Selling a junk or non-running Honda Ridgeline

Look up the recalls before you sell. Both generations of the truck have a rust recall in salt-belt states. On the 2017 and 2019 a failing connecting rod bearing is a recall too, and the dealer fix can be a new engine.

Two trucks, with a gap between them

Honda built the first Ridgeline for the 2006 through 2014 model years. It is a unibody crew-cab pickup with a 3.5-liter V6, a 5-speed automatic and VTM-4 four-wheel drive, and Honda rated the 2006 at 255 hp. Early trucks came from Alliston, Ontario, and later ones from Lincoln, Alabama.

There is no 2015 or 2016 Ridgeline. The second generation arrived for 2017 and is built only in Lincoln. Its direct-injected V6 makes 280 hp and can shut off cylinders, with front-wheel or all-wheel drive. It used a 6-speed automatic through 2019 and a 9-speed from 2020. In July 2026 Honda said a third-generation truck would come within two years.

NHTSA's files hold 2,187 complaints across both trucks: 764 for 2006-2014, two filed under 2015 and 1,421 for 2017-2026. They report 64 crashes, 45 fires and 49 injuries. There are 39 recall campaigns.

Rust under the bed: one recall per generation

2006-2014: where the fuel tank hangs

Recall 22V-430, filed in June 2022, covers 132,882 first-generation trucks with a salt-belt past: sold or registered at any point in one of 22 states or D.C. Salt, mud and dirt build up on the rear frame and corrode the surface that holds the fuel tank straps, until the frame can separate there. A loose tank can be struck from underneath and leak. When Honda filed, it knew of five customer complaints and no fires or injuries.

Dealers start by inspecting the rear frame. Depending on what they find, they add a reinforcement brace, clean it and coat it with anti-corrosion wax, repair the frame, or offer to repurchase the truck.

2017-2023: the rear subframe

Recall 26V-365 arrived in June 2026. It covers 880,514 Honda and Acura vehicles, 2017-2023 Ridgelines sold in salt-belt states among them. Honda's stated cause is a subframe coating made to the wrong specification, so paint peels near the weld at the arm bracket. The metal at the suspension mounts thins, and parts such as the rear control arm can break. Honda reported no warranty claims and no injuries before it filed.

The repair is an inspection and a rear subframe reinforcement kit, with parts repaired or replaced as needed. Honda mailed owners an interim notice on July 27, 2026 and planned the final fix for fall 2026.

Engine, transmission and fuel

The 2017 has more complaints than any other Ridgeline year, 343, led by electrical (84), engine (75) and fuel (36) problems. NHTSA's files don't pin those counts on one defect. Three Honda programs do cover the newer truck's powertrain:

• Connecting rod bearings, 2017 and 2019 (recall 23V-751). A manufacturing error can let a rod bearing wear until it seizes and damages the engine. The dealer inspects it and, where needed, repairs the engine or puts in a new one, free. Honda began mailing owner letters in March 2024.
• Torque converter, 2017-2019. A cracked lock-up piston stops the converter clutch from holding and lights the check-engine lamp with code P0741. The converter stays covered for 8 years from when the truck was new, or up to 150,000 miles.
• Fuel injectors, 2017-2019. Honda pays for injectors until the truck is 10 years from its first sale or reaches 150,000 miles.

Fuel pumps have their own record. Car wash soap and other acids can crack the pump's feed port on 2017-2019 trucks and let fuel leak out under pressure (19V-053); dealers replace the pump if needed and add a cover. Impeller recalls 21V-215 and 23V-858 cover later trucks, where a deformed impeller can jam the pump and stall the engine or keep it from starting. On the 2006, a coil wire inside the fuel pump relay can break, and then the engine may not start or may stall (07V-097).

Wiring, cameras and latches

On 2006-2007 trucks built from January 17, 2005 to June 7, 2006, a connector for the blower motor under the passenger-side dash can be kicked loose and overheat. If the insulation melts, the wires can short and start a fire (10V-001). Dealers put a protective cover on every one.

The newer truck's backup camera is a repeat problem. On 2017-2019 trucks, opening and closing the tailgate can break the camera wiring (22V-867). On 2020-2024 trucks the tailgate harness can fatigue and fail, leaving no picture (24V-321, 187,290 trucks). Smaller recalls cover the hood latch striker on 2017-2020 trucks (21V-932), water reaching the rear wiring of 2017 all-wheel-drive models (16V-888), a steering gearbox ball joint housing on 245 vehicles from 2023 (24V-184), and a brake booster fastener on 2020-2023 trucks (23V-458).

Air bags top the complaints on every first-generation year, and the 2006 is in Takata recall 15V-320 for its driver inflator. On recent trucks, exterior lighting leads in 2022, 2023, 2025 and 2026; no recall or Honda bulletin we read explains it.

NHTSA complaints and recalls, year by year

Each complaint was filed with NHTSA under one model year. Recalls are campaigns listed for that year; one campaign often covers many years. For "Named most," we set aside NHTSA's catch-all tag, unknown or other.

Is the repair worth it?

For a pickup, the honest test is the quote against what the same truck sells for in running order. If the quote is most of that number, sell it as it sits. Before you get there:

1. Search the VIN at NHTSA's recall page. A seized 2017 or 2019 engine, or a rusted frame or subframe, may be a free dealer repair.
2. Shudder or code P0741 on a 2017-2019? Ask about the torque converter extension. The bad transmission guide covers the other causes.
3. Rust the recalls don't reach. A truck from outside the listed states can still rot. See failed inspection for how states treat it.
4. What the truck is worth broken. Read what a junk car is worth, or blown engine if the V6 is the problem.

Selling a Ridgeline as it sits

1. Note the VIN, the miles and what's wrong, plus whether it's two-wheel or all-wheel drive.
2. Get your offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Tell us where the truck is: driveway, street, field or repair shop, and whether it rolls. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
4. Clear your things out of the cab and the bed, but leave the parts on. If the tailgate, wheels or catalytic converter are already gone, say so.
5. Hand over the title at pickup with a photo ID. Plates stay or go by state law; after you sell has each state's rule.

No title? Read the no-title guide. More Hondas: the Pilot, Passport, Odyssey and CR-V.