2017 Honda Ridgeline Problems

Component Failure & Inspection: The internal engine assembly failed completely due to a catastrophic main/connecting rod bearing seizure. The vehicle is currently located at Fowler Honda in [XXX], and the failed engine components are fully available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: A sudden and catastrophic internal engine seizure causes an immediate loss of motive power and stalling while driving, which poses a severe risk of a high-speed crash or being stranded in active traffic. Additionally, internal rod bearing failures present a known fire risk due to moving components breaking and puncturing the engine block. Dealer Confirmation & Inspection: The failure has been officially inspected and confirmed by a certified factory dealership technician at Fowler Honda ([XXX]). They provided an official repair estimate of $9,278.47. Crucially, this exorbitant quote was specified for a salvaged/used engine with 107,000 miles on it rather than a new factory replacement, forcing me to bear an extreme financial burden for a high-mileage replacement component due to a manufacturing defect. Warning Signs & Symptoms: The engine developed a loud internal mechanical knock/noise shortly before locking up completely. Summary of Issue: This vehicle exhibits the exact mechanical manufacturing defect outlined in Honda's Recall 23V751000 for the 3.5L V6 engine family. However, American Honda is currently refusing to offer Goodwill Assistance or cover the repair costs under Case Number XXX because my specific VIN is excluded from the initial recall database. I am filing this complaint to urge federal investigators to force an expansion of the recall boundaries to cover all omitted 2017 vehicles experiencing this identical structural defect, ensuring out-of-pocket owners receive full restitution. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ENGINE DIED WHILE DRIVING AND IT WONT START

My 2017 Honda Ridgeline RTL-T is having an issue where the right fog lamp acts as if its the left turn signal when activated. Example: I activate the turn signal to perform a left turn. The turn signal does not hyperflash as if it needs a new bulb. The rear left turn signal performs as expected, however the front left turn signal does not activate. The right front fog lamp flashes as if its a turn signal. This presents a risk in traffic as oncoming could assume that I'm turning right as I make a left hand turn.

My car alarm randomly goes off. With no user interaction, the dashboard lights will flicker and i hear clicking noises from the dashboard. Then the alarm triggers randomly. i have to manually use the key fob to turn the alarm off. Honda has acknowledged this issue with service bulletin 21-055. This has caused my car battery to die and i was left stranded. Honda has failed to put a warranty extension or recall for this item.

The first time I was driving about 30 miles an hour. There was a car in front of me about 10 car lengths who put on his blinker to make a left turn. I started to tap my brakes to slow down. The car was so far in front of me that I didn’t even need to slow down, I was being careful. Suddenly the truck shuddered and stopped and BRAKE, BRAKE flashed on the screen in front of the steering wheel. Everything in the truck flew forward. The people in the vehicle behind me started blasting the horn because they almost rear ended me. My truck just slammed on the brakes for no reason. Another time I was driving down the interstate highway. There were no cars in front, behind or on either side of me. Suddenly, the truck shuddered and BRAKE, BRAKE flashed across the screen. I was driving about 70 miles an hour. The truck did not stop. It just shuddered and slowed down. Those were the two scariest times. The truck since then will flash BRAKE on occasion if I step on the brakes to start slowing down. I called customer service for American Honda and they told me to take it to a Honda dealer when it was happening.

See attached document for complaint.

Dear National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, I am writing to formally report a serious safety concern involving my vehicle, which experienced a sudden engine shutdown while I was driving on the busy [XXX] toward the [XXX]. The engine unexpectedly stopped operating due to oil-related and engine issues, creating an extremely dangerous situation for me and potentially for other motorists traveling on the roadway. Having a vehicle suddenly lose engine power while traveling at highway speeds presents a significant safety hazard. The unexpected loss of power can leave a driver with limited ability to maneuver safely, increase the risk of a collision, and expose the driver and passengers to danger from surrounding traffic. In my situation, the engine failure occurred without warning while I was on a busy highway, placing my safety and the safety of others at risk. I am concerned that the circumstances surrounding this failure may indicate a potential safety-related defect involving the vehicle's engine or oil system. I respectfully request that NHTSA review this incident and determine whether similar complaints have been reported involving this vehicle, its engine, or related oil-system components. If a broader pattern of failures exists, I ask that the agency consider whether further investigation or appropriate corrective action is warranted. I would appreciate guidance regarding the proper process for submitting supporting documentation, including repair records, diagnostic reports, photographs, maintenance history, and any other information that may assist your investigation. I believe that sudden engine failure under these circumstances deserves serious attention because of the potential consequences for public safety. My intention in submitting this complaint is to ensure that this incident is documented and evaluated, and to help determine whether other vehicle owners may be facing a similar risk. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

When driving the vehicle on I-94 near Taylor, MI, 2 codes popped up on my dashboard cluster: 1) Transmission System Problem 2) Blind Spot Info System Problem When diagnosing this at a local auto stores & the Honda dealer itself, a stored code of DTC P0741 Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Performance or Stuck OFF is listed. Honda has identified a problem with this under Service Bulletin 23-078, but after talking with the dealer & calling American Honda they state the issue does not relate to my vehicle, even though it falls under their 2017-2019 Honda Ridgeline model.. The model in question is a 2017 Honda Ridgeline Black Edition. American Honda is not taking ownership of the same issue as described in their bulletin stating improper specifications when manufactured.

Dear National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, I am writing to formally report a serious safety concern involving my vehicle, which experienced a sudden engine shutdown while I was driving on the busy [XXX] toward the [XXX]. The engine unexpectedly stopped operating due to oil-related and engine issues, creating an extremely dangerous situation for me and potentially for other motorists traveling on the roadway. Having a vehicle suddenly lose engine power while traveling at highway speeds presents a significant safety hazard. The unexpected loss of power can leave a driver with limited ability to maneuver safely, increase the risk of a collision, and expose the driver and passengers to danger from surrounding traffic. In my situation, the engine failure occurred without warning while I was on a busy highway, placing my safety and the safety of others at risk. I am concerned that the circumstances surrounding this failure may indicate a potential safety-related defect involving the vehicle's engine or oil system. I respectfully request that NHTSA review this incident and determine whether similar complaints have been reported involving this vehicle, its engine, or related oil-system components. If a broader pattern of failures exists, I ask that the agency consider whether further investigation or appropriate corrective action is warranted. I would appreciate guidance regarding the proper process for submitting supporting documentation, including repair records, diagnostic reports, photographs, maintenance history, and any other information that may assist your investigation. I believe that sudden engine failure under these circumstances deserves serious attention because of the potential consequences for public safety. My intention in submitting this complaint is to ensure that this incident is documented and evaluated, and to help determine whether other vehicle owners may be facing a similar risk. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2017 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The “4WD Failure” message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched and became aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 101,055.

Sunroof randomly exploded I was traveling on a highway and we heard a very loud “pop”. We at first thought we were hit by someone else, or blew a tire. Neither occurred but then heard wind and noticed the sunroof not only shattered, but blew outward. There were glass shards all around. We have taken it to the dealership and they said while other vehicles have had problems, the Ridgeline is not under a recall. I took pictures as to document what occurred. There was absolutely no warning that it was about to happened, either through the vehicle warning system or noises prior to the loud pop. It simply came out of no where and scared us immensely until we recognized what had happened.

My vehicle has 113,795 miles and it is leaking Windshield Washer Fluid. I have not attempted a repair yet, but I’m assuming it’s leaking from the reservoir.

The first time I was driving about 30 miles an hour. There was a car in front of me about 10 car lengths who put on his blinker to make a left turn. I started to tap my brakes to slow down. The car was so far in front of me that I didn’t even need to slow down, I was being careful. Suddenly the truck shuddered and stopped and BRAKE, BRAKE flashed on the screen in front of the steering wheel. Everything in the truck flew forward. The people in the vehicle behind me started blasting the horn because they almost rear ended me. My truck just slammed on the brakes for no reason. Another time I was driving down the interstate highway. There were no cars in front, behind or on either side of me. Suddenly, the truck shuddered and BRAKE, BRAKE flashed across the screen. I was driving about 70 miles an hour. The truck did not stop. It just shuddered and slowed down. Those were the two scariest times. The truck since then will flash BRAKE on occasion if I step on the brakes to start slowing down. I called customer service for American Honda and they told me to take it to a Honda dealer when it was happening.

At approximately 20mph, Forward collision warning appeared as car in front braked quickly but continued forward after the quick brake. After I braked to slow down, I began to accelerate as the vehicle in front continued forward. As soon as I hit the accelerator, the Automatic Emergency Braking kicked in and locked up the brakes - even though the car in front of me was 20-30+ feet away. Car behind me had to slam on their brakes as it appeared that I braked without any reason

The contact owns a 2017 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while inspecting the vehicle, it was discovered that the rear subframe, rear axle, and suspension were corroded and rusted. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V365000 (STRUCTURE, SUSPENSION). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The contact was concerned that the suspension could fail due to the corrosion. The failure mileage was 140,000.

See attached document for complaint

My 2017 Honda Ridgeline RTL-T is having an issue where the right fog lamp acts as if its the left turn signal when activated. Example: I activate the turn signal to perform a left turn. The turn signal does not hyperflash as if it needs a new bulb. The rear left turn signal performs as expected, however the front left turn signal does not activate. The right front fog lamp flashes as if its a turn signal. This presents a risk in traffic as oncoming could assume that I'm turning right as I make a left hand turn.

Low beam headlight. Not turning on. Not yet. No.

The contact owns a 2017 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel began jerking. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 45,000.

VEHICLE BEGAN TO DISPLAY WARNING LIGHTS: VEHICLE STABILITY ASSIST (VSA) PROBLEM, EMISSIONS SYSTEM PROBLEM, ALL WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM PROBLEM, POWER STEERING SYSTEM PROBLEM, HILL START ASSIST PROBLEM AND TRAILER STABILITY ASSIST PROBLEM (TSA.) CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON.

The contact owns a 2017 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while inspecting the vehicle, it was discovered that the rear subframe, rear axle, and suspension were corroded and rusted. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V365000 (STRUCTURE, SUSPENSION). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The contact was concerned that the suspension could fail due to the corrosion. The failure mileage was 140,000.

AT AROUND 30K MILES THE CAR BEGAN TO MAKE A THUMPING SOUND FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE WHEN DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND PASSING OVER ANY UNEVEN SURFACE ON THE ROAD. THE SOUND SEEMS TO HAPPEN ONLY WHEN THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL HITS A BUMP AND NOT THE RIGHT WHEEL. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE LOCAL DEALER TWICE AND THEY STATED THEY COULD NOT HEAR THE NOISE OR RECREATE IT AND THAT ALL COMPONENTS WHERE WORKING CORRECTLY. I EVEN ROAD WITH THE TECH TO SHOW THEM THE SOUND AND THEY REPORTED AFTERWARDS THAT THE SOUNDS WAS GONE WHEN THEY TEST DROVE IT 4 TIMES BEFORE I PICKED IT UP. DRIVING OUT FROM THE DEALER, THE SOUND WAS STILL THERE. THEY TOLD ME TO LET IT GET WORSE SO THEY CAN FIND IT EASIER AND DIAGNOSE IT. THE NOISE CAN BE HEARD ESPECIALLY WHEN PASSING OVER CONSECUTIVE AND SMALL BUMPS. THE CAR NOW SOUNDS LIKE AN OLD CAR WITH STRUCTURAL DAMAGE.

The contact owns a 2017 Honda Ridgeline. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: (20E068000 (EQUIPMENT) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were contacted.

Seat release handle is defective and breaks due to product design. Poor quality plastic material can not withstand tension from metal cable when actuated and a plastic component breaks inside the component of the seat lever causing seat to be locked in place which could potentially trap a child or the seat can not lock and stay in unlocked position and the seat will not flip up and rest in a lock position. Which is also a hazard because seat is not secured and will flop around. Honda does not sell the plastic part separately they are gouging the consumer by charging $477.92 for a replacement kit when the only part needed is a $10 plastic handle, which can easily be switched out by consumer. Average dealer cost to replace is $799 for the repair. Contacted Honda they will not sell plastic handle separately and are aware at the issue with their product.