The transmision failed with 120,000 miles, Code P0776 "solenoid B Performance/stuck Off, vehicle goes into limp mode and it shifts really hard but never goes past 3rd gear, the recomended fixes by the shop are replace solenoid pack whith NO garantee that it would fix the issue for $3,000, or replace transmision with a rebuilt one for $9,000. There is a recall for the torque converter on this trucks but it has to generate a different code. Honda will not honor any warranty on this vehicle.
Honda Ridgeline won't shift problems
23 of the 2,245 owner complaints about the Honda Ridgeline describe stuck in gear or won't shift, most of them for the 2021 model year.
- owner complaints
- 23
- worst model year
- 2021
- typical mileage
- 85,000
By model year
- 20241
- 20231
- 20223
- 20216
- 20201
- 20194
- 20174
- 20081
- 20072
Often reported together
Check engine light 9Loss of power 5Warning lights 2Transmission failure 2Shudder 2Misfire 2Knocking 2Engine failure 2
Trouble codes mentioned
P0776 2
What owners say
The contact's boyfriend owns a 2019 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while her boyfriend was driving at highway speeds, there was an abnormal banging sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle entered LIMP Mode with the check engine and emissions warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was pulled off to the shoulder of the highway and was later towed to the dealer. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the mechanic discovered that an engine rod had gone through the engine block, resulting in engine failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that there were no recalls or warranties on the vehicle. A case was filed with the dealer for financial assistance, but the case was denied. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.
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
The vehicle’s engine and powertrain management system repeatedly fails with multiple DTC's triggering a full-system cascade of safety-critical warnings and automatic power-limiting. The issue affects the engine, transmission, emissions, AWD, brake system, stability assist, steering assist, ABS/VSA, hill-start assist. The vehicle is fully available for inspection upon request. During each failure, the vehicle abruptly enters reduced-power “limp mode” without warning—resulting in loss of engine power, disabled AWD, and disables all safety/stability systems. These events have occurred in normal traffic, including at red lights and in intersections, creating a risk of rear-end collisions, inability to accelerate, and loss of vehicle control. I transport an autistic child, making reliability and predictable vehicle behavior critical to passenger safety as well. The problem has been reproduced and documented by multiple authorized Honda dealerships. The vehicle has now undergone 13 repair attempts in the first 14 months of ownership, across 6 different Honda dealerships. All have been unable to diagnose or permanently repair the defect. The vehicle has been repeatedly inspected by Honda technicians, who escalated the issue to Honda Tech Line. Tech Line documents (dated 10/1/25) show that no aftermarket modifications exist and that the failure is verified but intermittent and ongoing. Warning Lamps / Symptoms: Each failure event triggers a full dashboard sweep including: – AWD System Problem – Emissions System Problem – Transmission System Problem – Power Steering System Problem – Vehicle Stability Assist Problem – Hill Start Assist Problem – Brake System Warning – Road Departure Mitigation Problem – Blind Spot Information System Problem There is a federal lawsuit filed filed in Oregon District court case 6:25-cv-02142-AP
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.
Vehicle goes into limp mode, limited power, flashing check engine light This happens after extended period on highway (hour or more) below 20 degrees F. When you exit highway and come to a stop. All good as soon as you try to accelerate CEL starts flashing and I have reduced power. To correct this. The vehicle has to be shut off and restarted. This means it happens when pulling out into traffic from a stand still at a stop light stop sign. Limited to about 15 mph regardless of road pulling onto. Then have to pull over shut off and restart put back in drive and go. This is not ideal in most cases and dangerous. Honda released a TSB but will not cover if out of warranty. I filed case with Honda at 70 K. They agreed to pay for parts and labor minus $50 deductible and sales tax on parts. This affect all 2017 to 2023 and some 2024 vehicles with 3.5L engine. This first happened to me with roughly 2k miles on car and is sporadic. Only cold weather and matches their TSB. Happens frequently every winter for me. For last 3 years When I found Honda TSB 24-085 suddenly the dealer knew this was happening. Yet I have been complaining for 3 years of issue. Once I showed them tsb suddenly oh that’s what you mean.
I have had to replace the transmission fluid at least 5 times. The vehicle shifts extremely hard and feels like your being rear ended, That is my indicator to change fluid. Also will not shift and continues to run at 4500+ rpms on the highway. The clutch converter my self destruct and I feel that it is a poor design and I should not have to pay for this over and over and hope it does not have a catastrophic failure at some point. I know they Honda has replaced some clutch converters but mine is not one of the six speeds chosen.
Transmission intermittently shifts very very hard. Like you have been in rear ended by another car. To the point you can not drive due to how hard it shifts. Also related to this and often but not always occur in unison is that the transmission will not shift into the higher gears. 5 or 6th. It will stay in a lower gear and produce excessive rpms at highway speeds. Around 50+ the car will not shift and the rpms go well over 3000-4000 rpms to maintain speed. This has now happened several times in the last 6 months. The dealer had me pay to change the transmission fluid and it went away for a few months and the problem is now back.
After a 2 1/2 drive (interstate, 75 mph on cruise contral, eco button not on), I took the exit to go home. Immediately after going from cruise to normal driving, the check engine light flashed and as I pushed down on the accelerator there was no power. The engine would rev up to 4000 rpm but would not go over 30 mph and would not shift. Once I got on the more level area of the road I did nurse it back to 55 but still very little power and the engine was struggling. I then stopped at a stop light and the engine shuddered when i tried to accelerate again, no power. Made it to a gas station, turned off the vehicle, filled the tank, then restarted, the engine ran just fine. Took it to the Honda dealership the same day and they were unable to find any codes on the computer and were unable to re-simulate what happened to the engine.
The torque converter failed once already while driving at highway speed, creating an unsafe condition as the vehicle went into “limp mode”. After the torque converter was replaced in 2022, the vehicle has continued in 2023 to exhibit judder from the torque converter lock-up clutch (TSB 17-025 and TSB 17-026) which is symptomatic of the original failure. As recognized by Honda in TSB 23-078, the torque converter may also have been manufactured improperly which led to the warranty extension. The Honda dealership service has verified all steps in TSBs have been completed, and they do not know how to resolve the judder. The concern is the transmission and/or torque converter will fail again creating a subsequent unsafe condition. Despite numerous TSBs with potential fixes, they have been unsuccessful in resolving the defects, which suggests this systemic issue needs elevated to a recall.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Honda Ridgeline won't shift
Which Honda Ridgeline years have stuck in gear or won't shift problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2021 (6 complaints), 2017 (4 complaints) and 2019 (4 complaints).
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