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2023 Honda Ridgeline

Buyable, but go in with open eyes: this car has specific known issues to check before money changes hands.

Recalls, complaint breakdown & inspection checklist — a shareable PDF

121 owner complaints · 5 recalls · data verified July 10, 2026 · source: NHTSA

Cautionwillitcar.com

Why caution?

5 recall campaigns (3 safety-critical) — confirm every one shows "remedy completed" on the seller's VIN.

Lights problems dominate (32% of complaints).

The math, shown

Full methodology →
Complaint volume (40%)73
Severity (30%)82
Recall load (20%)64
Trend (10%)59

Complaints filed per year

Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.

20222026

The road ahead

What breaks on a 2023 Honda Ridgeline, plotted where owners report it happening.

030k mi60k mi90k mi120k miEngine~19k mi · 17 reports

Also reported (mileage varies): Lights (39) · Electrical system (16) · Driver assistance (11) · Transmission & drivetrain (10)

Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint — a rough guide, not a schedule.

Lights

32%

39 complaints · 17 in the last 2 years

the auto high beam system is overly sensitive. lights flicker when a street sign is detected. dealer checked this issue and said the door switch was bad and replaced i…

Engine

14%

17 complaints · typically near 19k mi · 8 in the last 2 years

Driving approximately 15mph on a gravel road in my subdivision I noticed smoke or steam coming from under the hood. The time was approximately 10: 30 am on June 4,2026…

Electrical system

13%

16 complaints · 10 in the last 2 years

The infotainment system failed intermittently two times prior, causing failure of the backup camera and cross traffic warning sensor system. The entire system failed a…

Driver assistance

9%

11 complaints · 5 in the last 2 years

A car turning left on a one lane both way street. The the auto breaking system hit the breaks I was about 6’ away from car going 10 miles per hour. Car behind me almos…

Recalls (5)

Safety recall repairs are free at the brand’s franchised dealers. Before buying, run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and make the seller show the work was done.

Structure · 26V365000

American Honda Motor Company (Honda) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Honda Pilot, 2017-2023 Ridgeline, 2019-2023 Passport, and 2014-2020 Acura MDX vehicles that were sold in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. The rear subframe may corrode at the suspension mounting points, which can result in rear suspension component failure.

Risk: Failure of rear suspension components, such as the rear control arm, can cause a loss of vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

Fix: Dealers will inspect the rear subframe and install a rear subframe reinforcement kit and, as necessary, repair or replace the rear subframe components, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are AOU and AOT. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning June 10, 2026.

Air Bags · 26V332000

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.

Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.

Fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.

Back Over Prevention · 24V321000

Honda (America Honda Motor Co) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Ridgeline vehicles. The rearview camera (RVC) tailgate wire harness may fatigue and break, which can prevent the rearview camera image from displaying.

Risk: A rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will replace the RVC tailgate wire harness, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed November 8, 2024. Owners may contact Honda service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is YI7.

Steering · 24V184000

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023 Passport and Ridgeline vehicles. The inner ball joint housing in the steering gearbox assembly may loosen and detach from the steering rack and result in a loss of steering control.

Risk: A loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the steering gearbox as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 11, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is LHY.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic · 23V458000

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Civic, 2020-2023 Ridgeline, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot, and 2020 Acura MDX vehicles. The tie rod fastener that connects the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been improperly assembled during manufacturing, which can cause the brake master cylinder to separate from the booster assembly.

Risk: Brake master cylinder separation can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are VEU, AEV, and ZET.

Before you hand over money

Verify the recall work was done

NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.

Free NHTSA VIN check

Get a pre-purchase inspection

A $150–$250 independent inspection of this exact 2023 Honda RIDGELINE beats every score on the internet, including ours.

What to ask for

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What owners say

Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score — if they disagree, that’s worth knowing.

The fine print: this verdict is computed from public NHTSA complaint and recall records for the 2023 Honda Ridgeline as a model, not for any individual car. A well-maintained example of an “Avoid” can outlast a neglected “Buy”. Informational only — always get a professional pre-purchase inspection.