2023 Honda Ridgeline: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
126 NHTSA owner complaints · 5 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
The Honda Ridgeline's only AVOID year is 2025, at 48 on 81 complaints, and its 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2023 trucks are CAUTION at 61, 60, 69 and 64. The years to buy are 2024 (85 on 54 complaints), 2022 (80 on 113) and 2021 (76 on 100). Read the full note on the model page. 2023 specifically: 126 complaints on record, score 64/100 — read the year table on the model page to see where it sits among its siblings.
Read the guide
Used mid-size pickups: Colorado, Canyon and Ridgeline years to avoid, including 2023 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 126 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 42.0
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Vehicle has significant rusting on the suspension & can be inspected upon request. The rust will deteriorate the suspension’s capacity to support the vehicle, creating a dangerous hazard for others and myself on the road. The problem was first noted by a Honda service technician, where they provided detailed images of the undercarriage of the vehicle. Images of the rust were found on the rear suspension, parts of th…
Driving approximately 15mph on a gravel road in my subdivision I noticed smoke or steam coming from under the hood. The time was approximately 10: 30 am on June 4,2026 the 2023 Honda Ridgeline with 41,000 miles was immediately stopped and put in park. I exited the vehicle and started to open the hood and fire streamed out from the front of the vehicle. I backed up and went to the rear door and retrieved my dog from t…
During warmer months of the year the vehicle can have a long pause when shifted into drive. Most commonly occurs when you finish backing up and want to go forward. The vehicle will pause and not go anywhere for 2-3 seconds. It also happens by shifting out of park into drive. Again, the vehicle will pause for 2-3 seconds. Honda dealerships are aware of this issue on the Honda Ridgeline with a 9-speed automatic tr…
Recalls: 5 campaigns (3 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 26V365000 | Structure:Frame And Members | American Honda Motor Company (Honda) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Honda Pilot, 2017-2023 Ridgeline, 2019-2023 Passport, and 2014-2020 Acura MDX vehicles that were sold in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio,… |
| 24V184000 | Steering:Rack And Pinion | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023 Passport and Ridgeline vehicles. The inner ball joint housing in the steering gearbox assembly may loosen and detach from the steering rack and result in a loss of steering control. |
| 24V321000 | Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera | Honda (America Honda Motor Co) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Ridgeline vehicles. The rearview camera (RVC) tailgate wire harness may fatigue and break, which can prevent the rearview camera image from displaying. |
| 26V332000 | Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification:Front Passenger | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic… |
| 23V458000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Master Cylinder | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Civic, 2020-2023 Ridgeline, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot, and 2020 Acura MDX vehicles. The tie rod fastener that connects the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been improperly assembled during manufacturing, which can cause the brake master cylinder to separate from… |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a pickup of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 21 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,950
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Exterior Lighting39 complaints · typical job: Headlamp assembly or lighting-module replacement (1.5 h labour + parts)$360–$1,380
- Engine20 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other19 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System17 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Power Train11 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Forward Collision Avoidance11 complaints · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration (3.0 h labour + parts)$780–$2,160
Other Honda Ridgeline years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2023 Honda Ridgeline?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Exterior Lighting (39 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2023 Honda Ridgeline a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 64/100, computed from 126 NHTSA complaints and 5 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2023 Honda Ridgeline's most common problem?
39 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2023 Honda Ridgeline sit in the Exterior Lighting group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is headlamp assembly or lighting-module replacement: about 1.5 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $360–$1,380 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2023 Honda Ridgeline cost to run per year?
About $4,838 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $24,190 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2023 Honda Ridgeline have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for the 2023 Honda Ridgeline, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 04/06/2026. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other pickups of about the same age.
What will a 2023 Honda Ridgeline really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 126 complaints, 5 recalls on record
- 126 NHTSA complaints on record (42.0/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (30.7/yr)
- 5 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems