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2021 Honda Ridgeline

Gas
Standard Pickup Trucks 4WD
1 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
F
Safety Signal
44 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns7
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA100
Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA21 mpg
2026202520242023202220212020201920182017

The 2021 Honda Ridgeline is sold in the U.S. as a gas pickup truck. The most efficient version, the Ridgeline AWD, is EPA-rated at 21 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 100 complaints, most often about the engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Ridgeline AWDGasAWD3.5L 6-cyl182421$2,950

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 43723.

Factory warranty running out?

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Recalls (7)

Source: NHTSA recall database
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Structure

AOU, AOT
880,514 vehicles
ProblemAmerican 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.RiskFailure 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.FixDealers 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) in
NHTSA campaign 26V365000reported Jun 4, 2026Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
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Air Bags

Refer to Comments
98,892 vehicles
ProblemHonda (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.RiskAir bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 26V332000reported May 21, 2026Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
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Back Over Prevention

YI7
187,290 vehicles
ProblemHonda (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.RiskA rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 24V321000reported May 9, 2024Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
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Air Bags

XHP, VHQ
750,114 vehicles
ProblemHonda (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.RiskAn air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 24V064000reported Feb 1, 2024Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
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Service Brakes, Hydraulic

VEU, AEV, ZET
124,077 vehicles
ProblemHonda (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.RiskBrake master cylinder separation can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 23V458000reported Jun 29, 2023Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
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Visibility

FE5
339,404 vehicles
ProblemHonda (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."RiskDetached mirror glass can reduce driver visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 23V174000reported Mar 16, 2023Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
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Seat Belts

ABS, BBT, NBQ, RBR
4,346 vehicles
ProblemHonda (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."RiskAn unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.FixDealers 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 campaign 21V900000reported Nov 18, 2021Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

NHTSA defect investigations

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages open

On June 3, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE22005 after the agency received VOQs and several �eld 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 restart issue in the 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles, as well as the 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016

Opened Mar 26, 2025 · action EA25004

Back Over Prevention — Rear-View Camera Failure closed

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 permeable to water and salt, which when it freezes and thaws, combined with tailgate usage, ultimately

Opened Feb 13, 2024 · closed Aug 5, 2024 · action PE24004

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
100complaints filed

3 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 2 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2021: 13 · 2022: 27 · 2023: 9 · 2024: 20 · 2025: 18 · 2026: 13

Most-cited components

Engine27
Forward Collision Avoidance24
Electrical System14
Exterior Lighting14
Unspecified14
Power Train11

What owners describe

“Upon exiting or entering the highway, the truck loses power and will not accelerate. This happens after multiple hours of highway driving and seems to only happen when the temperature is near or below freezing. The Check Engine Light (CEL) comes on and is flashing. This has happened to me four times. Three of which wer…”Mar 10, 2022 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that upon either exiting or merging onto a highway at various speeds, the vehicle would independently go into Limp Mode with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact had filed a complaint with the manufacturer through the website; however, the c…”Mar 9, 2022 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“Vehicle went into "limp mode" after exiting a freeway. When attempting to merge into roadway, vehicle flashed CEL for engine. Vehicle shut down 3 cylinders giving very little power to merge into traffic. Unable to get vehicle over 30 mph on a busy road. Honda dealer said no codes were stored and haven't heard of the co…”Mar 4, 2022 · Fuel/Propulsion System · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
PU/CC AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆17%
PU/CC FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆16%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.

Compare the 2021 Ridgeline with

2021 Toyota Tacoma →

Other Ridgeline model years

A

2026 Honda Ridgeline

0 recalls · 8 complaints

B

2025 Honda Ridgeline

2 recalls · 83 complaints

A

2024 Honda Ridgeline

1 recalls · 57 complaints

D

2023 Honda Ridgeline

5 recalls · 126 complaints

C

2022 Honda Ridgeline

3 recalls · 113 complaints

F

2020 Honda Ridgeline

8 recalls · 168 complaints

F

2019 Honda Ridgeline

11 recalls · 234 complaints

F

2018 Honda Ridgeline

7 recalls · 160 complaints

F

2017 Honda Ridgeline

8 recalls · 338 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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