2023 Honda Ridgeline Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2023 Ridgeline complain most often about the automatic high-beam system, which they describe as switching erratically, failing to dim for oncoming traffic, or flickering at signs and reflections. Moisture building up inside a headlight assembly is the other common lighting theme. A smaller but recurring group of reports covers engine stalls or loss of power, and steering looseness or tie-rod wear at moderate mileage.

1. 1
   Exterior lighting

   Automatic high beams behave erratically

   • 35 complaints (27%)
   • typically at 1.2 yrs old
   • filed 2022–2026

   Owners describe the auto high-beam function switching to high beam with oncoming traffic present, failing to switch when the road ahead is dark, and flickering on and off near street signs or reflections. Some say the lights will not activate below a certain speed. Complaints mention dealers adjusting the system, replacing a door switch or camera sensor, or telling owners there is no available fix and that the feature should be switched off; several owners report the behavior returning after service. Often noted from the first weeks of ownership at very low mileage, and described as recurring on dark rural roads and in traffic.

   What to check: Drive the truck at night on a dark road and watch whether the high beams dim for oncoming traffic and hold steady away from signs. Ask the seller whether the dealer has already looked at the auto high-beam setting.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have taken my car to the dealership of three separate occasions with respect to the Automatic High Beam Option which at best works inconsistently on the back rural roads where I live. They adjusted this option on two occasions, and the service advisor took my vehicle home - driving it at night. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11662313, filed 2025-05

   “Auto high beams won't activate until I reach 45 MPH and they while driving high beams continue to turn on and off with no other autos near me. This condition is not reliable and makes it difficult to drive at night”

   NHTSA complaint #11550949, filed 2023-10
2. 2
   Steering

   Loose steering and worn tie rods

   • 9 complaints (7%)
   • median 32,000 mi at 3.7 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2024–2026

   Complaints describe loose or vague steering, play in the rack, clunking from the front end over bumps, and in some cases tie rods or the steering gearbox needing replacement. Owners often connect their experience to the steering rack recall, and some report their vehicle was not covered by it. A few describe a pull to one side or a brief loss of steering assist. Mostly reported between roughly 30,000 and 45,000 miles, with some incidents at low speed and others on the highway.

   Recall 24V184000

   What to check: Ask whether the steering rack recall applies to the VIN and was completed, and have a shop check the inner and outer tie rods for play before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I own a 2023 Ridgeline with an abnormal clunking noise from front right side and occasional steering wheel vibration at highway speeds. Clunking noise most noticeable when driving on bumpy dirt roads, typically at low speeds 10-25 MPH. I am estimating the problem became noticeable at about 35,000 miles. Over time the clunking noise became noticeable on paved roads up to about 40 MPH when going over small to medium pot holes (depth). …”

   NHTSA complaint #11772609, filed 2026-10

   “My steering locked up while moving at a very low speed (<5mph) and turning my wheel (not all the way). Voltage in the vehicle dropped (HVAC speed and lighting). A yellow caution/warning blipped for a second on the dash. I would not normally submit an issue like this but if this had happened at high speed, going down the road, the results could be catastrophic. I have seen the HVAC fan speed drop before while turning the wheel but never the steering lockup. This only happened once on Tuesday Night 1/2/24 at 11pm. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11585836, filed 2024-04
3. 3
   Engine

   Engine stalls or cuts power

   • 19 complaints (14%)
   • median 20,117 mi at 2.5 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2023–2026

   Owners describe the engine shutting off or dropping into a reduced-power, flashing-check-engine state, sometimes while pulling away from a stop or merging. Several reports tie the moment to the idle stop feature, where the engine stops at a light and does not restart immediately, requiring a shift to Park and a push of the start button. Complaints also mention no-restart messages and long waits at the dealer without a confirmed repair. Spread across the mileage range, from a few thousand miles to past 50,000, with several reports mentioning cold weather.

   12 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the idle-stop update or warranty extension work was done, and take a test drive that includes stops at lights and a cold start. Note any hesitation on restart or a check engine light.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Auto shut off and restart will shut the engine off at a red light or intersection but then it tries to restart but the stalls the engine. I have to shift it quickly into park and restart the engine with several cars behind me. This is a safety hazard. This has happened multiple times. Honda says that this isn’t covered under the 10 year extended warranty unlimited miles for this problem with the 2023. Ridgeline.”

   NHTSA complaint #11772082, filed 2026-10

   “I am submitting a safety complaint regarding my 2023 Honda Ridgeline with approximately 23,995 miles. My primary concern is an intermittent transmission/powertrain malfunction. While driving on the highway, the vehicle unexpectedly entered limp/fail-safe mode and experienced a significant loss of power and acceleration. This created a potentially dangerous situation because I was unable to accelerate normally while traveling with highway traffic. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11755379, filed 2026-08
4. 4
   Back-over prevention (rear camera)

   Rearview camera failures and recall parts delays

   • 11 complaints (8%)
   • median 16,025 mi at 2.2 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2023–2026

   Owners report the rearview camera going black or showing a distorted image when reverse is selected, sometimes returning after a tailgate harness replacement. Several complaints center on the camera recall itself, saying the repair parts were not available for months after the notice arrived. Others note related symptoms such as the tailgate lock or cargo light acting up. Reported across the mileage range, including shortly after the recall repair, with parts delays stretching over many months.

   Recall 24V3210002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check whether the tailgate harness recall was performed, then put the truck in reverse and confirm the camera image is clear. Ask for the recall repair paperwork.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The rearview camera continues to fail after recall for the issue was completed. Estimate 6 months+ since recall was performed to replace camera tailgate wire harness. It has begun random failures again. There is no indication from the dash of an error. When placed in reverse, the camera display in the dash goes nearly black or totally black; sometimes lane back lines are present, sometimes not. The current problem is entirely consistent with the failure conditions and symptoms prior to the recall update to replace the wire harness. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11690361, filed 2025-09

   “The contact owns a 2023 Honda Ridgeline. The contact The contact stated he experienced knocking in the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with an air compressor failure; however, the issue persisted. The contact also stated another issue is the rearview camera displayed a distorted image. The contact also experienced loss of steering control with the vehicle pulling to the right. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11740559, filed 2026-05, 32,000 miles

Buying note. Check that the steering rack and rearview camera recalls were completed and look closely at the headlights for moisture. A night test drive is worth doing on this model year to see how the automatic high beams behave.

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.