2021 Honda Ridgeline: check engine light

Filed Oct 28, 2026 · Engine · OH

With no warning engine started making a loud ticking noise and within a couple of days it was a loud knocking noise. Flashing check engine light came on and engine lost power. Shut down and restarted engine, knocking noise still there but check engine light is not flashing. Knocking noise is loud and vehicle cannot be driven. Mileage is around 170000 but has had regular oil changes. Mechanic has confirmed the engine knock and said not to drive it. Can't afford to replace the engine.

Filed Feb 11, 2026 · Engine · IL

The check engine light came on Dec 26 which I took to have checked and was told that it should go to the shop. The code was not being stored. I took it to the Honda dealership and they did a complete check and said the engine had gone back. The connecting rods and barrings cause the engine to fail and it needed to be replaced. I contacted Honda Goodwill and they declined to do anything to help repair the engine.

Filed Feb 10, 2026 · Engine · TX

Driving home from work on a Friday about 1am and my engine started t knock and sputter and the engine light started flashing. Luckily I made it home. I let it sit for a minute and started it back up and it ran fine. I let it sit over the weekend I made an appointment the the dealership for the following Monday. On Monday it started fine to go to my dealer appointment but half way there every caution light imaginable came on and the info screen was scrolling failure of every system in the truck it seamed. Even the D for drive was flashing. It was knocking, sputtering with loss of power. Like it was in limp mode. Made it to the dealer and they said it was misfiring which caused the engine to come apart inside. 11K for a new engine or 8K for a used one with 46K miles. The truck only had 86,000 miles on it and has been always dealer maintained. We buy Hondas mostly for their reliability. Skeptical about buying another one

Filed Dec 8, 2025 · Engine · 102,000 miles · AR

The contact's husband owns a 2021 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 55 MPH, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode and made an abnormal knocking sound. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the timing belt, the water pump, and the tensioner pulley were replaced; however, the knocking sound persisted. The dealer determined that the lower bearing had failed, and the dealer recommended replacing the engine with a used engine. Additionally, the contact was advised that the oil pump was leaking and might need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The manufacturer requested the vehicle service records. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Action Number: EA25004 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

Filed Dec 3, 2024 · Engine · OH

I have a 2021 Honda Ridgeline. It had a 3.5 liter V-6 with a 9 speed transmission. I was driving from Cincinnati to Cleveland on [XXX] Sunday [XXX]. It was about 25 degrees Fahrenheit outside and partly cloudy. After driving about 3 1/2 hours I exited the [XXX] and turned on to [XXX]. The on- ramp is a sharp right turn so you have to slow to around 25 mph or slower. When I gave my Honda gas to speed up to merge onto [XXX], the vehicle started shaking and the check engine light began to blink and the truck was almost unresponsive and went into "Limp" mode only using 2 or 3 cylinders and roughly shaking as I tried to accelerate. I pulled off to the side of the shoulder on the interstate, put my hazard lights on and drove to a nearby Honda dealer (about 3 miles away). It was a Sunday so the service department was not open. My family and I got a ride home and I began researching this issue in on-line forums and other Honda on-line threads. What I saw was a lot of people are having this exact problem with their Honda V6 vehicles. Story after story I read of this same situation that had just happened to me. 1. long drives of 1 hour or longer 2. Highway speeds 60-80 MPH 3. Cold weather usually below 32 degrees F 4. Slowing down off the highway then making a turn 5. Accelerating after turn then the vehicle goes into "limp" mode shaking, check engine light blinking, and vehicle is unresponsive or very weak Some of the owners were in Canada and some in United States but they all had the same situation that I had. In the Honda Ridgeline forums they took it to their dealers and most of the dealers said it was bad gas so when I called my dealer the next morning and that is what they said I was very skeptical and told about what I had read on-line, that this was a common problem and they said there was nothing they or Honda could do about it. The end result was a $1,700 bill.(I have a copy) Please look into this. Thanks. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Nov 11, 2023 · Electrical, Engine · WI

After driving on the freeway for about 1 hour, took the exit to the right. Check engine light came on and vehicle had loss of power and was shuttering. Attempts at accelerating were met with little to no power. Tried turning off eco mode, no change. Limped to the first safe place to stop, avoiding any fast traffic behind. Shut off vehicle, and when I started again, no check engine light, vehicle operated as normal. I fear to think what would have happened when if my child were driving and had to make a merge onto heavy traffic. This is a serious safety issue that I have learned is known. A fix needs to happen before someone is seriously hurt.

Filed Jun 8, 2022 · Engine, Transmission · IL

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. Honda has acknowledged this is a problem and has occurred multiples with many different vehicles. The dealership I work with has acknowledged the same thing as they have several vehicles that have been brought in with this problem. I have waited several months for Honda to come up with a solution, so far they have not. This is a safety concern because what would happen if this same situation came up when I'm pulling my trailer or on the expressway at higher speeds. This could cause an accident. This first started on my Ridgeline in November of 2021. It has happened several times since then. Every time there is no code the computer keeps, even though each time the engine light is flashing. What I have been told is the computer thinks the engine has backfired and goes into safe mode, but Honda doesn't know why it does this. If you turn the vehicle off and restart it, the problem goes away. When the dealership has run a diagnosis off the computer, there are no codes the computer throws. Even though the check engine light is flashing when this occurs.

Filed Apr 18, 2022 · Fuel system · OH

After traveling on a 3 1/2 hour trip and on 2 hour trip both times after taking a curve called dead mans curve engine light started blinking and Truck would not accelerate had to pull over on busy freeway and turn off went to Honda both times and they could not get a code 1/16/22 @1000 miles on truck. 3/27/22 @2500 miles on truck

Filed Apr 4, 2022 · Engine · MN

After approximately 2 unbroken hours of driving North on I-35 from Minneapolis on January 24th, 2022, I exited the freeway at exit 214 near Moose Lake. I came to a stop at the top of the ramp (stop sign) to allow cross traffic to clear and then proceeded to accelerate while turning left to cross the bridge over the freeway. About halfway through the turn, a blinking check-engine light came on. The engine also began running noticeably rougher and would not accelerate beyond 30-40 mph. I proceeded to drive about a 1/4 mile in this state to the nearest parking lot - a McDonalds just beyond the bridge. Once parked, I turned the car off and looked up check-engine codes in the owner's manual. The manual indicated that a cylinder misfire was detected and that I should seek dealer service. Frustrated (the nearest Honda dealer was likely in Duluth, an hour away), I tried starting the car and was surprised to find that it started normally without any check-engine light. After some lunch, I got back on the freeway and proceeded to drive another several hours without incident to my final destination near Virginia, MN. I quickly chalked it up to the unusually cold weather that morning, even for MN in January, and, since the issue has never repeated itself, I did not consult a dealer. However, I've recently read of many other Ridgeline owners experiencing very similar issues and thought it would be best for me to contribute my account. Under the right conditions, I believe this could be a very serious safety concern that deserves rigorous attention by Honda's engineers.

Filed Mar 23, 2022 · Engine, Transmission · WI

After driving for long distance (over 200 miles) in cold weather at highway speeds, and then making a slow right-hand turn, the Check Engine light came on and vehicle went into 'limp' mode. This happened twice, 2 weeks apart. Vehicle has less than 8,000 miles on it.

Filed Mar 10, 2022 · Engine, Fuel system · SC

Upon exiting or entering the highway, the truck loses power and will not accelerate. This happens after multiple hours of highway driving and seems to only happen when the temperature is near or below freezing. The Check Engine Light (CEL) comes on and is flashing. This has happened to me four times. Three of which were exiting one highway to merge onto another and there was ample room to slow down and pull over. One time was merging onto a highway from a Rest Stop with a great deal of traffic and I was fortunate the shoulder was available to avoid being collided with. The first time was on 11/6/2021 (2200miles), second and third was on 12/19/2021 (5600miles) and last time was 3/9/2022 (10100miles). All occurrences the gas tank had ample gas. Shutting the truck off and turning it back on clears the CEL and no error codes are stored (according to the dealer). This problem has been reported multiple times and yet there has been no response from Honda. Also, even though the error codes are not present after the vehicle is turned off and back on, I was able to capture three error codes prior to turning the vehicle off P0302, P0303, P0300.

Filed Mar 9, 2022 · Engine · 1,800 miles · IN

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that upon either exiting or merging onto a highway at various speeds, the vehicle would independently go into Limp Mode with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact had filed a complaint with the manufacturer through the website; however, the contact had not received a response from the manufacturer. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer where the mechanic was informed by the manufacturer to check the engine valves however, the dealer had not been able to diagnose the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 1,800.