Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2017 Honda Ridgeline owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I purchased the Ridgeline in 2017 and am the sole owner. I have never towed anything with the truck. The mileage is high currently at 129,000. in the beginning of July the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The way it failed caused a dramatic shifting and of gears and the inability for the transmission to change gears without jerking or banging of the gears. The transmission fluid was recently changed and the vehicle has been regularly serviced by Honda dealerships only. Luckily this happened at a low rate of speed and i am a cautious, experienced, driver. This vehicle is driven by my children and has carried passengers from toddlers to the elderly. It is obvious and foreseeable that this will happen to other vehicles at higher speeds and will be the proximate cause of injury to drivers and passengers. …
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate, the engine continuously revved very high, and while at a stop light, the vehicle almost stalled after activating the A/C. Additionally, the transmission failed to immediately shift into gear, and the vehicle jerked while shifting gear. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who performed a transmission software update, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included the Manufacturer's Extended Warranty Coverage that addressed the failure. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was 80,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The "4WD Failure" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched and became aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 101,055.
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission was slipping. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that a transmission flush was needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 63,000.
At 96k miles, the transmission started slipping and juddering. Three warnings appeared: transmission system, emission system, and blind-spot monitoring problems. Also P-D indicator flashing to not drive. Took into dealership. They said that code P0776 was appearing - clogged solenoid in the transmission. Also said that transmission fluid had a foul burnt smell and had large pieces of the clutch. All of these are symptoms of the torque converter failure, which is covered under TSB 23-078 with warranty extension to 10 years, 150 k miles in letter of June 2025. The TSB states that the warranty will only cover these problems if code P0741 appears. Visually, the dealership has confirmed that my torque converter has failed and my transmission needs replacing. However, because code P0741 isn't showing up, they will not cover replacement. …
Transmission started shifting roughly last year, dealership has changed fluid a few times and shifting was better but last time rough shifting came back within a few months. I was driving on a two lane highway and did three individual passes of slower vehicles, after the third pass my transmission lost its mind and started banging into gear then going into neutral, I had to feather the accelerator all the way home. Next drive a few days later in regular traffic it clunked into gears, I did feel the judder for the first time, entered the freeway; check emissions, transmission, blind spot warnings all came on. Got it home a few miles later and had it towed to my dealership, was told the trans is shot, there was metal debris in the fluid. …
So I complained before and nothing has happened. I took my Ridgeline in for the recall on the backup camera and my camera still flickers or goes out. Happens randomly not all the time. I brought it up twice to the Honda dealership and they couldn't help me since it was working fine when I brought it in. And my transmission since 20k miles still lags and jutters and makes clanking sounds. I have done multiple transmissions fluid changes like recommended but I don't trust it. And only the first time they covered it and did a software update but that didn't fix it then my warranty expired and they wanted to charge me for any repairs after. I have had this issue since I bought the Ridgeline. Not even 100k miles and I can't trust it to drive more than an hour. This been happening for years and I complained before but nothing ever got done. …
I was driving and without any warning or indication that anything was wrong, I heard a loud clunk noise and immediately lost power to the wheels, but the engine continued running. I was barely able to get the vehicle to the shoulder before it came to a complete stop without me applying the brakes. A Police Officer came to assist and tried to push it, but even after shifting to neutral, the car would not move. The tow company had to drag it onto the flatbed because the front passenger wheel would not turn. The Honda Service Center indicated that the axle separated from the transmission. They are in the process of making repairs. While waiting for the tow truck, my car had to sit in a busy highway on ramp turn lane, nearly getting hit several times despite my hazard lights. …
Over the past 15 months, our 2017 Honda Ridgeline has been at the Honda dealership service for over 90 days, or 20% of the elapsed time. A 2nd replacement of the torque converter (3rd unit) in March 2024 has not resolved the judder/vibration, which does not occur when the engine temperature is cold. The vibration is consistently recurring once the engine has reached nominal operating temperature, when the transmission is in 4th-5th gear around 1800 RPM, 30-50 MPH. Based on the dealership-attempted fixes, the dealer believes the issue is due to Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) and Active Control Mount (ACM) degradation. The dealer, in contact with Honda tech line, have no known fix to this systemic defect. The vehicle has been 100% serviced at Fisher Honda per the factory maintenance schedule. …
The torque converter failed once already while driving at highway speed, creating an unsafe condition as the vehicle went into "limp mode". After the torque converter was replaced in 2022, the vehicle has continued in 2023 to exhibit judder from the torque converter lock-up clutch (TSB 17-025 and TSB 17-026) which is symptomatic of the original failure. As recognized by Honda in TSB 23-078, the torque converter may also have been manufactured improperly which led to the warranty extension. The Honda dealership service has verified all steps in TSBs have been completed, and they do not know how to resolve the judder. The concern is the transmission and/or torque converter will fail again creating a subsequent unsafe condition. Despite numerous TSBs with potential fixes, they have been unsuccessful in resolving the defects, which suggests this systemic issue needs elevated to a recall.
Transmission complaints in other Ridgeline years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2017 Honda Ridgeline?
NHTSA has 42 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2017 Honda Ridgeline, 12% of the model year's 345 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2017 Honda Ridgeline transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2017 Honda Ridgeline, though it has 8 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2017 Honda Ridgeline transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 43,000 miles, and 31% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to transmission & drivetrain problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.