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Honda Ridgeline misfire problems

19 of the 2,245 owner complaints about the Honda Ridgeline describe misfire or rough idle, most of them for the 2017 model year.

owner complaints
19
worst model year
2017
typical mileage
102,152
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls for this area of the car. See below

By model year

  • 2023
    1
  • 2022
    3
  • 2021
    3
  • 2020
    2
  • 2019
    1
  • 2018
    2
  • 2017
    5
  • 2007
    1
  • 2006
    1

Often reported together

Check engine light 14Loss of power 8Knocking 7Engine failure 4Won't shift 2Stalling 2Adaptive cruise 2Warning lights 1

Trouble codes mentioned

P0306 1P0305 1P0304 1P0303 1C342D 1

What owners say

Filed Sep 23, 2026 · Fuel system · OH

Multiple cylinder misfires P0306. There is a active TSB for My year and model and Honda denied my vin

Filed Jul 23, 2026 · Engine · 118,000 miles · PA

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, there was a misfire coming from the engine with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and, upon inspection, the contact determined that one of the ignition coils had failed. The contact purchased a new ignition coil, replaced the part, and resumed driving; however, the vehicle made an abnormal rattling sound while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had failed due to a loosened connecting rod and needed to be replaced. The contact ordered a new engine. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.

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 Jan 16, 2026 · Engine · WI

The CEL flashed 2 days earlier, I immediately pulled to the side of the road and turned the vehicle off, suspecting it may be a misfire. Restarted the vehicle and all seemed fine. After arriving home i plugged in my scanner to check for a code. No codes were found. I decided to carry my scanner in the vehicle, and plugged it in before starting a 10 mile drive to a store. After 3 miles, the CEL flashed and displayed code P0303 cylinder 3 misfire. I pulled to the side of the busy interstate I was on and turned the vehicle off. When I restarted the engine, a heard a rattling sound and turned it off. I then called the dealer and asked me to have it towed in. The dealer diagnosed a cylinder #3 spun rod bearing. This occured at 68,517 odometer miles.

Filed Dec 8, 2025 · Engine · NY

I was driving on the highway when there was a sudden drop in power, accompanied by a flashing engine light. I was unable to proceed at normal highway speeds and was worried about a complete loss of power. I was able to coast/stay in a low gear to get off the highway and find a safe place to park the vehicle. Shortly after parking, the engine stopped and would not engage on attempts to restart. It was hauled to the local Honda Dealer who confirmed that the engine was completely seized and would need to be replaced. They have not disassembled it yet to confirm the precise failure point. Prior to the loss of power, there appeared to be some light, intermittent clicking sounds that I was trying to localize, but appeared to be coming from the front of the vehicle. This lasted for several miles. At the time of the decrease in power, this was accompanied by increased noise/knocking form the engine area. On stopping the vehicle was noted to be idling very rough. This vehicle experienced a failed torque converter around 2021 that Honda eventually had to extend their warranty to cover. In 2023, it had issues with misfiring fuel injectors which was also subject to an extended warranty by Honda to repair. Due to parts shortages, Honda was unable to fix the fuel injectors for over 8 months. This vehicle would be available for inspection on request.

Filed Nov 1, 2025 · Engine · MD

On October 8th, 2025 I was driving my 2017 Honda Ridgeline home from work when I noticed the engine light started flashing. I stopped at a nearby Meineke less than a mile from where I was. It seemed like a misfire and the truck had a tune up and ignition coils replaced. They also noted other suggested work such as a catalytic converter and oxygen sensor upstream & downstream. The next day on 10/09/2025, I was driving when suddenly I hear a knocking sound, the engine light and all electrical warning lights were flashing and the engine shuts off. It was scary and I had to react quickly because I was travelling in the middle lane of a 3-lane highway; there were vehicles on both sides, in front and behind me. Everything electrical soon disappeared, the power steering was practically gone and it got harder to steer, the braking system was slow reacting. I placed the truck in neutral steering to the right at the first side street off the main highway because there was no shoulder. As the truck was slowing down, two men came to my aid and quickly helped push the truck as I kept trying to turn the steering wheel and make sure, I could apply the brakes were not working as well with engine off. I called my insurance to report a claim for roadside assistance. The tow truck driver arrived he tried to jump start the battery and it started smoking and sparking. We were both surprised. I had the truck towed on a flatbed tow truck to the same Honda dealership where the truck had been serviced since I bought it 3yrs ago. By Friday 10/10/2025, the dealership stated that the truck needed a new battery before it could even be assessed. By Monday, 10/13/2025, I heard back from the dealership that the truck needed to have the engine replaced; they drained the oil and found metal shavings in the engine. I researched information since the indecent and found out that there was this recall investigation. How does a truck meant to last 300K miles ends this way? A Honda?

Filed May 23, 2025 · Electrical, Engine · OH

I was driving home climbing a hill in the slight rain when the check engine light came on. I drove with the light on to get to the next closest city about 2 minutes out from where the light came on. The engine was running rough and shaking the car and was having issues stopping at a light before I could pull into a parking lot. I pulled into the parking lot, my book said that it was a misfire and to let the engine cool off so I sat for about 2 hours, checked fluids then started the car. the ticking noise was there but there were no lights on my dash at the time and assumed it could make it home after I let it idle for 5 minutes. I proceeded to get on the road and the vehicle did ok. I got on the freeway to get home, slowly let the car climb to 50 and kept it there. 1 minute later the whole dash glowed saying everything was not working and giving special pop-ups on the dash explaining the VSA, ABS, and electronic power steering were not working to name a few. I stopped the car and pulled over immediately and called for a tow. I took it to my local electric shop to see because the brakes still worked and they said that it was possibly the ECM, that they couldn't fix it, and the ticking was a heatshield, and to take it to the dealer. I then towed it to the dealer. The Honda techs said that they didn't know what was wrong because the car wasn't throwing any codes. They replaced the tailgate harness that the previous dealer I took it to didn't and said to replace the pully and tensioner before they drove and diagnosed it further. I had it towed to another shop to get those replaced. This shop listed some of the same fault codes as the first shop and when they tested the vehicle they had called me to come in and inspect the vehicle as they started it after it was at the dealer and told me it was an engine knock and that the engine would need to be replaced with the drive shaft. I called Honda's corporate office and they took my complaint and documented it only.

Filed Apr 13, 2025 · Engine · AL

Recently, while driving approximately an hour and a half from home, traveling at 80–100 km/h, the vehicle suddenly began to shake violently, almost ripping the steering wheel from my hands. I immediately turned down the radio and heard a loud squealing and clacking noise coming from the engine. At that time, no warning lights or codes were present. Moments later, multiple errors appeared on the dashboard, and the engine lost power and shut down completely. With nowhere safe to pull over, I attempted to restart the vehicle just to get it off the roadway into a nearby farm entrance, but it died again shortly after. I had the vehicle towed on a flatbed back home, where I began diagnostics. I initially suspected a timing issue or tensioner failure, so I checked timing components, replaced the spark plugs and swapped coils. A compression test showed over 150 psi across all cylinders. I then brought it into my shop for further inspection. A scan revealed a cylinder #3 misfire, and upon removing the oil pan, I discovered the rod bearing on cylinder #3 had failed catastrophically. When I contacted Honda about the rod bearing recall, I was told that although over 250,000 vehicles were recalled for similar issues, mine did not qualify as it was manufactured in July 2016, just outside the affected range. I was advised to transport the vehicle 2.5 hours to a dealership for a technician inspection, as my diagnosis would not be accepted. This failure was not only unexpected and costly—it was a serious safety concern that could have resulted in injury or worse. Given the severity of the situation and the number of similar cases reported, I respectfully request that Honda cover the repair under warranty or goodwill. This failure should not have happened on a well-maintained engine and is clearly part of a wider issue.

Filed Jul 22, 2024 · Fuel system · 102,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Ridgeline. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with an engine misfire. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted but the failure recurred. The dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

Filed Mar 26, 2024 · Engine · MO

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request?- Suspected failed crankshaft bearing failure/rod knock. Honda declined request for further troubleshooting and engine was replaced at owner's expense. Failed engine was retained and is available for inspection. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? - Loss of power on highway but no catastrophic failure. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center?- The symptoms were reproduced by dealer. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others?- Inspection was requested by owner but declined by Honda corporate Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear?- A slight ticking sound was detected a couple of days prior to the failure. During the loss of power, a flashing check engine light and #2 cylinder misfire error codes were generated.

Related recalls

Engine and engine cooling: engine: hard parts internal/mechanicalReported November 13, 2023 · 248,999 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2016 and 2018-2019 Pilot, 2017 and 2019 Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 Odyssey vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the connecting rod bearing in the engine may wear and seize, damaging the engine.
Risk
A damaged engine may run improperly or stall while driving, increasing the risk of a fire, crash, or injury.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and repair, or replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed March 28, 2024. 2016-2017 Acura MDX owner letters were mailed November 1, 2024. 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed in mid-December 2024. Honda began mailing owner notification letters as of March 18, 2024. 2015-2016 Acura owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-December 2024, 2018 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed the end of March/early April 2024, 2019 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-May 2024, 2020 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-June 2024, and 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed January 27, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XG1 and GG0.

Recall number 23V751000 · Recall details

Engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline: belts and associated pulleysReported April 12, 2019 · 93,946 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Acura MDX and Honda Pilot vehicles and 2019 Acura RLX, RLX Sport Hybrid, TLX and Honda Odyssey and Ridgeline vehicles. The timing belt teeth may separate from the belt.
Risk
Teeth separation from the timing belt may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle and replace any affected timing belt free of charge. Vehicles receiving a replacement timing belt will also have the engine inspected and any damaged components will be replaced for free. The recall began June 7, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's number for this recall is L4M. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Acura's number for this recall is Z4L.

Recall number 19V298000 · Recall details

Questions about the Honda Ridgeline misfire

Which Honda Ridgeline years have misfire or rough idle problems?

The model years with the most reports are 2017 (5 complaints), 2021 (3 complaints) and 2022 (3 complaints).

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