2023 Honda Ridgeline

The contact owns a 2023 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while driving or while stopped at a stop light, the Auto Idle Stop system activated, and the vehicle hesitated to respond. The message "Auto Idle Stop Temporarily Unavailable" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 53,000.

03/09/26 Driver side Headlight assembly filling with a lot of water when driving in wet conditions. Headlight has a significant amount of water and condensation inside. It is very noticeable. I can see a slight difference in positioning of the driver side headlamp vs the passenger side. Driver side looks slightly misaligned on the part closest to the midline of the truck. Available to inspect upon request. Called Dealer to bring it in to inspect immediately. They told me to come in without an appointment bc they said i didnt need one for this issue and I can come right in. I drove all the way there and was told they couldn't help me bc they were to busy now. Scheduled service with Dealer on 3/23/26. They were unable to take me earlier and told me that it's not an emergency and that I can drive the vehicle saftely until the 23rd, in wet or dry conditions. I Inspected light and took photos. Was told by local mechanics that a dealer would need to inspect it for defects / warranty repair. Dealer will be able to see the water and condensation throughoyt the entire headlamp as soon as they look at it. You can't miss it, it looks ridiculous. Ive noticed my day time running lights aren't working consistently since the water has been in the headlamp. Also, they will be able to reproduce the water flooding into the headlamp with no problem. If they run it through a carwash, water will hemorrhage into it. No symptoms or warning indicators / messages prior to part failure. I've attached photos and have more upon request. The photos show the water in the headlamp is now frozen over the inside of the headlight. This is affecting visibility and I am concerned about this damaging other components / electrical systems.

A car turning left on a one lane both way street. The the auto breaking system hit the breaks I was about 6’ away from car going 10 miles per hour. Car behind me almost hit the back of my truck. It took second before breaks let off. System was in normal mode.

While driving home on 2/21/26 at night in light sleet/snow conditions, I noticed a dramatic decrease in headlight effectiveness in my Honda Ridgeline. When I stopped to check the headlights, they were coated with ice that needed to be scraped off. This is my first vehicle that has LED headlights so this was unexpected. I never had this issue with my previous vehicles that used incandescent /halogen headlights. I suspect this snow/sleet buildup is due to the fact the LED headlights, by their nature, are much more thermally efficient and generate less than 10% of the heat of an incandescent light source. As a result, LED headlamps do not generate enough head to melt any snow/sleet accumulations on the headlight lens. While this might not be an issue in southern states, it is a significant safety and visibility issue in areas where winter snows are the norm. NHTSB should consider requiring a wiping mechanism (as is done on Volvo headlights) or implement a defrost mechanism into the headlamp assembly or lens of vehicles with LED headlamps.

The infotainment system failed intermittently two times prior, causing failure of the backup camera and cross traffic warning sensor system. The entire system failed a month ago and Honda has no idea when they can get parts.

Engine had complete loss of power and loud knocking noise.

There is constant water intrusion on the driverside headlight causing poor headlamp performance. I have reported the issue to a dealer for a warranty claim and was told that it is normal for water to be inside the headlight housing. If this is the case than I believe there is potential for a safety hazard. Issue was escalated to Honda Customer Service who initially offered to help get the repair done under warranty and then changed their tune and told me they wouldn't intervene and my only other option was to take it to another dealership to get a second opinion. I believe than based on Manufacturer Communications on this website (11000278 & 11000270) that this is a known issue and owners are being gaslighted into thinking its normal.

Oftentimes, while driving on a 2-lane road, the Ridgeline will produce an alarm (beeping sound and flashing amber "BRAKE" illuminated on dash display) when driving through a right hand curve with opposite direction traffic in the opposing lane. In every instance, my vehicle and the opposing vehicle are centered in our respective lanes with no indication that either vehicle is on a course to depart their lanes. This is extremely disconcerting as it creates a false emergency alarm. It also makes me think (momentarily) I am not seeing some collision threat. This creates a hazardous situation and I fear that the Automatic Emergency Braking will activate and cause me to lose control of the situation. The opposing traffic scenario I'm describing is quite routine with no cause for alarm. In a worse-case scenario, the opposing vehicle's trajectory would place it on a course further away from me where it could go off the road on the right side of its lane - not to the left towards my vehicle. I have not yet taken it in to the dealership, but I do intend to do so during January 2026.

The contact owns a 2023 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal clicking sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was inspected and determined that there was potential damage to the bearings and that the crankshaft and the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the recall covered older model Honda Ridgelines. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.

Approximately six(6) months ago, my wife and I noticed a very noxious gasoline smell in the cabin of our truck, and upon further investigation determined that the smell was a direct result of gasoline that had infiltrated the oil in the engine. The oil was changed and the used oil smelled very strongly of gasoline. I sent an oil sample to Blackstone Industries to get the oil analyzed, and they, in fact found gasoline in the oil. Honda said that the results were useless because they wouldn't accept third party results. I took my truck to the local Honda dealership (Napleton Honda in Loves Park, IL) to address the problem. They, in turn contracted the Technician Department of American Honda who said the strong gasoline smell was "NORMAL." I have contacted American Honda and they suggested getting a second opinion. The case number is, XXX. At this point a second opinion at another dealership would be useless because they're going to tell me the exact same thing. So, in conclusion, I would like the noxious, dangerous gasoline fume root cause to be identified and repaired. The fumes are making me, my wife, and any passengers nauseous. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

RVC rearview camera is not functioning.

The rearview camera continues to fail after recall for the issue was completed. Estimate 6 months+ since recall was performed to replace camera tailgate wire harness. It has begun random failures again. There is no indication from the dash of an error. When placed in reverse, the camera display in the dash goes nearly black or totally black; sometimes lane back lines are present, sometimes not. The current problem is entirely consistent with the failure conditions and symptoms prior to the recall update to replace the wire harness. The problem can fairly routinely be triggered by multiple uses of the dual-action tailgate movement. A few flat down and back up, then a few swing-gate actions will generally trigger the failure. When the camera monitor does have a normal picture, it will stay that way indefinitely -until you again have repeated tailgate movements using the dual-action feature. It is generally possible to perform several dual-action movements of the tailgate and restore the camera monitor to a functional view. The recall and replacement with an "improved" wire harness has failed to last; the identical problem is recurring. The vehicle was at a Honda dealer today. They report no error codes, they report no continuity issues with the wire harness. Proposed remedy is to replace the camera unit, despite no error codes. The only basis seems to be that they could not "see" a problem with the harness. Nor can they explain why the circumstances are identical to what caused the initial recall, but still feel it's not the cable. Nor can they explain why my repeated movements of the tailgate can make the display work again. This is a considerable safety issue as it's extremely difficult to back up the vehicle if you can't see behind/below the tailgate. Mirrors are not enough; safe backing requires the use of the rear view camera.

While driving down the road the lower passenger side rear door garnish flew off the truck and went flying out of the wheel well.

The collision breaking will fire off automatically in situations where you’re going around a curve and there’s a car coming in the opposite direction. The truck will see the other car and slam on the brakes even though everybody’s in the correct lane it’s terribly dangerous because it basically is brake checking people who are behind you. There’s no rhyme or reason to it. It does not always do it. It just does it sometimes You can turn the system off, but you have to do that every single time that you turned the car on and it’s I’m sure caused many wrecks at this point.

The automatic high beam system is terrible. It is too sensitive so the beams flash hi/low on and off. Even a small road reflector on a dark empty road will force it back to low beam. Other cars I own with this type system work much better. It’s a safety hazard because auto hi-beam is on by default and you can’t count on it providing the correct amount of lighting when on dark roads, plus it annoys oncoming drivers because of the constant flashing.

The auto high beam system on my 2023 Honda Ridgeline frequently malfunctions. It prematurely dims the high beams when approaching reflective road signs or street lighting, even with no oncoming traffic present. More concerning, the system immediately reactivates high beams afterward — sometimes directly into the eyes of oncoming drivers, creating a blinding hazard. This behavior has occurred multiple times during rural and suburban nighttime driving. Honda offers no way to adjust the system’s sensitivity, even the one in the dask computer dont help and dealerships confirm that no fix or update is currently available. The system appears to be functioning “as designed,” but the result is erratic and unpredictable headlight behavior that undermines safety. I am submitting this report to document repeated false activations and to support investigation or revision of this feature.

There is a presence of gasoline in the oil which is causing two(2) safety issues. 1. The infiltration of gasoline in the oil can cause the engine to malfunction to the point of seizure which could cause a sudden stop in traffic flow. 2. The noxious gasoline fumes are unbearable in the cabin of the truck causing headaches, nausea, and lightheadedness which could cause an accident while driving and could cause the driver to become disoriented and cause an accident. I took the vehicle to Napleton Honda in Loves Park, Illinois to address the problem, and they, in turn contacted American Honda for guidance. The dealership said the technical arm of American Honda said the fumes and the gasoline infiltration was, "NORMAL. I was contacted by American Honda and they suggested that I get a second opinion from another dealership, which IMHO is moot because they will contact American Honda for guidance and they will be told the exact same thing. The case number with American Honda is: XXX. The vehicle is currently under warranty for approximately one(1) more month. I had the oil analyzed by Blackstone Laboratories and they did, in fact detect gasoline in the oil. I have those results. I talked to the Honda Case Manager and she said that Honda will not/does not accept third party testing. American Honda will not even agree to test the oil themselves to determine if what I'm saying is true. I would sincerely appreciate any assistance since my truck is almost unbearable and certainly unsafe to drive. There are currently no warning or check engine lights on, but a simple oil analysis would, 100% confirm the presence of gasoline in the oil. I have noticed the gasoline odor for approximately 9 months and it has progressively gotten worse. I try to combat the noxious odors and impending motor damage by changing my oil very frequently which is approximately every 500-750 miles with full synthetic oil. Please contact me if you need anything further. Thank you. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Engine knock noticed right after oil change, prominent metal on metal sound under load, it’s more pronounced and easier to hear at low speeds. The vehicle only has 34,000 miles and 2 years old. Took to Honda Dealership in Staunton VA(Valley CMA Honda) and they are still diagnosing(for 4 weeks now) but told me so far that it’s coming from the location where oil pan is and main bearing. So it’s very likely a serious engine issue. Very disappointing and frustrating situation that vehicle is only 2 years old with 34,000 miles and already having a serious engine issue.

I have taken my car to the dealership of three separate occasions with respect to the Automatic High Beam Option which at best works inconsistently on the back rural roads where I live. They adjusted this option on two occasions, and the service advisor took my vehicle home - driving it at night. In his words, he indicated, "Given the technology within this vehicle, we did the best we could." I know for a fact the automatic high beam option technology exists as I have another vehicle with the same option that works flawlessly and as intended; a 2024 Subaru Forester. In multiple correspondences with Honda's Customer Service Division, they stated, "At this time, the trained technicians at Middletown Honda have confirmed that your vehicle is operating as designed. We truly regret that the outcome does not meet your expectations, and we want to assure you that your dissatisfaction has been noted on our end." Clearly, and I understand, that for this issue to be resolved, a recall of this vehicle specific to this issue would have to take place. I have read on numerosu blogs and Honda Forums that this is and has been an issue with this current model dating back to the 2020 model, as owners of the models predating this year did not find this option as an issue. So, clearly something in the engineering of this option post 2020 changed. As I had indicated to both Honda's Customer Service and the dealership personnel I have spoken to, I will no longer utilize this option as it is dangerous and will, on the rural roads I drive on, cause a vehicular accident.

I have a 2023 Honda Ridgeline RTE excellent condition! Driver side headlight has moisture in it. There is a bulletin from Honda TSB23–024 titled moisture in headlight with a date of 3/3/2023. It involves the ridgeline 2017–2023. The summary says “moisture in the headlights. The headlight seal may become damaged from a miss adjusted Hood. Damage to the headlight seal may lead to moisture condensation building up in the headlight. Replace the headlight(s) with moisture condensation buildup and readjust the hood stoppers.” I called Honda Eastgate at 513-528-8000. They stated it was not a recall and that it would be an out-of-pocket cost. They want to charge a diagnostic fee of $250.00 and then charge to replace the headlight. I asked them if having moisture in the headlight would be a safety problem and they said yes if the light went out. Why in the world is this not a recall. I feel Honda is responsible for this and there should be no charge to the customer. I want to know who else I need to report this to, to have this become a recall, please help me with this problem. I can be reached at [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] Thank you for your help. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)