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2021 Honda Ridgeline: headlights failing or too dim

15 of the 103 complaints about the 2021 Honda Ridgeline describe headlights failing or too dim.

owner complaints
15
of this car's complaints
15%
recalls
0
Is there a fix? 7 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below

Headlights failing or too dim by model year

What owners say

Filed Jul 23, 2026 · Driver assistance · FL

When driving the vehicle suddenly displayed warning and failure lights for the following: Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keep Assist, Road Departure, High Beam Support, and Collision Mitigation. The vehicle in the past regularly experiences issues with oncoming traffic (especially on 2 lane roads) when it comes to auto braking and forward crash warnings so I immediately brought the vehicle home as I was worried for my safety and the safety of others on the road that if these systems were now warning of malfunction the vehicle might auto brake in traffic for no reason and cause a crash. I took the vehicle in following this as I looked online and discovered there were multiple recalls on this vehicle for other various issues and I wanted the dealer to fix those in addition to determining if this was part of one of the recalls also. The dealership has diagnosed the issue as the forward multi-purpose camera and is stating it needs to be replaced to correct the safety issues of the vehicle. I reviewed online and found that just a coupe years ago this part was approx $800 and the dealer is not charging over $1600 for the part. The other issue is that I paid for the part and the dealer claims this part will not even ship until August 26 (over a month away). Additionally I have further researched this issue and found that it is a common failure on Honda and Acura vehicles and creates a major safety concern, yet Honda Motors has refused to address the issue and handle this as a recall as it should be done. New vehicles should not be regularly experiencing catastrophic safety system failures regularly and the manufacture not be held liable for the damages and not be able to fix the part or car in a timely manner. The fact the parts are in such short supply and backorder further attests to the common failure of this part. I would appreciate your immediate review and action of this matter to ensure that Honda is held accountable for the major safety failures they have created.

Filed Feb 22, 2026 · Driver assistance · VT

Forward brake assist, collision mitigation, auto headlight dash lights came on sporadically. As of today the lights are now on constant and unable to clear. Advised that the forward facing camera most likely died and a replacement due to recalibration would be 1500-2000..

Filed Sep 27, 2025 · Driver assistance · CA

2021 Honda Ridgeline RTL-E. Part number 36160-T6Z-A62-M1 failure, hard code U3000-49. Results in total loss of Honda Sense Safety system. Including Collision Mitigation Braking System, Road Departure Mitigation System, Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keeping Assist System, Traffic Sign Recognition, Auto High-Beam Headlights. This appears to be a fairly common issue across Honda models where the multipurpose camera fails, generally due to heat from exposure to sun. The replacement cost and required re-calibration via the dealer is ~$2000. Living in northern California with extreme heat, I will assume this problem will resurface after a few years resulting in another $2000+ repair.

Filed Sep 26, 2025 · Lights · 43,928 miles · NY

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that there was moisture inside driver's side headlight housing. The contact took the headlight assembly apart and blew out the moisture. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 43,928.

Filed Sep 12, 2025 · Lights · WI

Auto High Beam. Very sensitive. Sometimes they don't go on when they should and sometimes, they stay on blinding oncoming traffic. I have researched this problem and also have been told this is a known problem with this particular model and year - not just my vehicle.

Filed Dec 15, 2024 · Lights · SC

Headlights don't dim in the auto function when there is oncoming traffic. Lights cycle from dim to bright when no oncoming traffic is present. This is an ongoing problem that presents every time the vehicle is driven at night.

Filed Dec 21, 2022 · Lights · WI

The auto-highbeam feature does not operate properly. The highbeams are frequently engaged when an oncoming car is no more than 300 feet away. This irritates the oncoming motorist and creates a dangerous situation causing risk of a crash. The auto-highbeams also have a tendency to switch to low beam at inopportune times because the glare from roadside signs is recognized as an oncoming motorist.

Filed Nov 30, 2022 · Lights · MD

The 'automatic high beam/low beam' function is totally worthless. Any reflective sign along the road turns the high beams off. The system on my earlier 2017 Honda Ridgeline worked almost 100%. This 2021 system basically doesn't work. In addition you must reach 45 mph before it activates. On many of the back roads that I travel on, the speed limit is less than 45 mph. I have heard that Honda changed the system on the 2021 model. Bring back the older system (my 2017), or don't feature it all. It's non-functional and Honda should not be allowed to advertise it!

Filed Nov 24, 2022 · Lights · KS

1) The automatic high beam functionality, and it is available for inspection 2) Safety of others is out at risk, as the automatic high beams will turn on even if an incoming car is detected, and in most cases will flash off and on automatically with oncoming traffic, resulting in the oncoming driver being blinded and unable to operate their vehicle safely. 3) It’s been inspected by the dealer, who determined this is proper functionality despite the safety concern. 4) No warning lamps or messages whatsoever.

Filed Oct 19, 2022 · Lights · FL

Automatic high beam lights system is terribly dangerous! Not even close to working as advertised. They do not drop to low beam with virtually all oncoming traffic. They are constantly tricked and flicker when looking at reflective signage. They create confusion and very dangerous distraction. This is a well known design flaw with these late model Ridgelines and the dealers can’t do anything to correct. Please convince Honda Motors to correct this dangerous situation soon.

Filed Jun 17, 2022 · Lights · PA

Vehicle is equipped with automatic high-beam headlights. The feature has not worked properly since I bought the truck new in April 2021. Hi-beam lights will activate for a few seconds and then turn off for about 10 seconds and continually repeat the sequence regardless of road specifics. A few times, the headlights have flashed oncoming vehicles less than 100 feet away. I have taken the vehicle in for repair three times to two different dealers and contacted Honda Customer Assistance for advice. The dealers have the same response after each repair: We have no guidance from Honda how to fix and cannot do anything. Honda Customer Service has no provided any solutions so I am forced to disable the feature to avoid the issue of flashing oncoming vehicles. I have also posted You Tube videos of the behavior hoping that it would help the service folks. They acknowledge the behavior but cannot fix: https://youtu.be/Zmv23FX4R20 https://youtu.be/Kp623lKKAXs https://youtu.be/W3Tfnh1MNeY https://youtu.be/JyGZx13JjX4 https://youtu.be/8sfLcZWPwec

Filed May 18, 2022 · Lights · MN

The auto-dimming headlights on my 2021 Honda Ridgeline do not work properly. They don’t engage high beams when they are supposed to, and when they do come on the flash on and immediately turn off. It has gone off and on on dark roads and is very distracting and dangerous. Sometimes they flash other drivers causing angry responses from other drivers. I brought my vehicle in to the Honda dealership and they told me it is working properly. This is not true, because I previously owned a 2019 Honda Ridgeline and the Auto-dimming headlights worked perfectly. My wife also owns a Honda CRV that has the feature and it also works correctly. I feel this problem should be addressed before someone gets injured due to distraction from the lightning going of and on and possible road rage from other drivers thinking your flashing them. This problem has been ongoing since I purchased my new vehicle. I also found many others complaining on Honda Ridgeline Facebook groups. So it’s not an isolated incident.

Service bulletins that may apply

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

Questions about the 2021 Honda Ridgeline headlights

Is headlights failing or too dim a common problem on the 2021 Honda Ridgeline?

15 of 103 owner complaints about the 2021 Honda Ridgeline (15%) mention headlights failing or too dim. The model year with the most reports is 2023.

Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2021 Honda Ridgeline?

There are 0 recalls and 7 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.

Other symptoms on the 2021 Honda Ridgeline

Check engine light 16Lane assist 8Backup camera 7Collision warning 7Engine failure 7Adaptive cruise 6Knocking 6Won't shift 6Start-stop 5

All model years of the Honda Ridgeline

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