2021 Honda Ridgeline problems, complaints & recalls

Updated from NHTSA data · How we count

Owners have filed 101 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Honda Ridgeline, most often about engine. There are 7 recalls for this model year.

Complaints
101
Recalls
7
Crashes
3
Fires
0
Injuries
2
Median mileage
21,000 mi
at time of problem

Key facts

  • Engine is the most-reported problem area, named in 31 of 101 complaints (31%).
  • Driver Assistance & Safety Tech (19) and electrical system (15) follow.
  • Half of the complaints that list mileage happened before 21,000 mi.
  • Owners reported 3 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries.
  • The 2021 Honda Ridgeline has 7 recalls on file.
  • NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations covering this vehicle.
  • It ranks 7th of 20 Honda Ridgeline model years by our severity-weighted complaint score (1st = worst).
  • That is 40% fewer complaints than the 2020 model year (169).

2021 Honda Ridgeline problems by category

  • 31 complaints
  • Driver Assistance & Safety Tech · 1 crash
    19 complaints
  • Electrical System
    15 complaints
  • Other / Unknown
    14 complaints
  • Lighting
    14 complaints
  • Transmission & Drivetrain
    11 complaints
  • Fuel, Hybrid & EV Propulsion
    6 complaints
  • Body & Structure
    5 complaints
  • Visibility & Wipers
    4 complaints
  • Acceleration & Cruise Control
    4 complaints
  • Airbags · 1 crash
    3 complaints
  • Brakes · 2 crashes
    3 complaints
  • Wheels & Tires · 1 crash
    3 complaints
  • Suspension
    2 complaints
  • Seats & Seat Belts
    1 complaints
  • Steering
    1 complaints

A complaint can mention more than one problem area, so categories add up to more than the total.

Most-reported components

Component (as filed with NHTSA)Complaints
Engine28
Electrical system15
Unknown or other14
Exterior lighting14
Power train11
Forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking10
Forward collision avoidance: warnings7
Fuel/propulsion system6

When problems happen (mileage)

4Under 10k410k–30k330k–60k60k–100k1100k–150k150k+
Mileage at the time of the problem, for 2021 Honda Ridgeline complaints that list mileage.

2021 Honda Ridgeline recalls (7)

  • Recall 26V365000Jun 4, 2026880,514 vehicles
    STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS · SUSPENSION:REAR

    American Honda Motor Company (Honda) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Honda Pilot, 2017-2023 Ridgeline, 2019-2023 Passport, and 2014-2020 Acura MDX vehicles that were sold in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. The rear subframe may corrode at the suspension mounting points, which can result in rear suspension component failure.

    Risk: Failure of rear suspension components, such as the rear control arm, can cause a loss of vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rear subframe and install a rear subframe reinforcement kit and, as necessary, repair or replace the rear subframe components, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed July 27, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in the fall of 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are AOU and AOT. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning June 10, 2026.

  • Recall 26V332000May 21, 202698,892 vehicles
    AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.

    Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.

  • Recall 24V321000May 9, 2024187,290 vehicles
    BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

    Honda (America Honda Motor Co) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Ridgeline vehicles. The rearview camera (RVC) tailgate wire harness may fatigue and break, which can prevent the rearview camera image from displaying.

    Risk: A rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the RVC tailgate wire harness, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed November 8, 2024. Owners may contact Honda service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is YI7.

  • Recall 24V064000Feb 1, 2024750,114 vehicles
    AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.

    Risk: An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.

  • Recall 23V458000Jun 29, 2023124,077 vehicles
    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Civic, 2020-2023 Ridgeline, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot, and 2020 Acura MDX vehicles. The tie rod fastener that connects the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been improperly assembled during manufacturing, which can cause the brake master cylinder to separate from the booster assembly.

    Risk: Brake master cylinder separation can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are VEU, AEV, and ZET.

  • Recall 23V174000Mar 16, 2023339,404 vehicles
    VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2020-2022 Passport and Odyssey vehicles. The heating pads behind both side-view mirrors may not be bonded properly, allowing the mirror glass to detach. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."

    Risk: Detached mirror glass can reduce driver visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace both left and right side-view mirrors, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 17, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is FE5.

  • Recall 21V900000Nov 18, 20214,346 vehicles
    SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:RETRACTOR

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021 Accord Sedan, Accord Hybrid, CR-V, Ridgeline, 2022 Insight and CR-V Hybrid vehicles. The automatic locking retractor on the second-row center seat belt assembly may deactivate improperly, which can result in an unsecured child restraint system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

    Risk: An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the second-row center seat belt assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2022. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.

NHTSA defect investigations

  • EA25004Opened Mar 26, 2025Open

    No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages

    On June 3, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE22005 after the agency received VOQs and several field reports concerning the Auto Idle Stop (AIS) feature on 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles. The complaints allege that the engine fails to restart on its own from a complete stop at a traffic light or road intersection with the AIS function engaged. The subject vehicles are equipped with a 3.5L engine with a 9-speed automatic transmission. On January 6, 2023, Honda released service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009. These service bulletins address the failure to r…

  • PE24004Opened Feb 13, 2024Closed Aug 5, 2024led to recall 24V321

    Rear-View Camera Failure

    On February 13, 2024, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE24004 to assess alleged failures of the rear-view camera (RVC) in 2020-2023 Model Year (MY) Honda Ridgeline vehicles. At this time, ODI has received a total of 50 complaints with allegations of the RVC image failing to display when the vehicle was in reverse. The RVC wire harness is routed near the hinge in the tailgate, in a location where frequent opening and closing of the tailgate causes bending stress on the harness. Honda determined the wire harness was manufactured with a material which is pe…

Recent 2021 Honda Ridgeline complaints

Excerpts of the newest owner complaints, lightly cleaned of personal details. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

  1. Filed Sep 9, 2026ILElectrical SystemEngine
    The auto idle function- the car engine doesn't restart. This has happened in a busy intersection and won't restart until you have made several attempts to restart. I have brought this to the attention of Honda certified techs.
    NHTSA complaint #11763064 · source
  2. Filed Aug 23, 2026TXDriver Assistance & Safety Tech
    The complete Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) has been disabled on my truck and all the warning lights are on. All the safety features ment to keep me safe on the road are no longer working.
    NHTSA complaint #11758843 · source
  3. Filed Aug 22, 2026WISuspensionWheels & Tires
    1.The rear wheel assembly, lug nuts, and potentially the wheel studs/rear suspension system failed due to improper torque and installation by the dealership. Yes, the vehicle components are available for inspection 2.The dealership released my vehicle with completely untorqued lug nuts on the rear wheel assembly. A lug nut physically fell off onto the public street while driving back to the shop. This severe negligence created an immediate, life-threatening risk of the wheel…
    NHTSA complaint #11758791 · source
  4. Filed Aug 11, 2026SCEngineAcceleration & Cruise Control
    This involves the paddle shift operation on the steering wheel. There are two paddles, one at 3 o'clock and 6 o'clock where the hands come into contact with the steering wheel. On four separate occasions, while driving at a relatively high rate of speed, my hands accidentally activated the gear mode by lightly touching one or both of the paddles. Very little pressure is needed to activate the gears. When this occurs, the vehicle shifts to a lower gear, and the vehicle…
    NHTSA complaint #11756223 · source
  5. Filed Aug 3, 2026SCEngine
    Auto Idle Stop failed as I was sitting at a red light. As I came to a stop at the light, the truck entered the Auto Idle Stop. When the light turned green and it was time to accelerate, I released my foot off of the brake and the engine stopped. It cut out right there. Warning lights came on and I had to restart the engine by totally shutting down the truck on a busy highway road. It took 2 attempts to get it to start. After this, I turned the Auto Idle Stop OFF using the…
    NHTSA complaint #11754528 · source
  6. Filed Jul 23, 2026FLDriver Assistance & Safety Tech
    When driving the vehicle suddenly displayed warning and failure lights for the following: Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keep Assist, Road Departure, High Beam Support, and Collision Mitigation. The vehicle in the past regularly experiences issues with oncoming traffic (especially on 2 lane roads) when it comes to auto braking and forward crash warnings so I immediately brought the vehicle home as I was worried for my safety and the safety of others on the road that if these…
    NHTSA complaint #11752301 · source
  7. Filed Jul 14, 2026FLDriver Assistance & Safety TechElectrical System
    My 2021 Honda Ridgeline Sport experienced failure of the forward-facing Honda Sensing camera system. This camera controls safety features including Collision Mitigation Braking, Lane Keeping Assist, and Adaptive Cruise Control. The failure disables safety assistance features. Honda acknowledged the issue but refused to provide full repair coverage and only offered $941 toward a repair costing significantly more. I believe a safety-related camera failure should be…
    NHTSA complaint #11750429 · source
  8. Filed May 9, 2026MACrashTowedAirbagsBrakesDriver Assistance & Safety Tech
    I was involved in a rear end collision earlier today. My vehicle sustained significant front end damage and the air bags did not deploy. The vehicle had to be flat bedded to a Massachusetts State Police Barracks, pending further action by my insurance company. There were no injuries.
    NHTSA complaint #11736770 · source

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Other 2021 Honda models

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data, as of Oct 11, 2026. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology