2018 Honda Ridgeline Electrical Problems

I had the backup camera harness recall performed on my 2018 Honda Ridgeline on 09/06/2023 by Honda of Escondido , CA. (See attached invoice of recall work performed.) On 01/27/2026, the backup camera failed to appear on the dash screen when the vehicle was in reverse. I restarted the vehicle and the camera view was still not visible on the screen. I drove home and parked the vehicle in my garage. I turned the ignition off and then on again and put the car in reverse with the brake applied. This time the camera view was displayed on the dash screen. Appears to be an intermittent problem. (See attached two pictures of rear camera view not projected to the dash screen and one picture of my vehicle"s mileage, 50,518 miles.)

NHTSA ID

11713888

Incident

Jan 27, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50-55 MPH on I-40 Westbound to I-25 and making a turn in a construction zone, the passenger’s side air bag deployed without warning or impact to the vehicle. There were no reported injuries. The air bag control message was displayed after the failure. Two days later, the system indicators produced a failure with the road departure mitigation, collision mitigation, trailer stability control field assist, vehicle stability control, power steering, air bag system, and adaptive cruise control. The brake system warning light was illuminated after the parking brake was released. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 56,850.

NHTSA ID

11700587

Incident

Nov 13, 2025

Mileage

56,850 mi

Infotainment system have a black screen

NHTSA ID

11688362

Incident

Nov 5, 2024

KEYLESS ACCESS CONTROL UNIT PART NUMBER: 38320-T6Z-A31 The vehicle headlights came on and dash lights flashed on and off. The alarm would also go off and on. This causes the battery to drain as well. Also I know of several other Honda Ridgeline owners who have had the same part failure

NHTSA ID

11666066

Incident

Jun 8, 2025

Initially the car would not turn on. We were able to start it but then the engine would not turn off. Shop indicated that the Body Control Module is faulty. Honda of Olathe has the component that malfunctioned as of today 11/1/2024. My understanding is that this system controls door locks, windows, lights, turn signal, horn, etc. Malfunction of some of these systems may put my safety or the safety of others at risk. There was a warning message indicating "Keyless Start System Problem".

NHTSA ID

11623097

Incident

Oct 31, 2024

1. Vehicle when locked arms the car alarm. When armed the car alarm is randomly and intermittently going off, and dash lights light up exactly like the system is ready to start. Vehicle is available for inspection. 2. has potential to run battery down if alarm is not silenced in a timely manner leaving the vehicle operator stranded. 3. problem on this specific vehicle has not yet been reproduced by the dealer but HONDA issued a service bulletin relating to the problem. Honda Service Bulletin 21-055 4. vehicle not yet inspected by others 5. No early indication failure would occur. First indication of problem occurred week of 6/16/2024.

NHTSA ID

11595856

Incident

Jun 21, 2024

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.

NHTSA ID

11588724

Incident

Apr 30, 2024

Mileage

44,000 mi

Rear view camera not working, exposed wires from lift gate operation. I can now see the exposed wires and some have been cut due to operation of lift gate over time.

NHTSA ID

11515483

Incident

Apr 2, 2023

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, all four windows of the vehicle were rolling up and down independently. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle braked unintendedly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the electric system was reset; however, the horn engaged unintendedly while the vehicle was parked. The contact stated that he disconnected the battery, and the vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the electrical control unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that there was no recall related to the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to NHTSA for assistance. The failure mileage was 22,000.

NHTSA ID

11514025

Incident

Sep 18, 2018

Mileage

22,000 mi

The backup camera has stopped working, at least the imaging part. This makes backing up riskier, especially in parking lots, driveways or where pedestrians may be behind me. I have not been to the dealership yet as it failed today but this seems a common complaint for Ridgeline owners online. I have not had others inspect this problem yet. There was no warning, yesterday worked fine, today it doesn't work. I took a picture of the broken wiring harness at the corner of the tailgate, looks same as what I found online. Truck is a 2018 model with between 70 and 80K miles.

NHTSA ID

11493517

Incident

Nov 14, 2022

The backup camera intermittently works. When put in reverse, sometimes I’ll have a black screen with grid lines, other times just a blank screen. Yes, it is available for inspection. I cannot see persons and property when backing up. I am afraid, in reverse, of running over persons shorter than the vehicle that only the backup camera would pick up. This has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service station. The vehicle has not been inspected by another entity. There has been no warning lights or messages from the vehicle about the issue. I purchased the vehicle in October 2022 and the issue started two weeks after purchase.

NHTSA ID

11493074

Incident

Nov 10, 2022

The failed system is the Backup camera and the failure can be inspected. Our safety is compromised because we cannot see objects behind the vehicle before or during backing maneuvers. The damage has been reported and confirmed by the Honda dealer as well as an independent. There was no warning of the failure, one day it worked the next day it did not work.

NHTSA ID

11490347

Incident

Mar 15, 2022

Rear view camera failed - wiring harness drivers side in tailgate is damaged from normal use. Wires are frayed/cut.

NHTSA ID

11486546

Incident

Sep 26, 2022

Wire harness failed due to pinching in tailgate. This resulted in the rear view camera no longer functioning. Due to the camera failure, I can no longer see behind the vehicle when reversing. This has been inspected by the dealership. Although this is a common issue, they declined to repair it. Cost to repair would be $465 + labor.

NHTSA ID

11485930

Incident

Sep 22, 2022

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Rear camera wire harness has failed. When vehicle is in reverse the screen displays a black image. Vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Please see attached image. These wires are visible when the tailgate is open. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The rear camera adds tremendous safety information as I reverse the vehicle. In every situation this information is valuable; more so in a neighborhoods like the one I live in. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No. I will mention it during my next routine service. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No, first signs were the camera would fail sporadically , now almost permanently. Sometimes after opening/closing the tailgate the camera will work until the tailgate is opened again.

NHTSA ID

11485774

Incident

Aug 1, 2022

My 2018 Honda Ridgeline pickup has a backup camera which became nonfunctional in June 2022. Upon inspection the wiring harness at the back gate pivot point has broken as the gate has been opened over time, disabling the backup camera - the display is now black when the vehicle is in reverse. This has made it difficult to accurately back the vehicle up, and puts pedestrians, pets and other objects at risk as it is impossible to see directly behind the truck when backing. The dealer has confirmed this wiring harness failure, and has quoted me $2,000 to repair the wiring harness. The vehicle is scheduled for repair, but I would not expect this failure to occur this early in the vehicle's duty cycle.

NHTSA ID

11469205

Incident

Jun 2, 2022

Broken wire in backup camera bundle due to improper design where the bundle exits the tailgate and enters the left rear fender area. Wire had been broken and poorly repaired prior to my purchase. The wire bundle needs a redesign to prevent flexure at the point of failure. Failure caused loss of backup camera . There have been many reports of failures at this specific point in the wire bundle Needs redesign and recall. Thank you.

NHTSA ID

11467607

Incident

Jun 1, 2022

Rear backup camera does not work. This is a known manufacturer defect in the wiring from opening the tailgate the wiring harness breaks there should be a safety recall on this They want $653.00 to replace the harness with the same harness which will just break again

NHTSA ID

11467329

Incident

May 1, 2022

The back up camera no longer functions due to the wiring harness cracking and breaking at the junction where the wires run from the tailgate into the left rear tail light area.

NHTSA ID

11466931

Incident

Jun 1, 2022

Back up camera stopped working.

NHTSA ID

11464749

Incident

May 15, 2022

The backup camera stopped working. I brought the vehicle to a Honda dealer and they said it was due to a broken tailgate wiring harness. The dealer said the wiring harness would need to be replaced. I asked the dealer why the harness broke and he said it was due to corrosion. The replacement part was ordered and the repair was made within two days. I asked for the damaged part when I picked the vehicle up. Upon inspection, there was no visible corrosion (especially since the outer shielding is made of plastic).

NHTSA ID

11462703

Incident

Apr 5, 2022

The backup camera doesn't always work correctly. Looks like it's due to an issue in the wiring. The wiring harness that runs near the tail gate left hinge is damaged and bare wire is showing.

NHTSA ID

11461652

Incident

Apr 17, 2022

Back up camera wiring crimped and is no longer working

NHTSA ID

11461083

Incident

Apr 2, 2022

Several times now, the alarm of the vehicle has gone off in the middle of the night for no reason. The key access remotes does not respond to the commands properly after replacing them with new batteries. After several different combinations to set the alarm off, the vehicle is continuing to make electrical circuit noises, flashing the dashboard with potential risk of fire and damages to computer, plus creating the possibility of a heart attack to those nearby. The only solution to keep the alarm of is leaving one door unlocked. The vehicle reflected the Keyless start system problem light for many hours. However, the dealership "couldnt" replicate the issue and gave back the vehicle. The vehicle continues to malfunction & could cause an accident, fire while driving or theft, given known issues that Honda Corp doesn't want to recognize as manufactures' issues. There is a Technical Bulletin addressing 2016 & 2017 Honda Ridgelines (Service Bulletin 20-117), noting an extended warranty coverage & the requirement to replace different aspects. However, for 2018 to 2019 Honda Ridgelines, despite reporting the same issues as the 2016-2017 Ridegelines, the Technical Bulletin notes to check the alarm registry & complete replacement at the customer expense (Service Bulletin 21-055);no recalls or extended warraty. An investigation should be completed to ensure customers' safety

NHTSA ID

11461046

Incident

Apr 17, 2022

Screen for backup camera goes black when vehicle is in reverse. I can see that wire loom going from rear bumper to tailgate where camera is mounted is broken and wires within the loom are fractured.

NHTSA ID

11457158

Incident

Mar 13, 2022