Last updated: 2026-10-10
Honda Ridgeline Reliability by Year
Honda Ridgeline reliability is good for a midsize truck. Rear camera wiring and auto high beams draw the most owner complaints.
Honda Ridgeline Reliability Overview
Good overall and above average among trucks, this midsize pickup is a solid used buy, with 2024 the pick and 2019 the year to skip. The most serious complaints are engine failure from connecting rod bearings, which starts as a knock at startup, and a backup camera that goes black when the tailgate wiring frays. Transmission judder shows up most in 2019.
Current generation: 2nd gen (2017–2023), facelifted 2021.
Best & Worst Honda Ridgeline Years
Best Honda Ridgeline Years to Buy
Based on reliability index scoreRated excellent, 2024 has one recall and far fewer complaints per vehicle sold than 2019. It avoids that year's transmission judder and fuel pump repair delays. It is not flawless: the automatic high beams act erratically, and some trucks go fully dead after auto start/stop shuts the engine off. The 2025 and 2026 years look clean mostly because they are newer.
Honda Ridgeline Years to Avoid
Torque converter judder leads the complaints. The transmission shudders, slips, or bucks, often uphill, and code P0741 appears mostly between 40,000 and 60,000 miles. Fluid flushes help only for a while, and many owners find their VIN excluded from extended coverage. Fuel pump repairs were also delayed by missing parts. This year has the most recalls and complaints per vehicle sold.
Honda Ridgeline Reliability Score Trend
Honda Ridgeline reliability has improved in recent years, with newer models scoring an average of 82/100 compared to 70/100 for older years.
Scores 0–100. Higher is better.
| Year | Score | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 70/100 | Good |
| 2019 | 65/100 | Good |
| 2020 | 70/100 | Good |
| 2021 | 75/100 | Good |
| 2022 | 78/100 | Good |
| 2023 | 78/100 | Good |
| 2024 | 85/100 | Excellent |
| 2025 | 85/100 | Excellent |
| 2026 | 86/100 | Excellent |
Year-by-Year Reliability
2026 Honda Ridgeline
0 recalls · 2 complaints
Excellent standing and no recalls, but its two complaints so far both involve erratic automatic high beams, and the year is still young.
2025 Honda Ridgeline
1 recalls · 42 complaints
Excellent standing and a five-star crash rating, held back by erratic automatic high beams and idle stop restart failures.
2024 Honda Ridgeline
1 recalls · 41 complaints
Excellent standing with relatively few complaints, but erratic high beams, power loss at stops and a back over prevention recall that owners say lacks parts.
2023 Honda Ridgeline
3 recalls · 105 complaints
Final second-generation year with good standing and a 5-star crash rating, but owners report cold-weather power loss and a transmission-drops-to-neutral fault.
2022 Honda Ridgeline
2 recalls · 106 complaints
Mid-pack among Ridgeline years, with fewer recalls than 2021 and a steady stream of complaints about erratic automatic high beams and cold-weather limp mode.
2021 Honda Ridgeline
5 recalls · 90 complaints
Middle of the Ridgeline range, with fewer complaints than 2020 or 2022 but a cold-weather limp mode that hit some trucks before 8,000 miles.
2020 Honda Ridgeline
7 recalls · 158 complaints
Backup camera and idle stop faults lead the complaints, and recall parts delays leave some owners waiting, making this one of the weaker Ridgeline years.
2019 Honda Ridgeline
10 recalls · 222 complaints
The weakest scored Ridgeline year, with more complaints than 2018 or 2020, led by engine bearing failure and transmission judder.
2018 Honda Ridgeline
6 recalls · 153 complaints
Rated good, but among the weaker Ridgeline years, with backup camera wiring failures and some connecting rod bearing engine failures reported by owners.
Found Your Honda Ridgeline? Check Its History
Exterior lighting (2) problems come up most in Honda Ridgeline owner complaints, and 35 recalls cover the years we track. A VIN check shows whether the car you found had its recall work done, plus accident and title history.
- Accidents
- Open Recalls
- Title History
- Odometer Rollback
Honda Ridgeline Repair Costs
Reliability Rating
5/5
Honda Ridgeline Resale Value
The Honda Ridgeline is estimated to retain about 85.8% of its original value after 3 years, based on observed used-car listings.
- Value Retained
- 85.8%
- Depreciation
- 14.2%
- Listings Analyzed
- 50
after 3 years
over the same period
U.S. used-car listings
Listings observed in . This is a historical market benchmark, not a current price quote.
Explore Honda Ridgeline depreciation and resale value on CarResaleValue.comHonda Ridgeline Years to Avoid
See which model years have the most problems
Most Reliable Honda Models
Compare all Honda models by reliability
Compare Honda Ridgeline With Similar Trucks
The Honda Ridgeline competes with other midsize trucks such as Toyota Tacoma, Ford Ranger, and Chevrolet Colorado.
Ridgeline vs Toyota Tacoma
9 years tracked · 795 complaints
Ridgeline vs Ford Ranger
8 years tracked · 539 complaints
Ridgeline vs Chevrolet Colorado
9 years tracked · 695 complaints
Ridgeline vs Nissan Frontier
7 years tracked · 92 complaints
More Honda Ridgeline comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the best year for the Honda Ridgeline?
- The 2024 model year is the best pick among years that have been on the road at least two years. It is rated excellent, has one recall, and has far fewer complaints per vehicle sold than 2019 or 2020. The 2025 and 2026 years score well but are too new to judge.
- Is the Honda Ridgeline reliable long term?
- Yes, with one serious caveat. Reliability is good, and the truck ranks above average among trucks on this site. The long-term risk is engine failure from connecting rod bearings, which owners describe as a startup knock that grows worse until the engine loses power. Transmission judder is the other concern.
- What are the most common Honda Ridgeline problems?
- Electrical system complaints are the most common, led by a backup camera that goes black. Exterior lighting is next, mostly erratic automatic high beams. Engine failures and transmission problems come after that. They are fewer in number but more serious, and some are linked to crashes.
- Why does the Ridgeline backup camera stop working?
- Owners trace it to the wiring harness running to the tailgate. It cracks, frays, and snaps where it bends as the two-way tailgate opens. Reports range from 7,000 to 50,000 miles. One camera failure is tied to a crash, so it is worth checking before you buy.
- What goes wrong with the Ridgeline's automatic high beams?
- They switch on and off erratically, often like a strobe. They stay on toward oncoming traffic, then dim for road sign reflections. Owners say it is present from new. Dealers often find no fault and offer no sensitivity adjustment, so some owners turn the feature off.
How we score the Honda Ridgeline
Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.
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