2021 Honda Ridgeline Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 11about this part
- Share
- 11%of 103 total for the year
- Median mileage
- —not reported
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 11 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2021 Honda Ridgeline, 11% of the 103 complaints for this model year.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“When driving at 70mph for a couple of hours and exiting the freeway, the truck will go into limp mode and won’t accelerate. This only happens when it’s very cold, less than 10 degrees Fahrenheit both times it happened to me. The engine service light will start to flash. You need to park and restart in order to clear the issue. The last time it happened, I needed to merge onto a busy freeway with very little room to pull over. It was quite dangerous for my family and I. …”
NHTSA complaint #11498322, filed 2022-12“Truck was waiting at a stop light in drive mode and foot on brake pedal. When the light changed to green. I tried to accelerate to go and the whole vehicle shook/lunges forward and shut off. Vehicle went into neutral and wouldn't allow me to go into drive mode. I had to restart the vehicle twice before it allowed me to go into drive again. Vehicle was stuck in the middle of the street with oncoming/ongoing traffic. I had this vehicle at the honda dealer(with documents) three times previous for this issue and its still not resolved. Please help.”
NHTSA complaint #11672492, filed 2025-07“When vehicle is in drive, stopped on a steep hill, and allowed to slip backward the software puts the transmission in neutral and shuts of the engine off. This leaves the vehicle coasting backwards with very little steering or brakes. This happened to me and I coasted backward across a street. If a car had been coming it would have hit me sideways. I can reproduce this in drive forward or in reverse, and I reproduced this in a second 2021 Ridge Line truck. There is no warning or message.”
NHTSA complaint #11421198, filed 2021-06“I will be filing a issue with our 21 Honda Pilot too as the same problem has occurred in both vehicles with the same engine and transmission. This has happened a total of 3 different times. When I drive the Ridgeline for a long time (over 4 hours)on the expressway and then pull off on a ramp and turn left the vehicle will go into safe mode. The engine light will start flashing and you can not drive over 30 mph. The engine runs rough and idles hard. I have contacted Honda and the dealership I purchased it from. …”
NHTSA complaint #11468181, filed 2022-06“When the vehicle is in drive, stopped on a steep hill, and allowed to slip backward the software puts the transmission in neutral and shuts of the engine off. This leaves the vehicle coasting backwards with very little steering or brakes. This happened to me and I coasted backward across a street before I could get it stopped. If a car had been coming it would have hit me sideways. I can reproduce this in drive forward or in reverse, and I reproduced this in a second 2021 Ridge Line truck. There is no warning or message.”
NHTSA complaint #11421121, filed 2021-06Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | 2% |
| 2024 | 5 | 7% |
| 2023 | 12 | 9% |
| 2022 | 11 | 9% |
| 2021 | 11 | 11% |
| 2020 | 9 | 5% |
| 2019 | 36 | 15% |
| 2018 | 10 | 6% |
| 2017 | 42 | 12% |
| 2013 | 1 | 2% |
| 2010 | 2 | 5% |
| 2009 | 2 | 6% |
| 2008 | 5 | 4% |
| 2007 | 12 | 8% |
| 2006 | 16 | 7% |
Other parts of the 2021 Honda Ridgeline
30 complaintsElectrical system
15 complaintsForward collision avoidance
15 complaintsExterior lighting
14 complaintsOther or unknown
14 complaintsFuel system
6 complaintsBody and structure
5 complaintsBack-over prevention (rear camera)
4 complaintsLane departure
4 complaintsVehicle speed control
4 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
4 complaintsAir bags
3 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2021 Honda Ridgeline
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.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology