Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2021 Honda Ridgeline owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment while accelerating and there was a loud popping sound coming from the engine compartment shortly afterwards. The low oil level warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to Firestone and was diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle had not been repaired by Firestone but was instead towed to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the connecting rods had disconnected, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the repair was not covered under warranty due to the low oil levels. The contact confirmed that the low oil level warning light occurred during the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. …
The contact's husband owns a 2021 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 55 MPH, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode and made an abnormal knocking sound. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the timing belt, the water pump, and the tensioner pulley were replaced; however, the knocking sound persisted. The dealer determined that the lower bearing had failed, and the dealer recommended replacing the engine with a used engine. Additionally, the contact was advised that the oil pump was leaking and might need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The manufacturer requested the vehicle service records. …
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 35 MPH, the driver depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact's wife was able to pull over to the side of the road. No warning lights were illuminated. The driver shut off the vehicle, and the vehicle was able to restart and return to normal functionality. The contact called the dealer and was informed to disengage the "Econ Mode". The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and filed a claim. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while at a stoplight, the Auto START/STOP feature malfunctioned, and after releasing the brake pedal, the engine failed to automatically restart as designed. After shifting back to park(P), the vehicle restarted and operated as normal. The cause of the failure was not yet been determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The contact was informed of the NHTSA Action Number: EA25004 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the investigation. The failure mileage was 50,500. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that upon either exiting or merging onto a highway at various speeds, the vehicle would independently go into Limp Mode with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact had filed a complaint with the manufacturer through the website; however, the contact had not received a response from the manufacturer. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer where the mechanic was informed by the manufacturer to check the engine valves however, the dealer had not been able to diagnose the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 1,800.
After approximately 2 unbroken hours of driving North on I-35 from Minneapolis on January 24th, 2022, I exited the freeway at exit 214 near Moose Lake. I came to a stop at the top of the ramp (stop sign) to allow cross traffic to clear and then proceeded to accelerate while turning left to cross the bridge over the freeway. About halfway through the turn, a blinking check-engine light came on. The engine also began running noticeably rougher and would not accelerate beyond 30-40 mph. I proceeded to drive about a 1/4 mile in this state to the nearest parking lot - a McDonalds just beyond the bridge. Once parked, I turned the car off and looked up check-engine codes in the owner's manual. The manual indicated that a cylinder misfire was detected and that I should seek dealer service. …
Upon exiting or entering the highway, the truck loses power and will not accelerate. This happens after multiple hours of highway driving and seems to only happen when the temperature is near or below freezing. The Check Engine Light (CEL) comes on and is flashing. This has happened to me four times. Three of which were exiting one highway to merge onto another and there was ample room to slow down and pull over. One time was merging onto a highway from a Rest Stop with a great deal of traffic and I was fortunate the shoulder was available to avoid being collided with. The first time was on 11/6/2021 (2200miles), second and third was on 12/19/2021 (5600miles) and last time was 3/9/2022 (10100miles). All occurrences the gas tank had ample gas. Shutting the truck off and turning it back on clears the CEL and no error codes are stored (according to the dealer). …
This involves the paddle shift operation on the steering wheel. There are two paddles, one at 3 o'clock and 6 o'clock where the hands come into contact with the steering wheel. On four separate occasions, while driving at a relatively high rate of speed, my hands accidentally activated the gear mode by lightly touching one or both of the paddles. Very little pressure is needed to activate the gears. When this occurs, the vehicle shifts to a lower gear, and the vehicle rapidly decelerates from a high rate of speed to a low rate of speed while traveling. In addition to the unexpected and dangerous change in speed while in traffic, the shift into low gear causes the engine to rev and the noise from this caused me to panic while in traffic. On one occasion this occurred when I was trying to cross a road with oncoming traffic. …
I took my vehicle in to the dealer on 1/31/2023 to address recall 23-008 (Idle stop/start switch update). I had not had any problems with it , but I had them inspect it. They performed Bulletin 23-008, PGM-FI update. On 2/16/2023, after stopping at a stoplight, the engine shut down but it didn't start back up when I tried to proceed. A message came up on the dash saying to put the vehicle in park and press the start button. I did that and the car started. I stopped at the dealer and told them what had happened and they performed bulletin 1103A8 Warrany Extension Campaign: Adjust Valves. I haven't had the problem reoccur, but I keep getting an intermittent message on the dash, "Auto Engine Idle Stop Unavailable ". …
Driving home from work on a Friday about 1am and my engine started t knock and sputter and the engine light started flashing. Luckily I made it home. I let it sit for a minute and started it back up and it ran fine. I let it sit over the weekend I made an appointment the the dealership for the following Monday. On Monday it started fine to go to my dealer appointment but half way there every caution light imaginable came on and the info screen was scrolling failure of every system in the truck it seamed. Even the D for drive was flashing. It was knocking, sputtering with loss of power. Like it was in limp mode. Made it to the dealer and they said it was misfiring which caused the engine to come apart inside. 11K for a new engine or 8K for a used one with 46K miles. The truck only had 86,000 miles on it and has been always dealer maintained. We buy Hondas mostly for their reliability. …
NHTSA investigations
No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages
On June 3, 2022, the O ce of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE22005 after the agency received VOQs and several eld reports concerning the Auto Idle Stop (AIS) feature on 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles. The complaints allege that the engine fails to restart on its own from a complete stop at a tra c light or road intersection with the AIS function engaged.
Engine complaints in other Ridgeline years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2021 Honda Ridgeline?
NHTSA has 32 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2021 Honda Ridgeline, 31% of the model year's 102 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2021 Honda Ridgeline engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2021 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 2021 Honda Ridgeline engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 40% before 25,000 miles.
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.