NHTSA Complaint #11588379 — 2020 HONDA RIDGELINE

When operating the vehicle in reverse, the dashboard screen was black/blank instead of displaying the view from the rear backup camera. The issue began to occur intermittently at ~40,000 miles and the camera was completely non-operational at 42,163k miles (10/21/2023). Upon investigating and diagnosing the root cause of failure, the dealer determined that the rear backup camera wiring harness failed. The failure point was a flexible section at the rear tailgate hinge that permits opening and closing the rear tailgate. Because the dealer's total replacement cost was too expensive (>$500), the original wiring harness was repaired by the owner. At 50,185 miles, the failure is intermittently occurring again with the repaired harness. A non-operational backup camera puts pedestrians, cyclists and others at risk when the vehicle is backing up because the driver may not be aware of their presence and could strike them or cause a collision. The local dealer diagnosed the issue and subsequently sold the owner a new replacement wiring harness that has yet to be installed. The vehicle or component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. No warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem occurred prior to the failure.