2012 Honda Ridgeline reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2012 Honda Ridgeline has 24 complaints with NHTSA after 15 years, or 0 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Ridgeline years here — under the median of the other years, which is 14. NHTSA has 12 recalls on file, including Frame, Accelerator pedal, and Inflator.

2013 Honda Ridgeline RT — Photo by RL GNZLZ from Chile, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 2.0

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Air bags (14 of 24), then Structure (4) and Steering (2). The most filings arrived in 2016 (14 of 24). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 23,123 miles, and the middle half falls between 11,258 and 45,947 miles. Those filings include 1 that reports a fire.

Next to 2013

The 2013 Ridgeline has 45 complaints, 1 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2012 Honda Ridgeline. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (12)

Recall structure, frame 2022-06-16 · NHTSA campaign 22V430000

Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles that were sold, or ever registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington D.C., and Wisconsin. An accumulation of road salt may cause the frame mounting surface, where the fuel tank mounting bands are attached, to corrode and possibly detach the fuel tank, which can result in a fuel leak.

Remedy Dealers will inspect and repair the rear frame, as necessary, free of charge. Depending on the extent of any corrosion damage, Honda may offer to repurchase the vehicle. Owner notification letters were mailed August 9, 2022. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is LCD.

Vehicles affected 132,882

Recall speed control, accelerator pedal 2019-10-10 · NHTSA campaign 19E068000

Summary Dorman Products, Inc. (Dorman) is recalling certain Accelerator Pedal Assemblies part numbers 699-114 and 825-5029-1, sold as replacement parts for 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2004-2008 Acura TL and TSX, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2005-2006 Honda CR-V, 2007-2011 Honda Element, 2005-2008 Honda Pilot and 2006-2014 Honda Ridgeline vehicles. The rotating portion of the accelerator pedal assembly may bind. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 124, "Accelerator Control Systems."

Remedy Dorman will notify owners, and qualified service facilities will replace the affected accelerator pedal assemblies, free of charge. The recall began December 9, 2019. Owners may contact Dorman customer service at 1-800-523-2492, using option 5. Dorman's number for this recall is AS1019XXXX.

Vehicles affected 3,744

Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2019-06-27 · NHTSA campaign 19V500000

Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013 Acura ILX, 2015 RDX, 2005-2010 and 2012 RL, 2009-2014 TL, 2010 and 2012 ZDX, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2011-2013 and 2015 CR-Z, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013 Fit EV, 2010-2011 and 2013 Insight and 2007-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with driver frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Remedy Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are S5B and W59.

Vehicles affected 1,558

Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2019-06-27 · NHTSA campaign 19V501000

Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2012 RL, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with passenger frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Remedy Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal airbag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are E5D and X5C.

Vehicles affected 1,657,752

Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2019-03-06 · NHTSA campaign 19V182000

Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The affected vehicles received a replacement driver air bag inflator as part of a previous Takata inflator recall remedy or a replacement driver air bag module containing the same inflator type as a service part. Due to a manufacturing error, in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, these inflators may explode.

Remedy Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is O41. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is U40.

Vehicles affected 1,101,534

Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2018-09-27 · NHTSA campaign 18V662000

Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014 Honda Ridgeline vehicles nationwide. Honda is also recalling certain 2011-2012 Acura RL, 2011 Honda Element and 2011-2013 Ridgeline vehicles in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Lastly, if not included above, Honda is recalling certain 2010-2011 Honda Element, 2010-2012 Acura RL and 2010-2013 Ridgeline vehicles in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag air bag inflators assembled as part of the frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to higher absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Remedy Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are H2H and S2I.

Vehicles affected 57,095

Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2018-04-26 · NHTSA campaign 18V268000

Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2012 Honda Accord and Pilot, 2010 Accord Crosstour, 2001-2011 Civic, 2002-2011 CR-V, 2003-2004, 2006-2008 and 2011 Element, 2007 and 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2012 Insight, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2012 Ridgeline vehicles. The front passenger air bag may have been installed incorrectly during replacement.

Remedy Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began June 22, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are K1P, and M1O.

Vehicles affected 1,335

Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2018-01-09 · NHTSA campaign 18V041000

Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2010-2012 Acura RL, 2010 Honda Element, and 2010-2013 Honda Ridgeline vehicles ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, Honda is recalling certain 2010 Acura RL, 2010-2011 Honda Element and Honda Ridgeline vehicles ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." If not included in zones A or B above, Honda is recalling certain 2009 Acura RL, Honda Element, and Honda Ridgeline vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with certain inflators assembled as part of the frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to higher absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Remedy Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 16, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are U0H, and G0I.

Vehicles affected 24,945

Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2017-01-10 · NHTSA campaign 17V029000

Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Acura MDX and Honda CR-V vehicles, 2005-2011 Honda Element vehicles, 2005-2012 Acura RL vehicles, 2006-2012 Honda Ridgeline vehicles, 2007-2008 Honda Fit vehicles and 2005-2008 Honda Pilot vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, if not included in "Zone A" above, Honda is recalling certain 2005-2006 Acura MDX and Honda CR-V vehicles, 2005-2009 Acura RL and Honda Element vehicles, 2007-2008 Honda Fit vehicles, 2005-2008 Honda Pilot vehicles and 2006-2009 Honda Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, if not included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Honda is recalling certain 2005-2006 Acura MDX and Honda CR-V vehicles, 2005-2008 Acura RL, Honda Element and Honda Pilot vehicles, 2007-2008 Honda Fit vehicles and 2006-2008 Honda Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Remedy Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall bagan March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KD9 and KE0.

Vehicles affected 308,884

Recall air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator 2016-02-03 · NHTSA campaign 16V061000

Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Honda CR-V, 2011-2015 CR-Z, 2010-2014 FCX, and Insight, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013-2014 Fit EV, 2007-2014 Ridgeline, 2013-2016 Acura ILX, 2013-2014 Acura ILX Hybrid, 2007-2016 RDX, 2005-2012 Acura RL, 2009-2014 Acura TL, and 2010-2013 Acura ZDX vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.

Remedy Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are JY0, JY1, and JY2.

Vehicles affected 2,232,187

Recall Air bag on-off switch assembly 2012-09-05 · NHTSA campaign 12V432000

Summary Honda is recalling certain model year 2012 Ridgeline vehicles manufactured on April 18, 2012. An incorrect passenger airbag status indicator may have been installed on the vehicles causing them to fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Remedy Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger airbag indicator free of charge. The safety recall began on September 21, 2012. Owners may contact Honda Automobile Customer services at 1-800-999-1009.

Vehicles affected 17

Recall Tires 2012-01-26 · NHTSA campaign 12V025000

Summary HONDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 RIDGELINE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM AUGUST 25, 2011, THROUGH NOVEMBER 29, 2011. THE SPARE TIRE INSTALLED IN AFFECTED VEHICLES MAY NOT MATCH THE INFORMATION ON THE VEHICLES TIRE INFORMATION PLACARD. THEREFORE, THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS FOR MOTOR VEHICLE.

Remedy HONDA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE SPARE TIRE AND IF NECESSARY, EXCHANGE THE SPARE TIRE ASSEMBLY OR REPLACE THE TIRE INFORMATION PLACARD FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 10, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA AT 1-800-999-1009.

Vehicles affected 206

NHTSA's count is every vehicle in that campaign. A campaign can cover other model years and other models.

Complaints by component (24 total)

Air bags

Structure

Steering

Electrical system

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Engine

Fuel and propulsion system

Seat belts

Seats

Service brakes

Wheels

Show 3 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Of the 8 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 23,123 miles. The middle half fall between 11,258 and 45,947 miles.

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"Because of well known water intrusion into the cabin from the firewall, over time the seat risers rust away, and then the compromised metal breaks, at which point the front of the seat is no longer bolted into the floor…"
Seat belts, Seats · filed 2025-05-03
"1. Left Rear Cam Bolt Seized, YES 2. This will not allow for any movement to have tires probably aligned. 3. Yes, I have documentation available upon request 4. No 5. It was caught during an alignment, I first noticed…"
Steering, Wheels, Unknown or other · filed 2023-10-10
"After returning from a short trip to the local convenience store smoke was observed coming from under the hood and also into the cabin as the truck was entering the driveway. Driver immediately opened the hood and…"
Electrical system, Engine · filed 2022-10-04
"The contact owns a 2012 Honda Ridgeline. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V430000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the…"
Structure · filed 2022-09-30
"Roof Garnish Molding it’s pop ups two times and i change everything new but my concern is when i drive in the highway or interstate that part can blow off to the air and can cause an accident. Last time I went to the…"
Structure, Unknown or other · filed 2022-07-04

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2012 Honda Ridgeline PU/CC 4WD	Not rated	Not rated	Not rated	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Ridgeline Truck four-wheel drive	3.5L, 6-cyl	Automatic 5-speed	All-wheel drive	16	21	17 MPG	$3800

Specs and fitment

1st generation (facelift), 2012–2014

Body styles Pickup truck

Oil 0W-20 , 4.5 qt capacity

Tire size 245/65R17 (RT/RTS) to 245/60R18 (Sport/RTL)

Towing capacity 5,000 lbs

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA safety recall 22V-430, announced in June 2022, covers 2006-2014 Ridgeline trucks, including the 2012-2014 facelift model years: in salt-belt states, de-icing agents mixed with mud and dirt can accumulate along the rear frame where the fuel tank is mounted, and over time this buildup corrodes the fuel tank's mounting bands until they separate from the frame. An unsecured fuel tank can then be damaged by undercarriage impact, increasing the risk of a fuel leak. The remedy, detailed in service bulletin 22-021, has a dealer inspect and repair the rear frame as necessary at no charge, which depending on the extent of the corrosion can mean installing a subframe casting and crossmember kit; Honda may offer to repurchase the truck depending on the extent of the corrosion damage.

Compare

Next year 2013 Honda Ridgeline See every Honda Ridgeline model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Honda Ridgeline reliable?

What are common problems with a 2012 Honda Ridgeline?

Is the 2012 Honda Ridgeline more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2013 Ridgeline has 45 complaints, 1 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

Has the 2012 Honda Ridgeline been recalled?

The 2012 Honda Ridgeline has 12 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2012 Honda Ridgeline?

Owners have filed 24 complaints about the 2012 Honda Ridgeline with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2012 Honda Ridgeline get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2012 Honda Ridgeline is 17 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

Why isn't there a 2015 or 2016 Honda Ridgeline?

Honda paused Ridgeline production between generations; the first generation ended after 2014 and the redesigned second generation didn't launch until the 2017 model year.

Does the Honda Ridgeline have a frame rust recall?

NHTSA recall 22V-430 covers 2006-2014 Ridgeline trucks for rear-frame corrosion near the fuel tank in salt-belt states.