Model year 2021 · Standard Pickup Trucks 4WD

2021 Honda Ridgeline: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2021 Honda Ridgeline at 21 mpg combined across 1 version. NHTSA lists 7 safety recalls and 102 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Safety recalls

7

EPA combined mpg

21

NHTSA overall rating

5/5

Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT

Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a Honda dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.

2021 Honda Ridgeline recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 7 safety recalls for the 2021 Honda Ridgeline, newest first.

Suspension: Rear and 1 more component

NHTSA 26V365000 Reported Jun 4, 2026
Filed by
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) (manufacturer recall no. AOU, AOT)
Components
Suspension: Rear; Structure: Frame and members
Units affected
965,561 (estimate)
Problem
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, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. The rear subframe may corrode at the suspension mounting points, which can result in rear suspension component failure.
Risk
Failure of rear suspension components, such as the rear control arm, can cause a loss of vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the rear subframe and install a rear subframe reinforcement kit and, as necessary, repair or replace the rear subframe components, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed July 27, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in the fall of 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are AOU and AOT. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning June 10, 2026.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Air bags: Sensor: Occupant classification: Front passenger

NHTSA 26V332000 Reported May 21, 2026
Filed by
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) (manufacturer recall no. Refer to Comments)
Units affected
98,892 (estimate)
Problem
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 hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
Risk
Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Back over prevention: Sensing system: Camera

NHTSA 24V321000 Reported May 9, 2024
Filed by
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) (manufacturer recall no. YI7)
Units affected
187,290 (estimate)
Problem
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.
Risk
A rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the RVC tailgate wire harness, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed November 8, 2024. Owners may contact Honda service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is YI7.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Air bags: Sensor: Occupant classification: Front passenger

NHTSA 24V064000 Reported Feb 1, 2024
Filed by
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) (manufacturer recall no. XHP, VHQ)
Units affected
750,114 (estimate)
Problem
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.
Risk
An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Service brakes, hydraulic: Foundation components: Master cylinder

NHTSA 23V458000 Reported Jun 29, 2023
Filed by
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) (manufacturer recall no. VEU, AEV, ZET)
Units affected
124,077 (estimate)
Problem
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 the booster assembly.
Risk
Brake master cylinder separation can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are VEU, AEV, and ZET.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Visibility: Rearview mirrors/devices: Exterior

NHTSA 23V174000 Reported Mar 16, 2023
Filed by
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) (manufacturer recall no. FE5)
Units affected
339,404 (estimate)
Problem
Honda (American Honda Motor Co) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2020-2022 Passport and Odyssey vehicles. The heating pads behind both side-view mirrors may not be bonded properly, allowing the mirror glass to detach. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Risk
Detached mirror glass can reduce driver visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace both left and right side-view mirrors, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 17, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is FE5.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Seat belts: Rear/other: Retractor

NHTSA 21V900000 Reported Nov 18, 2021
Filed by
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) (manufacturer recall no. ABS, BBT, NBQ, RBR)
Units affected
4,346 (estimate)
Problem
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021 Accord Sedan, Accord Hybrid, CR-V, Ridgeline, 2022 Insight and CR-V Hybrid vehicles. The automatic locking retractor on the second-row center seat belt assembly may deactivate improperly, which can result in an unsecured child restraint system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk
An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the second-row center seat belt assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 14, 2022. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.

2021 Honda Ridgeline fuel economy by version

EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.

2021 Honda Ridgeline EPA fuel economy
VersionEngineTransmissionDriveFuelCity/Hwy/CombFuel cost/yrCO2 g/mi
Ridgeline AWD3.5L 6-cylAutomatic 9-speedAll-Wheel DriveRegular18/24/21 mpg$3,200441

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.

EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.

2021 Honda Ridgeline crash-test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2021 Honda Ridgeline NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicleOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover riskForward collision warning
2021 Honda RIDGELINE PU/CC AWD5 stars5 stars5 stars4 stars16.9%Standard
2021 Honda RIDGELINE PU/CC FWD5 stars5 stars5 stars4 stars16.4%Standard

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.

Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.

2021 Honda Ridgeline owner complaints

Owners have filed 102 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Honda Ridgeline, most recently on Oct 12, 2026. 3 mention a crash, 0 a fire, 2 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.

Most-cited components in 2021 Honda Ridgeline complaints
Component named in complaintsMentions
Engine29
Electrical system15
Exterior lighting14
Unknown or other14
Power train11
Forward collision avoidance: Automatic emergency braking10
Forward collision avoidance: Warnings7
Forward collision avoidance: Adaptive cruise control6
Fuel/propulsion system6
Structure: Body5

Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.

Had a safety problem with your vehicle? You can report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem.

Other Honda Ridgeline model years

Honda Ridgeline by model year
YearCombinedRecallsComplaintsOverall rating
2026 Ridgeline20–21 mpg0115/5
2025 Ridgeline20–21 mpg21025/5
2024 Ridgeline20–21 mpg1725/5
2023 Ridgeline21 mpg51305/5
2022 Ridgeline21 mpg31185/5
2020 Ridgeline21–22 mpg81705/5
2019 Ridgeline21–22 mpg112385/5
2018 Ridgeline21–22 mpg71625/5
2017 Ridgeline21–22 mpg83465/5

All Honda Ridgeline years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2021 Honda models

Sources

  • Recalls: NHTSA recall flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010), dated Oct 27, 2026, plus a live check of api.nhtsa.gov in your browser.
  • Complaints: NHTSA consumer complaint flat files (COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED), counts only — we do not republish complaint text.
  • Crash tests: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API.
  • Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov vehicles file (U.S. DOE and EPA), dated Sep 29, 2026.
  • NHTSA, EPA and DOE do not endorse OpenVIN. Vehicle names identify vehicles only; OpenVIN is not affiliated with Honda.