2021 Honda Ridgeline Problems & Owner Complaints

Engine 26

“Auto Idle Stop failed as I was sitting at a red light. As I came to a stop at the light, the truck entered the Auto Idle Stop. When the light turned green and it was time to accelerate, I released my foot off of the brake and the engine stopped. It cut out right there. Warning lights came on and I had to restart the engine by totally shutting down the truck on a busy highway road. It took 2 attempts to get it to start. After this, I turned the Auto Idle Stop OFF using the button located on the lower console. I am taking it to the Honda dealership tomorrow to work on a remedy via the AutoId…”
NHTSA complaint #11754528, 2026

“Driving home from work on a Friday about 1am and my engine started t knock and sputter and the engine light started flashing. Luckily I made it home. I let it sit for a minute and started it back up and it ran fine. I let it sit over the weekend I made an appointment the the dealership for the following Monday. On Monday it started fine to go to my dealer appointment but half way there every caution light imaginable came on and the info screen was scrolling failure of every system in the truck it seamed. Even the D for drive was flashing. It was knocking, sputtering with loss of power. Like it…”
NHTSA complaint #11716899, 2026

“The check engine light came on Dec 26 which I took to have checked and was told that it should go to the shop. The code was not being stored. I took it to the Honda dealership and they did a complete check and said the engine had gone back. The connecting rods and barrings cause the engine to fail and it needed to be replaced. I contacted Honda Goodwill and they declined to do anything to help repair the engine.”
NHTSA complaint #11717426, 2025

Electrical System 14

“My 2021 Honda Ridgeline Sport experienced failure of the forward-facing Honda Sensing camera system. This camera controls safety features including Collision Mitigation Braking, Lane Keeping Assist, and Adaptive Cruise Control. The failure disables safety assistance features. Honda acknowledged the issue but refused to provide full repair coverage and only offered $941 toward a repair costing significantly more. I believe a safety-related camera failure should be investigated as a potential defect”
NHTSA complaint #11750429, 2026

“Truck was waiting at a stop light in drive mode and foot on brake pedal. When the light changed to green. I tried to accelerate to go and the whole vehicle shook/lunges forward and shut off. Vehicle went into neutral and wouldn't allow me to go into drive mode. I had to restart the vehicle twice before it allowed me to go into drive again. Vehicle was stuck in the middle of the street with oncoming/ongoing traffic. I had this vehicle at the honda dealer(with documents) three times previous for this issue and its still not resolved. Please help.”
NHTSA complaint #11672492, 2025

“Vehicle has an open recall, but dealer still don't have the parts available to repair for almost a year.”
NHTSA complaint #11648983, 2025

Exterior Lighting 14

“Auto High Beam. Very sensitive. Sometimes they don't go on when they should and sometimes, they stay on blinding oncoming traffic. I have researched this problem and also have been told this is a known problem with this particular model and year - not just my vehicle.”
NHTSA complaint #11686938, 2025

“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that there was moisture inside driver's side headlight housing. The contact took the headlight assembly apart and blew out the moisture. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 43,928.”
NHTSA complaint #11689930, 2024

“Headlights don't dim in the auto function when there is oncoming traffic. Lights cycle from dim to bright when no oncoming traffic is present. This is an ongoing problem that presents every time the vehicle is driven at night.”
NHTSA complaint #11630842, 2024

Forward Collision Avoidance 14 1 crash

“I was involved in a rear end collision earlier today. My vehicle sustained significant front end damage and the air bags did not deploy. The vehicle had to be flat bedded to a Massachusetts State Police Barracks, pending further action by my insurance company. There were no injuries.”
NHTSA complaint #11736770, 2026 · crash

“When driving the vehicle suddenly displayed warning and failure lights for the following: Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keep Assist, Road Departure, High Beam Support, and Collision Mitigation. The vehicle in the past regularly experiences issues with oncoming traffic (especially on 2 lane roads) when it comes to auto braking and forward crash warnings so I immediately brought the vehicle home as I was worried for my safety and the safety of others on the road that if these systems were now warning of malfunction the vehicle might auto brake in traffic for no reason and cause a crash. I took…”
NHTSA complaint #11752301, 2026

“My 2021 Honda Ridgeline Sport experienced failure of the forward-facing Honda Sensing camera system. This camera controls safety features including Collision Mitigation Braking, Lane Keeping Assist, and Adaptive Cruise Control. The failure disables safety assistance features. Honda acknowledged the issue but refused to provide full repair coverage and only offered $941 toward a repair costing significantly more. I believe a safety-related camera failure should be investigated as a potential defect”
NHTSA complaint #11750429, 2026

Unknown Or Other 14

“The Multipurpose Camera had an Internal Electronic Failure. Indications we all of the warning lights were illuminated on my dash. Initially it began when I had about 43, 400 miles on my truck. The warning lights would all remail lighted on starting the vehicle. I could restart the vehicle and eventually get the lights to go off. Then the slowly began to stay on permanently. I eventually made an appointment and took my truck into a Honda dealership and it was diagnosed a the failure of the Multipurpose Camera at 44,000 miles. The Honda Service Tech told me that none of my safety features were…”
NHTSA complaint #11694352, 2025

“Vehicle has an open recall, but dealer still don't have the parts available to repair for almost a year.”
NHTSA complaint #11648983, 2025

“What happened? While driving in the right lane on a two lane highway, I slowed slightly when approaching a vehicle ahead of me. I then started to move into the left lane to pass when the engine stopped (as confirmed by the tachometer quickly dropping to 0 (zero) rpms). In response, I started feathering the throttle and moved back into the right lane where the engine restarted on its own. I then continued my trip without further incident. This happened with approximately 60,000 miles on the truck which was purchased new by me. I did have a similar incident when the truck was much newer bu…”
NHTSA complaint #11607533, 2024

Power Train 11

“Truck was waiting at a stop light in drive mode and foot on brake pedal. When the light changed to green. I tried to accelerate to go and the whole vehicle shook/lunges forward and shut off. Vehicle went into neutral and wouldn't allow me to go into drive mode. I had to restart the vehicle twice before it allowed me to go into drive again. Vehicle was stuck in the middle of the street with oncoming/ongoing traffic. I had this vehicle at the honda dealer(with documents) three times previous for this issue and its still not resolved. Please help.”
NHTSA complaint #11672492, 2025

“1. Vehicle shift to neutral while driving. 2. Shift vehicle from park to drive, but vehicle shift to neutral and alert for transmission failure comes on. 3. While waiting at a stop light in drive and on brake, vehicle shift to neutral and alert for transmission failure comes on.”
NHTSA complaint #11553507, 2023

“When driving at 70mph for a couple of hours and exiting the freeway, the truck will go into limp mode and won’t accelerate. This only happens when it’s very cold, less than 10 degrees Fahrenheit both times it happened to me. The engine service light will start to flash. You need to park and restart in order to clear the issue. The last time it happened, I needed to merge onto a busy freeway with very little room to pull over. It was quite dangerous for my family and I. I spoke with Burnsville Honda in MN when I was there for service this summer and Honda is aware, but there is currently no kn…”
NHTSA complaint #11498322, 2022

Fuel/Propulsion System 6

“While making a right turn from a yield sign into oncoming traffic and doing about 15 mph, I depressed the accelerator to speed up and the truck stalled for about 2 seconds. The RPM's drop and you literally lunge forward until power resumes. No warning lights come on and no codes are given. This put my safety at risk and the driver accelerating towards me at risk. This is the first time it happened with my 2021 Ridgeline. However, my 2019 Ridgeline had this happen about a dozen times. Honda Service could never replicate the issue with the 2019 Ridgeline, but there was enough data out ther…”
NHTSA complaint #11681946, 2025

“After driving on the freeway for about 1 hour, took the exit to the right. Check engine light came on and vehicle had loss of power and was shuttering. Attempts at accelerating were met with little to no power. Tried turning off eco mode, no change. Limped to the first safe place to stop, avoiding any fast traffic behind. Shut off vehicle, and when I started again, no check engine light, vehicle operated as normal. I fear to think what would have happened when if my child were driving and had to make a merge onto heavy traffic. This is a serious safety issue that I have learned is known. A fix…”
NHTSA complaint #11554692, 2023

“After traveling on a 3 1/2 hour trip and on 2 hour trip both times after taking a curve called dead mans curve engine light started blinking and Truck would not accelerate had to pull over on busy freeway and turn off went to Honda both times and they could not get a code 1/16/22 @1000 miles on truck. 3/27/22 @2500 miles on truck”
NHTSA complaint #11461099, 2022

Structure 5 1 injury

“While trying to feel for the composite bed release button underneath the tailgate with the tailgate closed, the sharp composite bed of the truck lid sliced my finger open. The manufacture should have at least chamfered the edge of the trunk lid or installed a guard or trim piece that would prevent contact with the razor-sharp fiberglass-reinforced plastic material.”
NHTSA complaint #11432142, 2021 · 1 injury(ies)

“I’ve had issues with the side view mirrors with this vehicle since the day that i took delivery. They were always wobbly. Honda issued a recall on them and the replacement mirrors look like “fun house” mirrors. They are super distorted and make me nauseous looking out of them. This is not an isolated incident. Many people are experiencing issues with the recalled mirrors being distorted. Honda needs to come up with another recall and real fix for this”
NHTSA complaint #11577665, 2024

“Tailgate fell down while taking off from a red light, ground was flat and even. The vehicle also didn't trigger the light that the tailgate was open.”
NHTSA complaint #11500796, 2023

Back Over Prevention 4

“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Ridgeline. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V321000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.”
NHTSA complaint #11626417, 2024

“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Ridgeline. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V321000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.”
NHTSA complaint #11625009, 2024

“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Ridgeline. The contact received a notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V321000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that occasionally while in reverse, the reverse camera image display would flicker a distorted image. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11619957, 2024

Lane Departure 4

“When driving the vehicle suddenly displayed warning and failure lights for the following: Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keep Assist, Road Departure, High Beam Support, and Collision Mitigation. The vehicle in the past regularly experiences issues with oncoming traffic (especially on 2 lane roads) when it comes to auto braking and forward crash warnings so I immediately brought the vehicle home as I was worried for my safety and the safety of others on the road that if these systems were now warning of malfunction the vehicle might auto brake in traffic for no reason and cause a crash. I took…”
NHTSA complaint #11752301, 2026

“Front camera system failed lights that are on are brake system, Lane assist lkas and acc”
NHTSA complaint #11740889, 2026

“2021 Honda Ridgeline RTL-E. Part number 36160-T6Z-A62-M1 failure, hard code U3000-49. Results in total loss of Honda Sense Safety system. Including Collision Mitigation Braking System, Road Departure Mitigation System, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keeping Assist System, Traffic Sign Recognition, Auto High-Beam Headlights. This appears to be a fairly common issue across Honda models where the multipurpose camera fails, generally due to heat from exposure to sun. The replacement cost and required re-calibration via the dealer is ~$2000. Living in northern California with extreme heat, I w…”
NHTSA complaint #11690126, 2025

Visibility/Wiper 4

“I received my recall number:24V-321 in the mail. I also had an emission control warning notice come on so I took the truck to a Honda dealer. The same day my RVC starting going out so they looked at that. Bottom line: they said the emission problem was a loose something with getting my oil changed. They said my backup camera problem wasn’t due to recall and that I need a new camera and by the way it’s going to cost me $700. I have 56000 miles on it and am very unhappy with wha’t going on.”
NHTSA complaint #11602269, 2024

“I’ve had issues with the side view mirrors with this vehicle since the day that i took delivery. They were always wobbly. Honda issued a recall on them and the replacement mirrors look like “fun house” mirrors. They are super distorted and make me nauseous looking out of them. This is not an isolated incident. Many people are experiencing issues with the recalled mirrors being distorted. Honda needs to come up with another recall and real fix for this”
NHTSA complaint #11577665, 2024

“3/4/2024. Backup camera failure. Black screen. Located broken wires in wiring harness. Same location as those in earlier recall.”
NHTSA complaint #11575571, 2024

Air Bags 3 1 crash

“I was involved in a rear end collision earlier today. My vehicle sustained significant front end damage and the air bags did not deploy. The vehicle had to be flat bedded to a Massachusetts State Police Barracks, pending further action by my insurance company. There were no injuries.”
NHTSA complaint #11736770, 2026 · crash

“This has something to do with circuit board for the seat sensor that activates air bag? I can’t get dealer to take care of recall. They keep saying we don’t have the parts. This is going on since at least September of last year. Why have recall if they aren’t going to do anything about it? They make appointments and then cancel. I have called Honda Customer Service number(twice) listed on the recall paper twice. Always get told to call dealer and talk to them. Dealer makes appointment and then cancels a few days before the date to bring it in. I have contacted dealer many times about this. W…”
NHTSA complaint #11659837, 2025

“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Ridgeline. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 224V064000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts would be available in January 2025. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.”
NHTSA complaint #11583110, 2024

Engine And Engine Cooling 3

“The contact's husband owns a 2021 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 55 MPH, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode and made an abnormal knocking sound. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the timing belt, the water pump, and the tensioner pulley were replaced; however, the knocking sound persisted. The dealer determined that the lower bearing had failed, and the dealer recommended replacing the engine with a used engine. Additionally, the contact was ad…”
NHTSA complaint #11703807, 2025

“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while at a stoplight, the Auto START/STOP feature malfunctioned, and after releasing the brake pedal, the engine failed to automatically restart as designed. After shifting back to park(P), the vehicle restarted and operated as normal. The cause of the failure was not yet been determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The contact was informed of the NHTSA Action Number: EA25004 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure liste…”
NHTSA complaint #11659895, 2025

“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment while accelerating and there was a loud popping sound coming from the engine compartment shortly afterwards. The low oil level warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to Firestone and was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle had not been repaired by Firestone but was instead towed to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the connecting rods had disconnected, causing engine failure…”
NHTSA complaint #11638882, 2024

Service Brakes 3 2 crash 1 injury

“A truck and car in front of me stopped suddenly and i has to push brakes to stop. my truck did not slow down and i hit almost full speed the truck in front of me. my brakes did not even leave i skid mark.”
NHTSA complaint #11573591, 2024 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“I was involved in a rear end collision earlier today. My vehicle sustained significant front end damage and the air bags did not deploy. The vehicle had to be flat bedded to a Massachusetts State Police Barracks, pending further action by my insurance company. There were no injuries.”
NHTSA complaint #11736770, 2026 · crash

“On 2/23/2022, I was driving my Ridgeline on local roads with 40 MPH speed limits. On 2 separate occasions, the "BRAKE" flashed on the dashboard for no reason. There were no obstructions ahead. The warning appeared for a second or two and then disappeared. I felt no braking of the vehicle. I have previously reported this incident by Email, and has been assigned #491499 2021 Honda Ridgeline-BRAKE Warning on Dashboard.”
NHTSA complaint #11454956, 2022

Vehicle Speed Control 3

“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH and attempting to slow down for slower traffic ahead, the vehicle then failed to accelerate above 30 MPH. The vehicle was driven across three lanes of traffic onto the shoulder. After stopping and restarting the vehicle, the failure self-corrected and the vehicle operated normally. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 22,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11616248, 2024

“First incident happened 3/10/2022. Went to start my 2021 Ridgeline (12k miles) in the morning, started traveling down my driveway when all warning lights flashed. Truck went into limp mode rendering it unable to drive. Towed it to Honda dealership where I was told a rodent chewed threw my harness wires. Honda repaired it and I went on my way. Second incident happened 4/27/22. I am traveling down I95 going 70mph for about an hour. I exit onto SR 200 and immediately my truck goes into limp mode with the exact same problems that occurred on 3/10/22. I am in rush hour traffic with no warning that…”
NHTSA complaint #11462718, 2022

“This is a general issue that you can find in the forums of the Honda Pilot/Ridgeline/Passport. Is affecting all of them. Very easy to replicate. When using adaptive cruise control and the person in front of you changes lanes. If that person that moved to another lane slows down your vehicle will slow down too, thinking that the car is still in front of you. This is a huge security risk that can cause a rear-end collision if the person behind you is distracted.”
NHTSA complaint #11453766, 2022

Seats 1

“This has something to do with circuit board for the seat sensor that activates air bag? I can’t get dealer to take care of recall. They keep saying we don’t have the parts. This is going on since at least September of last year. Why have recall if they aren’t going to do anything about it? They make appointments and then cancel. I have called Honda Customer Service number(twice) listed on the recall paper twice. Always get told to call dealer and talk to them. Dealer makes appointment and then cancels a few days before the date to bring it in. I have contacted dealer many times about this. W…”
NHTSA complaint #11659837, 2025

Steering 1

“I CURRENTLY OWN A 2021 HONDA RIDGELINE SPORT AND IT WAS BROUGHT IN TO A HONDA DEALERSHIP THAT HAD DIAGNOSED A STEERING RACK FAILURE. THE QUOTED PRICE OF REPAIR WAS $4,000. AFTER DOING EXTENSIVE READING ON THIS ISSUE I LEARNED THAT SIMILAR ISSUES HAVE OCCURRED IN LATER YEAR MODELS AS WELL AS SIMILAR YEAR MODELS IN THE HONDA FAMILY. THERE WAS A RECALL OF 1.7 MILLION VEHICLES WITH THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE. THE VEHICLE MAKES LOUD AND CRACKING NOISES AND AT TIMES THE STEERING GETS HEAVY AND ALSO LOOSE WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH AND LOW SPEEDS. THE DEALER HAD RESPONDED THAT IT WAS A KNOWN ISSUE IN THE L…”
NHTSA complaint #11733135, 2026

Suspension 1

“Vehicle started making a clunking noise that could be felt at 45,000 miles when steering left and right. An independent auto business found loose subframe bolts and lower control arm as well as checked sway bar links and found loose core support braces. The clunking stopped after the bolts were tightened. I found this very odd and concerning. 2021 Honda Rigdeline RTL. Cost to remedy included two hours of labor.”
NHTSA complaint #11712592, 2026

Tires 1

“the TPMS tire pressure monitoring system is inaccurate(low) by 4-5 PSI. This forces me to overinflate the tires by 4-5 PSI to Turn off the warning lights. I believe running constantly on over inflated tires is unsafe over time. It has been reported to the dealer on the past 3 services and they stated in writing that is normal for all the 2021 models”
NHTSA complaint #11521828, 2023

Wheels 1 1 crash

“OEM front left and right fender flares detaching from fender on highway speeds. If I didn't notice this, it would of broke off and hit a pedestrian or another vehicle cuasing an accident. I will be bringing this in for the 3rd time to fix the same problem. I really believe it's an engineering defect.”
NHTSA complaint #11448522, 2021 · crash