2009 Honda Ridgeline problems & reliability
35 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 Honda Ridgeline, alongside 8 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2009 Honda Ridgeline vehicles were involved in 9 fatal crashes with 6 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags → | 21 | 60% |
| Structure | 3 | 9% |
| Tires | 3 | 9% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 6% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 6% |
| Power Train | 2 | 6% |
| Steering | 2 | 6% |
| Unknown OR Other | 2 | 6% |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 3% |
| Suspension | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Corrosion formed on the rear frame and a recall was issued for Honda Ridgelines. The Checkered Flag Honda dealership tested our Ridgeline, and it failed the punch test regarding corrosion. The fuel tank, which is mounted to the rear frame, can become unsecured as the rear frame deteriorates from corrosion. An…”
Suspension · filed Apr 10, 2025
“The contact owns a 2009 Honda Ridgeline. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V430000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware…”
Structure · filed Oct 17, 2023
“After driving through Lake Alfred and getting on I-4 heading NE bound toward Orlando, I noticed a very loud noise. I drove to the next exit a few miles down the road (the car seemed to handle fine), Exit 55 at Davenport FL. On the exit ramp, I began to smell burning rubber. After pulling over into the grass off of the…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Oct 11, 2023
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
54 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2009 Honda Ridgeline. The 10 most recent:
Service Bulletin - Warranty Extension: Customer Support Program For Front Passenger's Airbag Inflator.
A18-050 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 30, 2026
Service Bulletin - Warranty Extension: Customer Support Program For Driver's Airbag Inflator for 2007-11 CR-V and Other Listed Years and Models.
A18-048 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 28, 2026
Service Bulletin - A pop or clunk is heard from the rear suspension in cold weather going over bumps potentially due to the rear bump stops loosening and are moving in the top mounting cap for the rear dampers.
A14-077 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 27, 2026
Service News - The navigation clock and date are incorrect. This is due to a limited GPS receiver Capacity resulting in rollover of the internal chip memory; the rollover occurred on January 1, 2022, at 12:00AM local…
A21120A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 13, 2023
Service Bulletin - (Repair Procedure and Parts Information Revision) In salt-belt states where de-icing agents are used to maintain the roadway, the de-icing agents, along with mud and dirt, could accumulate along the…
A22-021 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 30, 2022
Service bulletin - This bulletin is a notification of a class action settlement relating to airbag inflators. American Honda is offering a Customer Support Program (Warranty Extension) to cover any manufacturing defects…
A20-015 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 3, 2022
ServiceNews Article - The clock shows the incorrect time. This issue is due to a limited GPS receiver capacity resulting in "rollover" of the internal chip memory; the "rollover" will occur on January 1, 2022, at…
A21120A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 25, 2022
"Service Bulletin - There are several A/C leak detection tools available. -Refrigerant Gas Leak Detector -Ultrasonic Leak Detector -Leak Dye"
A07-030 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 23, 2021
These SKUs are Exhaust Manifolds with Catalytic Converters. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory due to a loss of CARB certification. These SKUs can no longer be sold as they do not meet CARB…
DOR-M9J4S-07 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 3, 2020
These SKUs are Exhaust Manifolds with Catalytic Converters. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory due to a loss of CARB certification. These SKUs can no longer be sold as they do not meet CARB…
DOR-M3J3F-07 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 3, 2020
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2009 Honda Ridgeline has 8 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2009 Honda Ridgeline?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.