There are 16 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2021 Honda Ridgelinein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Driving home from work on a Friday about 1am and my engine started t knock and sputter and the engine light started flashing. Luckily I made it home. I let it sit for a minute and started it back up and it ran fine. I let it sit over the weekend I made an appointment the the dealership for the following Monday. On Monday it started fine to go to my dealer appointment but half way there every caution light imaginable came on and the info screen was scrolling failure of every system in the truck it seamed. Even the D for drive was flashing. It was knocking, sputtering with loss of power. Like it was in limp mode. Made it to the dealer and they said it was misfiring which caused the engine to come apart inside. 11K for a new engine or 8K for a used one with 46K miles. The truck only had 86,000 miles on it and has been always dealer maintained. We buy Hondas mostly for their reliability. Skeptical about buying another one
The check engine light came on Dec 26 which I took to have checked and was told that it should go to the shop. The code was not being stored. I took it to the Honda dealership and they did a complete check and said the engine had gone back. The connecting rods and barrings cause the engine to fail and it needed to be replaced. I contacted Honda Goodwill and they declined to do anything to help repair the engine.
The contact's husband owns a 2021 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 55 MPH, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode and made an abnormal knocking sound. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the timing belt, the water pump, and the tensioner pulley were replaced; however, the knocking sound persisted. The dealer determined that the lower bearing had failed, and the dealer recommended replacing the engine with a used engine. Additionally, the contact was advised that the oil pump was leaking and might need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The manufacturer requested the vehicle service records. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: EA25004 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.
I began to hear a knocking noise at 2500 to 3500 rpms and I immediately took my vehicle to the dealer who confirmed rod bearing damage.
Engine began knocking from the bottom end at 53k miles. It was determined that a connecting rod bearing had failed and Honda is replacing my engine under warranty. No cost was incurred to me but I am adding my complaint because my VIN is not included in the recall for this exact problem in other years close to mine and the recall my need to be expanded to a wider range of VINs.
My 2021 Honda Ridgeline engine failed in heavy traffic on the freeway. The car malfunctioned and I lost complete power and started coasting and barely made it through 4 lanes of heavy traffic before the car coasted to a stop. Very dangerous and very lucky not to get hit changing lanes and then waiting on the freeway for assistance. I've made regular oil changes as directed by the computer on the vehicle. The problem was not connected to a lack of oil. I'm [XXX] and I take very good care of my vehicles. Not one scratch on my black edition Ridgeline. My vehicle is still at the Honda dealership. I don't believe I should pay for another engine nor do I have the money to do so. Having a complete engine failure on the freeway is a major safety issue and Honda needs to fix it now and in the future. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while at a stoplight, the Auto START/STOP feature malfunctioned, and after releasing the brake pedal, the engine failed to automatically restart as designed. After shifting back to park(P), the vehicle restarted and operated as normal. The cause of the failure was not yet been determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The contact was informed of the NHTSA Action Number: EA25004 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the investigation. The failure mileage was 50,500. The VIN was not available.
2021 Honda Ridgeline Sport with 60,000 miles and no other issues. Engine failed to restart after the "auto stop/start" kicked in, all the lights on the dashboard went off and then turned off. After 1 minute, I was able to get the car started again, this happened on 3 different occasions over a 4 week period. Got the car tested and the starter was bad. Contacted Honda, they said too bad, no issues with the starter. I got the starter replaced for $800 and now NHTSA is investigating the issue Honda said was not an issue.
I have a 2021 Honda Ridgeline. It had a 3.5 liter V-6 with a 9 speed transmission. I was driving from Cincinnati to Cleveland on [XXX] Sunday [XXX]. It was about 25 degrees Fahrenheit outside and partly cloudy. After driving about 3 1/2 hours I exited the [XXX] and turned on to [XXX]. The on- ramp is a sharp right turn so you have to slow to around 25 mph or slower. When I gave my Honda gas to speed up to merge onto [XXX], the vehicle started shaking and the check engine light began to blink and the truck was almost unresponsive and went into "Limp" mode only using 2 or 3 cylinders and roughly shaking as I tried to accelerate. I pulled off to the side of the shoulder on the interstate, put my hazard lights on and drove to a nearby Honda dealer (about 3 miles away). It was a Sunday so the service department was not open. My family and I got a ride home and I began researching this issue in on-line forums and other Honda on-line threads. What I saw was a lot of people are having this exact problem with their Honda V6 vehicles. Story after story I read of this same situation that had just happened to me. 1. long drives of 1 hour or longer 2. Highway speeds 60-80 MPH 3. Cold weather usually below 32 degrees F 4. Slowing down off the highway then making a turn 5. Accelerating after turn then the vehicle goes into "limp" mode shaking, check engine light blinking, and vehicle is unresponsive or very weak Some of the owners were in Canada and some in United States but they all had the same situation that I had. In the Honda Ridgeline forums they took it to their dealers and most of the dealers said it was bad gas so when I called my dealer the next morning and that is what they said I was very skeptical and told about what I had read on-line, that this was a common problem and they said there was nothing they or Honda could do about it. The end result was a $1,700 bill.(I have a copy) Please look into this. Thanks. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment while accelerating and there was a loud popping sound coming from the engine compartment shortly afterwards. The low oil level warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to Firestone and was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle had not been repaired by Firestone but was instead towed to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the connecting rods had disconnected, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the repair was not covered under warranty due to the low oil levels. The contact confirmed that the low oil level warning light occurred during the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case regarding the failure. The failure mileage was 52,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 35 MPH, the driver depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact's wife was able to pull over to the side of the road. No warning lights were illuminated. The driver shut off the vehicle, and the vehicle was able to restart and return to normal functionality. The contact called the dealer and was informed to disengage the "Econ Mode". The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and filed a claim. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000.
I took my vehicle in to the dealer on 1/31/2023 to address recall 23-008 (Idle stop/start switch update). I had not had any problems with it , but I had them inspect it. They performed Bulletin 23-008, PGM-FI update. On 2/16/2023, after stopping at a stoplight, the engine shut down but it didn’t start back up when I tried to proceed. A message came up on the dash saying to put the vehicle in park and press the start button. I did that and the car started. I stopped at the dealer and told them what had happened and they performed bulletin 1103A8 Warrany Extension Campaign: Adjust Valves. I haven’t had the problem reoccur, but I keep getting an intermittent message on the dash, “Auto Engine Idle Stop Unavailable “. I’ve had the vehicle back in to the dealer numerous times about the message and they tell me that they could not duplicate, or they give me a list of things that could cause the message, but none of them apply. I believe it was something that they did in the two bulletins that is causing the message to come up on the dash
After approximately 2 unbroken hours of driving North on I-35 from Minneapolis on January 24th, 2022, I exited the freeway at exit 214 near Moose Lake. I came to a stop at the top of the ramp (stop sign) to allow cross traffic to clear and then proceeded to accelerate while turning left to cross the bridge over the freeway. About halfway through the turn, a blinking check-engine light came on. The engine also began running noticeably rougher and would not accelerate beyond 30-40 mph. I proceeded to drive about a 1/4 mile in this state to the nearest parking lot - a McDonalds just beyond the bridge. Once parked, I turned the car off and looked up check-engine codes in the owner's manual. The manual indicated that a cylinder misfire was detected and that I should seek dealer service. Frustrated (the nearest Honda dealer was likely in Duluth, an hour away), I tried starting the car and was surprised to find that it started normally without any check-engine light. After some lunch, I got back on the freeway and proceeded to drive another several hours without incident to my final destination near Virginia, MN. I quickly chalked it up to the unusually cold weather that morning, even for MN in January, and, since the issue has never repeated itself, I did not consult a dealer. However, I've recently read of many other Ridgeline owners experiencing very similar issues and thought it would be best for me to contribute my account. Under the right conditions, I believe this could be a very serious safety concern that deserves rigorous attention by Honda's engineers.
On 1/21/22,After driving an hour at 75mph exited onto off street. While driving through traffic truck began to "sputter" and wouldn't accelerate. I then noticed flashing engine light. After driving about 5 minutes through traffic because I had no place to go, I parked and shut it off. Turned back on no light and no issue. Since I needed to drive home later that night I brought to a dealership for diagnostics. Like everyone else in the Honda forum, no codes or errors. 2675 miles on the truck, about 1/2 tank of gas. Temp around 20 deg. On 2/12/22, Drove 160 miles, 70-75mph, temp 10 degrees, gas tank 3/4 full. Didn't stop that entire time. Got off on an exit and continued to drive between 30-45 mph for about 4 miles without coming to a full stop. Finally I reached a stop sign. Cross traffic did not have to stop. After stopping (engine idle was on but don't think engaged) and no oncoming traffic, I turned left. Immediately as I pressed the gas pedal, truck started to sputter and engine light started flashing. Luckily no traffic coming up from behind and I had room to pull over and stop. However, since this is the SECOND time this has happened, I had my wife video the dashboard. Yep got it all on video. This has to be FIXED. Can't imagine if that were my kids driving and traffic was barreling up on them. Imagine a semi coming up at 60mph and no power or place to move out of the way. After stopping and turning off the truck, the issue went away. Coming home the same day, there were no issues. Closet Honda dealer is an hour away so I can't drop off conveniently. 2021 Honda RTLE, 3500 miles
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that upon either exiting or merging onto a highway at various speeds, the vehicle would independently go into Limp Mode with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact had filed a complaint with the manufacturer through the website; however, the contact had not received a response from the manufacturer. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer where the mechanic was informed by the manufacturer to check the engine valves however, the dealer had not been able to diagnose the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 1,800.
Upon exiting or entering the highway, the truck loses power and will not accelerate. This happens after multiple hours of highway driving and seems to only happen when the temperature is near or below freezing. The Check Engine Light (CEL) comes on and is flashing. This has happened to me four times. Three of which were exiting one highway to merge onto another and there was ample room to slow down and pull over. One time was merging onto a highway from a Rest Stop with a great deal of traffic and I was fortunate the shoulder was available to avoid being collided with. The first time was on 11/6/2021 (2200miles), second and third was on 12/19/2021 (5600miles) and last time was 3/9/2022 (10100miles). All occurrences the gas tank had ample gas. Shutting the truck off and turning it back on clears the CEL and no error codes are stored (according to the dealer). This problem has been reported multiple times and yet there has been no response from Honda. Also, even though the error codes are not present after the vehicle is turned off and back on, I was able to capture three error codes prior to turning the vehicle off P0302, P0303, P0300.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026