2006 HONDA RIDGELINE Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HONDA RIDGELINE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECELERATE INDEPENDENTLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT VARIOUS WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AS THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE. THE MANUFACTURE WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WHEN MY DRIVER SIDE WINDOW SHATTERED. GLASS EXPLODED AND FELL INTO DOOR. IT WAS LOUD AND NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT ON THE FREEWAY. *TR

STOPPED AT A STOPLIGHT WENT TO TAKE OFF AND VEHICLE SHIFTED ODDLY, WENT ABOUT 500 YARDS STOPPED SHUT TRUCK OFF AND OUT POURED THE MILKY TRANSMISSION FLUID. ADDED TRANSMISSION FLUID TO GET IT HOME AND YOU COULD FOLLOW THE TRAIL THE ENTIRE WAY (APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE) AND EMPTY AGAIN (WE FILLED IT). OPENED THE OVERFLOW ANTIFREEZE/COOLANT AND THE SAME STRAWBERRY MILKY FLUID WAS IN THERE COMPLETELY FULL! ALSO OPENED THE RADIATOR TO FIND IT COMPLETELY FULL OF THE SAME STUFF. I HAVE READ MANY ACCOUNTS OF THE SAME THING HAPPENING WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS, THANK GOD I WASN'T, I HAD MY ENTIRE FAMILY IN THE TRUCK! IT WOULD BE NICE FOR HONDA TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS!!! GOING TO A MECHANIC TODAY, WILL MORE THAN LIKELY BE MAKING A PHONE CALL TO HONDA ONCE THE VERDICT IS IN! *TR

2006 HONDA RIDGELINE WITH 140,000 MILES. ALL SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE PERFORMED. DRIVING HOME ON 9/18/13 ON HIGHWAY, CRUISE CONTROL SET TO 65 MPH, CAR BEGAN TO LURCH FORWARD A FEW TIMES. GOT OFF AT NEXT EXIT AND REVS BEGAN TO RISE AS IF IN NEUTRAL. STOPPED IMMEDIATELY AND CALLED FOR TOW TRUCK. NOTICED TEMP METER WAS HIGH, BUT WENT BACK DOWN TO NORMAL WITHIN 15 MINUTES. "STRAWBERRY MILK SHAKE" TYPE LIQUID THEN POURED ONTO PAVEMENT. TRUCK TOWED TO INDEPENDENT SERVICE STATION. THE STATION CONCLUDED THAT THERE WAS A FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION COOLER, WHICH RESIDES WITHIN THE RADIATOR. APPARENTLY THE METAL CONNECTOR THAT SEPARATES THE TWO (CHEMICALLY INCOMPATIBLE) COOLANTS CORRODED, THE FLUIDS MIXED CAUSING THE TEMP TO RISE AND BOIL OVER, THE MIXTURE OF COOLANTS APPARENTLY DESTROYS BOTH THE RADIATOR AND THE TRANSMISSION. SERVICE TECH'S HAVE RARELY SEEN THIS BEFORE ON OLDER TOYOTA 4RUNNERS, BUT NOT HONDA'S. HOWEVER AFTER SOME RESEARCH, THERE ARE DOZENS SIMILAR INCIDENTS REPORTED ON THE VARIOUS HONDA FORUMS WHICH INDICATE HONDA'S AWARENESS AND REFUSAL TO ISSUE A RECALL OR ASSUME FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE THAT RESULTS (LIKE MY $5,765 REFURBISHED TRANSMISSION, NEW RADIATOR, HOSE FLUSHES, ETC.). THERE ARE NO WARNING SIGNS FOR THIS TYPE OF ISSUE. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF IN A SAFE PLACE, BUT INJURIES CAN SURELY RESULT FROM THIS PREVENTABLE PROBLEM. I HAVE BEGUN THE PROCESS OF REQUESTING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM HONDA, WHICH BEGINS WITH PAYING FOR A DIAGNOSIS (2ND OPINION) FROM AN AUTHORIZED HONDA DEALER. THEY "WARNED" ME THAT THEY CANNOT CONSIDER HELPING ME UNLESS THE DEALER CONCLUDES THERE IS A CLEAR MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. *JB

FOUND OUT RADIATOR/TRANSMISSION ON HONDA RIDGELINE HAS BEEN HAVING CATASTROPHIC FAILURES DUE TO TRANSMISSION LINE FAILURE. THIS ISSUE WILL CAUSE ENGINE FAILURE THAT COULD RESULT IN WRECKS DUE TO THE VIOLENT NATURE OF THIS FAILURE. THIS WOULD CAUSE IMMEDIATE PANIC TO MY PREGNANT WIFE AND SOON TO BE NEWBORN BABY GIRL. HONDA IS AWARE OF THE FAULTY CONNECTION ON RADIATOR THAT CAUSES THIS ISSUE AND STILL HASN'T ISSUED RECALL. I BELIEVE THEY ARE ACTING NEGLIGENTLY TOWARDS FIXING THIS ISSUE. COME TO FIND OUT NISSAN HAD A SIMILAR ISSUE WITH THEIR PATHFINDER AND HAS SINCE PERFORMED A VOLUNTARY RADIATOR ASSEMBLY PROGRAM (HTTP://WWW.NISSANASSIST.COM/WEB/RADIATOR/FAQS.PHP?MENU=22). HONDA ALSO DIRECTED US TO CONTACT NHTSA AND I AM HOPEFUL THAT THE FINE STAFF AT NHTSA WILL TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT THIS ISSUE WITH HONDA AND COME TO A DECISION TO HELP CONSUMERS TAKE PREVENTATIVE MEASURES. THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME TO READ THIS AND I HOPE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY DO NOT HAVE TO EXPERIENCE THIS TYPE OF ISSUE. *TR

THE COOLING LINE FOR THE TRANSMISSION WHERE IT ENTERS THE BOTTOM OF THE RADIATOR FAILED DUE TO GALVANIC CORROSION. THIS CAUSE A LARGE IMMEDIATE LOSS OF TRANSMISSION FLUID. *TR

THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE WASHER USED AT THE TRANSMISSION FLUID JUNCTIONS IN THE RADIATOR. THE FITTINGS AND WASHER ARE MADE OF DISSIMILAR METALS. AS A RESULT, THE STEEL WASHER USED AS A SPACER RUSTS AND CORRODES, THEN SWELLS AND FORCIBLY PULLS THE THREADS FROM THEIR FITTINGS. A CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF FLUIDS INCLUDING AN EXCHANGE OF TRANSMISSION FLUID AND ENGINE COOLANT TAKE PLACE, RENDERING THE VEHICLE NOT ONLY INOPERABLE BUT ALSO PERHAPS SIGNIFICANTLY DAMAGED. THESE FITTINGS FAIL AT RANDOM WITH NO OBVIOUS PATTERN OR ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSE. THE NORMAL "UNDERBODY RUST" DOES NOT SEEM TO CORRELATE WITH THIS FAILURE. I HAVE DONE SUBSTANTIAL RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET REGARDING THIS ISSUE, AND MANY OTHERS REPORT THIS TYPE OF FAILURE AND HAVE COME TO THE SAME CONCLUSION. I FEEL THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE, AS SUCH A DRAMATIC AND IMMEDIATE LOSS OF FLUID COULD RESULT IN ENGINE FAILURE, OVERHEATING, AND TRANSMISSION FAILURE. IF THE ENGINE WERE TO FAIL AND THE VEHICLE WERE TRAVELING AT SPEED, A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND POWER ASSISTED BRAKING WOULD OCCUR. ADDITIONALLY, FINDING A LOCATION TO PULL OFF OF THE ROAD PRESENTS A SAFETY HAZARD IN ITSELF. THIS ISSUE COULD BE EASILY RESOLVED BY CEASING TO USE DISSIMILAR METALS IN THE RADIATOR FITTINGS. AS FAR AS I KNOW, THIS SAME DESIGN IS BEING APPLIED TO ALL HONDA RIDGELINE MODEL YEARS INCLUDING THOSE CURRENTLY IN PRODUCTION. ALTHOUGH I CANNOT VERIFY THIS, I HAVE HEARD THAT THIS PARTICULAR PART IN THE 2009 MODEL YEAR REMAINED UNMODIFIED. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT MUST BE ADDRESSED, AS THERE ARE MORE AND MORE FAILURES OF THIS TYPE OCCURRING. IT IS SIMPLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE A SERIOUS INJURY OCCURS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY PREVENTABLE. *TR

MY ODOMETER 'HANGS' AND DOES NOT UPDATE THE DISPLAY TO REFLECT THE FACT THAT I'M DRIVING. PRESSING THE BUTTON TO SCROLL TO TRIPA AND TRIPB AND OIL LIFE DOES NOTHING. THEN THE DOOR OPEN INDICATOR ALSO 'HANGS'. SOMETIMES AFTER THE ENGINE IS RESTARTED THE DISPLAY COMES BACK TO NORMAL WITH UPDATED MILEAGE. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM FOR 2006 HONDA RIDGELINE (AS I DID RESEARCH ON INTERNET) AND REPAIR REQUIRES REPLACEMENT OF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER THAT RUNS AROUND $1000. IT SEEMS THAT ALMOST ALL COMPLAINS ARE RELATED TO 2006 MODEL, WITH FEW SINGLE POSTS RELATED TO 2007 MODEL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HONDA RIDGELINE. THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A GAP ON THE FRONT OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CAUSING WATER TO SEEP INTO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL MAKING THE ENTIRE AIR BAG SYSTEM INOPERABLE. THE AIR BAG LIGHTS CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE SEAT BELT CONNECTOR, THE FRONT AIR BAG APRON, THE REAR AIR BAG APRON, THE AIR BAG REAR MODULE AND THE ENTIRE COMPUTER SYSTEM BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO RECUR FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS. THE MANUFACTURER GAVE HIM AN EXTRA WARRANTY PACKAGE BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

TRANSMISSION FLUID OIL COOLER LINE EJECTS FROM RADIATOR AS A RESULT OF DISSIMILAR METAL CORROSION...A STEEL WASHER IS USED THAT BECOMES THE CATALYST FOR THE FAILURE. TRANSMISSION FLUID LOSS OCCURS THAT LEADS TO LOSS OF ACCELERATION OF VEHICLE, PUTTING VEHICLE OCCUPANTS IN DANGER. *TR