Honda Ridgeline Maintenance and Repair

mldj98

Initial quality surveys only covers the first 90 days of ownership.....what does that really tell us.....if your going to spend big money on a new vehicle.....I don't care what kind and or type......if you can't go 90 days without it falling apart then that is a shame.....but now if your talking about 5 years down the road....then maybe the numbers may surprise some people.....as mentioned earlier in some of these posts they tried that "Buy American" market campaign years ago and it work for a little while.....but then it went away....as did their product.....ALLOT of the top 3 American made car companies have their products made in either Canada, Mexico or overseas.......so I am not buying into keeping the money concept your talking about.....in fact....if you look at the window sticker on the Japanese brands you will see what percentage of the parts in that car are made here and what percentage is made overseas.....you may be surprised.....so not only are most of the japanese brands assembled here.....a high percentage of the parts are made here as well (roughly 40%)......now having said all of this.....IF I was to buy a domestic brand vehicle....it would be a truck....i.e. Ford or Chevy......and only because they are a fairly solid built vehicle....
The problems and solution board here for the Ridgeline is just that....it is a way that consumers can posts some problems and some solutions based on their experience.....most of the problems that I have seen here are minor ones that will be fixed as the production continues on this truck. Go over to the Chevy/Ford problem board....you are going to see the same things....for the most part minor problems....some may be major.....but very few.....and one other thing to consider is this.....how long as the model F-150 and Silverado been around? Many....many years.......so they are already ahead of the power curve....or should be anyway....
How about if we give the Ridgeline the same leeway....it's only in it's second production year.....so let's see what happens in five years.....assuming it is still around.....only time will tell of course.....so it is easy to jump on the Ridgeline's problems.....but let's not start this "Buy American" campaign again.....no matter what the product is.....give the people quality.....at an affordable price....and they will come back time and time again....others will follow......put out a crappy product.....you know the rest......and by the way....I don't own one....and not looking to buy anytime soon.....this is just my .02.....

trashington

http://www.cnn.com/2005/AUTOS/10/26/cr_most_reliable/index.html

Only 2 american cars listed. The Ridge is listed at best predicted reliability for pickups along with the Tundra.

bwilde

ok... I know this is not the place to talk about this, but does mitsubishi stand a chance? they believe it or not... out sourced from [non-permissible content removed]. to USA for their new mid size truck... its a dodge dakota. anyway, anyone thinking ridgeline needs to do home work!!! its a MID-SIZED TRUCK an F-150 is much bigger.

bwilde

Lets try to keep it honest. we dont have to be fair, just honest. Competition: HONDA, ridgeline. Nissian, Frontier. TOYOTA, Tacoma. FORD, Ranger. CHEVY, Colorado. DODGE, Dakota. MITSUBISHI,dodge Raider. (MAZDA? ford B2000) run your numbers here.

bolivar

Of course it's a mid-sized truck. I would think people buying or interested in buying would know this.

macakava

"Bottom line, people should support their domestic car comanies since they employ far more people in our home country and treat their employees better. Buying import cars encourages outsourcing, which means less jobs at home. If someone buys an import, they must hate America."

The largest auto parts maker,Delphi, is in bankruptcy because of these same unions that set very high labor rates. Delphi is seeking and will most likely get their 60% reduction in pay rate from the unions to emerge from BK. The 60% pay reduction is better than losing their jobs to outsourcing.

GM, Ford and Chrysler will also be asking for the same pay rate reductions like Delphi to avoid BK or to come out of BK. Just observe the interesting developments.

It is back to Economics 101.

ridgeline100

Hey danio3834, I'm as red-blooded and patriotic as any American, and when these unionized American car manufacturers can start builing a higher quality product for the money than Honda, I'll go back to American made cars, until then I'll invest my money wisely, not just to support the UAW.

geo9

JD Power and Co. Rates SEVERAL GM models well above
honda, toyota and others in several categories..........

macakava

If I may recall in another recent report(by CR?), there were 39 vehicles listed in the best reliabilty ratings (over a longer time period where it matters most, not the IQR period of a short 90 days for JD Power).

Of these 39 vehicles, 2 were American and the rest were Japanese. No European model made the list.

KCRam

This discussion is for problems specific to the Ridgeline. Discussions about foreign-vs-domestic or the Big 3 are open and active in the News and Views Board. Any further posts not related to the Ridgeline will be deleted.

kcram - Pickups Host

gearhead1

The reason this thread started was because as a mechanic, I can see that the Honda Rigeline is an inferior product. It does not deserve to be compared to other trucks because it essentailly is not a truck. It has a unitized body like a car, weak strut suspension, not solid axle, leaf spring or torsion bars like a half ton truck would have. It has an 80 percent front wheel drive AWD system that as far as I can see could never handle the abuse anyone would put on a truck. If you want a truck, consider an F-150, Silverado, Ram, or if you insist on buying an import a Tundra. If you want a bulky vehicle with leaky windows and struts that blow out, buy a Rigeline. Admit it, Hondas arent what theyre cracked up to be.

The fact that you are a mechanic means nothing. I've met some mechanics that are barely smart enough to remember to put new oil back in the car after they've drained the old oil. Being a mechanic give you zero authority on auto/truck design. Spare me. your not a auto engineer by a long shot.

You can glum on to one incident of strut failure all you want and I'm sure you will. The fact is I have 8 months and over 8,000 miles of direct experience with the Ridgeline in varied driving conditions (deep sand, BLM trails, wash board roads and I have no strut problems here in the boiling south west. I'm sure it will also shine in the upcoming winter here in the mountains with its superior traction system.

The fact is if you only need to tow 5,000 lbs or haul 1,100 lbs in the bed, the RL is best option around and no other truck can even come close to its ride and handling. I know, I've driven them all.

Even the VP of GM said the RL has the best packaging he's ever seen in any vehicle, and you know what, I trust him. If I ever get a leaky strut, I'm not concerned. I wouldn't doubt that Honda would replace it even if it's beyond the warranty period. I've heard many stories like that. Honda usually steps up with any problems they have and goes the extra mile.

So spare me this "inferior product" business your spewing. You have no experience with this vehicle outside reading an article. I'll take the word of an owner of the RL anyday. I happen to be one and I know everything you've said about the RL being an inferior product is not true.

phastphil1

Why don't you tour a Honda manufacturing plant. You do realize that the workforce is free to vote a union in if they decided it would be in there best interest. Honda treats it workforce well enough that the UAW can't get enough votes. The results speak for themselves. Pick up Consumer Reports, which takes no ad money. and look at reliability rankings. end of story!!!!!

varmint

That we'd have so many GM fans claiming the Ridgeline is a poor vehicle design. Gary Flint worked for GM prior to coming to Honda. The frame and monocoque body of the Ridgeline is inspired by designs that GM looking into while Flint was at GM.

geo9

There are SEVERAL posts on strut failure(s) over at
that "other" ridgeline forum.

gearhead1

That we'd have so many GM fans claiming the Ridgeline is a poor vehicle design. Gary Flint worked for GM prior to coming to Honda. The frame and monocoque body of the Ridgeline is inspired by designs that GM looking into while Flint was at GM.

Exactly! The Ridgeline is an example of what brilliant american engineering could be if it wasn't crippled by the pencil pushers at the big three. Honda gave Gary Flint the support to build the best pick up out there that will serve 80% of the market just fine. The Ridgeline is just starting to shine with the market finally becoming aware of its existence. It just had it best month since its release with over 4,900 sales in October.

shimmy

That's what i think of my new upcoming RL. I hope you guys all remember those little ponies of past car industry. I'm talking here of american made cars, usually two-seaters with integrated cargo bead. And there it was; the "Revolutionary unibody construction" many years ahead of its time. Nobody seemed to make a big fuss out of it. I guess the more things change, the more they stay the same. As for my new RL; it's gonna be delivered in the end of november. At first i bought a demo. Then i switched it for new "metallic blue". When truck arrived i didn't like the color, so they've got me an olive one. Hats off to honda dealers. Cheers. Shimmy.

shimmy

Hey! Cool-of guys. You both are on the extreme opposite sides of the "spectrum".
Is RL a truck in traditional form? Of course not. Does it look like one? Yes. Will it handle the job? That's a $46000/CAN. question in my case. Why did i choose RL? Because i wanted a full size SUV with all "bells and whistles", with truck bead and without huge appetite for gas. Why did i choose Honda? Because i have Honda ATV (Rincon 649cc)and this thing is as tuff, as nail (by the way, Honda was first to introduce four wheel independent suspension in that field). Because my son's Honda Civic Has been working flawlesly for past five years and litle V-TEC engine does vonders. Because i love Ford F-150 King ranch but, i hate with pashion Ford dealers, and last, but not least, GM, Toyota and Chrysler just "dont do it" for me. Shimmy.
p.s. Check my thread: "My EL-camino"

meadeetx

Doorman - I have the same problem with my RL but am at the beginning of my journey to have it fixed. Your posts have been a huge help to me. Your last post was on Aug 31, 2005. Tell me, did Wolfchase Honda finally fix your problem? If not, what happened. I took my RL in to my dealer today along with a packet of printouts from Edmond's including your posts. I also contacted Wolfchase and talked to Paul who gave me some info for my dealer. Of course my dealer had never heard of the problem and would have only let their "leak guy" check it out if I was not armed with lots of info. I am really curious about your final outcome. Please post if you can. :lemon:

meadeetx

I was contacted by my Honda service center today and was told that they found two major leaks near the windows. They said that they fixed the leaks and are just waiting for the new carpet to arrive. It should be done on Monday or Tuesday. Based on other posts here, I will pick it up and take it to a car wash for about 5 washes in a row. This should quickly reveal any remaining leaks. I am keeping reallly detailed records for a potential future PA Lemon Law case. :lemon:

gearhead1

I am keeping reallly detailed records for a potential future PA Lemon Law case.

I've yet to hear of anyone who has had a leak in a ridgeline that didn't have it corrected. I wouldn't stress to much about it. I mean this is Honda were talking about. If it were Ford or GM, you probably would have been told "Don't worry about it, they all do that. It's perfectly normal."

It's interesting that the new 05 Toyota Tacomas also had a leak problem.

obyone

"I've yet to hear of anyone who has had a leak in a ridgeline that didn't have it corrected."

I would hope so since the truck is under warranty. To not do so would be foolish...

"I wouldn't stress to much about it. I mean this is Honda were talking about."

Perhaps he has had previous experiences with Honda that could cause him stress that he has not related. Never know.

" If it were Ford or GM, you probably would have been told "Don't worry about it, they all do that. It's perfectly normal."

Being a previous GM owner I can attest that GM and its dealers take window leaks very seriously and usually correct the defect on the first try. (They have a lot of experience with leaks). It's the engine knock, trans clunk and such that get the "perfectly normal" line.

"It's interesting that the new 05 Toyota Tacomas also had a leak problem."

Why would that be interesting to a RL owner? Wouldn't matter to me one bit since I don't own one.....

matti0613

"It's the engine knock, trans clunk and such that get the "perfectly normal" line. "

Which might partially explain the closing of the GM plants in North America....or not. :lemon:

obyone

Think that has more to do with the UAW.

matti0613

Partially..... :lemon:

blueridgeline

I posted this in another forum too because I am desperate. I went ahead and got the Ridgeline because of the selection available. The first one lasted almost 6 weeks. The dealer did an even trade because it would not stop quitting in traffic and they could not fix it. My second one just went in Thursday for the same problem. Anyone else having this problem? It dies at stop lights or at 70 MPH. Usually it will start again after 30 minutes to an hour. Normally it happens with my 3K pound trailer behind. Not always though. Any help would be appreciated.

bobwho

Wow, that sounds like a real problem you have. I have not heard anything like that before. Did the dealer change out various electronics, wiring, etc. Was the dealer or Honda Corp able to determine what the problem was? Could they duplicate the problem? I'm interested in learning more if they were stumped or if a solution was found. I know I would be upset if I had the problem with my Ridgeline. So anymore info would be helpful to see if it may occur in other Ridgelines.

user777

Normally it happens with my 3K pound trailer behind. Not always though.

curious, does it ever happen when you AREN'T pulling the trailer?

blueridgeline

I pull the trailer 90% of the time, so it has happend usually with the trailer. It has happened to me twice without the trailer, and to the dealer a number of times while they had it. We have narrowed the problem to only happening in the rain or snow, and mine are the only 2 that the dealer has installed the hitch and wiring on. Hope to hear something from them Monday.

wmoore

HEY, INITIAL QUALITY IS A FALICY. IT'S A MISNOMER ACTUALLY. LETS THINK ABOUT IT! INITIAL QUALITY! HUMMM.... THAT MEANS IN THE BEGINNING DOESN'T IT? WELL, IT MIGHT DRIVE WELL WHEN IT IS BRAND NEW...BUT...WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU PAY FOR AN AMERICAN TRUCK? WELL LETS LOOK AT RESIDUAL VALUES...AND NADA VALUES AT 12 MONTHS, 24 MONTHS AND SO ON. THERE ISN'T AN AMERICAN MADE TRUCK OTHER THAN THE OVERSIZED TRUCKS THAT ACTUALLY HOLD THIER VALUES. LOOK IN THE BOOK. BUY A TACOMA PICKUP 4X4 XTRA CAB PUT A 140,OOO MILES ON IT AND PUT IT IN THE AUTO TRADER W/ THE REST OF AMERICANS WHO ASK $8,OOO TO $11,OOO AND GET IT?!? AS WELL AS HAVE PHONE CALLS 2 TO 4 WEEKS LATER FROM PEOPLE WHO SEE THE ADVERTISEMENT WHO CANT FIND A TACOMA AND ARE WILLING TO GIVE TOP DOLLAR FOR THESE VEHICLES. WHAT ABOUT THE FULL SIZE FORIGN TRUCKS. SAME THING. WATCH THE RESIDUAL VALUES OF THE RIDGELINE. I LEASED ONE, HECK, I SELL HONDAS. THERES A REASON HONDA RIDGELINE HAS THE VERY BEST TRUCK LEASE ON THE PLANET. U THINK HONDA JUST SAYS WHAT THE HECK... WE WILL SPECULATE AND OVERINFLATE THE FUTURE VALUE OF THIER HONDA RIDGELINE PRODUCT? I DON'T THINK SO! U REALLY SHOULD GO BACK TO HIGHSCHOOL AND LEARN WHAT BEING THOROUGH IN INVESTIGATING REAL INFORMATION IS. YOU ARE PROBABLY LIKE THE PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR UAW. INFERIOR PRODUCT? PEOPLE WHO ONLY PUT IN HALF A DAYS WORK BUT GETS PAYED FOR A FULL DAY? GM IS GOING DOWN, FORD IS RITE BEHIND THEM. HONDA MAKES MONEY, TOYOTA MAKES MONEY AND NISSAN MAKES MONEY. I BET U ARE UPSIDE OWN EVERY TIME YOU TRADE IN YOU AMERICAN PRODUCTS. I JUST TRADED IN A LEASED CIVIC W/$700 DAMAGE ON IT AND WAS ONLY $300 UPSIDE DOWN, NOT $3000 OR $4000, KEEP BUYING AMERICAN PRODUCTS! I BET YOU HAVE A SONY T.V. IN YOUR HOUSE

gmar

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE THE DATE OF ASSEMBLY STICKER IS LOCATED ON THE RIDGELINE? THANX IN ADVANCE.

atlgaxt

What's with all the shouting?

dockbob

Your stall problem sounds something like what I had with a new 626 in 86. Never pulled anything with it but it would up and die after it warmer up and would not even turn over until it cooled. The dealer replaced the computer and found tiny cracks in the board that shorted out in high humidity. Just a thought.

shimmy

I've got first thousand km,s on my RL, and i like it very much. The only complain i have is this; when i tow a 2000. lb. trailer transmition is shifting excessively an annoying. On my previous trucks i would just turn of the overdrive, but Honda dealers (including Honda head office)do not recommend doing so, because "It can void your warranty sir". Now; as i understand this is not a torque convertor problem. RL has got 5-sped auto trans, and it behaves normal under circumstance. Honda manual states clearly (or not); "under the tow"....."do not shift to D-3 on level road". Does it mean, when RL behaves lake this, that the road is not "level"? I guess i'm left with the option of helplessly watching tachometer needle dance and wait for transmition to brake down. Shimmy.

marylandbob

In all critiques and appraisals, always find something positive to say. Okay the good things: unique styling, easy to drive, great for someone who needs a more fuel-efficient light duty pickup, seems solid and well-built. Okay now the weird things. I bought this truck in May 2005, one of the first on the lots. I traded a 2004 Titan for it, a real gas hog and also with its share of Import flaws.
In the Ridgeline, initially I noticed a slight hesitation when accelerating, sometimes it actually jerks when you apply the gas. Then I noticed moisture inside the cabin, wet windshield and moonroof, inside. Then I noticed an odd smell, like old tennis shoes. At high speeds, I noticed a substantial air noise leak. Then I logged on to this site and began reading. Now the weird things make sense.
I took the vehicle in for the air leak and the hesitation. Dealer says there is a service bulletin for the air leak and a new windsheild is on order. Dealer says they found no problem with the acceleration. After reading these messages on leaks and such, I checked under the floor mat and guess what, wet carpet. Not soaked but certainly damp. I guess that's where the old tennis shoe smell comes from. I couldn't understand why that new car smell left so quickly. Now I know.

As for American versus Import, I've had a 2004 Titan, problems with loud exhaust, poor radio, squeaky seats, tailgate latch problems, HVAC was noisy; 1998 Silverado, loved the truck, looks and handling, mechanical problems galore. Trouble with the electrical, shorts, bad brakes, engine light problem and on and on and on. I had a 1987 Mazda B2200 which probably gave me the best service of all but it too had its problems.
Bottom line, you can get a bad one in any breed but when you buy the top-of-the-line model like I tend to do and don't drive the vehicle hard, you expect more. I did on the Ridgeline RTL.

whaleya

The Honda transmission will select different shift points based on the calculated grade of the road, both uphill and downhill.

I have no trouble with my trailer but it's a little heavier.

My guess is that the combination of your trailer and the roads you drive on doesn't mesh with the built in logic in the tranmission CPU.

All I can suggest is to have the dealer verify you have the latest firmware. If that doesn't help complain to Honda and tell them that your combination is causing excessive shifting and you would be happy to supply all the details so thier engineers can reproduce the problem.

The problem with the D3 button on the Ridgeline is it locks out both 5th and 4th gear unlike a normal overdrive which just locks out the top (overdriven) gear.

bolivar

If you look at the manual, you can see that both 4th and 5th gears are what are usually called 'overdrive' ratios. Being any ration less than 1.0.

Both 4th and 5th are less than 1.0 ratio. 3rd is 1.0.

bosco9

I noticed a rattle in the dash in the upper right of the steering column when I test drove my RTL. The salesman noticed it also, but the service writer and the salesman could not duplicate it.I drove it home...it was fine....but the next day it returned. Seems to only happen after the vehicle warms up. Anyone know what this could be? Bosco9 :confuse:

muggz

Just got the ridgeline.. Please share with me some of the MPG's that some of you are getting so i can compare to mine...
Thanks

KCRam

As we can not verify the accuracy or intent of posted phone numbers, they are not permitted in any posts. You may post an accessory company's website, or their city/state.

kcram - Pickups Host

chisoxjeeper

2300 miles on my RT. 1,000 miles per week, a mix of city driving, country roads, and highways. 19MPG. Enjoy your Ridgeline.

arkitect

Can I have the opinion of y'all on what kind of first car it is? Would you recommend it for a first car? What is the real price of the towing package? How much can it really tow, could it tow a 13 whaler? What are some of the things I need to watch out for in it? Is the in bed trunk really waterproof? Any input would be appreciated greatly.

thegraduate

As for American versus Import, I've had a 2004 Titan, problems with loud exhaust, poor radio, squeaky seats, tailgate latch problems, HVAC was noisy;

Most magazines have cited the Titan as having a loud, droning exhaust. It's manufactured to sound like a "big truck" on purpose. Nissan has never had STELLAR quality, but always decent. I think the Mazda B-series was a clone of the Ford Ranger, right?

thegraduate

Towing: 5,000 pounds. I don't see the difference in this being a good first car or a good tenth car, sorry. I guess I don't understand the thought process there.

supermod

I have a question about the bed cover.
Is it hard to remove? Can you stand on it?
Can/will the dealer fix the bed cover so it is watertight? :confuse:

gearhead1

I've never had a problem with it frosting up, but if it did, the rear window opens with a touch of a button on the drivers door.

bolivar

It's vertical. There is about 2 inches of overhang.

I don't think usual frost will form on it very much.

If there is a lot of blowing snow or freezing rain then it would have to be swept or scraped like the side windows.

But what do I really know. Mine lives in a garage. And my state is in the middle of extensive 'global warming' extended dry spell, raging range fires, and very little winter. Trees are budding, bulb plants have sprouted 6 inches up, etc etc etc

buckman

im getting 17mpg hwy 13 city installed bed cover and synthic motor oil nothing changed milage !my dodge dorango did better with a 360 engine!

redd1

Has anyone used a full nose guard on their Ridgeline. I purchased one when I took delivery of the vehicle. Rather than having the dealer install it at delivery, I decided to install it myself. As an aside, I am on my second Ody and am very familiar with installation—at least I thought I was. The thing just wouldn’t fit. After about an hour I got the thing on. Two of the straps just would not stretch far enough. I decided to take it to the dealer because something just wasn’t right. It took two of the service department staff to stretch the straps. I went on a trip and at my destination; I decided to take it off. To my shock and amazement, the thing had scratched up the vehicle pretty good (I put on 2 to 3 coats of wax/protection before putting it on). The dealer was able to buff out the scratches and replaced the nose guard but I am reluctant to put it on. I am interested in knowing if anyone else has had this experience.

guy21

Help. I'm in the final stages of negotiating the purchase of a Ridgeline and just found out there is no tailgate lock. The dealer has checked the local aftermarket places and they don't offer one either. Even the (expensive) Honda toneau cover has no locking mechanism.

Does anyone know of a solution. Thanks. This may be a deal breaker.

gearhead1

The dealer has checked the local aftermarket places and they don't offer one either. Even the (expensive) Honda toneau cover has no locking mechanism.

Does anyone know of a solution. Thanks. This may be a deal breaker.

No, that's not true. The Honda OEM cover does lock. I've seen it. Retrax has the best cover and I think they have a way to lock it to the gate as well. I can't believe dealers have their heads this far up their ...

You can also go to the Ridgeline owners club, and they have some clever ways of doing it. I wouldn't let it hold up your purchase.