2006 Honda Ridgeline Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2006 Ridgeline most often report airbag concerns, ranging from inflators replaced under recall campaigns to airbags that did not deploy in a collision or deployed without one. Corrosion of the rear frame and subframe is the second recurring theme, with several complaints tied to a later recall for that area, and many owners also describe instrument cluster and blower motor electrical faults. Reported mileage varies widely, from under 50,000 miles for electrical and suspension items to well past 150,000 miles for frame corrosion.

1. 1
   Air bags

   Airbag did not deploy, or deployed unexpectedly

   • 23 complaints (9%)
   • median 94,250 mi at 7.2 yrs old (20 state mileage)
   • 18 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2023

   Complaints describe collisions in which the passenger side airbag inflated but the driver side did not, and other cases where both front airbags deployed in a crash. A few owners report side curtain airbags inflating during a hard correction with no impact damage, or front airbags deploying while driving normally. Some complainants note their inflators had already been replaced under a recall campaign before the event, and describe contacting the dealer or manufacturer afterwards. Reported from roughly 50,000 to 150,000 miles, mostly in frontal and rear-end collisions.

   Recall 19V501000Recall 19V499000Recall 19V182000Recall 17V029000Recall 16V344000Recall 15V320000Recall 14V700000Recall 14V3530004 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the driver and passenger inflator recalls were completed and keep the paperwork; a VIN check at a dealer confirms open campaigns.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “'takata recall' I had my airbags replaced for recall. I recently had a collision and air bags did not deploy. Injuries consisted of chest, ribs and arm. My frustrations with Honda have been a constant since I've had vehicle. Other issues like blow hearter wires smoking and catching fire burning my ex wifes leg. Too many details to write.”

   NHTSA complaint #11204884, filed 2019-04, 133,000 miles

   “5 car crash in anchorage alaska. I was driver of 2006 Honda Ridgeline. I was in the middle, two cars behind and two cars in front. I was rear-ended and then rear-ended the car in front of me. There was approximately $14,000 worth of damage to my vehicle. I was sitting at a complete stop, in morning traffic, at a red light. My airbag deployed on the passenger side, but my front-driver airbag failed to deploy. The on-scene police officers could not believe that the airbag did not deploy. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10311554, filed 2010-02, 50,000 miles
2. 2
   Body and structure

   Rear frame and subframe corrosion

   • 14 complaints (6%)
   • median 144,000 mi at 16.8 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2006–2026

   Owners describe heavy rust on the rear subframe and frame, sometimes found during a dealer inspection or when the truck could not be raised on a lift. Several complaints reference a recall notice covering frame corrosion, with owners saying the dealer declined to perform the repair because the corrosion was too extensive and instead offered to buy the vehicle back. Others report the repair was completed but they were left waiting on the manufacturer for further direction. Mostly reported between about 88,000 and 226,000 miles, typically on older vehicles in areas that use road salt.

   Recall 22V4300001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Inspect the rear frame and where the fuel tank mounts for flaking rust or perforation, and confirm with a dealer whether the frame recall was completed or refused.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2006 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for an inspection, the dealer determined that the suspension and sub-frame were severely corroded. The contact was informed that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V430000 (Structure) however, the dealer declined to perform the recall repair due to the suspension and sub-frame corrosion. The vehicle was not repaired. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11564412, filed 2024-01, 357,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2006 Honda Ridgeline. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V430000 (Structure) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer where an inspection was performed. The dealer informed the contact that the rear subframe was severely corroded and could not be replaced. The dealer sent a diagnostic report to the manufacturer along with photos. The dealer informed the contact that they were awaiting a response from the manufacturer. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11481862, filed 2022-08, 88,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Instrument cluster and display faults

   • 15 complaints (6%)
   • median 70,000 mi at 4.4 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2007–2014

   Complaints describe the maintenance minder or odometer display blinking, freezing, or going blank intermittently, sometimes taking the door-open indicator with it. Owners say the dealer quoted replacement of the whole instrument cluster, with prices commonly mentioned in the several-hundred-dollar range. Separately, some owners report no-start conditions where the engine clicks and nothing happens, and one mentions a burning smell traced to wiring. Reported from roughly 31,000 to 100,000 miles, often after several years of use.

   What to check: Cycle through the trip, oil-life and door-open displays and confirm the odometer advances while driving; ask whether the cluster has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The second problem just occurred. We left the vehicle at a airport parking garage while we were going on vacation. My son in law was going to pick up the vehicle when he got off of work at the airport in about 6 hours. However when he went to start the Ridgeline nothing happened. No matter what he tried nothing happened. He even tried to jump start the truck but nothing would happen so he left us a phone message and found a ride to his home. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10223669, filed 2008-04, 44,000 miles

   “My odometer 'hangs' and does not update the display to reflect the fact that I'm driving. Pressing the button to scroll to tripa and tripb and oil life does nothing. Then the door open indicator also 'hangs'. Sometimes after the engine is restarted the display comes back to normal with updated mileage. This seems to be a common problem for 2006 Honda Ridgeline (as I did research on internet) and repair requires replacement of the instrument cluster that runs around $1000. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10493078, filed 2013-01, 84,000 miles
4. 4
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Blower motor wiring overheating

   • 18 complaints (7%)
   • median 89,500 mi at 3.8 yrs old (14 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $700 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2005–2020

   Owners report the heating and A/C blower motor overheating, with the power connector or wiring melting or smoking, and one complaint describing smoke filling the cab from under the passenger side of the dash. Some say the fan only works intermittently or after jiggling the control, while others were told by the dealer that their vehicle was not covered by the related campaign. Reported from about 35,000 to 158,000 miles, often noticed when the fan is run on high.

   Recall 10V001000

   What to check: Run the fan at every speed and check the connector under the passenger side of the dash for discoloration, and ask whether the blower motor recall was performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The air conditioner stopped blowing air. While researching the issue I found a recall for the HVAC blower fan. This VIN number model is displaying the same symptoms as the recall for the HVAC blower. I called the dealer and they said that my VIN model number doesn't have a recall or a recall for this issue. I think is a valid recall because it is pretty much doing the same thing.”

   NHTSA complaint #11156818, filed 2018-12, 158,000 miles

   “When I first bought this vehicle I had a problem with it at 41,000 miles. The fan motor dial would not turn on correctly. I could be driving then if I hit a bump in the road the fan motor would turn on. Now you have to play with it until it turns on to it won't work at all. I think it may have something to do with the wiring because my inside lights don't work right as well. Map light one side works and the other doesn't. I replaced parts and it still doesn't work.”

   NHTSA complaint #10648697, filed 2014-10, 64,026 miles
5. 5
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission cooler line corrosion at radiator

   • 15 complaints (6%)
   • median 123,000 mi at 10.0 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2012–2024

   Complaints describe the transmission cooler fitting at the radiator corroding and failing, causing a sudden loss of transmission fluid or allowing coolant and transmission fluid to mix. Owners report the transmission then slipping or stopping altogether, and in one case hot fluid sprayed in the engine bay. Repairs described include replacing the radiator and, in some cases, the transmission. Mostly reported between about 87,000 and 191,000 miles.

   What to check: Check the radiator fittings for corrosion or residue and look at the transmission fluid for a milky or pinkish tint that would suggest coolant mixing.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Transmission cooler fitting failed catastrophically and transmission fluid mixed with coolant in radiator and engine ran but transmission stopped working at all similar to other failures reported on this site”

   NHTSA complaint #10852293, filed 2016-03, 191,000 miles

   “Where the transmission cooling line attaches to the radiator, corrosion occurs in the fitting and this causes the radiator fluid to mix with the transmission fluid. The resulting problem is the transmission starts slipping and the transmission can fail completely. There is a well know problem with the connector that corrodes prematurely. Honda has not recalled this vehicle or issued a service bulletin but Honda repair dealers are well aware that this is a class defect with all Honda ridgelines and Honda pilot vehicles. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10903321, filed 2016-09, 150,450 miles

Buying note. On a 2006 Ridgeline, verify open recall status for the airbag inflators and the rear frame campaign before anything else, and have the rear frame inspected closely if the truck has lived in a salt-belt state. A pre-purchase check of the radiator cooler fittings and the blower motor connector covers the other frequently reported repairs.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.