The 2006 Ridgeline's J35 V6 is generally solid, but this generation suffers from catastrophic VCM (Variable Cylinder Management) piston ring failure that can grenade the engine, plus common transmission cooler line corrosion leading to fluid cross-contamination and transmission death.
VCM Piston Ring Failure and Excessive Oil Consumption
Common · high severity
Typical onset: 80,000-150,000 mi
Symptoms: Blue smoke from exhaust on cold start or acceleration, Burning through 1+ quart of oil every 1,000 miles, Fouled spark plugs causing misfires, Eventually leads to catastrophic piston damage and bearing wear
Fix: VCM system causes cylinders 1, 4, and 6 to wear prematurely. Only real fix is engine rebuild or replacement. Rebuild includes new pistons, rings, bearings, and often requires crankshaft machining. 25-35 labor hours for full rebuild, 12-18 hours for short block swap.
Estimated cost: $4,500-7,500
Transmission Oil Cooler Line Corrosion and Cross-Contamination
Common · high severity
Typical onset: 100,000-180,000 mi
Symptoms: Strawberry milkshake-looking transmission fluid (coolant mixing with ATF), Transmission slipping or harsh shifting, Engine overheating if ATF contaminates cooling system, Pink or foamy residue in coolant reservoir
Fix: Steel cooler lines rust through where they connect to radiator, allowing coolant and ATF to mix. Requires new cooler lines, full transmission fluid flush (often multiple flushes), radiator flush or replacement, and potentially transmission rebuild if contamination sat too long. 8-12 hours labor for lines and flushes, add 20+ hours if transmission is damaged.
Symptoms: Recall notices for driver and passenger airbag inflators, No symptoms until deployment, where inflator can explode with metal shrapnel
Fix: This is recall work that should be FREE at Honda dealers. Both driver and passenger inflators affected. If not done yet, do not drive this vehicle until recall completed. 2-3 hours dealer time, zero cost to owner.
Estimated cost: $0 (manufacturer recall)
Front Engine Mount and Transmission Mount Failure
Common · medium severity
Typical onset: 90,000-140,000 mi
Symptoms: Excessive vibration at idle, especially in Drive, Clunking when shifting from Park to Drive or Reverse, Engine rocks noticeably during acceleration, Rattling over bumps from drivetrain
Fix: Hydraulic front engine mount and rear transmission mount wear out from the weight of the transverse V6. Transmission mount requires lowering subframe slightly. 3-4 hours for both mounts.
Estimated cost: $600-1,000
Fuel Pump Failure
Occasional · high severity
Typical onset: 120,000-180,000 mi
Symptoms: No-start condition or extended cranking before start, Engine stalling at operating temperature, Sputtering or loss of power under load, Whining noise from rear of vehicle (early warning sign)
Fix: In-tank fuel pump quits, sometimes with no warning. Requires dropping fuel tank and replacing pump assembly. 3-4 hours labor. There was one recall for this, verify it was completed.
Estimated cost: $700-1,100
Bed-to-Frame Mounting Bushing Deterioration
Occasional · low severity
Typical onset: 100,000+ mi
Symptoms: Creaking or squeaking from bed area over bumps, Clunking when loading/unloading cargo, Bed feels loose or shifts slightly
Fix: The Ridgeline's unique In-Bed Trunk design uses rubber isolation bushings that dry out and crack. Replacing all bushings is tedious. 4-6 hours labor depending on rust.
Estimated cost: $500-900
Owner tips
Check if Takata airbag recalls were completed — this is critical safety
Inspect transmission cooler lines annually for rust, especially where they meet the radiator — catching this early saves the transmission
Monitor oil consumption religiously starting at 80k miles — if burning more than 1 quart per 3,000 miles, budget for an engine now
Consider aftermarket VCM disable/tune to prevent piston ring wear if engine is still healthy
Flush transmission fluid every 30k miles with Honda DW-1 ATF to maximize transmission life
Avoid unless engine oil consumption has been verified low and transmission cooler lines have been replaced — the VCM ring failure and cooler line rot are ticking time bombs that make sub-$8k examples gambling propositions.
AI-assisted summary drawn from NHTSA recall data, our labor-times database, and platform knowledge. Not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on a specific vehicle.
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Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles that were sold, or ever registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin. An accumulation of road salt may cause the frame mounting surface, where the fuel tank mounting bands are attached, to corrode and possibly detach the fuel tank, which can result in a fuel leak.
Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the rear frame, as necessary, free of charge. Depending on the extent of any corrosion damage, Honda may offer to repurchase the vehicle. Owner notification letters were mailed August 9, 2022. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is LCD.
Dorman Products, Inc. (Dorman) is recalling certain Accelerator Pedal Assemblies part numbers 699-114 and 825-5029-1, sold as replacement parts for 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2004-2008 Acura TL and TSX, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2005-2006 Honda CR-V, 2007-2011 Honda Element, 2005-2008 Honda Pilot and 2006-2014 Honda Ridgeline vehicles. The rotating portion of the accelerator pedal assembly may bind. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 124, "Accelerator Control Systems."
Consequence: If the accelerator pedal binds, the engine may not quickly return to idle after the pedal is no longer pressed, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dorman will notify owners, and qualified service facilities will replace the affected accelerator pedal assemblies, free of charge. The recall began December 9, 2019. Owners may contact Dorman customer service at 1-800-523-2492, using option 5. Dorman's number for this recall is AS1019XXXX.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · 19V499000
2019-06-27 · EA15001
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2003-2006 MDX, 2001-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot and 2006 Ridgeline vehicles.
These vehicles are equipped with driver frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are Q5A and Y58.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · 19V501000
2019-06-27 · EA15001
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2012 RL, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles.
The vehicles are equipped with passenger frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal airbag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are E5D and X5C.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · 19V182000
2019-03-06 · EA15001
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The affected vehicles received a replacement driver air bag inflator as part of a previous Takata inflator recall remedy or a replacement driver air bag module containing the same inflator type as a service part. Due to a manufacturing error, in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, these inflators may explode.
Consequence: An explosion of an inflator within the driver frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver, front seat passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is O41. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is U40.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · 17V029000
2017-01-10 · EA15001
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Acura MDX and Honda CR-V vehicles, 2005-2011 Honda Element vehicles, 2005-2012 Acura RL vehicles, 2006-2012 Honda Ridgeline vehicles, 2007-2008 Honda Fit vehicles and 2005-2008 Honda Pilot vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A."
Additionally, if not included in "Zone A" above, Honda is recalling certain 2005-2006 Acura MDX and Honda CR-V vehicles, 2005-2009 Acura RL and Honda Element vehicles, 2007-2008 Honda Fit vehicles, 2005-2008 Honda Pilot vehicles and 2006-2009 Honda Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B."
Additionally, if not included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Honda is recalling certain 2005-2006 Acura MDX and Honda CR-V vehicles, 2005-2008 Acura RL, Honda Element and Honda Pilot vehicles, 2007-2008 Honda Fit vehicles and 2006-2008 Honda Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall bagan March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KD9 and KE0.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · 16V344000
2016-05-23 · EA15001
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2011 Acura RL, 2005-2006 Honda CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2003-2008 Pilot, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2006-2011 Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or that have ever been registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A."
Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Honda is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2008 Acura RL, 2005-2006 Honda CR-V, 2003-2008 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2003-2008 Pilot, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2006-2008 Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or that have ever been registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B."
Lastly, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Honda is recalling model year 2002-2004 Odyssey and model year 2003-2004 Acura MDX, Honda Element, and Honda Pilot vehicles originally sold, or registered, in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began June 27, 2016. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KA0, KA1, KA2, and KA3.
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE · 15V320000
2015-05-28 · EA15001
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2001-2007 Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2001-2004 Honda Civic GX, 2003-2005 Honda Civic Hybrid, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, 2006 Ridgeline, 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2003-2006 Acura MDX, and 2002-2003 Acura 3.2TL vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion and other factors, including manufacturing variability that, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on July 1, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Owners may contact Acura customer service at 1-800-382-2238, select option 4. Note: Vehicles that have had their driver frontal air bag replaced previously as part of a recall remedy prior to September 12, 2014 need to have their air bag replaced under this recall as well. Vehicles that, on or after September 12, 2014, received a remedy for a prior driver frontal air bag inflator recall already received an inflator of a different design, and therefore are not included in this recall and do not require additional servicing. Note: This recall fully supersedes recalls 08V-593, 09V-259, 10V-041, 11V-260, 14V-351 and 15V-153. Honda's numbers for this recall are JQ9, JR0, JR1, JR2, JR3, JR4, JR5, JR6, JR7, and JR8.
AIR BAGS · 14V700000
2014-11-04 · PE14016
American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 Honda Civic, 2003-2004 Civic CNG and Element, 2002-2005 CR-V, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2005 Accord, Pilot, Civic Hybrid, and Acura MDX, 2005 Acura RL and 2006 Honda Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in geographic locations associated with high absolute humidity. Specifically, vehicles sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Saipan, Guam, and American Samoa are addressed by this recall. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengers frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 26, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009.
AIR BAGS · 14V353000
2014-06-20
American Honda Motor Company, Inc.'s (Honda) is conducting a limited regional recall for certain model year 2003-2005 Accord, Civic, CR-V, Pilot and Acura MDX, model year 2003-2004 Odyssey and Element, and model year 2005 Acura RL, and 2006 Honda Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in California, and equipped with Takata-brand air bag inflators. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengers frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflators in all affected vehicles, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during August 2014. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009.
HONDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006 AND 2007 RIDGELINE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN JANUARY 17, 2005, AND JUNE 7, 2006. A WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR FOR THE HEATING, VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITIONING (HVAC) BLOWER MOTOR LOCATED UNDER THE PASSENGER'S SIDE OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL MAY BE ACCESSIBLE TO KICKING BY THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER'S FEET. IF THIS OCCURS, THE CONNECTOR TERMINAL MAY OVERHEAT, AND THIS MAY CAUSE THE WIRE INSULATION TO MELT OR THE WIRING CONNECTOR TO MELT.
Consequence: SHOULD THE WIRING INSULATION MELT AND THE EXPOSED WIRES MAKE CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER (SHORT CIRCUIT), A FIRE MAY OCCUR.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND IF THE WIRING CONNECTOR IS DAMAGED IT WILL BE REPLACED AND ALL VEHICLES WILL HAVE THE PROTECTIVE COVER INSTALLED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 15, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA AT 1-800-999-1009.
EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:CARRIER/RACK · 08E013000
2008-02-05
HONDA IS RECALLING 2,032 HITCH STYLE BIKE RACKS SOLD AS AFTERMARKET FOR USE ON MY 2003-2007 AND SOME MY 2008 HONDA PILOT, RIDGELINE, AND ACURA MDX VEHICLES. A PINCH BOLT EXISTS BETWEEN THE BIKE ARM BRACKET AND THE UPRIGHT ASSEMBLY OF THE "HITCH" STYLE BICYCLE RACK.
Consequence: WHEN MOVING THE BIKE ARM BRACKET TO ITS DOWN POSITION, THIS PINCH BOLT HAS THE POTENTIAL OF CAUSING SEVERE LACERATION OR AMPUTATION TO THE USER'S FINGERTIPS OR HAND.
Remedy: OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT THULE AT 800-THULE91 (800-848-5391) TO OBTAIN A FREE REPAIR KIT ALONG WITH REPAIR INSTRUCTIONS OR OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA AT 1-800-999-1009 OR ACURA AT 1-800-382-2238 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.
ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, A COIL WIRE INSIDE THE FUEL PUMP RELAY MAY BREAK, CAUSING THE FUEL PUMP TO LOSE POWER. IF THE FUEL PUMP BECOMES INOPERATIVE, THE ENGINE MAY NOT START.
Consequence: IF THE FUEL PUMP LOSES POWER WHILE DRIVING, THE ENGINE COULD STALL WITHOUT WARNING, AND A CRASH COULD OCCUR.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP RELAY FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 2, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA AT 1-800-999-1009.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES AND MOTORCYCLES, THE OWNER'S MANUALS CONTAIN INCORRECT CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S (NHTSA) VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE.
Consequence: THE LANGUAGE IN THE OWNER'S MANUALS IS NOT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CURRENT MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS.
Remedy: HONDA WILL SEND A POSTCARD TO DEALERS AND OWNERS WITH THE CORRECT NHTSA VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE INFORMATION AND WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO INSERT THE CARD INTO THE "REPORTING SAFETY DEFECTS" SECTION OF THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 2, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA AT 1-800-999-1009, ACURA AT 1-800-382-2238 OR HONDA MOTORCYCLES AT 1-866-784-1870.
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