2018 HONDA RIDGELINE Engine Problems

While driving the vehicle to the dealership to have them inspect the vehicle for a knocking noise coming from the engine at startup, the engine stalled. The engine locked up and had to be towed approximately 10 miles to the dealership. Upon inspection by the dealership after pulling the oil pan and inspecting for evidence of rod bearing failure, it was confirmed by the shop manager that there was indeed evidence of this in the oil pan.

Service engine light came on and mechanic stated the failed rod bearings have made the vehicle undriveable.

My check engine light came on and within minutes there was a loud noise, smoke and my vehicle lost power. I was on Hwy 20 returning to Boise, ID from Bend, OR. Luckily this occurred just as I had cell service since I was without cell service just before this occurred. This happened in the evening on Nov 2, 2025. I had just had it serviced for regularly needed maintenance as recommended by Honda. 10/20/2025 I spent $2274.28 on service at the Honda dealership. Service included transmission service, oil change, strut service, replace front struts, wheel alignment, and resurfaced front rotors. I've had all my regular maintenance handled timely and at the dealership. I was 75 miles from the dealership and had to spend $521 to have it towed to the dealership. My truck lost power so fast after the check engine light leaving me on the side of the...

Engine started making a knocking noise on start up. Got progressively worse for the next 3 days before I stopped operation. Dealer states "engine has a rod knock likely due to a spun bearing". No warning lights or messages displayed.

Had a clacking noise that got louder depending on RPM's, scheduled a visit to the dealer same day to also take care of a B1 maintenance notification that appeared 2 days prior and on the way to the dealer from work the same day the clacking noise started, the engine light started to flash and then within a few seconds there was a complete loss of power to the accelerator and the RPM's dropped to zero; Had to pull off the interstate in a construction zone where there was no shoulder and just on a dirt slope. When towed to the dealer, dealer stated the engine had suffered Rod bearing failure and there were metal shavings in the oil pan. The car is available upon request, it is at the dealership at the moment and I am scheduling it to get an engine replacement. I contacted Honda because this is...

We were traveling up the freeway just like any other day. Out of nowhere the low oil light flashed and next thing we know a loud clanking started to happen. We were able to make it to the exit as it was right there thankfully because once we stopped I shut the engine off got out and checked the oil and it was full. I tried to start it again, it started but turned it off fast because the noise it was making was horrible. I’ve contacted Honda regarding this issue because the Ridgeline from 2017 and 2019 are covered under a recall but the can’t explain why the 2018 is exempt from the recall seeing it’s the same engine.

As I was driving on the freeway, the vehicle lost power completely without any prior warning. All the lights on the dashboard were flashing. The vehicle could not be started again. I was stranded in the middle of the freeway at the very high risk of being rear ended given the relatively lighter traffic at 11pm in Los Angeles. It put other drivers on the freeway at very high risk of running into me as well. The vehicle was towed to the dealership where an inspection was conducted. It concluded a blown-out engine (literally), possibly caused by the piston. A hole was found on the engine cast. The incident was escalated to Honda's corporate customer care department.

After performing regular maintenance to Honda Ridgeline 2018 by replacing the spark plugs, spark plug number 4 was contaminated with oil. All other 5 spark plugs had not sign of oil. This was discovered during the 100K miles tune up. A leaking component (e.g. a tube seal) in the well or an engine-related issue that's causing oil to enter the combustion chamber can cause a critical engine failure.

Crankshaft leading to rod bearing failure causing engine failure. Same issuse as 2017 and 2019 models that had recall 23v-751 issued

In July of 2023, on my way home from a 3 hour. trip, the engine light started flashing on and off and the engine would not exceed 30 mph. Just after my 2018 Honda Ridgeline's warranty expired, it had a catastrophic engine failure. I was told by the Honda Service advisor that it was caused by broken bearings that caused a rod to break. The engine was damaged beyond repair and required replacement. I was devastated. Honda Corporate paid a percentage of the cost of replacement and I paid the lower percentage. The vehicle was at the service department at the Honda dealership for 4 weeks. Interestingly, I later heard through news reports about this being a systemic problem and that there would be a recall. However, when I tried to report it on the NHTSA website, my vehicle is not registered. I suppose Honda excluded it, but I wanted...

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Ridgeline. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. Parts distribution disconnect.

The engine suffered catastrophic failure at highway speed, without any prior warning. Vehicle is currently at CMA’s Valley Honda in Staunton Va if further inspection is requested. Engine lost all power accompanied by a violent vibration, forcing me to coast off to the side of the road. The problem has been confirmed by the dealer. “Catastrophic engine failure” metal in engine oil. The vehicle hasn’t been inspected by any other party. There were no lights or warnings prior to the failure.

I just turned onto the interstate on ramp and as soon as I pushed on the gas, I lost some engine power and the loudest racket came from the engine. I couldn’t go passed 55mph without it getting louder but luckily there was an exit shortly after getting on the onramp. I sat for 3 hours in 90 degree weather with no cool air waiting on a ride and a tow truck. My truck is not drivable now. I noticed a knocking sound earlier so I set up an appointment to have it looked at but I couldn’t afford it. Right after I left the appointment, that’s when it happened. There’s a recall for a connecting rod bearing fail for the 2017 and 2019 Ridgelines but not the 2018. The 2018 should be involved.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request?- Suspected failed crankshaft bearing failure/rod knock. Honda declined request for further troubleshooting and engine was replaced at owner's expense. Failed engine was retained and is available for inspection. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? - Loss of power on highway but no catastrophic failure. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center?- The symptoms were reproduced by dealer. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others?- Inspection was requested by owner but declined by Honda corporate Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear?- A slight ticking sound was detected a couple of days prior to the failure. During the loss of...

On Approximately February 10, 2022 I hit a deer and sent my truck out for repair, I encountered a serious issue with my vehicle's engine, which was later diagnosed by Honda as a rod bearing failure which was not related to the accident which meant insurance wouldnt cover. This failure caused the rod bearing to wear and seize, resulting in significant damage to the engine and the presence of metal shavings in the oil pan. As a result, my vehicle's engine has been rendered inoperable and requires extensive repairs. To my dismay, I recently discovered that Honda has issued a recall for nearly 250,000 vehicles due to the same rod bearing issue. The recall states that the rod bearing in the engine may wear and seize, leading to engine damage and potential issues such as improper running or stalling while driving. However, to my surprise, my 2018 Honda Ridgeline is...

Our 2018 Honda Ridgeline broke a connecting rod, that quickly punched through the engine block. My entire family was left stranded on the side of I-79, at night, in the mountains of West Virginia, in subfreezing temperatures, with no power or heat. It took an hour for a tow truck to reach us (we were in the middle of nowhere) and another hour to get it towed to the nearest Honda dealership. The only warning we had was a slight rattle for about 10 minutes, followed by a POW, immediate and complete loss of engine power, and all the dashboard lights came on simultaneously. The dealership (Urse Honda in Bridgeport WV) confirmed the hole in the side of the engine block, and let me take pictures of the broken rod cap. Ironically, the month before the catastrophic failure, on 11/9/2023 Honda internally released Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) [XXX] that speaks...

The Honda Ridgeline 2018 has an issue that it burns its transmission fluid really fast to the point that the Truck's transmission starts to judder. This causes the truck to have issues accelerating or changing gears. This happened to me in a 70 MPH highway, when the problem starts you see the RPM gauge fluctuating a lot and the Truck has issues accelerating. This problem was present on the 2017 version of the truck and Honda issued a service bulletin (https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2018/MC-10139548-9999.pdf) but this bulletin does not cover any other version of the truck when the same exact problem is still happening. I went to the dealership and they confirmed that the Transmission Judder was there. When you go online other owners of the truck are complaining about the same exact problem: Problem happening on a Honda Ridgeline 2019 - https://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/threads/2019-transmission-judder.233046/ Same problem on a Honda Ridgeline 2018 - https://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/threads/2018-honda-ridgeline-rtl-transmission-judder.228917/ Another...

My 2018 Honda Ridgeline began to make a loud knocking noise from the lower motor. I bought this vehicle last June with 47k miles on it. The vehicle has prompted me twice to change the oil. Both times I changes the oil myself within two days of the car warning stating I had 15% life of the oil. At the same time as the indicator light lit I began to notice the knocking sound. I change the oil the very next morning only to find the noise getting louder. The car is at the dealer now and the dealer is fighting me tooth and nail not to cover the work. They made me financially responsible to tare down the motor and find the root cause of the engine failure. Im literally paying them to find whatever excuse they can to not cover the repairs. They are sending out an adjustor...