Complaint volume
94 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2021 Honda Ridgeline Complaints
94 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2021 Honda Ridgeline, grouped by component category.
94 Total complaints
3 Crash reports
0 Fire reports
2 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are exterior lighting, engine, unknown or other. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 3 crash reports, 0 fire reports, 2 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 12 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 27,517 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to exterior lighting, engine, unknown or other?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2021 Honda Ridgeline?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2021 Honda Ridgeline
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2021 Honda Ridgeline complaints?
3 Crash
0 Fire
2 Injury
0 Fatality
4 Towed
1 Medical attention
What are the most common 2021 Honda Ridgeline complaint categories?
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 13
ENGINE 12
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 9
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 6
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 5
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 5
BACK OVER PREVENTION 4
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 3
STRUCTURE 3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 2
94 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2024 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2024 | ENGINE | I have a 2021 Honda Ridgeline. It had a 3.5 liter V-6 with a 9 speed transmission. I was driving from Cincinnati to Cleveland on [XXX] Sunday [XXX]. It was about 25 degrees Fahrenheit outside and partly cloudy. After driving about 3 1/2 hours I exited the [XXX] and turned on to [XXX]. The on- ramp is a sharp right turn so you have to slow to around 25 mph or slower. When I gave my Honda gas to speed up to merge onto [XXX], the vehicle started shaking and the check engine light began to blink and the truck was almost unresponsive and went into "Limp" mode only using 2 or 3 cylinders and roughly shaking as I tried to accelerate. I pulled off to the side of the shoulder on the interstate, put my hazard lights on and drove to a nearby Honda dealer (about 3 miles away). It was a Sunday so the service department was not open. My family and I got a ride home and I began researching this issue in on-line forums and other Honda on-line threads. What I saw was a lot of people are having this exact problem with their Honda V6 vehicles. Story after story I read of this same situation that had just happened to me. 1. long drives of 1 hour or longer 2. Highway speeds 60-80 MPH 3. Cold weather usually below 32 degrees F 4. Slowing down off the highway then making a turn 5. Accelerating after turn then the vehicle goes into "limp" mode shaking, check engine light blinking, and vehicle is unresponsive or very weak Some of the owners were in Canada and some in United States but they all had the same situation that I had. In the Honda Ridgeline forums they took it to their dealers and most of the dealers said it was bad gas so when I called my dealer the next morning and that is what they said I was very skeptical and told about what I had read on-line, that this was a common problem and they said there was nothing they or Honda could do about it. The end result was a $1,700 bill.(I have a copy) Please look into this. Thanks. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | BACK OVER PREVENTION | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | BACK OVER PREVENTION | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | MY CAR IS EQUIPE WITH A IDLE STOP START ASSITANT AND IN 3 OCASIONS DID NOT RESTAR THE VEHICLE AFTER STOPING ON A RED LIGHT, I HAVE TO PUT THE CAR IN PARKING AND THEN TRY TO RE-START THE VEHICLE TRIYING 1 OR 2 TIME UNTIL STARTS UP. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | BACK OVER PREVENTION | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | 15,000 |
| Sep 2024 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | 22,000 |
| Aug 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 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 but didn't pay much attention as I was still learning Honda's ADAS and wasn't sure if 'pilot error' came into play. And to clarify, the only safety that was in use this time was Lane Keeping Assist but it wasn't active as I was actively signaling my lane change. Questions under your General Guidelines: While the engine stopped unexpectedly, I don't believe it was an engine fault simply due to the number of miles I've driven the truck with no similar problem. While my wife and I weren't at risk since traffic was light at the time with no one behind us, I can see a safety issue in heavier traffic, especially if the engine doesn't restart as soon as it did. The truck has not been inspected by Honda. I did file a complaint with American Honda (case #14787271) and they simply suggested a visit to my local Honda service department. But due to the very limited occurrence of this issue, I can't see how their service department can be of any help. During the incident occurrence, there were no warning lights, messages or otherwise hints of an impending problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | was denied recall for backup camera. my backup camera went dead July 4th weekend with heavy rain it worked again and glitch on and off. Made a appt 7/10/2024 at my local dealership where I bought the vehicle and was told they are going to take pictures of it and send them in for the harness. when I got there camera works atm and was denied on recall | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Back up camera blacks out from time to time. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2024 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | While driving on a 4 lane road with a passing lane the automatic emergency braking system started slowing the vehicle down for a vehicle in the left hand turning lane. It was not directly in front of me. The warning tone and BRAKE flashing alarm come on frequently when driving on 2 lane roads and a vehicle is coming from the other direction. I have taken it to the dealership 3 times to have it corrected and was told everything is working correctly and for me to turn the system off. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2024 | AIR BAGS | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | While driving down highway moonroof exploded. Did not appear to be damaged by debris. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | STRUCTURE,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 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 | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The backup camera is not working consistently. An Internet search reveals that this is a common problem and previous model years were subject to a recall. I understand that there is a NHTSA investigation on going regarding this issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 3/4/2024. Backup camera failure. Black screen. Located broken wires in wiring harness. Same location as those in earlier recall. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Rear view camera failed. Only shows a black screen, same symptoms of the 2017-2020 Honda Ridgeline recall. Contacted Honda and was told it wasn’t covered and to pay to get it fixed. 2021 Ridgeline with 47,000 miles. I’m aware NHTSA has received 27 other complaints as well based upon a recent report. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | SERVICE BRAKES | 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. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 1 Towed Medical attention | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | While traveling at highway speed, the glass panel of the sunroof/moonroof suddenly exploded outward without being struck by anything (i.e. rock, debris). There was no warning prior to the explosion. Glass fragments rained down into the interior of the cabin and flew off the roof of the vehicle as well. Though startling to experience, there were no injuries to me or other drivers. Other Honda owners have reported this same experience with randomly exploding sunroof glass. The vehicle was taken to a Honda dealer who refused to cover the cost of replacing the glass, falsely stating that only an impact could cause such damage. A subsequent claim has been submitted to my insurance company. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | ENGINE | I took my vehicle in to the dealer on 1/31/2023 to address recall 23-008 (Idle stop/start switch update). I had not had any problems with it , but I had them inspect it. They performed Bulletin 23-008, PGM-FI update. On 2/16/2023, after stopping at a stoplight, the engine shut down but it didn’t start back up when I tried to proceed. A message came up on the dash saying to put the vehicle in park and press the start button. I did that and the car started. I stopped at the dealer and told them what had happened and they performed bulletin 1103A8 Warrany Extension Campaign: Adjust Valves. I haven’t had the problem reoccur, but I keep getting an intermittent message on the dash, “Auto Engine Idle Stop Unavailable “. I’ve had the vehicle back in to the dealer numerous times about the message and they tell me that they could not duplicate, or they give me a list of things that could cause the message, but none of them apply. I believe it was something that they did in the two bulletins that is causing the message to come up on the dash | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 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 needs to happen before someone is seriously hurt. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | POWER TRAIN | 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2023 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | My model has an auto high-beam system that does not work (stays on with oncoming traffic, turns off when it sees a road sign). Also had a 2019 of the same vehicle and the auto high-beams worked on that model; my 2021 has the cameras in a new location which render the system worthless and dangerous. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2023 | TIRES | 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 | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |