2006 HONDA RIDGELINE Complaints

2006 HONDA RIDGELINE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. CUSTOMER STATES THAT HE WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY BUT THE PASSENGER AIR BAG DID DEPLOY. *KB

ON APRIL 24,2007, I ACCIDENTALLY REAR-ENDED A VEHICLE STOPPED AT A STOPLIGHT. I SUSTAINED SOME MODERATE FRONT END DAMAGE BUT IT WAS NOT A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. IT IS THE OPERATION OF THE SRS THAT I HAVE TRIED TO HAVE HONDA EXPLAIN. NEITHER THE SERVICE MANAGER, FACTORY FIELD SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, NOR THE HONDA AMERICA CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSONNEL HAVE ADEQUATELY ANSWERED MY QUESTION AS TO WHETHER MY DRIVER'S AIRBAG IS FUNCTIONAL. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT TENSIONER DID LOCK AND THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIRBAG DID DEPLOY ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE PASSENGER'S SEAT. HOWEVER, THE DRIVER'S AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. ASIDE FORM THE COST OF REPLACING THE UNNECESSARILY DEPLOYED PASSENGER AIRBAG AND THE FACT THAT THE FACTORY REPLACEMENT PART DID NOT MATCH MY DASHBOARD COLOR, MY MAJOR CONCERN HAS BEEN WHETHER OR NOT THE DRIVER'S AIRBAG WAS, OR STILL IS, FUNCTIONAL. THERE ARE NO ERROR CODES ON THE COMPUTER NOR LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD TO INDICATE A PROBLEM. ANSWERS TO OUR QUESTIONS TO HONDA ABOUT THIS HAVE NOT BEEN ADEQUATE AND LONG IN COMING. ASIDE FROM AN ACTUAL CRASH TEST HOW CAN ONE BE SURE THAT AN AIRBAG IS FUNCTIONAL IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT IT DID NOT DEPLOY WHEN THE PASSENGER'S AIRBAG AND THE TENSIONER LOCK DID DEPLOY? WHEN THEY SNICKER AT MY WIFE THAT," SINCE NO ONE WAS INJURED, EVERYTHING MUST BE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY", I DO NOT FEEL THAT I AM BEING TAKEN SERIOUSLY. WHAT IS THE NHTSA EXPERIENCE REGARDING SRS OPERATION? *TR

PARKING LAMPS WILL NOT STAY CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATED. THEY ARE CONTROLLED BY THE HEADLAMP TIMER AND TURN OFF WITHIN 5-10 MINUTES OF EXITING THE VEHICLE. THIS HAS CREATED A DANGEROUS CONDITION WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS INTENTIONALLY PARKED FOR AN EXTENDED TIME ON A TWO LANE COUNTRY ROAD. IT WAS ALMOST HIT BY OTHER VEHICLES EVERY TIME THE PARKING LIGHTS WENT OFF. MY DEALER HAS CONFIRMED THIS DESIGN CONDITION AND WAS TOLD BY HONDA THAT IN ORDER FOR THE PARKING LIGHTS TO REMAIN ON, THE KEY MUST IN THE VEHICLE AND THE IGNITION TURNED "ON". IN THIS MODE, THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE LEFT UNATTENDED. IN MY OPINION, BOTH CONDITIONS CREATE UNNECESSARY DANGEROUS OR RISKY CONDITIONS AND SHOULD BE CORRECTED BY HONDA. *TR

DRIVERS SIDE REAR STRUT LEAKING AND MAKING NOISE, DEALER CHANGED THE DRIVERS SIDE FRONT AND REAR STRUTS, VECHICLE NOW RIDES STIFF ON DRIVERS SIDE. *JB

(THIS IS THE ABBV. VERSION OF ORIGINAL 4091 CHARACTER COMPLETE DESCRIPTION.) 06/30/2006, FORT SMITH ARKANSAS. VEHICLE: 2006 HONDA RIDGELINE. COMPLAINT RE: OEM TIRES: MICHELIN TIRES (P245 65 R17 105S LTX M/S RADIAL X)WHILE NEGOTIATING A CURVE ON GARRISON AVE. BEFORE 13TH STREET, IN THE INNER LANE (4 LANE ROAD), TRAVELING APPX. 25-30 MPH, WAS CROWDED INTO THE CURB BY A CAR IN LEFT HAND LANE. THERE WAS NOT A HARD IMPACT, AS THE TRUCK WAS ROUGHLY PARALLEL TO THE CURB. I FELT THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE TRUCK START TO "CLIMB UP" ON THE CURB. IMMEDIATELY FLATTENED BOTH TIRES ON THE RIGHT SIDE. MAINTAINED CONTROL, & PULLED OFF IN PARKING LOT. BOTH TIRES HAD "U-SHAPED FLAPS" RIPPED IN THE SIDEWALL. OMITTED EXACT DESCRIPTION OF THE "RIPS" TO REDUCE CHARACTER COUNT, BUT IT'S AVAILABLE ON REQUEST. IT WAS NIGHT, BUT I LOOKED AT THE CURB & ROAD FOR ANY SHARP OBJECTS THAT WOULD EXPLAIN THE DAMAGE TO THE SIDEWALLS & FOUND NOTHING. NEXT DAY, I EXAMINED THE CURB & VICINITY CLOSELY. I TOOK PHOTOS OF THE TIRES, THE CURB, & VICINITY. THERE WAS NOTHING THAT WOULD HAVE OBVIOUSLY CAUSED THE DAMAGE. I BELIEVE THE TIRES BLEW OUT DUE TO LOW SPEED CONTACT WITH THE CURB. I BELIEVE THE TIRE SIDEWALLS ARE INSUFFICIENT IN DESIGN & CONSTRUCT FOR USE ON THIS TRUCK, & THAT THE TIRE SIDEWALLS COLLAPSED SIGNIFICANTLY WHEN THEY CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE CURB, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEY DID NOT SUSTAIN A DIRECT IMPACT. (ALL 4 TIRES FULLY INFLATED: TRUCK WAS ONLY 4 MONTHS OLD & THE TIRES HAD < 5000 MILES ON THEM). I BELIEVE THE COLLAPSE OF THE SIDEWALL CAUSED IT TO BE "PINCHED" BY THE RIM, & DUE TO SUBSTANDARD SIDEWALL CONSTRUCT, IT WAS FOLLOWED BUT A SUDDEN & CATASTROPHIC RIP (BLOW OUT) UP THE SIDEWALL. I STILL HAVE THE TWO TIRES. THESE TIRES WERE MANUFACTURED FOR OEM PLACEMENT ON A 4 WHEEL DRIVE TRUCK, BUT FAILED TO WITHSTAND A MINOR BRUSH WITH A CURB ON A CITY STREET. I BELIEVE THESE TIRES ARE INFERIOR IN DESIGN, DEFECTIVE IN CONSTRUCT, & SUB-STANDARD FOR THE APPLICATION. *TR

WINDSHIELD STRESS CRACK. STARTING POINT WAS UPPER PASSENGER CORNER AND PROPAGATED TO CENTER OF WIND SCREEN. DEALER SAYS IT WAS A STONE THAT CAUSED THE CRACK, THERE IS NO DIVOT FROM A STONE.*AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HONDA RIDGELINE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A WATER LEAK INSIDE THE VEHICLE, WHICH CAUSED THE CARPET PADDING TO MOLD. HE WAS TREATED FOR RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS DUE TO THE MOLD. THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED IN JULY OF 2005 FOR THIS FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 24,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

WHILE DRIVING THE HONDA RIDGELINE AND PULLING A 2006 KEYSTONE ZEPPELIN TRAILER ON APRIL 11, 2007 IN THE EARLY DAY. I PRESSED THE BRAKES DUE TO A STOP SIGN AND THE ENTIRE REAR AXLE COMPLETELY DETACHED FROM THE TRAILER. THE TRAILER COULD NOT BE PULLED UNLESS IT HAD BOTH OF ITS TWO AXLES ATTACHED. I CALLED THE TRAILER DEALER. THE LOCAL SHERIFF ARRIVED , ALTHOUGH I DID NOT CALL HIM AND ACCOMPANIED ME AT 5 MPH TO A NEARBY COMMERCIAL TRAILER STOP. I CALLED A TRAILER REPAIR STATION LOCATED A BLOCK AWAY, WHO CAME TO THE SITE TO RETRIEVE THE DETACHED AXLE. THE TRAILER MANUFACTURER SAID THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE, EVEN THOUGH THE DEALER MADE AN INQUIRY BEFORE THE WARRANTY ENDED. THEY REQUESTED THAT THE AXLE BE RETURNED TO THEM. THEY INSPECTED IT, AND DETERMINED THAT THE BOLTS WERE LOOSE. I BELIEVE THEY WERE INCORRECT, AND OTHER TRAILERS WILL EXPERIENCE SIMILAR AXLE SEPARATION, PERHAPS CAUSING A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THE BOLTS WERE RUSTED AND DIFFICULT TO REMOVE. THE AXLE HAD A PLATE WELDED TO IT WITH HOLES AT THE TOP THAT ATTACH TO THE FRAME WITH BOLTS. NEITHER THE BOLTS NOR THE WELDS SHOWED ANY DAMAGE. RATHER, THERE WAS A GIANT TEAR LOCATED APPROXIMATELY MIDWAY BETWEEN THE WELD ON THE AXLE AND BOLTS THROUGH THE FRAME. IN OTHER WORDS, THE STEEL TORE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PLATE AWAY FROM EITHER CONNECTION. TESTS WILL DISCOVER THAT THE STEEL WAS SIMPLY TOO THIN FOR THE BRAKING FORCES OF THE TRAILER. THE TRAILER HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED BECAUSE I AM SURE THE SAME TEAR WILL OCCUR IF THE SAME TOO-THIN STEEL PLATES WERE USED. PLEASE INSPECT IT AS SOON AS YOU CAN. I WANT TO HAVE A WELDER DOUBLE THE PLATE BEFORE A NEW AXLE WAS INSTALLED. IF MY SUPPOSITION WAS CORRECT THEN THERE WILL BE A SERIOUS INJURY IN THE FUTURE WHEN MORE OF THESE TRAILERS HAVE MORE HOURS ON THEM. PLEASE ADVISE ME IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE TRAILER SO I CAN COMPLETE REPAIRS. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THERE IS NO STRUCTURAL CROSS BEAMS, THE BEAMS ARE SO THIN THE FRAME FLEXES. *TR

THE ODOMETER SEEMS TO TURN MUCH FASTER THAN THE DISTANCE I'VE TRAVELED, MY VEHICLE IS LESS THAN 2 YEARS OLD AND THE ODOMETER IS ALREADY UP TO 31,500 MILES. I ONLY HAVE TO DRIVE IT FROM HOME TO WORK (ABOUT 10-15 MILES A DAY). I'VE CALLED THE AMERICAN HONDA AND I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS MATTER. THEREFORE, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO LOOK INTO THIS MATTER MORE SERIOUSLY. THANK YOU *TR

TOTAL FAILURE OF WINDSHIELD WIPERS DURING STORM...WIPERS WERE NEVER FROZEN TO GLASS DURING THE EVENT. *JB