2020 Honda Ridgeline problems & reliability
166 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 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.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2020 Honda Ridgeline vehicles were involved in 9 fatal crashes with 2 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 48 | 29% |
| Unknown OR Other | 41 | 25% |
| Engine | 36 | 22% |
| Back Over Prevention | 14 | 8% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 13 | 8% |
| Exterior Lighting | 12 | 7% |
| Air Bags | 10 | 6% |
| Lane Departure | 9 | 5% |
| Power Train | 9 | 5% |
| Visibility/wiper | 8 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 18,000 miles (middle 50% between 2,500 and 47,500 miles), based on 23 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The vehicle's front-facing monocular camera experienced an internal component failure that triggered a permanent error code U3000-49. This hardware failure instantly disabled multiple core safety features simultaneously, including the Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keeping Assist (LKAS), Road Departure Mitigation, and…”
Forward Collision Avoidance · filed Aug 4, 2026
“The vehicle's Auto-Idle Stop (AIS) feature is defective and creates a severe safety hazard. While stopped at a busy road intersection, the feature engaged and shut the engine off normally. However, when releasing the brake pedal to proceed, the engine glitched and completely failed to restart, leaving the vehicle…”
Engine · filed Aug 4, 2026
“The contact owns a 2020 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, there was a misfire coming from the engine with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and, upon inspection, the contact determined that one of the ignition coils had failed. The…”
Engine · filed Jul 23, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages
Engineering Analysis EA25004 · opened Mar 26, 2025 · open
- Rear-View Camera Failure
Preliminary Evaluation PE24004 · opened Feb 13, 2024 · closed Aug 5, 2024 · led to recall 24V321
Technical service bulletins
76 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2020 Honda Ridgeline. The 10 most recent:
Service Bulletin - One or more accessory running board lights are flickering or not working due to a faulty running board light assembly.
A20-022 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2025
Service Bulletin - Under certain circumstances, after coming to a stop and engaging idle stop, the vehicle may not restart automatically due to excessive cylinder pressure and/or low cranking torque. Typically, the…
A23-009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 7, 2025
Service Bulletin - The AWD warning light is on potentially due to water intrusion into the rear differential pump motor connector area that corrodes the terminals.
A24-048 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 22, 2024
Service Bulletin - Customer complaint of the A/C not blowing cold air due to Oil/Refrigerant leak from the A/C compressor shaft seal.
A23-050 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 7, 2024
Service Bulletin - MIL flashes and vehicle will not accelerate, low power. After cycling the ignition, the symptom does not return with no stored DTCs. This issue is more common in regions with cold weather…
A24-085 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 20, 2024
Service Bulletin - The MIL flashes and vehicle will not accelerate, low power. After cycling the ignition, the symptom does not return with no stored DTCs. This issue is more common in regions with cold weather…
A24-085 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 19, 2024
Service Bulletin - Customer complaint received regarding the A/C not blowing cold air due to an oil/refrigerant leak from the A/C compressor shaft seal.
A23-050 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 19, 2024
Service NewsDue to On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) regulation change starting with 2019 vehicles, American Honda’s Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control (VTEC) On-Board Diagnostic monitors are now included in the…
A24040A · Other · issued May 1, 2024
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2019-2023 Passports, 2016-2022 Pilots, & 2017-2023 Ridgelines with a customer complaint of the front passengerâ s power window inop from…
ATI&04082024905 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 8, 2024
Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2019-2023 Passports, 2016-2022 Pilots, & 2017-2023 Ridgelines with a customer complaint of the front passengerâ s power window inop from…
ATI&03212024904 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 21, 2024
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 2020 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 2020 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 18,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.