2018 Honda Ridgeline Problems: 9 Known Issues

On the 2017-2023 Honda Ridgeline, rear subframes made with improper coating specifications may lose paint near the arm bracket weld area, and where de-icing salt is heavily used the exposed metal can corrode prematurely at the rear subframe suspension mounting points. As the metal thins, the mounting points for the rear control arm or lower arm can fracture, letting the rear wheel become misaligned or inadequately retained, which could affect handling, stability and braking and increase the risk of a crash or injury. Applies to: Certain 2017-2023 Honda Ridgeline trucks built from April 5, 2016 to January 10, 2023 and sold in the salt-belt states Honda lists: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington D.C. and Wisconsin (NHTSA recall 26V365, Honda recalls AOU and AOT; 110,070 Ridgelines potentially involved). A 2023 Ridgeline is included only if it was built by January 10, 2023. Honda says it has no reports of the problem on US vehicles sold outside the salt belt. Only a Honda dealer can confirm by VIN whether a truck is included.

On the 2006-2020 Honda Ridgeline, the Ridgeline's front lower ball joint is pressed into the lower control arm and is not serviceable separately, so normal wear condemns the whole arm. Owners club threads on 1G trucks describe a clunk or knock from the front end over expansion joints and driveway lips, often misdiagnosed as struts. Because the truck carries a heavier front end than the Pilot it shares suspension architecture with, the lower arms, the rear compliance bushings in those arms, and the sway bar end links all wear early - and multiple owners report chasing the clunk through struts and end links before the ball joint or a loose subframe/arm fastener turned out to be the source.

On the 2017-2020 Honda Ridgeline, nHTSA recall 23V-858 affects 2.5+ million Honda and Acura vehicles including 2017-2020 Ridgelines. The Denso-branded fuel pump impeller was improperly molded with low-density material that deforms over time and interferes with the fuel pump body. Pump becomes inoperative, causing difficulty starting, engine stalling while driving (safety hazard), or complete no-start. This is an expansion of earlier recalls 20V-314 and 21V-215. Remedy parts were delayed causing extended wait times until Fall 2024.

On the 2017-2023 Honda Ridgeline, owners report water dripping from the headliner around the overhead console onto the cup-holder area, or dripping in at the moonroof, after rain. Where the water gets in varies: in one report the owner suspected the windshield, and in another the leak continued after the dealer replaced the moonroof unit. Applies to: Second-generation Ridgeline with a moonroof (2017-2023 on this page). Owner reports come from a 2022 Ridgeline with under 5,000 miles and a 2020 Ridgeline RTL on the Ridgeline Owners Club, plus a drain-cleaning thread that does not state the model year. No Honda bulletin for this condition on the Ridgeline was found.

On the 2006-2022 Honda Ridgeline, the Ridgeline's signature dual-action tailgate uses two separate latch mechanisms linked by internal rods (2020 and later trucks also power-lock the tailgate with the doors), and the swing-open function fails far more often than the fold-down one. The usual failure is in the latch linkage: the internal latch and sensing rods bind, wear or corrode so the side latch never fully disengages, and on early 2017 trucks Honda traced the swing-open failure to the left upper latch sensing rod (bulletin 16-077). Owners of both YK1 and 2G trucks report the tailgate folding down normally while refusing to swing, which also blocks access to the in-bed trunk. Salt-belt trucks add latch corrosion on top.

On the 2017-2024 Honda Ridgeline, owners report cracks that start at the bottom edge of the windshield and run across the glass with no stone chip found, in one case after freezing weather. Applies to: Second-generation Ridgeline (2017-2024 on this page). Owner reports come from a 2017 Ridgeline and a 2018 Ridgeline Sport on the Ridgeline Owners Club. No cause has been established for these trucks, and no Honda bulletin for this condition was found.

On the 2017-2023 Honda Ridgeline, owners report the Collision Mitigation Braking System flashing BRAKE warnings when nothing is in the truck's path, most often on curves with oncoming traffic, when passing a car slowing into a turn lane, or when turning left across traffic. Some owners report the system also applied the brakes in these situations. Applies to: Second-generation Ridgeline (2017-2023 on this page) with Honda Sensing. Owner reports come from a 2021 RTL owner and from a 2017 Collision Mitigation Braking System thread on the Ridgeline Owners Club; a third thread describes the same left-turn and winding-road false alarms. No NHTSA investigation or Honda bulletin naming the Ridgeline for this condition was found; NHTSA PE22-003 covered only the CR-V and Accord.

On the 2017-2019 Honda Ridgeline J35Y6, second-generation Ridgelines with the 6-speed automatic (2017-2019, and the same 6AT family used in the Pilot and Odyssey) develop a shudder or judder that feels like driving over rumble strips during light-throttle cruise, typically 20-60 MPH when the torque converter clutch is slipping in its controlled-lockup mode. Honda's own TSBs 17-025 and 17-026, written for the 2017 Ridgeline, attribute it to ATF that degrades faster than expected because of intermittent high heat loads on the converter clutch. Owners report the judder returning after the first software-only attempt, which is why Honda issued the second bulletin covering vehicles that still judder after the update.

On the 2017-2023 Honda Ridgeline, owners report the Display Audio touchscreen freezing, rebooting on its own while driving, or going black or very faint. When the screen fails, owners report losing audio, navigation, the backup camera image and the wireless charger until it comes back. Applies to: Second-generation Ridgeline with the Display Audio touchscreen (2017-2023 on this page; the 2024 model year changed to a 9-inch touchscreen). Owner reports come from a 2021 Black Edition, a 2020 RTL-E and 2022 RTL-E owners on the Ridgeline Owners Club. No Honda bulletin for this condition on the 2021-2023 Ridgeline appears in NHTSA's bulletin listings. Mileage when it happened, as stated in the linked owner reports: 10,400 miles on a 2022.