Owners have filed 42 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the exterior lights, electrical, and automatic emergency braking. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2025Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2025 Honda Ridgeline: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/2
Engine off, key in hand0/1
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/1
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/5
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
Nearby years usually share most parts, so their problems are worth checking on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2025 checks
Worth adding to your 2025 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2025 Honda Ridgeline. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | AWD | 21 mpg |
Owners report these failures starting around the mileages below. A car inside one of these ranges deserves a closer look at that part, or records showing it was already fixed.
Driver-assist systems faulting
254–4,385 miles
Spongy, soft brake pedal
4,181–10,800 miles
Auto idle stop restart failures
10,000–21,000 miles
NHTSA complaints for the 2025 Honda Ridgeline, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Automatic high beams switch on and off erratically. They often stay bright as oncoming cars approach, blinding other drivers. On dark roads with no traffic they drop to low beam, often because of reflective road signs. Several reports say the system won't turn on below about 40 to 45 mph, and changing the sensitivity setting doesn't help. Dealers often find no fault, and one sensor replacement did not cure it. Many owners just turn the feature off. Some say the problem has carried over from Ridgelines built since 2020.
The Auto Idle Stop system throws errors and sometimes fails to restart the engine at a stop, leaving the truck stalled in traffic. Some drivers needed a jump start. Other reports describe collision mitigation braking and lane keeping that work poorly, adaptive cruise that brakes too hard, and auto high beams that won't dim. The turn signal tone is barely audible even at maximum volume. One complaint says the exposed neutral button can be bumped while driving, which drops the moving truck into neutral. Dealers often find nothing wrong.
False collision alerts are the main complaint, mostly on two-lane roads. When an oncoming vehicle passes in a right-hand curve, the system flashes a BRAKE warning, shakes the steering wheel, and sounds an alarm, even with both vehicles in their own lanes. Sometimes it also brakes the truck for 1 to 2 seconds, which risks a rear-end crash. Brief unneeded braking also happens at low speed behind turning cars. Some owners say the alerts come several times per drive, and some have switched the system off.
There are only two reports, but one is serious. A truck with under 4k miles started pouring smoke from its sides with no dashboard warning. It caught fire and was a total loss. The other complaint describes heavy oil consumption at about 1,300 miles, with no warning light. The dealer found no failure. With so few reports there is no clear pattern, but the fire is the most dangerous failure in this truck's complaint file.
The brake pedal feels spongy and soft, so the truck is hard to stop. Some drivers say they have to pump the pedal to get a firm feel. Complaints include a near rear-end collision and a pedal that is slow to return after release. The problem shows up early, with reports at 4181 and 10,800 miles. A dealer inspection found nothing wrong with the brakes. One report also says the blind spot warning light is dim and hard to see in bright sunlight.
The transmission is slow to engage and shifts harshly. Reports describe gear changes that lag and then slam into the next gear while driving. Shifting from park into drive or reverse can take up to 9 seconds, and the gas pedal does nothing during the wait. Another complaint says the truck rolls noticeably in park, about 3 degrees, before the lock holds, along with a spongy brake pedal. Repeat dealer visits concluded the truck drives like any other Ridgeline.
Adaptive cruise control and road departure mitigation cut out mid-drive and show a warning to see the dealer. In one case the dealer replaced the tailgate upper wiring harness and the brake/cruise switch at 254 miles, but the fault came back by 4385 miles. Restarting the truck clears it only for a while. Separately, auto idle stop worked for about 10k miles and then began failing to restart the engine, with no warning light. That can leave the truck stranded.
Excerpts from complaints Ridgeline owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
Automatic high beams will not work. A safety hazard. A multitude of owners say they are worthless, to give up and use the manual dim/bright feature. Those few who say theirs work say the system is overly sensitive - turning on or off the high beams at random times. Sometimes blinding other drivers, other times not providing enough light when needed. Multiple owners said they have submitted complaint to NHTSA with no assistance, to date.
Filed with NHTSA, November 2025
The auto headlights do not come on and if they do they almost always turn off immediately. The will not come on at speeds under 25 and this is too slow. To cap all of this they randomly come on when cars are driving towards you even though I have tried to disable this feature totally. They are a safety hazard and used to work on older models flawlessly.
Filed with NHTSA, September 2025
Unsafe auto high beams. They do not come on over 45mph. They have a mind of their own and seem to always come on and off at the wrong time. Also is dangerous to the oncoming vehicles that become impaired due to the high beams coming on when another vehicle is approaching. Especially most dangerous when you are on a 2 lane highway. Also the adaptive cruise control is inconsistent and seems to be very laggy and brakes way too hard.
Filed with NHTSA, April 2025
Auto Idle Stop (AIS) system, a fuel-saving feature that temporarily shuts off the engine when a vehicle is at a complete stop. Drivers say that in some cases, the engine does not automatically restart, leaving vehicles stranded in traffic. Several complainants reported needing to jump-start their vehicles to get them moving again.
Filed with NHTSA, January 2026
Collision mitigation brake system vibrates steering wheel,flashes brake, sounds alarm every time a car approaches in opposite lane on curves and often for no traffic at all. It gives so many false alarms I've had to turn it off for safety.
Filed with NHTSA, June 2025
Forward collision warning alarms when oncoming vehicle is recognized. This happens at least 3 times every time I drive. Only happens on 2 lane roads, not divided streets or highways. Very annoying and distracting.
Filed with NHTSA, September 2025
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2025 ranks seventh for owner complaints among 9 Ridgeline years, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Recall repairs are free at any Honda dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
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.
Cars shoppers compare with the Honda Ridgeline, with their own 2025 checklists.
2025 owner complaints, side by side
