2023 Honda Ridgeline Problems: 9 Known Issues

On the 2020-2023 Honda Ridgeline, the nuts that hold the brake master cylinder to the brake booster may be loose or missing from the factory. When the brake pedal is applied, the booster tie rod studs can break and the master cylinder can separate from the booster, reducing or removing brake function and increasing the risk of a crash. Applies to: Certain 2020-2023 Honda Ridgeline trucks built from October 8, 2020 to March 21, 2023 (NHTSA recall 23V458). The same recall covers some 2020-2021 Civic, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot and 2020 Acura MDX. Honda estimates about 1% of the 124,077 recalled vehicles have the defect; only a Honda dealer can confirm by VIN whether a truck is included.

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 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 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 2020-2023 Honda Ridgeline J35Y6, after the truck stops and Auto Idle Stop shuts the engine off, the engine may not restart on its own. Honda says the driver can typically restart it immediately by selecting Park and pressing the ENGINE START/STOP button. Honda attributes it to excessive cylinder pressure and/or low cranking torque, and says idle stop was allowed to engage while battery health is low. Applies to: 2020-2023 Honda Ridgeline with the 9-speed automatic and Idle Stop (Honda bulletin 23-008 for the software update; warranty-extension bulletins 23-009 for 2020-2021 Ridgeline and 23-010 for 2021-2023 Ridgeline). NHTSA Engineering Analysis EA25-004, opened March 26, 2025 and still open, covers 2020-2025 Ridgeline along with Pilot, Passport, Odyssey, MDX and TLX models; it has not produced a recall. Only a Honda dealer can confirm by VIN whether a truck is eligible.

On the 2020-2024 Honda Ridgeline, in low temperatures where road salt is present, the wiring in the rear-view camera tailgate harness may fatigue and break as the tailgate is repeatedly opened and closed. Broken wiring can stop the rear-view camera image from displaying, which may affect the driver's view and increase the risk of a back-up collision or injury. Applies to: Certain 2020-2024 Honda Ridgeline trucks built from November 8, 2019 to April 24, 2024 (NHTSA recall 24V321, Honda recall YI7); Honda counts 187,290 trucks potentially involved and estimates 3% have the defect. Honda says the tailgate lock/unlock function and/or the alarm system may malfunction as a warning. Only a Honda dealer can confirm by VIN whether a truck is included.

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.

On the 2020-2026 Honda Ridgeline J35Y6, owners report the 9-speed automatic hesitating, shifting at random and decelerating abruptly when they lift off the accelerator, most noticeably when coasting on downhill roads, and hunting or lugging at about 1,700-2,000 rpm on inclines. Applies to: 2020-2026 Ridgeline with the J35Y6 V6 and the ZF 9HP-based 9-speed automatic (the 2017-2019 trucks use a 6-speed). Owner reports come from a 2021 RTL owner and a 9-speed gear-hunting thread on the Ridgeline Owners Club; forum replies attribute part of the behavior to the transmission's dog clutches and to Econ mode. No Honda bulletin for this condition on the Ridgeline appears in NHTSA's bulletin listings.