Honda Ridgeline Years to Avoid
Based on CarWhere's analysis of 1,677 NHTSA complaints, the Honda Ridgeline years to avoid are 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 — the worst logged up to 3.1× the model's median severity-weighted complaint rate, driven by engine failures. Updated August 2026.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall campaigns · Data as of August 2026 · How we rate model years
No year rated caution
Year-by-year verdict
| Model year | Complaints | Severe | Recalls | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 140 | 34 | 10 | SOLID |
| 2009 | 35 | 7 | 9 | BEST |
| 2010 | 42 | 10 | 10 | BEST |
| 2011 | 39 | 3 | 11 | BEST |
| 2012 | 24 | 5 | 12 | BEST |
| 2013 | 45 | 9 | 8 | BEST |
| 2014 | 33 | 6 | 7 | BEST |
| 2015 | 2 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| 2017 | 333 | 173 | 9 | AVOID |
| 2018 | 157 | 65 | 8 | AVOID |
| 2019 | 229 | 150 | 12 | AVOID |
| 2020 | 162 | 51 | 9 | AVOID |
| 2021 | 94 | 38 | 7 | AVOID |
| 2022 | 111 | 43 | 3 | AVOID |
| 2023 | 121 | 36 | 5 | AVOID |
| 2024 | 46 | 14 | 1 | SOLID |
| 2025 | 64 | 17 | 2 | SOLID |
"Severe" = complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury, or a safety-critical component. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume; verdicts compare each year against the rest of the Honda Ridgeline. Full methodology.
Common Honda Ridgeline problems
Across the federal record, the most-reported problem areas on the Honda Ridgeline are engine, electrical, transmission. The confirmed and owner-reported issues below include owner mileage and repair-cost ranges where available.
Connecting rod bearing failure / engine knock
· Honda Ridgeline 2017–2024Corroborated by 29 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 258 engine complaints across 2017–2024, typically 40,500–155,000 miles. Owner-reported repair cost $5,000–$13,500.
Random alarm activation / battery drain
· Honda Ridgeline 2017–2018Corroborated by 2 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 141 electrical complaints across 2017–2018.
Transmission judder / pulsing
· Honda Ridgeline 2017–2019Corroborated by 7 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 83 transmission complaints across 2017–2019, typically 39,678–120,000 miles. Owner-reported repair cost $3,000–$11,937.
Why these years stand out
2017 Honda Ridgeline: 333 owner complaints on federal record, 173 of them severe, plus 9 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Honda Ridgeline.
2018 Honda Ridgeline: 157 owner complaints on federal record, 65 of them severe, plus 8 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Honda Ridgeline.
2019 Honda Ridgeline: 229 owner complaints on federal record, 150 of them severe, plus 12 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Honda Ridgeline.
2020 Honda Ridgeline: 162 owner complaints on federal record, 51 of them severe, plus 9 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Honda Ridgeline.
2021 Honda Ridgeline: 94 owner complaints on federal record, 38 of them severe, plus 7 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Honda Ridgeline.
2022 Honda Ridgeline: 111 owner complaints on federal record, 43 of them severe, plus 3 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Honda Ridgeline.
2023 Honda Ridgeline: 121 owner complaints on federal record, 36 of them severe, plus 5 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Honda Ridgeline.
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FAQ
What years of the Honda Ridgeline should you avoid?
Based on federal NHTSA complaint and recall data, the Honda Ridgeline years to avoid are 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 — they carry the model's highest severity-weighted complaint rates, led by engine issues. See the year-by-year table for the full picture. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the best years for the Honda Ridgeline?
The 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 Honda Ridgeline show the cleanest federal records among years with enough time on the road to judge — the lowest severity-weighted complaint rates for the model.
How is the Honda Ridgeline verdict calculated?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries, and safety-critical components count more), converted to a rate per year on the road, and compared against the rest of the Honda Ridgeline's own history, then adjusted for recalls. Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.
How do I check a specific Honda Ridgeline before buying?
Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the exact year and build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for that exact VIN plus a market price check from verified buyers.
Is the Honda Ridgeline reliable?
The Honda Ridgeline's reliability depends heavily on the model year. Across 1,677 NHTSA owner complaints, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 rate "avoid", while 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 show the cleanest federal records — see the year-by-year verdicts above. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the most common problems with the Honda Ridgeline?
The most-reported problem area for the Honda Ridgeline is engine, followed by electrical and transmission. Confirmed failures include connecting rod bearing failure / engine knock, random alarm activation / battery drain, transmission judder / pulsing. See the common-problems section above for owner-reported mileage and repair costs where available.
Sources & data notes
All figures are drawn from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of Defects Investigation — owner-filed complaints and recall campaigns — covering the Honda Ridgeline across every model year on record. Retrieved August 2026. Counts are raw federal filings and are not adjusted for the number of vehicles sold or registered; a verdict compares each model year against the rest of the Honda Ridgeline, not against other vehicles. Full scoring at the methodology page.
Verify the flagged years in NHTSA's public database:
Verdicts are computed from federal NHTSA complaint and recall records, refreshed monthly. Read the full methodology.