Honda Ridgeline Engine Problems by Year
By CarWhere Research · Updated
Yes. Owners have filed 285 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2008–2025 Honda Ridgeline. For the Honda Ridgeline, that's 1.09 engine complaints per 1,000 sold across the 2017–2022 cohorts, 2.5× the median of the 53 models we can rate. The worst years are 2017, 2019 and 2020.
Engine complaints
285
Filed with NHTSA, 2008–2025 models
Per 1,000 sold
1.09
2017–2022 cohorts
Share of all complaints
17%
of 1,677 complaints for this model
Engine recalls
2
NHTSA campaigns, all years
Honda Ridgeline engine complaints by model year
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA whose component list includes Engine and Engine Cooling, and per 1,000 vehicles sold where a published U.S. sales figure exists. Worst years are highlighted.
| Model year | Engine complaints | Per 1,000 sold | Share of all complaints | Crash / fire / injury | Engine recalls | Engine TSBs* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 10 | — | 7.1% | 1 | — | 2 |
| 2009 | 0 | — | 0% | 0 | — | 3 |
| 2010 | 2 | — | 4.8% | 1 | — | 8 |
| 2011 | 1 | — | 2.6% | 0 | — | 8 |
| 2012 | 1 | — | 4.2% | 1 | — | 9 |
| 2013 | 2 | — | 4.4% | 0 | — | 3 |
| 2014 | 1 | — | 3% | 0 | — | 3 |
| 2015 | 0 | — | 0% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2017WORST | 87 | 2.5 | 26.1% | 5 | 23V751000 | 27 |
| 2018 | 23 | 0.75 | 14.6% | 0 | — | 20 |
| 2019WORST | 39 | 1.17 | 17% | 2 | 23V75100019V298000 | 31 |
| 2020WORST | 34 | 1.06 | 21% | 0 | — | 20 |
| 2021 | 28 | 0.68 | 29.8% | 0 | — | 21 |
| 2022 | 24 | 0.56 | 21.6% | 2 | — | 21 |
| 2023 | 19 | — | 15.7% | 1 | — | 13 |
| 2024 | 4 | — | 8.7% | 0 | — | 9 |
| 2025 | 10 | — | 15.6% | 2 | — | 7 |
- Per 1,000 sold = complaints ÷ published U.S. calendar-year sales × 1,000. Calendar-year sales stand in for the model-year cohort. A dash means no published figure or fewer than 5,000 sold, too small to divide by.
- Older model years have had more time on the road to collect complaints, so compare neighboring years, not 2010 against 2024.
- Crash / fire / injury = complaints where the owner reported a crash, a fire or an injury.
- No row for 2016: NHTSA's complaints data returned no records for that year under this model's names.
- *Technical service bulletins in the year's leading TSB categories that name the engine.
Common Honda Ridgeline engine problems owners describe
We searched the narratives of all 285 engine complaints for symptom keywords. One complaint can mention several, so the shares don't add up to 100%.
Honda Ridgeline years to avoid for the engine
2017 Honda Ridgeline
87 engine complaints (26.1% of the year's 333), 2.5 per 1,000 sold. Most often described: engine failure, seizure or replacement. Covered by engine recall 23V751000.
2019 Honda Ridgeline
39 engine complaints (17% of the year's 229), 1.17 per 1,000 sold. Most often described: engine failure, seizure or replacement. Covered by engine recalls 23V751000, 19V298000.
2020 Honda Ridgeline
34 engine complaints (21% of the year's 162), 1.06 per 1,000 sold. Most often described: stalling or shutting off while driving.
Worst years are those with at least 10 engine complaints and at least 1.5 times the model's median year. For every year's overall verdict, including other systems, see the Honda Ridgeline years to avoid.
Honda Ridgeline engine recalls
NHTSA recall campaigns filed under Engine for any Honda Ridgeline model year. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check a specific car by VIN on NHTSA's site.
Related research
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2017 Honda Ridgeline have engine problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 87 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2017 Honda Ridgeline, 26.1% of all 333 complaints for that year, or 2.5 per 1,000 sold. The most common description is "engine failure, seizure or replacement" (45 complaints). One engine-related recall covers it: 23V751000. 5 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Does the 2019 Honda Ridgeline have engine problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 39 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2019 Honda Ridgeline, 17% of all 229 complaints for that year, or 1.17 per 1,000 sold. The most common description is "engine failure, seizure or replacement" (12 complaints). 2 engine-related recalls cover it: 23V751000, 19V298000. 2 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Does the 2020 Honda Ridgeline have engine problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 34 engine complaints with NHTSA for the 2020 Honda Ridgeline, 21% of all 162 complaints for that year, or 1.06 per 1,000 sold. The most common description is "stalling or shutting off while driving" (14 complaints).
Which Honda Ridgeline years have the most engine complaints?
2017 (87), 2019 (39) and 2020 (34), by owner complaints filed with NHTSA that name the engine. Raw counts favor older and higher-selling years, so compare the per-1,000-sold column too.
What are the most common Honda Ridgeline engine problems?
In the 285 engine complaints, owners most often describe engine failure, seizure or replacement (31.2%), misfire or check-engine light (22.8%) and knocking, ticking or rattling (19.6%). One complaint can mention several symptoms.
Is this a engine failure rate?
No. These are complaints owners chose to file with NHTSA. Many failures are never reported, and one complaint is not a confirmed defect. Dividing by sales shows how often owners complain relative to how many were sold, which makes models of different sizes comparable.
How we count
Counts are unique owner complaints (by NHTSA ODI number) filed with NHTSA for each Honda Ridgeline model year, from NHTSA's public complaints data fetched July 2026 to November 2026. A complaint counts as a engine complaint when NHTSA's component list for it includes Engine and Engine Cooling.
Per 1,000 sold divides complaints by published U.S. calendar-year sales for that year. A year needs at least 5,000 sales to get a rate, and a model needs at least 3 such years for its overall rate. The comparison median covers every model with at least 50 engine complaints that clears those floors.
These are complaint rates, not failure rates. Owners report some problems more than others, and a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
Sources
- NHTSA complaints by vehicle (owner complaints API) — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Report a vehicle safety problem — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration