NHTSA Complaint #11437980 — 2021 HONDA RIDGELINE

On this model of vehicle, if the vehicle dies and cannot be restarted, as an example if you are on a busy highway or intersection, there is no way to get the vehicle in Neutral so it can safely be moved WITHOUT having a special tool, Honda part #07AAA-TZ3A100. This tool is currently not available to purchase from any Honda dealer. This tool has to be used with the front hood open and reaching down and turning a bolt & manually locking the transmission in Neutral. The location of this bolt outside the truck & under the hood is also a hazard for the vehicle rolling and not being able to easily disengage it from neutral by having to get back out of the truck again and get under the hood. It is also a hazard to have to get out of the vehicle, on a highway or busy intersection or other hazardous area. In prior models of this vehicle, there was a method to manually put the vehicle in neutral while seated in the drivers seat, minimizing the risk of injury by having to get out of the truck and pop the hood. This is a very hazardous design flaw that should be remedied by Honda immediately. Honda should provide remedy to all vehicle owners and provide the method for manually putting the vehicle in neutral back inside the vehicle as it was in prior models as it is a safety hazard as it is designed now with the manual release under the front hood.