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Honda RidgelineModel year report

2008 Honda Ridgeline Problems

Compared with other Honda Ridgeline years

Fewer complaints than typical for this model

27/100 0.6× a typical year · 50 = typical

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
143filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
70,000miles, 73 complaints with mileage
Recalls
8campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
17 mpgcombined, 3.5L 6-cyl 4WD/AWD · 15 city / 20 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2008 Honda Ridgeline (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe the heating/air-conditioning blower quitting after a blower wiring connector overheats and melts, a problem many say was recalled on earlier Ridgelines. A second large group of complaints concerns Takata airbag inflator recalls and long waits for parts. Older trucks also draw reports of rear-frame and fuel-tank-mount corrosion, rear glass shattering, and power steering pump noise.

  1. Electrical system

    HVAC blower stops, melted dash wiring connector

    • 32 complaints (22%)
    • median 72,000 mi at 6.4 yrs old (31 state mileage)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $1,000 (median of 5 quotes)
    • filed 2009–2018

    The heater, A/C and defroster stop blowing air, sometimes intermittently at first and then permanently. Dealers typically find a melted or burned connector in the blower motor wiring harness under the dash, and sometimes a failed blower resistor or seized blower motor; repairs are quoted from a few hundred to roughly $1,500-$1,800. Several owners report smelling burning wires beforehand, and some say Honda covered part of the cost under warranty or a goodwill program. Spread widely from about 4,000 to 180,000 miles, with many reports between roughly 40,000 and 120,000 miles.

    What to check: Ask whether the blower motor harness or connector has been replaced, and run the fan through all speeds with the engine warm. Look for a burning smell or discolored connector behind the center lower dash.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The blower motor in my 2008 Honda Ridgeline quit functioning. A local Honda dealership found that a dash wire harness needed to be replaced. There was a burnt out pin connector...? I am lucky that my truck didn't start on fire! There is no recall on this 2008 model so I had to pay for this faulty wire harness connection out of my pocket.”

    NHTSA complaint #10559417, filed 2014-01, 81,000 miles

    “The air conditioner on my new 2008 Honda Ridgeline stopped working. Truck had 4,000 miles at the time. I brought it to the dealership and was told that a wire inside the dash board had melted and that a wire harness needed to be replaced. Repairs were made under warranty and problem is resolved but I was lucky not to have a fire.”

    NHTSA complaint #10277618, filed 2009-07, 4,000 miles
  2. Air bags

    Takata airbag inflator recall and parts delays

    Mentioned in 7 of 60 sampled complaints

    Owners describe receiving recall notices for the driver and passenger front airbag inflators and then waiting months for a dealer to have parts. Some report being told loaner or rental vehicles were no longer offered, and a few describe the airbag warning light coming on with an inflator resistance code. Complaints focus on the recall process and parts availability rather than a part failure in service. Mostly reported between about 45,000 and 120,000 miles, in complaints filed from 2016 onward.

    Recall 19V500000Recall 19V501000Recall 17V029000Recall 16V344000Recall 16V061000Recall 19V18200010 related service bulletins

    What to check: Check the open-recall status by VIN with a dealer and confirm both driver and passenger inflators were replaced. Ask for the recall completion paperwork.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Takata recall - received a recall notice for the driver side airbag in march 2016 (16v-061) and then a passenger side airbag in july 2016 (16v-344). In july, I requested the dealer put me on a list to address the recall. Three months later, and my dealership still does not have the parts to fix the airbag inflator issue. Furthermore, the dealer stated that Honda was no longer providing an alternative form of transportation while waiting for the parts.”

    NHTSA complaint #10918122, filed 2016-10, 110,000 miles

    “Takata recall--no incident has occurred yet. I am still waiting, since may 2016 for relief, unable to use the passenger front seat of my vehicle. I am tired of waiting, and of being unable to use my vehicle as I need to. Please help me get this fixed, or a vehicle I can use while I wait. This is affecting my business drastically, as well as my family, as I need to carry passengers during the majority of my driving. This issue involves the NHTSA recall 16v-344.”

    NHTSA complaint #10914997, filed 2016-10, 95,000 miles
  3. Body and structure

    Rear frame corrosion and fuel tank mount separation

    • 17 complaints (12%)
    • median 134,000 mi at 14.1 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2010–2026

    Complaints describe heavy rust on the rear frame and undercarriage, and in some cases the fuel tank straps separating so the tank drops onto the driveshaft while driving. Owners report unusual noises, a smell of fuel, or finding the tank resting on the driveshaft, with the truck undrivable. Dealers are described as performing a punch test under the frame recall and, in some cases, declining further inspection or buyback. Mostly reported above roughly 110,000 miles on older trucks, often in states that use road de-icing salt.

    Recall 22V4300001 related service bulletin

    What to check: Have the rear frame, fuel tank straps and subframe inspected on a lift, especially on a truck from a salt-belt state, and confirm whether the frame corrosion recall inspection and any repair were completed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The contact owns a 2008 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that when he entered his driveway at a slow speed, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the rear end of the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact saw that the rear subframe had detached from the vehicle without warning. The contact also discovered severe corrosion on the frame and subframe which he linked to the failure. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11441326, filed 2021-11, 141,000 miles

    “The contact owns a 2008 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated while his wife was driving at 65 MPH, she heard an abnormal sound. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact's wife was able to drive to her residence. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while he was driving the vehicle. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact saw that the fuel tank had detached and was resting on the drive shaft. The vehicle was not drivable. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11488898, filed 2022-10, 115,000 miles

Buying note. Check recall status by VIN first, especially the airbag inflators and the rear-frame corrosion campaign, and have the rear frame and fuel tank straps inspected on a lift. Also verify the blower wiring repair history and test the HVAC fan and rear window before purchase.

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.

NHTSA recorded 143 consumer complaints for the 2008 Honda Ridgeline. 73 of the complaints include a mileage, and 36% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 70,000 miles. Of all complaints, 3 involved a crash, 6 a fire, 2 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns and 53 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 12 Honda Ridgeline model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 27 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (fewer complaints than typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Steering (3), Other or unknown (2), Suspension (1), Vehicle speed control (1), Wheels (1).

Example complaints

Air bags: “I had my recall done at gunn Honda in san antonio, texas in july of 2017. Now I had a wreck on august 18, 2017, it is a total lost. That what is going on now you can check with my insurance geico policy # 4126-49-54-82.”

NHTSA complaint #11022438, filed 2017-09, 100,028 miles

Electrical system: “I started my truck and the air would not blow. I smelled the burning of electricity. I took it into the dealership to be inspected and they said that there was an electrical short in the dash harness where it connects to the blower motor. They quoted me $1,500 to fix it. Apparently this was a common problem that was recalled in the 2007 model but nothing has been done for the 2008 model. There should be a recall.”

NHTSA complaint #10823240, filed 2016-01, 101,772 miles

Body and structure: “My 2008 Honda Ridgeline truck is in very good shape, garage kept, well maintained, with only 72k mi. We were driving under the speed limit on I-83n from de to pa, during the rainy night of nov. 18,2015. We heard a flap-rip sound, and thought it was the (after market) bed cover flapping at the cab corner, because a cover clip had weakened there during this highway drive from ga to pa, allowing the cover to flap in wind, and needed refastening whenever we stopped for gas. …”

NHTSA complaint #10808158, filed 2015-12, 72,000 miles

Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors): “I was driving down the freeway at ~ 60 MPH with the center back window open about half way. The center back window shattered and blew small sharp pieces of glass all over the inside of the truck. Small pieces of glass pierced my wrist as I attempted to clean the mess once I was at home.”

NHTSA complaint #10822876, filed 2016-01, 89,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

36% of the 73 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 40,000 and 106,000 miles.

5%0–1010%10–2521%25–5021%50–7515%75–10021%100–1508%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (73 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 70,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’10’13’1656’19’23’26
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2008 Honda Ridgeline. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Ridgeline · sedan AWDnot rated5 / 5——4 · 14.3% risk

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2008 Honda Ridgeline version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Ridgeline Truck 4WD3.5L 6-cyl5-speed automatic152017$3,950

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

See all 8 recalls for the 2008 Honda Ridgeline → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 53 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 53 bulletins →

Other model years of the Honda Ridgeline

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
202612740521—Too new
20251035002521Too new to compareToo new
20247323,2231521Too new to compareToo new
202313226,058552175 · MoreToo new
202211935,000352152 · TypicalRising
202110321,000752165 · MoreStable
202017018,000852265 · MoreRising
201923817,5001152274 · MoreRising
201816222,300752250 · TypicalFalling
201734740,000852274 · MoreStable
20143415,0006—171 · FewerRising
20134533,0007—170 · FewerFalling
20122423,12211—17—Falling
20113965,50010—170 · FewerRising
20104225,5009—174 · FewerRising
20093560,0008—170 · FewerRising
200814370,0008—1727 · FewerFalling
200716084,0008—17Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200624374,00012—17Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Honda Ridgeline model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2008 Honda Ridgeline?

Owners of this model year most often describe the heating/air-conditioning blower quitting after a blower wiring connector overheats and melts, a problem many say was recalled on earlier Ridgelines. The issues reported most often: HVAC blower stops, melted dash wiring connector; Takata airbag inflator recall and parts delays; Rear frame corrosion and fuel tank mount separation.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2008 Honda Ridgeline have?

NHTSA recorded 143 consumer complaints for the 2008 Honda Ridgeline as of Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2008 Honda Ridgeline is reported most often?

Air bags is named most often, in 60 complaints (42% of the total), followed by electrical system with 30.

Has the 2008 Honda Ridgeline been recalled?

NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2008 Honda Ridgeline get?

The EPA rates the 2008 Honda Ridgeline (Ridgeline Truck 4WD, 3.5L 6-cyl) at 17 mpg combined, 15 city and 20 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,950 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2008 Honda Ridgeline reported?

Among the 73 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 70,000 miles and the middle half falls between 40,000 and 106,000 miles; 36% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.