Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Honda Ridgeline - part 1

While driving to work, engine started knocking, engine and battery light came on, then engine shut off. . . . All of this in a matter of seconds. I coasted to a stop and had truck trailered to my dealer.

See all problems of the 2019 Honda Ridgeline 🔎.

I was driving to work, engine starting knocking, check engine and battery light came on, and truck shut down. I coasted to a stop and had truck trailered 110mi. To dealer.

On Wednesday, October 22, 2025, I was driving home from work about 5:00 pm. I started hearing a ticking noise coming from the front of the car. It would come and go, but then it got progressively worse, and finally there was a loud squelch and the engine shut off. I still had electrical control of the vehicle, steering, brakes, dash, etc. I just had no power. I had the vehicle towed to a mechanic, and they next day the mechanic confirmed the motor was seized. The car is well maintained, with service records. The mechanic and I found the existing recall on 2017-2019 Honda Ridgelines with the same issue, but I guess the recall does not apply to my vehicle. The mechanic advised me to call american Honda and see if my vehicle is covered. They said it was not. Started working with grapevine Honda to get the vehicle over there so the dealership could start communicating with american Honda to try and get this covered under the recall.

See all problems of the 2017 Honda Ridgeline 🔎.

Catastrophic premature in-service water pump failure at 28,330 miles on 10/20/25 with loud metal-to-metal noise with complete loss of coolant. Engine was shutdown to prevent further engine damage. Failure occurred as vehicle was being parked after leaving city street. Failure on city street could have resulted in an accident due to engine failure and collision with other vehicles, coolant spill resulted in a large slippery spill area and possible loss of steering of following vehicles. Vehicle was towed to the vehicle’s dealer who replaced the water pump and related parts [timing belt kit package]. The failed parts are not available for inspection as the dealer routinely discards damaged parts replaced during the repair. There were no warning lamps, or messages prior to failure. Regular under hood checks by owner for: fluid levels, leaks, unusual noise, belt damage showed no issues including during an oil change with fluid level checks [the radiator level bottle showed the proper level of coolant] 5 days prior to the water pump failure. Three dealer performed multi-point inspections on this vehicle on 3/20/19, 3/29/23 and 10/23/24 during ‘campaign recalls’ with no defects reported. The dealer multi-point inspections included inspections for: cooling system [leaks], hoses [cracks, damage, leaks], drive belts [cracks, damage, leaks] with no defects reported.

The contact owned a 2022 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, it caught on fire. The vehicle was unoccupied. The contact stated that the next-door neighbor knocked on the contact's door, screaming that the vehicle was on fire. The contact stated that the fire originated from under the engine hood before the vehicle became engulfed in flames. The fire department was called. The fire department extinguished the fire. No injuries were sustained. The contact stated that the vehicle remained in the contact's driveway, and the fire consumed the vehicle. The vehicle was melted down and almost spread to the contact's house. The contact stated that it would probably take special equipment to remove the vehicle from the contact's driveway. In addition, the contact stated that when the vehicle was parked, there were no warning lights illuminated and no issues with the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 35,000.

See all problems of the 2022 Honda Ridgeline 🔎.

I began to hear a knocking noise at 2500 to 3500 rpms and I immediately took my vehicle to the dealer who confirmed rod bearing damage.

See all problems of the 2021 Honda Ridgeline 🔎.

Our 2017 Honda Ridgeline suddenly had clunking sounds and a rough sounding engine. Later that day, the engine entirely seized. We are being told. The engine is locked up, and needs to be entirely replaced. The person at the Honda dealership told us that they suspect this was something in the engine that was bad from the start, and just went. They thought it had something to do with a rod. They are quoting us almost $24,000 to replace the engine with a new one, or about $9000 to replace it with a used engine with comparable mileage. Our Ridgeline has always been fully maintained, all oil changes done on time or early, and only has about 71,000 miles on it.

While stopped at a traffic light on a state highway the idle stop did shut off the engine. When the light turned green, I released the brake, but the engine did not crank or start. After placing transmission into park, I attempted to start normally. There was no response to the start button being pushed, other than all the typical pre-start warning lights check on the panel. Tried to start with transmission selector in neutral. . Same result. All doors and hood was closed, driver in seat, belt fastened, and key nearby. I attempted to get out and push the truck to the side of road with assistance. Unable to do that because of the transmission park interconnect. After about 3 minutes trying multiple times to start the engine, it finally did start normally. The vehicle battery is pretty new and checking the voltage at home, it is fine. This is a dangerous situation. This “ idle stop” system is senseless and a safety hazard. I have not received any notice from Honda about any recall on this system.

See all problems of the 2020 Honda Ridgeline 🔎.

Between 1,000-1,400 rpm there is a lower end engine knock. Sounds like a bearing.

See all problems of the 2024 Honda Ridgeline 🔎.

The vehicle lurches forward when accelerating. You start off from a stand still, as you are accelerating the vehicle slows, then speeds up, then slows then speeds up. This happens multiple time. You can watch the tachometer, it goes up then down, then up then down. It can happen 10, 20 times while accelerating.

My 2020 Honda Ridgeline has an auto idle/start system. The truck engine turns off when it stops, then automatically turns on when brake is released or gas pedal pressed. There was a Honda notice issued that the system may not automatically restart. A fix (software update) from Honda was implemented on my truck on 03/29/23. This "fix" did not work. On 09/05/25 at 1:25 pm I pulled up to an intersection. The auto idle system automatically turned off the engine as intended. About 2 minutes later, when the brake was released and gas pedal pressed, the engine did not restart. The truck stalled. Various efforts (~ 1 minute of panic) ensued to start the engine. Eventually, put the truck in park, waited, then started the engine. This situation occurred during high traffic at a busy intersection. It caused other drivers to take risks pulling out in front of other cars to get around my stalled vehicle. It was a very dangerous situation. A class action lawsuit was filed against Honda about this. Honda claims their software update fixed the problem. My scary experience shows that it did not fix the issue. Their auto idle/start system is simply unsafe. Also, it is not possible to permanently disable it.

Engine started making a knocking noise on start up. Got progressively worse for the next 3 days before I stopped operation. Dealer states "engine has a rod knock likely due to a spun bearing". No warning lights or messages displayed.

See all problems of the 2018 Honda Ridgeline 🔎.

The contact owns a 2025 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed however, the dealer found no failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,300.

2022 Honda Ridgeline with 22,000 miles failed to auto restart at a traffic light. Driver had to manually restart the vehicle. Other drivers were forced to drive around at the intersection. No error codes were present on obd2 connector.

The contact owns a 2019 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the warning light was intermittently illuminated. The contact stated that recently the vehicle stalled and was difficult to restart. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel injectors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact had researched online and related the failure to technical service bulletin: 21-010 related to the fuel injectors; however, his vehicle was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.

The contact's employer owns a 2017 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while the contact's employer was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact's employer drove the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. The contact's employer then heard an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The employer inspected the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the independent mechanic, where the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The employer was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle would be towed to the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 91,967.

Truck stalls repeatedly at intersections due to failure of ignition to restart after stop signs or stoplights. Warning lights come on and complete restart is required. Other motorists become agitated.

Engine began knocking from the bottom end at 53k miles. It was determined that a connecting rod bearing had failed and Honda is replacing my engine under warranty. No cost was incurred to me but I am adding my complaint because my VIN is not included in the recall for this exact problem in other years close to mine and the recall my need to be expanded to a wider range of vins.

My engine started making a knocking/sparking noise while I was driving on the interstate (with two children) in utah, had to pull over to a gas station, barely made it there before the engine stalled. Had a mechanic come and affirm the engine was out, truck was towed to ken graf Honda in riverdale where I was told it would be pointless to replace the engine since it would cost over $14k. Was compelled by circumstance (being stranded) to buy a new 2019 Honda Ridgeline for $8000 more in cumulative payments, even after trade in allowance. Salesmen were extremely condescending and suggested the engine failure was my fault because I had a small pallet of ceramic molds in the back of the truck when it failed. Dealership gave us $6k worth of trade in value for 2017 and immediately replaced the engine at no cost (they sent me the invoice of repairs by accident) and will no doubt put it out on the lot for sale. Contacted the idaho falls dealership where we had purchased the car 1. 5 years earlier and were told we were a month past our warranty and they “could not” contribute to a resolution.

Component/system: suspected engine lower end/connecting rod bearings. Vehicle is currently being towed to keeler Honda of latham, NY for diagnosis and is available for inspection upon request. What happened: on Friday night, [xxx], I was traveling about 63mph in the 65mph zone on the [xxx] which is a moderate uphill. The engine all of a sudden began making a very violent knocking noise and the truck started to lose power very fast. I activated my hazards and coasted to the shoulder narowly sideswiping the cars near me. The malfunction created a huge collision risk. There is no crash or fire. Confirmation by shop/inspection: jmr auto is a well-known and long-running independent shop located in nassau, NY and is also the first place I towed the vehicle to. They stated based on listening to it it is indeed rod knock. Official Honda dealer confirmation is pending, the vehicle is currently being towed to keeler Honda of latham, NY where they will inspect and confirm internal connecting rod bearing failure. Warnings: no warning lights before the event. At failure, the engine light along with some driver assistance lights were displayed. Context: symptoms match Honda recall 23v-751 (prematrue connecting-rod bearing wear/seizure) reported on this model/year, but my VIN shows no open recalls. I understand NHTSA has recall query rq24-013 into similar failures outside 23v-751's VIN range. I am reporting this for safety tracking and potential expanded recall consideration. Maintenance: vehicle reasonably maintained per Hondas' maintenance minder; some services were at shops that do not report to carfax. Documentation being gathered. Dealer ro/case numbers to follow. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Had a clacking noise that got louder depending on rpm's, scheduled a visit to the dealer same day to also take care of a b1 maintenance notification that appeared 2 days prior and on the way to the dealer from work the same day the clacking noise started, the engine light started to flash and then within a few seconds there was a complete loss of power to the accelerator and the rpm's dropped to zero; had to pull off the interstate in a construction zone where there was no shoulder and just on a dirt slope. When towed to the dealer, dealer stated the engine had suffered rod bearing failure and there were metal shavings in the oil pan. The car is available upon request, it is at the dealership at the moment and I am scheduling it to get an engine replacement. I contacted Honda because this is a Honda Ridgeline 2018 and they denied my request for goodwill consideration, I stated that this is surely apart of the ongoing investigation "rq24013" as it sounds extremely similar and there have already been recalls issued under "23v-751". They stated the vehicle was not taken to dealers for maintenance before I bought the truck 5 months ago and that the truck has too many miles at 90k miles so therefore they will not help. This is an extremely dangerous car to own when the engine can die on you like that after only 1 day of a clacking noise, if you are on a bridge with no shoulder or like me in a construction zone, you will be a foot away from traffic moving at 70+mph next to you and stranded with no hvac system. I was personally in my car for an hour and a half in the deep south in the middle of summer, so 90+ degree temps without a/c. Also I bought this from carvana who did a "150 multi-point inspection" of the car and missed this and refuses to help in any way, they just stated "OH sorry to hear that" and then closed the chat, so don't buy from carvana, they won't help you at all.

On several occasions (>5) the engine had delayed starting after the auto engine stop feature engaged (when idling). After the engine didn’t start… we attempted to start by pressing start/stop button with no immediate response. Typical time to restart the engine is approximately 5-10 seconds. On one occasion it took 5 minutes. Apologize for lack of very specific information but when this occurs it causes some level of panic especially when you are in traffic. We have been disabling the feature as a habit since 2021. On rare occasions when we forget to disable the feature I would estimate that there is a ~50% chance we will encounter a delayed start issue.

Total engine failure on freeway. Huge amount of smoke came out of the engine and the vehicle died. Hole in engine block, piston parts and connecting rod found in oil pan. It is my understanding that some 2017 Honda Ridgeline vehicles were recalled for this same problem. All maintenance work was done per recommendation and at the dealer.

Truck was waiting at a stop light in drive mode and foot on brake pedal. When the light changed to green. I tried to accelerate to go and the whole vehicle shook/lunges forward and shut off. Vehicle went into neutral and wouldn't allow me to go into drive mode. I had to restart the vehicle twice before it allowed me to go into drive again. Vehicle was stuck in the middle of the street with oncoming/ongoing traffic. I had this vehicle at the Honda dealer(with documents) three times previous for this issue and its still not resolved. Please help.

My Ridgeline has stalled during normal operation 3 times. The 1st was in April 2024, and the latest was this week. All three times it stalled when accelerating after a traffic stop. The first was at a stop sign at the bottom of a hill. The second was at a traffic light, it should be noted that the start/stop was "off" on this incident. And the latest incident was during stop and go traffic on the highway. * yes - available for inspection. * safety - could be a safety issue when a vehicle doesn't operate in a normal manner. * dealer/others - no I haven't had it inspected, I have been monitoring this issue on the internet. * symptoms - there were none before the incidents.

Whenever I’m driving in my vehicle everything seems to be fine until I stop at a red light. On three separate occasions, while my vehicle is stopped it will automatically go into neutral and stall. This causes my truck not to run properly. I have to shut my car off, and then turn it back on to put it in drive and operate it like normal. I’m unsure what my cars issue is but it is an inconvenience and a safety concern due to it keeps happening while in traffic.

My 2019 Honda Ridgeline vehicle has less than 70,000 miles and we have always gotten our oil changed at the recommended times. The last time was about 2,000 miles ago at the Honda dealership. We also regularly check the oil. While driving down the interstate near where we live, the car engine suddenly stopped working and smoke came from the engine. Thankfully, we were in right lane and were able to coast it to the shoulder. We had the car towed to the nearest Honda dealership. For some reason which the Honda dealership won't disclose nor would corporate Honda, the piston in the engine blew two holes in the number 5 cylinder. This damage is consistent with the possible damage that a recent recall addressed. In that recall the piston bearings needed to be replaced. Although some 2019 Honda Ridgelines were included in that recall, our VIN number was not. There was also a recent investigation by the NHTSA into similar instances involving similar damages and vehicles not being included in the baring recall. Although we were not hurt, if the highway had been more crowded or the car not in the right lane, we could have been seriously hurt. Furthermore, the engine will cost $17,548 to replace. After requesting assistance from the Honda through their goodwill program, we were denied. The car has not yet been repaired. We would like to request further investigation into this and similar instances. Thank you.

My 2021 Honda Ridgeline engine failed in heavy traffic on the freeway. The car malfunctioned and I lost complete power and started coasting and barely made it through 4 lanes of heavy traffic before the car coasted to a stop. Very dangerous and very lucky not to get hit changing lanes and then waiting on the freeway for assistance. I've made regular oil changes as directed by the computer on the vehicle. The problem was not connected to a lack of oil. I'm [xxx] and I take very good care of my vehicles. Not one scratch on my black edition Ridgeline. My vehicle is still at the Honda dealership. I don't believe I should pay for another engine nor do I have the money to do so. Having a complete engine failure on the freeway is a major safety issue and Honda needs to fix it now and in the future. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I have a 2017 Ridgeline. I bought it brand new. Always keep up with the maintenance, keep it clean and well taken care of. I only have 45,000 miles on it. A few days ago the engine failed on me while on the freeway. Limped it off the freeway as it made a horrendous sound, like marbles in the engine. I had it towed, at a cost of $275. I took it to Honda. I told them I was aware of the NHTSA investigation into the the 2017-2019 Ridgeline reports of failing connecting rod bearings. They said they were not aware of that and it was not showing on the recall list for my specific vehicle . Their diagnostic came back requiring a short block replacement as "oil was coming from the oil pan rod bearing. " they took it the warranty department, as the original warranty of 5yrs/60,000mi has passed. Honda is going to cover 75% of a $9,738. 35 bill because of the low mileage on the vehicle, which brings the cost to "only $1,850. " they’re giving me a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty on their work. They’re also recommending that I do a 100,000 miles service that would require a replacement of a timing belt, water pump, drive belt, etc. That would cost an additional $2,123. 58. It seems a bit counterintuitive to do that service since I only have 45,000 miles on an eight year-old truck that has been kept up on its regular maintenance schedule. The initial cost to do the diagnostic was stated at $199. I received a call to approve $697 to break down the engine to do further evaluation. After receiving the results of their evaluation, I am now awaiting the estimate with a breakdown of costs. I have yet to receive that, but can provide it when available. The vehicle is still sitting at the Honda service center. I have also contacted Honda directly and have opened a case with them.

Regarding 2020 Honda Ridgeline, we have two issues. In December 2024, the auto stop / start feature started working intermittently and then a few months later ceased to work entirely ceased to work. In may 2025, we got two error messages on the dashboard. One was for transmission error. The second was for emissions error. There were no apparent mechanical issues with the truck shifting gears when we brought it to our local mechanic 2 miles away and to the dealer approximately 5 miles away. We brought it to our local mechanic who said it was the solenoid in the transmission and would cost around $7000 for parts and labor since Honda didn't sell only the brain and we would have to purchase the entire transmission. We brought it to norm reeves Honda (the largest Honda dealer in the united states) who confirmed this root cause mentioning "mil" and "solenoid" specifically. Norm reeves service technician said it would cost around $9000 parts and labor. We logged a case #15593xxx with Honda motor corporation who auto-responded to our email saying, "please note, due to a recent influx of inquiries, our response time will be delayed. Please do not submit multiple inquiries as this can lead to further delays in case handling. " an internet search for Honda Ridgeline service bulletins uncovered service bulletin #a23-091 for what sounds like one of these two issues. It has been more than 3 days since the "inquiry" to Honda and we have yet to receive any response. Norm reeves said they will start to charge us a storage fee of $35 usd a day if we do not pick up the vehicle by Saturday eod.

Engine knock noticed right after oil change, prominent metal on metal sound under load, it’s more pronounced and easier to hear at low speeds. The vehicle only has 34,000 miles and 2 years old. Took to Honda dealership in staunton va(valley cma Honda) and they are still diagnosing(for 4 weeks now) but told me so far that it’s coming from the location where oil pan is and main bearing. So it’s very likely a serious engine issue. Very disappointing and frustrating situation that vehicle is only 2 years old with 34,000 miles and already having a serious engine issue.

See all problems of the 2023 Honda Ridgeline 🔎.

Most likely a connecting rod bearing failure leading to catastrophic engine failure per dealership service department. Vehicle is currently available for inspection. Safety was put at risk by engine part (likely connecting rod bearing) coming loose. It flew through my oil pan and bounced off the road, fortunately no people or other vehicles were hit by the part. Vehicle lost power and engine started smoking, oil spilled all over the road. I had to evacuate vehicle on busy highway (70 mph speed limit) since it was smoking. The vehicle was towed to the dealer which inspected it and said most likely connecting rod bearing failure but could not confirm unless engine taken apart. To my knowledge no one else has inspected it. All service for the life of the vehicle has been performed at Honda dealerships at recommended times. A check engine light had come on shortly before the problem occurred.

My vehicle has less than 95k miles on it. Purchased it brand new from the dealer in 2016. It was one of the first few Ridgelines in the state. I've always had it serviced on time at the dealer, and kept up with its maintenance and care. The engine started to fail out of nowhere - making a weird tapping/knocking noise. I made an appointment to have it checked out by the dealership, and that same day my check engine light came on while I was on the freeway going 70mph. It began shaking at an idle. I got off the freeway, and parked. I was afraid to turn the car back on. The check engine light listed off numerous warnings of failed systems. Since my appointment wasn't until the next day, I left my car near the dealership overnight, instead of driving it back home for fear of causing an accident, or having my engine overheat or explode. I brought it to the dealership the next day, and they confirmed that I had a fuel injector issue, consistent with a known issue, for which I had an extended warranty letter the mil warnings. However, they also noted a possible connection rod issue in the engine, and said the engine would have to be completely replaced or rebuilt. I have read and heard from many other people with a 2017 Honda Ridgeline that they have experienced this issue with their engines failing well before they should - at 90k miles, 140k miles, etc. There is a known issue with many of the 2017 Honda Ridgelines - and a recall did occur, but my VIN says my vehicle is not part of this recall - however, clearly my engine had the problem that Honda was aware of. My whole family was in the car when the check engine light came on, and the sound got worse - we could have been injured in an accident on the freeway, or had the engine overheat/explode while we were in the car. The issue was reproduced and confirmed by the dealer service center, and has been inspected by them. No warnings or symptoms before the failure - just complete shutdown out of nowhere.

Recently, while driving approximately an hour and a half from home, traveling at 80–100 km/h, the vehicle suddenly began to shake violently, almost ripping the steering wheel from my hands. I immediately turned down the radio and heard a loud squealing and clacking noise coming from the engine. At that time, no warning lights or codes were present. Moments later, multiple errors appeared on the dashboard, and the engine lost power and shut down completely. With nowhere safe to pull over, I attempted to restart the vehicle just to get it off the roadway into a nearby farm entrance, but it died again shortly after. I had the vehicle towed on a flatbed back home, where I began diagnostics. I initially suspected a timing issue or tensioner failure, so I checked timing components, replaced the spark plugs and swapped coils. A compression test showed over 150 psi across all cylinders. I then brought it into my shop for further inspection. A scan revealed a cylinder #3 misfire, and upon removing the oil pan, I discovered the rod bearing on cylinder #3 had failed catastrophically. When I contacted Honda about the rod bearing recall, I was told that although over 250,000 vehicles were recalled for similar issues, mine did not qualify as it was manufactured in July 2016, just outside the affected range. I was advised to transport the vehicle 2. 5 hours to a dealership for a technician inspection, as my diagnosis would not be accepted. This failure was not only unexpected and costly—it was a serious safety concern that could have resulted in injury or worse. Given the severity of the situation and the number of similar cases reported, I respectfully request that Honda cover the repair under warranty or goodwill. This failure should not have happened on a well-maintained engine and is clearly part of a wider issue.

Reference investigation: ea25004, no restart after auto start/stop engages 2 separate instances 1st instance during stop and go driving on highway in heavy traffic, engine failed to restart automatically after full stop, message stating something about neutral appeared, unsure exactly what message stated. I had to shift to park and hold the brake down for a normal start. 2nd instance 2 weeks after 1st 04/04/2025 while stopped at a traffic light engine failed to auto start - same result as above (1st incident).