2013 Honda Ridgeline Problems: 9 Known Issues

On the 2006-2014 Honda Ridgeline J35A9 3.5L V6, on first-generation (YK1) Ridgelines, road salt, mud and debris pack into the boxed rear frame rails around the fuel tank strap mounts and the forward rear-subframe mounting points. Because the area holds moisture and was inadequately protected from the factory, the metal corrodes from the inside out. In advanced cases the frame mounting surface for the fuel tank straps can corrode and separate from the frame, leaving the tank unsecured so it can be damaged from undercarriage impact and leak fuel - a fire risk. Honda recalled about 112,000 trucks (later expanded to about 133,000) sold or registered in 22 salt-belt states and DC (22V-430). Owners on the Ridgeline Owners Club recall thread report dealers finding perforation well beyond what the inspection procedure anticipated, and the repair procedure itself (cutting, welding reinforcement plates, cleaning and waxing the rails) is extremely labor-intensive.

On the 2006-2014 Honda Ridgeline, the Ridgeline's unique in-bed trunk has drainage holes and weep holes designed to channel water out. These drainage holes frequently clog with leaves, pine straw, tree debris, pollen, and mildew. When clogged, rainwater and vehicle washing accumulate inside the trunk, causing rust, odor, and rendering storage unusable. The trunk gutter channel and lower perimeter drain holes require periodic cleaning. Some cases involve improper latch alignment or twisted weatherstripping seals.

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 2006-2014 Honda Ridgeline, the radiator internal cooler corrodes at seams and fittings, allowing coolant to mix with transmission fluid in a condition known as "SMOD" (Strawberry Milkshake Of Death). This coolant contamination destroys all clutch packs and friction materials in the 5-speed transmission. 2006-2008 models see highest failure rates, particularly in rust-belt states past 80,000-120,000 miles. Unlike manufacturer recalls, Honda did not formally recall despite numerous failures.

On the 2006-2014 Honda Ridgeline, aWD Ridgelines experience noise and juddering from the rear differential, particularly when turning. The differential fluid breaks down prematurely due to contamination from clutch wear debris, condensation, or water intrusion. Water can enter through the breather tube vent in the rear subframe, especially after launching boats or driving through deep water. Low or contaminated differential fluid causes clutch noise and binding on turns.

On the 2006-2014 Honda Ridgeline J35A9 3.5L SOHC V6, the 2006-2014 Ridgeline's J35A9 uses a belt-driven cam system with a hydraulic (oil-filled) timing belt tensioner rather than a spring tensioner. The tensioner seal weeps, the damper loses its charge, and belt tension goes slack. Ridgeline Owners Club threads report technicians finding a large share of high-mileage tensioners leaking. A slack belt lets the belt jump a tooth on a cam sprocket - first showing up as a random misfire under load - and if it skips far enough or shears, the J35 is an interference design and bends valves. The water pump is driven off the same belt and is a common co-failure, so a leaking tensioner discovered late often means the whole front of the engine.

On the 2006-2014 Honda Ridgeline, every 2006-2014 Ridgeline is covered by the Takata ammonium-nitrate inflator recall campaigns. The propellant degrades with age and with cycles of heat and humidity; a degraded inflator can over-pressurize and burst its metal housing during deployment, firing shrapnel into the cabin. NHTSA and Honda have repeatedly warned that the oldest inflators carry the highest rupture risk; Ridgeline inflators are covered under Honda recalls including 15V-320 (2006), 16V-061, 16V-344, 17V-029, 19V-182, 19V-500 and 19V-501, and Honda has told owners of the worst-risk vehicles to drive them only to the dealer. Because these trucks are now on second and third owners, the completion rate on the oldest campaigns remains the problem: many are still unrepaired.

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 2006-2014 Honda Ridgeline J35A9 3.5L V6, first-generation Ridgelines whine loudly from the power steering pump on cold mornings, quieting as the engine warms. The cause is not usually the pump: the O-ring on the low-pressure supply hose at the pump contracts and hardens with age, letting the pump draw air past it and aerate the fluid. Honda bulletin 07-086 documents this same inlet O-ring cause on the 2003-2008 Accord V6, and Ridgeline owners apply the same fix. Ridgeline Owners Club members have repeatedly traced the whine to that single flattened O-ring, to a loose return-hose bolt, or to a clogged fine screen in the reservoir; separately, the high-pressure hose and the pump shaft seal are common age-related leak points on higher-mileage trucks.