2025 Honda Ridgeline Owner Complaints

On two occasions, immediately after re-fueling the vehicle, the engine auto idle stop failed to restart the vehicle. Both times this happened at busy intersections. A series of messages appeared on the display. I was flustered because cars behind me were honking as I was blocking traffic so I don’t exactly remember the error messages. One message said to put the transmission in park. Another said to hold the brake and the engine start button. Eventually the engine did re-start by holding the start button down.

NHTSA ID

11755798

Incident

Aug 8, 2026

2025 Ridgeline. Brake pedal sinks when engine started. Brake pedal sinks below the footrest. When applying brake pedal in an emergency stop my left foot contacts footrest causing me to have to release then re-apply the brakes increasing stopping distance. And then Re-applying the mushy brakes causes me to push too hard resulting in erratic braking. Took it to Lynnwood Honda who inspected and bled the brakes but would not confirm any problem. There are no warning lights. The sinking mushy brakes have not caused an accident yet.

NHTSA ID

11755721

Incident

May 15, 2026

While sitting in traffic with my 2025 Honda Ridgeline, with the engine stopped as the brake had been fully applied, when I released pressure off the brake, my vehicle would not restart as it normally would in this situation, thereby stranding me in a serious traffic situation. I notified the police and my vehicle was eventually towed to the nearest Honda dealer to try to determine what the issue was . Scary situation since my vehicle only has approximately 25K miles on it.

NHTSA ID

11755532

Incident

Aug 7, 2026

My Honda Ridgeline has experienced a dangerous malfunction involving the Auto Idle Stop system. When the vehicle comes to a stop, the system automatically shuts off the engine as designed to conserve fuel. Normally, the engine should restart when the brake pedal is released. On multiple occasions, however, the engine has failed to restart when the brake pedal is released. A warning appears on the dashboard, and the vehicle becomes difficult to restart. This has left me unexpectedly unable to move the vehicle while stopped in traffic. This creates a serious safety hazard because the failure can occur at an intersection or in an active traffic lane. When traffic begins moving, the vehicle may remain stalled while surrounding drivers expect it to accelerate normally, creating a risk of a rear-end or other collision. The problem is unpredictable, and I am concerned that the Auto Idle Stop system can disable the vehicle during normal operation without adequate warning. I believe this condition should be investigated as a potential safety defect.

NHTSA ID

11755400

Incident

Jul 28, 2026

since I purchased this truck brand new from the dealer, the brakes always had air in the lines. No matter how many times I bleed the brakes, there is still air in the line. From my understanding, previous years of this truck had master cylinder issues. I went to the dealer and they refused to fix the issue, because I already attempted to fix the problem. Also, the car doesn't start when shut off during hot weather and you want to start the car again. You have to wait and try again. The car is laboring to start again. This vehicle is also known for slow starts.I hope you take this matter seriously. This is the issue with every brand new ridgline. Take your pick. I paid over 50k for a new truck and have to deal with these issues.

NHTSA ID

11755067

Incident

Apr 1, 2025

Vehicle horns are non-operational; 7/6/2026; no answer from corporate.

NHTSA ID

11754942

Incident

Jul 6, 2026

Car just shut off while I was driving. There was no power. It would not start. At first it sounded like it wanted to start and then it just made no sound at all. The brake was hard as well. I put the hazards on but was in the fast lane on Cleveland Avenue in Fort Myers. I believe there are traffic cameras that will show the car sitting while cars were trying to get through the traffic light. The car finally started however I have no idea why it happened. We could have been killed sitting in the fast lane of a three lane road. There were three of us in the car.

NHTSA ID

11754845

Incident

Aug 4, 2026

Start stop has failed to restart engine on several occasions.

NHTSA ID

11754660

Incident

Aug 3, 2026

Engine idle start/stop feature shut off the engine while I was waiting to turn at a busy intersection. When I took my foot off the brake, the engine did not restart and all the lights in the dashboard came on. Multiple attempts to get the engine to re-start failed. Police had to block traffic while we waited for a tow truck. After about 15 minutes the system finally allowed the engine to start again, but the tow truck was already there so the car was towed to a local dealership. Problem was diagnosed as a starter pulling excessive voltage causing hard starts and failure of the auto start/stop system. The starter was replaced under warranty. Vehicle is just over a year old with 10k miles. I was lucky there wasn't an accident or any injuries but with cars swerving by me while I blocked the intersection before the police arrived, it could easily have been much worse. Even after the system was repaired, I do not feel safe driving with the automatic start/stop feature engaged. I know I can turn it off every time I get in the car, but it is too easy to forget to do that. I would like for Honda to reprogram the system to allow the driver to permanently disengage the auto stop feature, but I'm told that is not currently an option.

NHTSA ID

11753947

Incident

Jul 30, 2026

This is a followup to a complaint that I submitted on July 10, 2026 at 10:19:37 AM, tracking #11749522. The incident that I am reporting today occurred on July 7, 2026 when my son was driving my 2025 Ridgeline alone. I was not aware of this incident until I happened to mention to him what I had experienced with the auto stop re-start failure (no restart after auto start/stop engages). He then reported to me that on July 7th while he was driving the Ridgeline he experienced a similar incident. When he pulled up to a busy intersection the vehicle failed to re-start after shutting off at the intersection. He said he did not know what was happening and panicked a bit. Until I brought up my incident to him he said that he thought he had done something wrong when operating the Ridgeline because he does not drive the vehicle very often. He said that he placed the vehicle in park and opened the door, similar to what I had done. He said that after he did this the vehicle did re-start which is exactly what I experienced. This is two failures with same vehicle within the same week. I called the Honda Service Department on Friday, July 10, 2026 and have scheduled an appointment for Tuesday, July 14, 2026. When I mentioned NHTSA ODI had launched new Investigation on March 26, 2026 and mentioned Service Bulletins 23-008 and 23-099 to the Service Advisor he told me that they did not apply to my model year including 10-year extended warranty with unlimited mileage also did not apply. He said that my vehicle was still under factory warranty and to bring it in so that they can complete an analysis and order parts if needed. The Service Advisor said "full disclosure, Honda has not developed or provided the updated part needed to fix the problem." Those were his words. I have read that SB 23-008 and 23-099 do not fix this problem and if not completed correctly can create additional problems making me very concerned with what the dealer will propose to fix this problem.

NHTSA ID

11749818

Incident

Jul 7, 2026

When stopped in heavy traffic, the auto idle engaged. I got a "System problem detected. Shift to Park." warning. When I shifted to park the vehicle experienced a total electrical blackout, including a loss of hazard lights. It took several minutes for the modules to reboot. This happened 3 times in 20 minutes as I attempted to find a safe place to pull over. My life was put in danger because it was dark, raining heavily, and my hazard lights were inoperative. It happened a few hours after I bought the car at the dealership. I am waiting for a tow truck now. It is available for inspection.

NHTSA ID

11749696

Incident

Jul 10, 2026

The auto stop start shuts off and does not always restart. While in traffic at a light multiple times it has shut off and not restarted .I have to turn off the vehicle and put it in park and restart the vehicle!

NHTSA ID

11749576

Incident

Jul 4, 2026

No restart after auto start/stop engaged. The engine failed to restart on its own from a complete stop at a traffic light and road intersection with the auto start/stop function engaged. This occurred at a very busy intersection on a road under construction. I had passengers in the truck with outside temperatures above 100 degrees. Traffic was extremely heavy and other vehicles were honking heavily. The vehicle would not re-start even after many attempts to push the ignition re-start button. At first I thought it was a battery issue but when pushing the ignition button there was absolutely no response by the starter. I was in a panic so I did not take a photo of the dash but everything seemed to go dead. I opened the door, got out and popped the hood. I checked the battery terminals. They seemed tight. I got back in the truck and pushed the starter button and the engine started like nothing was wrong and worked fine the rest of the day. This is the only the next morning so I have not driven the vehicle today or contacted the dealer service department yet. I intend to do so. I believe my truck experienced an Auto Idle Stop Restart Failure. I have read that opening and closing the door resets the vehicle's electrical system, allowing the push-button start to engage again. It seems this might be what happened when I got out to check the battery and then re-entered the vehicle. This situation left me and my passengers in a very dangerous situation. There were no warning lamps, messages or symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. I have read that this exact situation is a reoccurring issue with my model and year Honda Ridgeline and that Honda has not been able to effectively resolve this problem. This is a very serious problem and now I am almost afraid to drive my Honda truck which is almost new. Please help to correct this problem quickly as it creates very dangerous situations. I will be contacting the dealer service department today.

NHTSA ID

11749522

Incident

Jul 9, 2026

After braking to a stop, the default setting of the start stop system randomly fails at intersections and requires a complete restart of the vehicle. Has happened multiple times over the past two months. Dealer has checked all systems and can find no problems with battery or the system itself. Very hazardous when at a ramp end or a turn lane. The dealer recommended that the driver switch off the start stop system manually every time after starting.

NHTSA ID

11749191

Incident

Jul 7, 2026

The Auto Idle Stop system in the truck has become an issue with the vehicle stalling out (sometimes) when I hold the brake pedal. I have to then put the car into Park to restart the engine. This has been a safety issue when I'm driving in heavy traffic and the truck stalls and I can't move forward with the other vehicles. I have taken my truck to the Honda dealer and they could not reproduce the issue at that time. They inspected the vehicle, confirmed the battery is fine, etc. They did mention the vehicle seemed slow to start. I have experienced this as well. At this time, Honda says there is nothing they can do to help me. My truck is only a year old and still under warranty. But this is a serious safety issue and I've experienced some frightening conditions on the road because of it.

NHTSA ID

11748746

Incident

Jun 24, 2026

I forgot to shut off truck when parking in my garage. 3 hours later a carbon monoxide alarm was triggered in the home. The truck was still running and garage was hot as hell, and truck was still running.

NHTSA ID

11747900

Incident

Jun 30, 2026

Auto Idle Stop fails to restart the engine quickly, causing delays or stalling resulting in a delayed response, hesitation, or the vehicle stalling completely in the middle of traffic, leaving me stranded until jump-start or fully cycle the ignition.

NHTSA ID

11746258

Incident

Jun 20, 2026

Truck has been leaking water inside evertime it rains. They say its something that was not welded at the honda plant it fills the floor boards up when it rains or i wash my car. It is become a serious safety problem due to the wetness in the vehicle and the gas and brake petals. I have tried gwt it fixed the dearship keeps saying waiting on honda rep or waiting on the body shop 6 months this is taking. The vehicle is outta commission due to anytime it rains as i am scared I will wreck it and kill someone.

NHTSA ID

11745187

Incident

Jan 1, 2025

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request?: The auto start stop feature failed, resulting in the vehicle lurching then dieing without any prior indication. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk?: The vehicle's lurch and sudden loss of power occurred at a red light when turning left. If I were the first car in line, it would have left me in the intersection with a 65 mph speed limit, creating the potential for a significant accident. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center?: No it has not, but was taken to a dealer in the last two weeks for this problem, in which all systems were operating as intended. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others?: Yes it has where the problem could not be identified. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear?: No warning lamp or messages were displayed prior to this safety incident. This is the third occurrence, I made another report on XXX. If needed, I can find the report number Vehicle failed to restart in 5 attempts, on the 6th attempt, the vehicle started but took an extended amount of time compared to normal. Video link immediately after the incident, the service advisor suggested I film this if it were to happen again. : [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11740897

Incident

May 29, 2026

The Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) repeatedly has applied breaks under both highway and non-highwaty road conditions when there was no vehicle or presence of other risk factors that should have caused the system to activate. This continues to occur even after the vehicle indicated a functional issue with the system "CMBS(TM) Problem - The Collision Mitigation Braking System(TM) has a problem. Restart your vehicle. If the indicator remains on, have your vehicle checked by a dealer." on January 2, 2026, that Honda repaired/replaced sensors under warranty work stating the radar failed. The result of this condition has led to a number of false mitigation breaking at highway speeds and on non-highway roads. It has resulted in three near accidents over a period of 5 months. This presents itself every time I do not turn off the system manually. The Forward Collision Warning system presents warning notices when there is oncoming traffic on a two lane road and when there are curves in the road. It has also presented itself on the highway with oncoming traffic on curves in the road and when there is a minimal highway division in the center.

NHTSA ID

11738982

Incident

Jan 2, 2026

On two separate instances in the past month, I have come to a complete stop, and the engine automatically shuts off. Upon restarting it either failed to restart the engine or on this last occurence turned the engine over once, made the car lurch and took a few seconds for the engine to idle, almost as if the engine wasn't fully started and the starting motor kicked off as well as turned over slowly. The vehicle has 24,000miles and the batery is approximatley 15 months old and OEM.

NHTSA ID

11737930

Incident

May 14, 2026

The high beam lights cycle on off constantly when on auto approximately every 5-10 seconds even when there is no oncoming traffic

NHTSA ID

11737226

Incident

Nov 1, 2025

Automatic high beam headlights fail to work properly most of the time will not go back to low beams when a vehicle is in the opposite lane also will not go to high beams when no vehicles are in sight very frustrating and dangerous

NHTSA ID

11737119

Incident

May 11, 2026

The forward collision warning system consistently produces false errors resulting in flashing lights, shaking wheel, and audible alarms causing significant distraction from driver's focus. Daily frequency of alarms creates a false alarm risk as driver has to mentally adjust to ignore the alarm features in order to focus on driving. Primarily occurs on two lane roads where oncoming traffic is regularly misidentified by the system. Roughly 1-3 times per day on a 10 mile commute.

NHTSA ID

11735213

Incident

May 1, 2026

Over the past several months, the auto idle stop on my 2025 new honda ridgeline has been acting up, not always kicking off timely when lifting my foot off the gas pedal. It also completely failed to restart twice, disabling the car completely while at a traffic light until I could restart it. The first incident was late last year. The most recent one this past Thursday.

NHTSA ID

11733733

Incident

Apr 23, 2026