Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2018 Honda Ridgeline owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50-55 MPH on I-40 Westbound to I-25 and making a turn in a construction zone, the passenger's side air bag deployed without warning or impact to the vehicle. There were no reported injuries. The air bag control message was displayed after the failure. Two days later, the system indicators produced a failure with the road departure mitigation, collision mitigation, trailer stability control field assist, vehicle stability control, power steering, air bag system, and adaptive cruise control. The brake system warning light was illuminated after the parking brake was released. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 56,850.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while the vehicle was not being driven, the vehicle remained running, causing the battery to drain. The contact had the vehicle jumpstarted; however, the battery failure recurred. The contact replaced the battery. Upon replacing the battery, several unknown warning lights were illuminated, and the alarm system sounded off throughout the night. The contact called an independent mechanic and was referred to the dealer to have the vehicle diagnosed. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the vehicle was diagnosed with a faulty keyless access unit. The dealer recommended that the keyless access unit be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, all four windows of the vehicle were rolling up and down independently. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle braked unintendedly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the electric system was reset; however, the horn engaged unintendedly while the vehicle was parked. The contact stated that he disconnected the battery, and the vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the electrical control unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that there was no recall related to the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to NHTSA for assistance. The failure mileage was 22,000.
Several times now, the alarm of the vehicle has gone off in the middle of the night for no reason. The key access remotes does not respond to the commands properly after replacing them with new batteries. After several different combinations to set the alarm off, the vehicle is continuing to make electrical circuit noises, flashing the dashboard with potential risk of fire and damages to computer, plus creating the possibility of a heart attack to those nearby. The only solution to keep the alarm of is leaving one door unlocked. The vehicle reflected the Keyless start system problem light for many hours. However, the dealership "couldnt" replicate the issue and gave back the vehicle. The vehicle continues to malfunction & could cause an accident, fire while driving or theft, given known issues that Honda Corp doesn't want to recognize as manufactures' issues. …
My complaint for my 2018 Honda Ridgeline Sport is with Honda's part number 32109-T6Z-A00 which is a wiring harness leading into the tailgate of the vehicle. This harness houses a wiring bundle including the back up camera. I experienced a failure of the camera on August 9, 2021 when the screen was black however the guide bars were still present. I consulted a few online resources and found that Honda is collecting information on this failure where the wire of the camera becomes sheered off and in the process breaks the wire to the camera rendering it blank. I contacted a Honda dealership to get a new harness and and had the repair made on August 31, 2021 only to find that Honda only authorized the same defective part number as the replacement. …
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Rear camera wire harness has failed. When vehicle is in reverse the screen displays a black image. Vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Please see attached image. These wires are visible when the tailgate is open. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The rear camera adds tremendous safety information as I reverse the vehicle. In every situation this information is valuable; more so in a neighborhoods like the one I live in. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No. I will mention it during my next routine service. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No. …
I had the backup camera harness recall performed on my 2018 Honda Ridgeline on 09/06/2023 by Honda of Escondido , CA. (See attached invoice of recall work performed.) On 01/27/2026, the backup camera failed to appear on the dash screen when the vehicle was in reverse. I restarted the vehicle and the camera view was still not visible on the screen. I drove home and parked the vehicle in my garage. I turned the ignition off and then on again and put the car in reverse with the brake applied. This time the camera view was displayed on the dash screen. Appears to be an intermittent problem. (See attached two pictures of rear camera view not projected to the dash screen and one picture of my vehicle"s mileage, 50,518 miles.)
THE BACKUP CAMERA stopped working. When I did an internet search, "my backup camera does not work", many posts came up. In the tailgate wiring harness, one wire in the bundled wire broke, that wire supplys the camera video. It is a good safety feature to prevent hitting something or someone. Honda will not voluntarily repair it. My tailgate is rarely used. I think the door swing alternate way to open the gate is what cause the stress on the wire and it to fail. My car ar 3 years old just went out of warranty when it failed. About 3 months after the warranty expired. I called the local Honda parts departement, he said they changed the design of the wiring harness in 2019. It is was a known design flaw.
My 2018 Honda Ridgeline pickup has a backup camera which became nonfunctional in June 2022. Upon inspection the wiring harness at the back gate pivot point has broken as the gate has been opened over time, disabling the backup camera - the display is now black when the vehicle is in reverse. This has made it difficult to accurately back the vehicle up, and puts pedestrians, pets and other objects at risk as it is impossible to see directly behind the truck when backing. The dealer has confirmed this wiring harness failure, and has quoted me $2,000 to repair the wiring harness. The vehicle is scheduled for repair, but I would not expect this failure to occur this early in the vehicle's duty cycle.
The backup camera intermittently works. When put in reverse, sometimes I'll have a black screen with grid lines, other times just a blank screen. Yes, it is available for inspection. I cannot see persons and property when backing up. I am afraid, in reverse, of running over persons shorter than the vehicle that only the backup camera would pick up. This has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service station. The vehicle has not been inspected by another entity. There has been no warning lights or messages from the vehicle about the issue. I purchased the vehicle in October 2022 and the issue started two weeks after purchase.
Electrical complaints in other Ridgeline years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2018 Honda Ridgeline?
NHTSA has 49 complaints about the electrical system of the 2018 Honda Ridgeline, 30% of the model year's 162 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2018 Honda Ridgeline electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2018 Honda Ridgeline, though it has 7 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 2018 Honda Ridgeline electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 33,000 miles, and 41% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system 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.