The Honda Ridgeline may just be the most reliable truck on the market. But as with any vehicle, you should know the best years from the worst before you buy.
The Honda Ridgeline is a cool little truck, especially when you need something a little heftier than light-duty, but you’d rather not worry about how you’re going to squeeze a full-size truck into your garage.
The Ridgeline is a mid-size solution that packs solid hauling power and off-road performance into an efficiently designed body that will have no trouble taking tight corners and saving you a few bucks at the pump.
We know what you’re thinking: Are these guys really suggesting that a Japanese mid-size can compete with an F-Series? And the answer is no, not exactly. If you need a full-size truck, you need a full-size truck. But if you don’t quite need a full-size truck, Honda has a long history of packing some extra oomph into small packages.
They’ve done it time and again with sports cars like the Acura NSX and the Civic Type R, and they’ve done it once more with the Ridgeline, thanks to an aluminum alloy 3.5L V6 single overhead cam engine.
It’s not a full-size truck, but it is one of the toughest autos on the road if we’re talking power per pound, with a tough little engine under the hood.
Honda describes its Ridgeline as “the ultimate tailgate vehicle for sporting events, picnics, and other gatherings with industry-first and exclusive features.
What’s more, this is one of the most reliable vehicles on the market. Almost any Ridgeline you can find is going to be a good deal. But, you always want to do your research to be sure. So, let’s go over a little history on the Ridgeline and cover the best and worst model years for the truck.
The Honda Ridgeline: A Closer Look
The Honda Ridgeline debuted in 2005 for the 2006 model year, a Japanese take on an American classic, synthesizing Eastern efficiency with Western power. It may have led some to wonder: Is the Honda Ridgeline a real truck?
Yes, the Honda Ridgeline is a real truck. With a towing capacity of up to 5,000 lbs. and a payload capacity of up to 1,580 lbs., we’re gonna go ahead and say it’s the real deal, not just a minivan with a box in the back. Let’s take a look at the specs on the 2020 Sport model:
- Drivetrain: Front-wheel or all-wheel drive
- Cargo capacity: 33.9 cu. ft.
- Horsepower: 280 hp.
- Torque: 262 lb.-ft.
- Ground clearance: 7.28″ – 7.87″
- MPG: 19/26 city/highway
It may not be an F-250, but that looks like “real truck” specs to us. Go with all-wheel drive, and you’ve got a mid-size truck that can climb rocky hills with a bed full of gravel for your driveway.
The Ridgeline was designed by a 37-member engineering team at Honda R&D, under the leadership of Gary Flint. The idea behind the truck was to provide a mid-point for drivers who were looking to sell off their minivans and SUVs and switch to a pickup. If you found the full-size Rams and F-Series intimidating, here was a truck that could be comfortably operated by anyone familiar with Explorers and Sedonas.
The truck sold over 45,000 units in North America in 2005, topping that by another ten thousand in 2006. As it turned out, a pickup that drives like an SUV was exactly what many families were looking for.
If you live in one of those semi-rural areas where you’ve got an even distribution of paved and unpaved roads, then you can see the appeal of a truck like the Ridgeline. A full-size pickup is a little too big for daily driving into town, but a minivan is less than ideal for back roads, renovation projects, and trips to the lake.
The Ridgeline proved successful simply by following one of the basic principles of business: find a niche where demand outweighs supply, and then create the supply.
The first generation ran until 2014, then went on hiatus until the second-generation made its debut in 2017. The relaunch introduced a dual-action tailgate, which can be pulled down like a conventional tailgate, or swung open like a car door. This feature has become standard in a number of pickups now, but was nearly unheard of when Honda debuted it.
Today, the Ridgeline stands as the de facto leader of its niche. It was never intended to compete with the more popular full-size trucks, which typically outsell it each year by a wide margin, but in the overlooked and underserved mid-size truck market, the Ridgeline is virtually uncontested.
Ridgeline Model Years to Avoid
Every vehicle has its good years and its bad years, they all have their ill-conceived redesigns and models that were hit with a few more recalls than others, and the Ridgeline is no exception.
Be that as it may, it’s not easy picking out Ridgeline years to avoid. Consumer Reports tends to give the truck fairly strong numbers for reliability and customer satisfaction year after year. The truck never dips below a rating of four stars out of five with Consumer Reports, and usually scores a perfect five.
To put that into perspective, the Tacoma averages a three out of five with Consumer Reports, and J.D. Power usually ranks the Colorado and Ranger between three and four stars out of five, essentially making the Ridgeline the gold standard to which other automakers aspire.
Some Ridgelines are better than others, but even the worst Ridgeline ranks above average for reliability. So, we’re really not saying never buy this model. We’re saying, don’t buy this model unless it’s the only Ridgeline option you can get your hands on.”
No matter what Ridgeline you buy, Consumer Reports ranks the truck as the most reliable pickup in its class. iSeeCars ranks the Ridgeline as the longest-lasting truck overall and the best used-pickup investment, with no fewer than three percent of them surviving long enough to top 200k on the odometer.
So with all of that in mind, consider this our “worst of the best.” You really can’t go wrong with a Ridgeline. But, if you want to get every last mile out of your dollar, put these models near the bottom of your “maybe” list.
2017 Ridgeline
The Ridgeline’s comeback model, the 2017 edition, marked the second generation of Honda’s innovative midsize pickup truck, and it was redesigned from the ground up. Plus, it included a lot of new features.
The 2017 Honda Ridgeline was designed to offer “a higher degree of utility and versatility in a modern, rugged, and sophisticated midsize pickup,” said Honda upon the truck’s release.
At the time, the 2017 model offered the largest cabin in its class along with impressive cargo-hauling and towing capabilities that included a maximum 1,584-pound payload capacity (varied by trim) and up to 5,000-pound towing (RT AWD).
The truck’s ultra-high-strength bed is longer (by 3.9″) and wider (by 5.5″) than in the 2016 Honda Ridgeline. The bed also allows you to haul four-foot-wide items, such as drywall or plywood, on the floor between the wheel wells.
It does not require a bed liner, and the 2017 Ridgeline’s bed also boasted numerous Honda-exclusive features, including a a redesigned in-bed trunk with flat floor, and the world’s first truck bed audio system. An available 115V AC in-bed 400-watt power outlet and eight 350-pound tie-down cleats completed the 2017 Ridgeline’s versatile bed design.
However, along with the Ridgeline’s new features also came a lot of new kinks to work out. Here’s what you might not like about the 2017 Honda Ridgeline:
- Propulsion Problems. The 2017 Ridgeline has 117 complaints registered with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 25 of these have to do with the propulsion system, with a number of users noting that the truck may chug when accelerating, and the rpm may bounce when going up an incline.
- Leaky Pump. The 2017 Ridgeline has three recalls with the NHTSA. The most worrying of these recalls was issued for 106,683 units, year models 2017-2019, on January 24, 2019. The recall concerned a pump feed port that was liable to leak pressurized fuel after exposure to everyday acids like car wash soap.
- Water Leaks. Affecting 9,179 2017 all-wheel-drive Ridgelines, this December 9, 2016 recall had to do with potential water leakage into the rear wiring harness, causing short circuits and corrosion.
- Shaky Transmission. A number of drivers have complained that the truck tends to shake and rattle at around 65 mph when shifting in and out of gear, and this is with less than 100k miles on the odometer.
- Unreliable Electronics. Onboard electronics like the navigation system have been reported to go out without warning or suddenly reboot themselves. This may be connected to the water leak issue, with damaged wiring making for an inconsistent power supply.
2018 Ridgeline
The 2018 Honda Ridgeline arrived in dealerships in the summer of 2017 with a starting price of $29,630. The 2018 edition offered customers an array of standard and premium features and technologies, and it was powered by a 3.5-liter direct-injected SOHC i-VTEC V-6 engine with peak outputs of 280 hp and 262 lb.-ft. of torque.
At the time, the Ridgeline’s trims had been streamlined from 12 to nine, which included all-wheel drive and two-wheel drive variants. The 2018 model also came with two additional exterior color choices for the Sport trim, with White Diamond Pearl and Lunar Silver Metallic joining Crystal Black Pearl.
The 2018 Ridgeline received a best-possible five-star score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s New Car Assessment Program.
Ridgeline also continued to offer the comprehensive Honda Sensing suite of advanced safety and driver-assistive features, including Collision Mitigation Braking System with Forward Collision Warning, Lane Keeping Assist System, Road Departure Mitigation with Lane Departure Warning, and Adaptive Cruise Control.
However, despite the latest innovations, the new-model kinks continued into 2018. There were no more than you would expect for a second-generation just a couple years in, but there were enough to be worth taking note of:
- Propulsion Problems, Again. The propulsion problems seen in the 2017 model persisted in the 2018, with drivers noting that their trucks would lose power on inclines with well under 50k miles on the odometer.
- Loose Seats. The 2018 Ridgeline was subject to the same fuel pump port recall as the 2017, plus a new recall, affecting 5,810 Pilot, Ridgeline, and Acura MDX models, which saw the front seats liable to come detached in the event of an accident due to improperly manufactured rivets.
- Noisy Cabin. Some 2018 Ridgeline drivers have reported that you get way too much road noise in the cabin. You expect that sort of thing in a dedicated off-roader, but not in a truck that’s marketed as being a highway-friendly family vehicle.
- More Transmission Troubles. The 2018 Ridgeline saw the same shaky transmission as the 2017, with many drivers reporting that transmission went out completely at under 100k miles.
2019 Ridgeline
By 2019, Honda had worked out most of the kinks with the new Ridgeline, but not all of them. The 2019 model debuted with a starting MSRP of $29,990 and offered class-leading fuel economy ratings of 19 mpg city, 26 highway, and 22 combined for 2WD, and 18 mpg city, 25 highway, and 21 combined for AWD models. It also proved to be a powerful truck that won over critics after being put to the test.
New for the 2019 edition was a second USB port in the RT, Sport, and RTL models, while the RTL and RTL-T models got a power-sliding rear window and moonroof.
Along with the updates, there were some issues to be aware of, including:
- Most-Recalled Second-Generation Ridgeline. With six recalls, the 2019 Ridgeline is the most-recalled of the second generation. The 2019 was subject to the same fuel pump recall as the 2017 and 2018, as well as an April 12, 2019 recall that saw the timing belt teeth separating in 93,946 2018-19 Honda vehicles.
- Wobblin’ Hood. This time, only six of these complaints had to do with the propulsion system. The most common complaint was a structural concern, with nine drivers noting that the hood of the truck tended to flutter at highway speeds.
- All-Wheel-Drive Issues. At least one driver reports an experience with the passenger-side wheels staying in AWD while the driver-side wheels lost power. This problem was addressed by replacing the relay.
- More Transmission Shake. Just like the 2017 and the 2018, the 2019 has a serious problem with shaky transmission.
- Faulty Tires. If your 2019 is still running on the same tires it was wearing on the lot, you’ll want to get those replaced as soon as possible. Many of the 2019s were sold with faulty tires which were covered by warranty, but not by recall.
It should be noted that none of the recalls issued for the second-generation Ridgelines resulted from an NHTSA investigation. That means that Honda read the complaints, ran their own internal investigations, and addressed the problems on their own. The NHTSA didn’t have to twist their arm on any of these issues.
What’s the Worst Year for the Honda Ridgeline?
If you were going to pick one Ridgeline model year to avoid, it would have to be the 2017. This was Honda’s first step back into the mid-size truck market after a three-year break, so you could say that the 2017 was sort of the beta-test version of the truck.
Our biggest concern with the 2017 comes down to the fact that many of the problems we dug up were relatively common. Just a few drivers complained of the 2018 having a noisy cabin, but two dozen drivers took the time to file a complaint with the NHTSA regarding the propulsion issues.
Ultimately, that puts into perspective just how reliable the Ridgeline really is. When 25 complaints counts as “a lot,” you know that you’re in good hands. So, the 2017 Ridgeline is still a great truck. Even with its issues, it’s still more reliable than the next-best option.
Even so, you want to get the most value possible for your money, so while there’s no such thing as a truly unreliable Ridgeline, the first few second-generation releases are considered to be less reliable than the first-generation models, and the 2017 is the weakest of the bunch.
What’s the Best Year for the Honda Ridgeline?
If you want the most reliable Ridgeline you can get your hands on, that’s going to be a first-generation model, and you can really take your pick from any of them between 2009 and 2014.
We’re going with the 2014 for no other reason than the fact that it’s the newest model. That means that you’re going to get more advanced safety features, and you’re likely to see a lower number on the odometer than you would with a 2011 or 2012.
The 2014 has been recalled six times, and that ain’t bad for a seven-year-old pickup. Five of these recalls had to do with the airbags, which were liable to explode. The last of these recalls was issued on June 27, 2019, affecting just 1,558 units. It’s safe to say that the problem has been effectively managed, just make sure to run your VIN via the Vehicle History homepage to ensure that, if your Ridgeline was affected, the recall was taken care of.
As a runner-up we would recommend the 2020, which has had only one recall so far, for a loose tonneau panel, and only eight complaints. These are mostly concerning bugs in the auto-high-beam feature. Luckily, these can be deactivated until a fix is issued.
At the end of the day, any Honda Ridgeline you can get at a fair price, in good condition, and with a low number on the odometer is going to be a good deal.
This is one of the most reliable vehicles on the market. It’s arguably the most reliable truck overall, and a perfect compromise between the power of a pickup and the efficiency of a crossover SUV.
Photos: Honda
