2018 HONDA RIDGELINE Complaints

I just turned onto the interstate on ramp and as soon as I pushed on the gas, I lost some engine power and the loudest racket came from the engine. I couldn’t go passed 55mph without it getting louder but luckily there was an exit shortly after getting on the onramp. I sat for 3 hours in 90 degree weather with no cool air waiting on a ride and a tow truck. My truck is not drivable now. I noticed a knocking sound earlier so I set up an appointment to have it looked at but I couldn’t afford it. Right after I left the appointment, that’s when it happened. There’s a recall for a connecting rod bearing fail for the 2017 and 2019 Ridgelines but not the 2018. The 2018 should be involved.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Ridgeline. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Ridgeline. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Ridgeline. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while the vehicle was not being driven, the vehicle remained running, causing the battery to drain. The contact had the vehicle jumpstarted; however, the battery failure recurred. The contact replaced the battery. Upon replacing the battery, several unknown warning lights were illuminated, and the alarm system sounded off throughout the night. The contact called an independent mechanic and was referred to the dealer to have the vehicle diagnosed. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the vehicle was diagnosed with a faulty keyless access unit. The dealer recommended that the keyless access unit be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request?- Suspected failed crankshaft bearing failure/rod knock. Honda declined request for further troubleshooting and engine was replaced at owner's expense. Failed engine was retained and is available for inspection. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? - Loss of power on highway but no catastrophic failure. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center?- The symptoms were reproduced by dealer. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others?- Inspection was requested by owner but declined by Honda corporate Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear?- A slight ticking sound was detected a couple of days prior to the failure. During the loss of power, a flashing check engine light and #2 cylinder misfire error codes were generated.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine made abnormal clicking sounds. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who referred the contact to the dealer. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with connecting rod bearing wear and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

On Approximately February 10, 2022 I hit a deer and sent my truck out for repair, I encountered a serious issue with my vehicle's engine, which was later diagnosed by Honda as a rod bearing failure which was not related to the accident which meant insurance wouldnt cover. This failure caused the rod bearing to wear and seize, resulting in significant damage to the engine and the presence of metal shavings in the oil pan. As a result, my vehicle's engine has been rendered inoperable and requires extensive repairs. To my dismay, I recently discovered that Honda has issued a recall for nearly 250,000 vehicles due to the same rod bearing issue. The recall states that the rod bearing in the engine may wear and seize, leading to engine damage and potential issues such as improper running or stalling while driving. However, to my surprise, my 2018 Honda Ridgeline is not included in this recall. Considering the identical nature of the problem I encountered and the fact that Honda has acknowledged the issue by issuing a recall, it is evident that my vehicle should have been included in this recall. This exclusion not only undermines my trust in Honda as a manufacturer but also raises concerns about the company's commitment to customer satisfaction and safety. I firmly believe that my 2018 Honda Ridgeline is a lemon, and the engine failure I experienced is a direct result of Honda's negligence in ensuring the quality and reliability of their vehicles. I have always been a loyal Honda customer, and this unfortunate incident has left me feeling betrayed and let down by a brand I once held in high regard.

Our 2018 Honda Ridgeline broke a connecting rod, that quickly punched through the engine block. My entire family was left stranded on the side of I-79, at night, in the mountains of West Virginia, in subfreezing temperatures, with no power or heat. It took an hour for a tow truck to reach us (we were in the middle of nowhere) and another hour to get it towed to the nearest Honda dealership. The only warning we had was a slight rattle for about 10 minutes, followed by a POW, immediate and complete loss of engine power, and all the dashboard lights came on simultaneously. The dealership (Urse Honda in Bridgeport WV) confirmed the hole in the side of the engine block, and let me take pictures of the broken rod cap. Ironically, the month before the catastrophic failure, on 11/9/2023 Honda internally released Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) [XXX] that speaks to "internal damage at the connecting rod bearings, possibly leading to engine failure." However I only found out about this TSB AFTER my engine blew up. Furthermore even though this TSB describes exactly the failure I experienced, it ONLY covers 2017 and 2019 Ridgelines, mysteriously skipping over my 2018 Ridgeline. Because of this (for now) Honda is refusing to cover damages to my engine, and also to repair other customers' 2018 Ridgelines before they too catastrophically fail. Even more curious the front 2/3rds of the Ridgelines and Pilots are the same, replacing only the third row Pilot seat with a truck bed in the Ridgelines. Yet the 2018 Pilots ARE covered by this TSB. Honda cannot explain this discrepancy. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The hood flops in the wind, like a 2 foot long piece of aluminum foil. It's because the glue holding the composite skin to the metal frame has come loose. I'm sure over time, the stress from the wind will cause the composite material to break completely from the hood. Honda dealer wanted Honda to repair it, but Honda will only pay 60%, leaving me with a 1100.00 bill. Not acceptable, since it's a manufacturing defect. I now have a brick and a tie down holding it in place, and you know that's really safe. Since we only drove it in town for the first 2 1/2 years (bought it new off the showroom floor) we didn't know it had a problem. Wasn't until we drove it on I-90 at 80mph, that it had a floppy in the wind problem, it just got worse from then on. Honda dealer in Scottsbluff NE was the place that told us it wasn't normal. That's when we tried to get HONDA to fix it.