through the turn, a blinking check-engine light came on. The engine also began running noticeably rougher and would not accelerate beyond 30-40 mph. I proceeded to drive about a 1/4 mile in this state to the nearest parking lot - a mcdonalds just beyond the bridge. Once parked, I turned the car off and looked up check-engine codes in the owner's manual. The manual indicated that a cylinder misfire was detected and that I should seek dealer service. Frustrated (the nearest honda dealer was likely in duluth, an hour away), I tried starting the car and was surprised to find that it started normally without any check-engine light. After some lunch, I got back on the freeway and proceeded to drive another several hours without incident to my final destination near virginia, mn. I quickly chalked it up to the unusually cold weather that morning, even for mn in january, and, since the issue has never repeated itself, I did not consult a dealer. However, I've recently read of many other ridgeline owners experiencing very similar issues and thought it would be best for me to contribute my account. Under the right conditions, I believe this could be a very serious safety concern that deserves rigorous attention by honda's engineers. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train |
| Date | Mar 23, 2022 |
| State | WI |
| Description | After driving for long distance (over 200 miles) in cold weather at highway speeds, and then making a slow right-hand turn, the check engine light came on and vehicle went into 'limp' mode. This happened twice, 2 weeks apart. Vehicle has less than 8,000 miles on it. |
| Category | Engine, Fuel/propulsion System |
| Date | Mar 10, 2022 |
| State | SC |
| Description | Upon exiting or entering the highway, the truck loses power and will not accelerate. This happens after multiple hours of highway driving and seems to only happen when the temperature is near or below freezing. The check engine light (cel) comes on and is flashing. This has happened to me four times. Three of which were exiting one highway to merge onto another and there was ample room to slow down and pull over. One time was merging onto a highway from a rest stop with a great deal of traffic and I was fortunate the shoulder was available to avoid being collided with. The first time was on 11/6/2021 (2200miles), second and third was on 12/19/2021 (5600miles) and last time was 3/9/2022 (10100miles). All occurrences the gas tank had ample gas. Shutting the truck off and turning it back on clears the cel and no error codes are stored (according to the dealer). This problem has been reported multiple times and yet there has been no response from honda. Also, even though the error codes are not present after the vehicle is turned off and back on, I was able to capture three error codes prior to turning the vehicle off p0302, p0303, p0300. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Mar 09, 2022 |
| State | IN |
| Description | The contact owns a 2021 honda ridgeline. The contact stated that upon either exiting or merging onto a highway at various speeds, the vehicle would independently go into limp mode with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact had filed a complaint with the manufacturer through the website; however, the contact had not received a response from the manufacturer. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer where the mechanic was informed by the manufacturer to check the engine valves however, the dealer had not been able to diagnose the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 1,800. |
| Category | Engine, Fuel/propulsion System, Power Train |
| Date | Mar 04, 2022 |
| State | MN |
| Description | Vehicle went into "limp mode" after exiting a freeway. When attempting to merge into roadway, vehicle flashed cel for engine. Vehicle shut down 3 cylinders giving very little power to merge into traffic. Unable to get vehicle over 30 mph on a busy road. Honda dealer said no codes were stored and haven't heard of the complaint previously. Vehicle had no issues previously. 6,000 miles on a new vehicle. |
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking, Service Brakes |
| Date | Mar 03, 2022 |
| State | PA |
| Description | On 2/23/2022, I was driving my ridgeline on local roads with 40 mph speed limits. On 2 separate occasions, the "brake" flashed on the dashboard for no reason. There were no obstructions ahead. The warning appeared for a second or two and then disappeared. I felt no braking of the vehicle. I have previously reported this incident by email, and has been assigned #491499 2021 honda ridgeline-brake warning on dashboard. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Mar 01, 2022 |
| State | SC |
| Description | The automatic high beam assist does not function properly. The high beams go on and off constantly. They pick up their own reflections even on dark roads with no on coming traffic. They will stay on when other cars are approaching. They come on when in traffic. They flash on and off at cars approaching. I have requested two dealerships to look into this and they did not even put it in the work order to check the issue. I have complained to honda customer service with no satisfaction. I am afraid the lights will affect on coming cars or aggravate cars in front of me. The system is absolutely useless and should not be offered as a safety option. |
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Feb 24, 2022 |
| State | FL |
| Description | This is a general issue that you can find in the forums of the honda pilot/ridgeline/passport. Is affecting all of them. Very easy to replicate. When using adaptive cruise control and the person in front of you changes lanes. If that person that moved to another lane slows down your vehicle will slow down too, thinking that the car is still in front of you. This is a huge security risk that can cause a rear-end collision if the person behind you is distracted. |
| Category | Engine |
| Date | Feb 14, 2022 |
| State | IL |
| Description | On 1/21/22,after driving an hour at 75mph exited onto off street. While driving through traffic truck began to "sputter" and wouldn't accelerate. I then noticed flashing engine light. After driving about 5 minutes through traffic because I had no place to go, I parked and shut it off. Turned back on no light and no issue. Since I needed to drive home later that night I brought to a dealership for diagnostics. Like everyone else in the honda forum, no codes or errors. 2675 miles on the truck, about 1/2 tank of gas. Temp around 20 deg. On 2/12/22, drove 160 miles, 70-75mph, temp 10 degrees, gas tank 3/4 full. Didn't stop that entire time. Got off on an exit and continued to drive between 30-45 mph for about 4 miles without coming to a full stop. Finally I reached a stop sign. Cross traffic did not have to stop. After stopping (engine idle was on but don't think engaged) and no oncoming traffic, I turned left. Immediately as I pressed the gas pedal, truck started to sputter and engine light started flashing. Luckily no traffic coming up from behind and I had room to pull over and stop. However, since this is the second time this has happened, I had my wife video the dashboard. Yep got it all on video. This has to be fixed. Can't imagine if that were my kids driving and traffic was barreling up on them. Imagine a semi coming up at 60mph and no power or place to move out of the way. After stopping and turning off the truck, the issue went away. Coming home the same day, there were no issues. Closet honda dealer is an hour away so I can't drop off conveniently. 2021 honda rtle, 3500 miles |
| Category | Engine, Fuel/propulsion System, Power Train |
| Date | Jan 31, 2022 |
| State | IL |
| Description | This is an unsafe vehicle to drive and can cause injury or death. I along with many others have been having problems with the cel flashing and engine running properly. The dealers can't find a cause because the code deletes itself and the problem temporary goes away when you shut the engine off and is not saved in the computer. It has been a complete waste of time going to the dealer only to find no codes stored. I am not alone in this, as many others are starting to have this exact same problem during the exact same driving conditions. See the forum below: https://www. Ridgelineownersclub. Com/threads/2021-check-engine-light-flashing. 229929/#post-3220773 here is the first time it happened. (this has happened 3 times already) (dec 7, 2021) hello all, I have a 2021 rtl-e. After driving on highway for an hour and a half at 80mph, I exited the highway and as soon as I pulled onto a secondary road the check engine light started flashing and the engine was hesitating with little to no power and poor shifting. I limped it to safe place to pull over (aprox 3 miles) and shut the truck off. I checked under the hood and didn't see anything and after approximately two minutes I restarted the truck and the light was gone and it drove fine after that. (it was 15°f with 10,250 miles at the time and not towing or hauling anything) I drove it the next day 4 hours on highway without any issues. Has anybody else experienced this issue on the 2021's? There's not enough room to type the other times this problem occurred!!! This is an unsafe vehicle to drive and can cause injury or death. The 2021 honda ridgeline is no longer the dependable vehicle that I was hoping to have when I purchased it new in june of 2021. I live in a rural area and do not have a dealer that is close by which is why I bought a honda in the first place because it was supposed to be a dependable vehicle. This needs to get resolved and I would appreciate any help on how to resolve this. |
| Category | Wheels |
| Date | Jan 23, 2022 |
| State | MA |
| Description | Oem front left and right fender flares detaching from fender on highway speeds. If I didn't notice this, it would of broke off and hit a pedestrian or another vehicle cuasing an accident. I will be bringing this in for the 3rd time to fix the same problem. I really believe it's an engineering defect. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jan 02, 2022 |
| State | MN |
| Description | Drove the pickup 3 hours in 10 degree weather at 60-70 mph. Exited the freeway, stopped at light, went through the intersection and truck began to bog down. Engine light started flashing and truck wouldn't go over 35 mph. Pulled off road, shut down the engine for 5 minutes, started truck up and drove like normal the 3 miles home. Could have been dangerous at the intersection as the truck wouldn't accelerate as normal and I had very little power to the wheels. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Dec 16, 2021 |
| State | NY |
| Description | General complaint - the infotainment system is terribly designed and requires way too much interaction from the driver to function properly. I just traded in my 2015 f150 for a 2021 honda ridgeline. Everytime I choose to not connect my iphone to the system through a usb to apple lightning cable, the system displays a warning that there is no device connected and will not show any other information until several specific buttons are pushed. Other scenarios where too many buttons needed to change settings. Too much interaction for a driver to do while safely operating the vehicle. I would replace the head unit but too many settings for the vehicle would be lost. Honda failed miserably in the radio design. Technology should help drivers, not hinder. |
| Category | Power Train |
| Date | Oct 24, 2021 |
| State | CO |
| Description | On this model of vehicle, if the vehicle dies and cannot be restarted, as an example if you are on a busy highway or intersection, there is no way to get the vehicle in neutral so it can safely be moved without having a special tool, honda part #07aaa-tz3a100. This tool is currently not available to purchase from any honda dealer. This tool has to be used with the front hood open and reaching down and turning a bolt & manually locking the transmission in neutral. The location of this bolt outside the truck & under the hood is also a hazard for the vehicle rolling and not being able to easily disengage it from neutral by having to get back out of the truck again and get under the hood. It is also a hazard to have to get out of the vehicle, on a highway or busy intersection or other hazardous area. In prior models of this vehicle, there was a method to manually put the vehicle in neutral while seated in the drivers seat, minimizing the risk of injury by having to get out of the truck and pop the hood. This is a very hazardous design flaw that should be remedied by honda immediately. Honda should provide remedy to all vehicle owners and provide the method for manually putting the vehicle in neutral back inside the vehicle as it was in prior models as it is a safety hazard as it is designed now with the manual release under the front hood. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Oct 23, 2021 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | My ridgeline have a wireless charger that fails charging and and makes the phone hot after trying to charge the phone and fails, my honda dealer replaced the unit but the problem persist, I did find that is not only my vehicle but a lot more and honda is aware of the situation, my concern is that this charger can make my phone explode with huge consequences, I don't feel save with this device that can make my truck caught on fire. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Oct 13, 2021 |
| State | NJ |
| Description | Never works since bought on may 30, 2021, wireless charger getting connected and disconnected every 15 seconds, makes the phone hot and not charging. Can be check it at any time. The dealer replaced the wireless charger already and still with the same problem, phones tested: iphone pro max, samsung s21 ultra, google pixel. The dealer can't find a solution, it is thousands of people with not only ridgeline 2021 but pilots, accord, civic and odyssey. They know the problem but still selling the vehicles like that. |
| Category | Structure:body |
| Date | Sep 08, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | While trying to feel for the composite bed release button underneath the tailgate with the tailgate closed, the sharp composite bed of the truck lid sliced my finger open. The manufacture should have at least chamfered the edge of the trunk lid or installed a guard or trim piece that would prevent contact with the razor-sharp fiberglass-reinforced plastic material. |
| Category | Exterior Lighting |
| Date | Aug 04, 2021 |
| State | TN |
| Description | - auto-high beam is too sensitive. It switches high beams off with reflections off of road signs and then turns back on. - cannot count on advertised functionality. Can switch off when needed based on its extreme sensitivity. Can cause road rage from constantly changing from high - low - high. - not yet confirmed with dealer or others. However multiple internet comments on this issue. - believed issue is not from failure but from a design or setting defect. |
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking |
| Date | Jun 24, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | Vehicle veering constantly while lane keeping assistance is engaged causing persistent swerving and inviding adjacent lanes as well as requiring additional distraction while system is engaged. Adaptive cruise control erratically and some times violently applies brakes, causing the following vehicles to constantly apply their brakes to avoid rear collision with the ridgeline. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train |
| Date | Jun 16, 2021 |
| State | MA |
| Description | When vehicle is in drive, stopped on a steep hill, and allowed to slip backward the software puts the transmission in neutral and shuts of the engine off. This leaves the vehicle coasting backwards with very little steering or brakes. This happened to me and I coasted backward across a street. If a car had been coming it would have hit me sideways. I can reproduce this in drive forward or in reverse, and I reproduced this in a second 2021 ridge line truck. There is no warning or message. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train |
| Date | Jun 16, 2021 |
| State | MA |
| Description | When the vehicle is in drive, stopped on a steep hill, and allowed to slip backward the software puts the transmission in neutral and shuts of the engine off. This leaves the vehicle coasting backwards with very little steering or brakes. This happened to me and I coasted backward across a street before I could get it stopped. If a car had been coming it would have hit me sideways. I can reproduce this in drive forward or in reverse, and I reproduced this in a second 2021 ridge line truck. There is no warning or message. |
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Dynamic Brake Support/brake Assist, Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings |
| Date | May 25, 2021 |
| State | GA |
| Description | I have a 2021 honda ridgeline sport equipped with cmbs an automatic braking system that is supposed to be a safety feature, but actually makes the car more dangerous. The problem with the ridgeline sport collision mitigation braking system is that it attempts to mitigate crashes when the system thinks an obstacle is ahead, but it is a false warning, and there are no actual obstacles. It appears there is a software or sensor defect in the honda sensing technology causing the vehicle to issue warnings and alerts to the driver and the potential to automatically hit the brakes without warning when there are no obstacles in front of the vehicle and it has not deviated from its lane. Service advisor/mechanic at dealership called it a computer glitch. Nothing they can do. Taking it back again to have it on record; dealership tried to fix vehicle. This vehicle is potentially dangerous with no way to correct concern at this time. Problem continues since march 2021. |
| Category | Exterior Lighting |
| Date | May 03, 2021 |
| State | MD |
| Description | Automatic high-beam system on 2021 models functions erratically, sometimes coming on when cars are approaching. Also turns on and off constantly from reflections on road signs and even mile markers |
| Category | Exterior Lighting |
| Date | Apr 08, 2021 |
| State | TX |
| Description | While driving at night even with no traffic ahead, the automatic high beams rarely turn on. When they do, they turn off almost immediately due to reflections from road signs and even small road markers. Occasionally, they'll fail to dim in a timely fashion or will flash causing other drivers to think I'm doing this on purpose. Other owners of 2020 and 2021 honda ridgelines are reporting the same useless and unsafe operation. I owned 2017 and 2019 honda ridgelines with automatic high beams and the feature worked reasonably well. From 2017-2019, honda used a dedicated camera for the automatic high beam function. For the 2020 model year, honda eliminated this camera and merged the automatic high beam functionality into the "multi-purpose camera unit" that is also used for other functions such as the lane keeping assist system feature of honda sensing. In short, the new automatic high beam system is not only useless, but offensive to other drivers. I'm afraid the flashing will induce road rage or gain unwanted attention from law enforcement officers. For now, I have disabled the automatic high beam system. The 2021 ridgeline's headlights are already a step backwards according to iihs testing (and my own observations) and I feel like the "high beam assist' credit they apply should be removed since this feature is next to useless since the 2020 model year. |
| Category | Electrical System |
| Date | Apr 05, 2021 |
| State | AZ |
| Description | Having an issue with my brand new 2021 ridgeline. Audio when I'm hooked up with android auto or with bluetooth does this weird volume adjustment thing when standing still. I've reset everything done all the troubleshooting, even took it to dealer who said oh it's normal to have a [xxx] sounding stereo in your new k truck... Oddly enough my brother new 2021 crv with the same basic stereo does not do this. Nor does my wife's rav4 2020 when we use android auto,,,, parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6). |
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About the Author:
Brian Jones spent more than 20 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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