2006 HONDA RIDGELINE Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HONDA RIDGELINE. THE REAR DOORS WILL NOT UNLOCK. THERE IS A FEATURE ON THE VEHICLE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO OPEN THE DOORS MANUALLY EVEN IF YOU HAVE THE CHILD SAFETY LOCK ON. THE FAILURE ALSO MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR A HANDICAP PERSON TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 38,000 MILES. UPDATED 03/09/10. *LJ UPDATED 06/11/10

HONDA RIDGELINE 2006 AIR CONDITIONING LINES ARE LOCATED RIGHT NEXT TO AN ENGINE BRACKET. OVER TIME (3YRS) THE ALUMINUM PIPE WEARS OUT CAUSING THE FREON TO LEAK OUT OF THE SYSTEM AND THE COMPRESSOR TO STOP WORKING. PARTS # 24 & 25 HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF 400 USD. THE NEW PART SEEM TO BE MADE OF A BENDABLE MATERIAL INSTEAD OF THE RIGID ORIGINAL AND CAN BE BENT OUT OF THE WAY OF THE BRACKET. *TR

ON 5 NOV 09, I ATTENDED A BUSINESS MEETING IN DEERFIELD BEACH. WHEN I WAS READY TO RETURN TO WEST PALM BEACH, I TURNED ON THE TRUCK IGNITION TO START IT AND IT MADE A COUPLE OF CLICKS AND NOTHING HAPPENED. I AUTOMATICALLY ASSUMED IT WAS THE BATTERY SINCE IT WAS OVER FOUR YEARS OLD AND THE HOT WEATHER IN FLORIDA TAKES ITS TOLL ON BATTERIES. I ALSO NOTICED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DID NOT LIGHT UP WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO START IT BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS BECAUSE THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. I CALLED AAA AND THEY ARRIVED AN HOUR LATER AND JUMP STARTED THE VEHICLE. THE ENGINE TURNED OVER SEVERAL TIMES LIKE IT WASN'T GETTING ENOUGH FUEL BUT THEN STARTED ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT. THE AAA REPRESENTATIVE AGREED THAT HE THOUGHT THE BATTERY WAS DEAD AND NEEDED REPLACED. I STARTED TO LEAVE AND NOTICED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER STILL DID NOT LIGHT UP EXCEPT FOR THE BATTERY DISPLAY, THE VTM DISPLAY AND ONE OTHER DISPLAY I CANNOT REMEMBER. I IMMEDIATELY DROVE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND AFTER SIGNIFICANT TROUBLESHOOTING IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER SOMEHOW SHORTED OUT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED TO THE TUNE OF $900+. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THROUGH A DRIVE THROUGH CHRISTMAS LIGHT DISPLAY AREA, THE REAR SLIDING GLASS SHATTERED WHILE PARTIALLY OPEN. NO EVIDENCE OF IMPACT WAS FOUND INSIDE OR OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. FORTUNATELY THE CHILDREN WERE NOT IN THE VEHICLE REAR SEAT AT THAT POINT IN TIME. SEARCHING THE INTERNET, I FOUND A FORUM THAT HAVE SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE HAS HAD THIS HAPPEN TO THEM AS WELL.*TR

I'VE BEEN COMPLAINING EVER SINCE I BOUGHT THE TRUCK IN APRIL 2005 THAT YOU ARE BLIND WHEN MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN IN THE DARK. MY TRUCK IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH FOG LIGHTS. *TR

THE AC FAN CEASED TO FUNCTION. DEALER SAID WIRE SUPPLYING POWER TO AC FAN HAD BURNED THROUGH, THUS PREVENTING POWER TO FAN MOTOR. DEALER SAID IT NEEDED A NEW WIRING HARNESS. BURNING WIRE INSIDE DASH IS A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD. *TR

DURING VEHICLE START UP A HEAVY SMELL OF BURNING PLASTIC WAS NOTED. TOOK THE VEHICLE IN AND THEY DISCOVERED THAT A FIRE OCCURRED ALONG THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, MELTING THE POWERSTEERING ASSEMBLY, WIRE HARNESSES AND POWER STEERING HOSE. I AM COLLECTING INFORMATION AND DAMPENED COMPONENTS TO TAKE TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP FOR EXAMINATION. *TR

I HAVE HAD MY HONDA RIDGELINE FOR 3 YEARS AND JUST FOUND OUT THE SHOCKS AND STRUTS HAVE TO BE REPLACED. I HAVE NEVER HAULED ANYTHING WITH THE VEHICLE OR TOWED ANYTHING. IT IS A 2006 RIDGELINE AND I NOTICED ON THE FORUMS MANY OTHER PEOPLE WERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS AND THE DEALER WAS QUIETLY REPLACING THE ONES UNDER WARRANTY BUT CHARGING FOR THE OTHERS. EVEN THE DEALER ADMITS THERE IS A PROBLEM BUT REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL.. I HAVE HAD TRUCKS MY ENTIRE ADULT LIFE AND HAVE NEVER HAD TO REPLACE SHOCKS OR STRUTS ON ANY VEHICLE. THIS VEHICLE IS MOSTLY DRIVEN IN THE CITY AND OCCASIONALLY HIGHWAY DRIVING. NO OFFROADING OR ON ANY SURFACE OTHER THAN ASPHALT. THE STRUTS AND SHOCKS WEARING OUT SO QUICKLY CAUSE SWAYING OF THE VEHICLE AND SOME DIFFICULTY STOPPING WHICH COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT NOT TO MENTION THAT THE DEALER SAID MY BRAKES WERE GLAZED AND I ASKED IF THIS COULD BE DUE TO THE FACT THAT ALL THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE IS THROWN FORWARD ON AN UNDERENGINEERED FRONT SUSPENSION SYSTEM..HE SAID IT WAS POSSIBLE. *TR

I WAS TRAVELING FROM HOUSTON TO LAS VEGAS VIA INTERSTATE 10. ABOUT 100 MILES FROM EL PASO, I HEARD A LOUD NOISE, BOOM, AND WE STOPPED TO INVESTIGATE WHAT WE SAW WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO MY TRUCK I WAS TOTALLY SHOCKED. THE FIRST THOUGHT CAME TO OUR MIND WAS, WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN KILLED, THE DRIVE SHAFT SNAPPED IN HALF WHILE TRAVELING AT THE HIGHWAY SPEED. BASED ON THE WORDS OF MECHANIC ABEL OF KELLY GRIMSLEY HONDA IN ODESSA TEXAS, WITH 14 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, HE HAS NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. NO REPAIR HAS BEEN DONE YET SINCE THE COST IS APPROXIMATELY $5600. THIS IS AN OBVIOUS DEFECT AND WE WERE LUCKY TO BE ALIVE. I HAVE PHOTOS IF NEEDED. *TR

LEADING EVENT - I'VE DRIVEN MY 2006 HONDA RIDGELINE WITHOUT INCIDENT SINCE I BOUGHT IT IN AUGUST 2005. LAST WEEK, ONE DAY MY AC WORKED THE NEXT DAY MY AC STOPPED BLOWING. THE FAILURE - I JUST HAD EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM OTHERS HAVE HAD WITH MY 2006 HONDA RIDGELINE RTL MY AC WENT OUT ON THE 29TH OF JULY, 2009. THE HONDA DEALER IS TELLING ME THE BLOWER MOTOR CONNECTOR, THE CONNECTOR OF THE AC HARNESS WAS MELTED TO THE BLOWER MOTOR. CONSEQUENCES - AFTER READING ABOUT SIMILAR PROBLEMS, I CANT BELIEVE THIS ISN'T A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. BECAUSE THE BLOWER DOES NOT BLOW THE DEFROST DOESN'T WORK AND WHEN ITS RAINING, THE HUMIDITY BUILDS UP INSIDE YOUR VEHICLE AND YOU CAN'T SEE TO DRIVE. WHAT WAS DONE - THE PARTS ARE ON A NATIONAL CRITICAL BACK ORDER (I WONDER WHY) AND THE HONDA PARTS PERSON SAYS IT COULD BE DAYS, WEEKS OR MONTHS BEFORE THEY FIX IT. I HAVE TO PRE-PAY FOR THE PART AND WINTER MAY COME BEFORE THE PART DOES. I GUESS I'M SWEATING THIS SUMMER OUT. I'M WAITING FOR MY NEW BLOWER ESTIMATED $129.00, NEW POWER TRANSISTOR $87.00, NEW AC HARNESS $49.00. LABOR WILL BE ABOUT 4 TO FIVE HOURS AT $80 DOLLARS AND HOUR. *TR