2018 Honda Ridgeline Reliability Report

Connecting rod bearing failure dominates these reports. A knocking or clacking noise at startup grows worse over days, then the check engine light flashes and the engine loses all power, often at highway speed. Several engines threw a rod through the block, leaving drivers stranded on freeways and interstates. Dealers found metal shavings in the oil pan and replaced engines, sometimes at the owner's cost after warranty ended. Owners point out that recall 23V-751 covers the 2017 and 2019 Ridgeline but not this year.

Nearly every report here is a recall delay rather than a failure. Owners received notice of fuel pump recall 23V858000 but waited many months, in some cases over a year, because dealers had no replacement pumps. A few describe the failure itself: the engine stalls at highway speed, power steering stiffens, and the truck must coast to the shoulder, with one stall at 102,000 miles. A separate complaint involves a fuel nozzle stuck in the capless filler.

Most of these filings repeat the backup camera problem: a black screen in reverse caused by wires broken at the driver's side tailgate hinge, with one truck at 50,000 miles. One fire report describes flames from under the hood on the driver's side near the windshield while idling after towing a light trailer, even though recall 19V-053 work had been done. Other complaints cover windshields cracking from small rock strikes and an owner seeking reimbursement for a camera repair later covered by recall.

The hood flutters or bounces at highway speeds, roughly 30 to 70 mph. In one case the glue holding the composite skin to the metal frame let go, and in another the latched hood rose about two inches at 55 mph with only 1,165 miles on the truck. Other complaints describe radar sensor warnings that persist after recalibration, following a rock strike tied to one crash report. Water leaking from the moonroof or windshield can short the blind spot sensors and trigger a warning.

Transmission complaints include the engine flaring to 3000 rpm between fourth and fifth gear, torque converter judder, and hard shifts from second to third. One report traces judder at 39,000 miles that worsened into overheating and a lockup fault code by 61,000 miles. Others describe vibration between 23 and 37 mph, a flashing gear indicator, and a transmission problem warning. One filing reports power loss on the highway with white smoke and transmission fluid pouring out.

Two of three complaints describe the same backup camera fault seen elsewhere: a black screen in reverse after the wiring harness is severed at the left tailgate hinge from normal tailgate use. The damage is visible on inspection. The remaining report covers the driver's side mirror glass sliding down and no longer adjusting, which the owner attributes to failed adhesive on the back of the mirror.

Only two complaints. One describes a crash at 30 mph in which the brake pedal and the automatic emergency braking system both failed to stop the truck a few days after a minor low-speed bump; the air bags deployed and no injuries were reported. The other reports the brake pedal sinking an alarming amount at startup after the truck sat for 30 days, with two dealer visits producing no explanation.