The Most Common Honda Ridgeline Problems (According To Owners)

The Honda Ridgeline and its car-based unibody platform may not have the genuine workhorse capabilities of a body-on-frame pickup truck, but it doesn't make it a bad vehicle. Some outlets consider it a sensible choice for a midsize truck despite its aging platform, which launched way back in 2017. It's not unjustified, either, since the Honda Ridgeline is better in some ways than other trucks from Ford, Chevy, or General Motors.

In addition, the Ridgeline proudly wears the Honda badge, a brand known for high-quality engineering and industry-proven reliability. Honda currently ranks fourth in a list of the most dependable car brands in a recent study by Consumer Reports, just a few steps behind Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru. Despite this, the Ridgeline had its fair share of issues, problems, and complaints, but a majority involved the first-generation model, a common occurrence for new models and first-gen cars.

We're talking about the 2006 Ridgeline, a car that CarComplaints considers the worst model year for Honda's pickup truck. The issues include engine problems, faulty interior accessories, and bad paint. "The engine and VTM4 light came on; it was running a little rough, so I took it in for service. Days later, they tell me I need a new engine," said one owner. "Blowing smoke on start up, flashing check engine light, and solid VTM light. Took my Ridgeline to the dealer, and they came back with a cracked ring on cylinder number 4," added another.

The first-generation Ridgeline was on sale for a decade with zero significant upgrades, which speaks highly of Honda's confidence in its product. It may not be perfect, but the 2006 Ridgeline made it to our list of the most reliable Honda vehicles ever made, problems and all. Honda debuted the second-generation Ridgeline for the 2017 model year after a one-year pause. It rode on an extensively overhauled global light truck platform derived from the Honda Pilot SUV.

Unfortunately, the 2017 Ridgeline has the most problems & complaints of the all-new second-gen model, with most issues pointing to electrical problems, fuel system mishaps, and brake faults. "Emission problem, hill start assist problem, trailer stability problem, and power steering problem warning lights all came on at the same time at about 26,000 miles," said one owner, adding that "The dealer said the warning lights were due to an electrical fault and fixed it at no charge."

The 2019 Honda Ridgeline is also a troubled example, with the NHTSA recording no fewer than 10 recalls concerning the powertrain, fuel system, and electrical system. Honda also issued recalls for the 2017 to 2020 Ridgeline and the 2020 to 2024 models to fix defective fuel pumps and potentially broken wiring in the tailgate harness.