I am due to pick up my new Green RTL this afternoon but I still worry that I am buying a vehicle that is plagued with problems. After reading all the posts about water leaks and windshield wind noise I am left wondering if those posting problems are a small minority of Ridgeline owners or just the tip of the iceberg of problems that are out there. I love the vehicle, this being my second 4-door pickup, and really hope to spend more time enjoying it than taking to the dealer for repairs. Also does anyone actually know the production date that the water leak problem was fixed on the assembly line???

Relax and enjoy your new Ridgeline. I've had mine since mid-May and have had none of the problems. Granted I'm only at 2500 miles, but so far it's been flawless. And it's been fun!

I've had my RTS for 3 weeks now, been through a couple of washes, some light rain and haven't noticed any leaks. I also don't have any wind noise...not a single problem thus far! Hope you have the same luck as I so you can relax and enjoy your new RL :)

-SixOpRidge

I've had my Ridgeline for about 3 weeks now. It's been through two carwashes, and a couple of really hard downpours. No leaks.

I love mine! :D

Just remember that on the net more people tend to post complaints. Those that no have a complaints don't neccesarily have a need to tell someone. They're happy. I don't think if you added up the leaking problems it would add to a percentage that would be cause for alarm. I do sympathize with those that have problems because I love this truck. I just got back from a trip from CT to ME and back this weekend in the pouring rain. No probs here after 5k miles. :)

Relax, enjoy the ride and experience of purchasing a vehicle that I am sure that you will grow more excited about every day that you own it. There are other threads on this site that address a production change that was made in late May and affected VIN numbers higher than 516000. My Ridgeline was built just a few days and a few hundred units after the change was made. It has been absolutely flawless. No water leak, no wind noise. If you have the time to search and read all of the various posts about the water leak issue and the wind noise, I think that you will find that the water leak issue only affected a very small number of early production models and has long since been corrected. The wind noise issue has apparently affected a higher number of vehicles but, again, at least as far as I have been able to determine after following posts on this site, it appears to affect vehicles made prior to the production change. It sounds like there are two different sources of wind noise. Vehicles can have wind noise from the 'A" pillar, the rear roof trim panel, or none at all. I suggest that the vast majority of vehicles have none at all.

Now for the disclaimer. All of this is simply my personal opinion and is based on reading posts on this site by owners and my own experience as a Ridgeline owner. Although I suspect that Ridgelines with VIN numbers lower than 516000 have been sold and fixed by now, there could still be some on dealer’s lots. Check the VIN number of the vehicle that you are purchasing. Test drive it and listen for the wind noise. Unless it is a very early production model I seriously doubt that you could find one that still has the water leak issue on the dealer’s lot that has not been sealed and fixed by the dealer. Most importantly, you are buying a Honda. I never would consider purchasing a first year of production vehicle other than from Honda. If there are any problems with your vehicle you can have confidence that they will be taken care of. I really do believe that these two issues have been resolved at the factory. Current owners that still have the wind noise are suffering with having to diagnose and have the problems fixed. Thanks to this ROC site, owners can share their experiences - and their troubles - and the solutions. Very few other vehicles have anything even close to this ROC site for owners. Spend some time on this site reading posts and I am sure that you will read owners comments that express more excitement and enthusiasm for the Ridgeline than any other vehicle that they have ever owned. That absolutely is the case with me and at 54 I have owned quite a few vehicles. Read carefully and you will read the same thing from owners that have had either or both problems. Don't worry, be Happy!



The bottom line is - Go for it! Enjoy the ride. Welcome to the ROC!

I have a Red Ridgeline with an early production date. I had a cracked windshield on the inside. There were no leaks and no wind noise. Honda insisted that they replace the windshield which they did. Still no leaks and no wind noise. I now have 14,506 miles on mine and no problems. I travel over some rough roads and this truck is nice.

I will buy another one when I get enough miles on this one.

Tiger

CDN VIN # <1000

No leaks (and we have had more rain last month then we normally get in a year!) and very little wind noise that I attribute to the rack.

All other minor problems (faulty MP3 player, twitchy strut, minor adjustment to door) have been looked after.

:)

I have had my silver with moonroof, leather for six weeks...Not one issue..go for it. I am a Yamaha motorcycle dealer and until Yamaha builds cars and trucks I will keep buying Honda's. You will love this truck. I have owned a Ford Sport Trac, Toyota Tundra, Toyota Tacoma, and the Honda Pilot. This is the best of all!!!

VIN <516000 + 7 weeks of ownership = NOT ONE PROBLEM

NOT ONE PROBLEM =
No water leaks
No wind noise
No creaking steering wheel
No spontaneous combustion
No iguanas in the gas tank
No Canadian Honda factory workers in the trunk
No problems!

Nothing but a true joy to own and drive!

CDN VIN # 000736

No leaks (and we have had more rain last month then we normally get in a year!) and very little wind noise that I attribute to the rack.

All other minor problems (faulty MP3 player, twitchy strut, minor adjustment to door) have been looked after.

:)

Have you made any adjustments to you roof rack to minimize wind noise? I've tried adjusting the cross members back which has worked slightly, but still have a rather loud noise.

May the force be with you.

Thanks to all of the people that have responded to my post. I feel much more confindent that buying the Ridgeline is the right decision. Now the problem will be how to keep the wife driving the Odessey and leave some time in the truck for me.

3+ months and 4,000 miles without a single problem. My RTL was delivered to the dealership during the first week of April.
The driving experience has become better each and every day. :)

VIN <516000 + 7 weeks of ownership = NOT ONE PROBLEM

NOT ONE PROBLEM =
No water leaks
No wind noise
No creaking steering wheel
No spontaneous combustion
No iguanas in the gas tank
No Canadian Honda factory workers in the trunk
No problems!

Nothing but a true joy to own and drive!

Thanks for the hearty laugh this morning jch!! :D

Vin # 1800. Took it home March 2...now has...14K.
Had a leak...its gone...had a creaky steering wheel...its gone...had a fixation on a vehicle at my age...IT'S NOT GONE!!
Welcome, congrats..enjoy the ride and have a great time being a ROC head!!

J.C. :)

I am due to pick up my new Green RTL this afternoon but I still worry that I am buying a vehicle that is plagued with problems.

You see that Vertrkr, you almost scared someone away from the RL. You might be the one effecting the sales. :D :D (just kiddin) ;)

I've got 4,000 + miles and so far the RL has been flawless, though sometiimes I look at it suspiciously out of the corner of my eye. Thanks Vertrkr. ;)

Glad you got all your issues addressed.

Have you made any adjustments to you roof rack to minimize wind noise? I've tried adjusting the cross members back which has worked slightly, but still have a rather loud noise.

May the force be with you.


I will try adjusting my rack as you suggest, thanks for the tip!
Alternatively, I found turning up the volume of the last inserted MP3 disk also works well. :D

Thanks to all of the people that have responded to my post. I feel much more confindent that buying the Ridgeline is the right decision. Now the problem will be how to keep the wife driving the Odessey and leave some time in the truck for me.

US...all you have to do is take her for a ride as she enjoys the comfort, room and pride sitting in the passenger seat and she'll be hooked and it won't matter whether she drives or rides, as long as she is in the Ridgeline.
TECHNICLLY...Lady Ridgena is mine but I have no issue when Todd wants to drive it anytime he wants.

No Canadian Honda factory workers in the trunk

Canadian Honda Factory workers in the trunk, eh?

I wondered what that noise was all aboot. :)

I'm a ridgeline owner, I've had a couple of things that irritated me. But to tell you the truth, they were easy fixes and would not deter me to buy one, if I knew what I know now about the truck.

Relax, it's awesome. You'll have a big grin on your face when you get to claim it as your own.

I have an early VIN. I had some issues (tailgate, leak, and wind noise). They are all fixed (still some slight wind noise). I would still buy another one. My wife hopes they make an SUV out of this body style so she can get that.

My posts on issues I was having are to serve as information for other that may have similiar issues. This is especially important on a first year vehicle. You want to know that you are not alone on that island.

I'll stay out of this one :D

I've had my Ridgeline since April, 3500 mile so far. Some windnoise, but its tolerable. I am beginning to really enjoy this truck. :)

US, despite my leak problem (that was fixed) I really enjoy my truck, more than any other vehicle I have ever driven...

As for the wife driving the Ody, let me know how you do that! I am thinking of taking the key for the RL off her key ring so she can drive her new Ody! I went out to the garage one morning to find she took my RL and left me the Ody :mad: Oh, well, I guess it goes with the territory!

Hi All,

New member here. I don't have a Ridgeline yet, but have test driven one and really would like to buy it. :rolleyes:
I'm, like some others, a little worried about the leak issue. :(
Ultra-Hog: thanks very much for all the informative posts in this and other forums. You have almost convinced me to take the plunge. Just one question: where did you get the information about the 516000 VIN number being the point at which the problem was fixed.

Thanks very much.

Tom

The 516000 VIN number came from a posting or article that I read but I really don't remember precisely where it came from. It very well may have come from people putting two and two together and combining information from dealers to owners that were experiencing the water leak problem. The VIN Number and date may have been determined by comparing members 'born on' dates. There was a lot of chatter on the net about the water leak issue before the cause was determined and it was fixed. At that point in time I was using Google a lot to find any information that I possibly could find about the Ridgeline. I joined several Ridgeline sites and read just about everything that Google, Yahoo, MSN, and others turned up. It did not take long for me to determine that this ROC site is the best. The others seem to have faded away. I do recall that it occurred just as I ordered my Ridgeline and I was encouraged that I was not likely to have either issue - which I do not. Remember that only a small percentage of very early owners reported either the water leak problem or the wind noise problem. The internet gives everyone a voice, especially when they have a problem and there is an interested audience. I like to think that this site and its members contributed to helping Honda resolve the problems in a timely way.

I do not want to speak for other members but I suspect that if you posted a request to meet with a current owner in your area to get their first hand experiences, I suspect that you would get several offers. If you are near Central Pennsylvania just let me know. I will give you the Deluxe 5 cent tour.
So, what color did you order, or are you picking one up off your dealer’s lot?

Sheesh! How rude of me! After all that I forgot to welcome you aboard tmr2.

Welcome aboard! :)

Thanks Ultra-HOG.
I'll probably go with the silver or blue off the dealer's lot. I'd love black, but my current car is black, and let's say I haven't been as good as I should have been in keeping it clean the last couple years :( (5 years old) and it really shows with the dark color.
I know I am probably jumping at shadows being worried about the leak, but my current car (Mitsu Diamante) had a sunroof leak when I bought it new and Mitsu put me through hell before they finally fixed it. I know, Honda is not Mitsu, that is why I am looking at a Honda this time.
Thanks again for the welcome and the information. And you're right, ROC seems like a real decent site.
Enjoy your truck, it was the most impressive test drive I have ever experienced.

Thanks Ultra-HOG.
I'll probably go with the silver or blue off the dealer's lot. I'd love black, but my current car is black, and let's say I haven't been as good as I should have been in keeping it clean the last couple years :( (5 years old) and it really shows with the dark color.
I know I am probably jumping at shadows being worried about the leak, but my current car (Mitsu Diamante) had a sunroof leak when I bought it new and Mitsu put me through hell before they finally fixed it. I know, Honda is not Mitsu, that is why I am looking at a Honda this time.
Thanks again for the welcome and the information. And you're right, ROC seems like a real decent site.
Enjoy your truck, it was the most impressive test drive I have ever experienced.

Trust us, you'll love it even more when you live with it for awhile- welcome aboard!

Welcome to the ROC tmr2. PICK THE SILVER.PICK THE SILVER.
( oh jeez..did I say that outloud?? ) :eek:
Welcome. :rolleyes: No matter what color you get, it will be the most phe-nominal ride of your life. I promise!!

I agree with ladyridge, pick the silver! As far as wind noise is concerned I can't tell one way or the other because I wear hearing aids. All I hear is road noise with them on and nothing at all with them out. The leak issue does not concern me either as my Ridge is in the garage and has never seen a drop of rain on it. If there is a 30% or better chance of rain it stays right where it is. Maybe someday I will be caught in a sudden rain storm but until that happens I ain't gonna worry about it.

US, despite my leak problem (that was fixed) I really enjoy my truck, more than any other vehicle I have ever driven...

As for the wife driving the Ody, let me know how you do that! I am thinking of taking the key for the RL off her key ring so she can drive her new Ody! I went out to the garage one morning to find she took my RL and left me the Ody :mad: Oh, well, I guess it goes with the territory!

You'll have to get up and beat her out the door :) I usually don't have to worry with my hubby, I have to work long before him :)

My Amazon Green exl-sr was built in January and is 94th off the line. Despite
being an early production model there has not been an issue with wind noise or water leaks.However, radio reception is very poor. I live in a rural area but I have never had any problem pulling in my favorite stations.Just to see if it was not a problem with the radio stations I drove the following vehicles the same route this past week: 2004 Chev Silverado ( Bose ),1999 pontiac Transport, 2000 Toyota Celica and a 2005 Pontiac Gran Prix. All had good reception. Anyone else have this problem?

My Amazon Green exl-sr was built in January and is 94th off the line. Despite
being an early production model there has not been an issue with wind noise or water leaks.However, radio reception is very poor. I live in a rural area but I have never had any problem pulling in my favorite stations.Just to see if it was not a problem with the radio stations I drove the following vehicles the same route this past week: 2004 Chev Silverado ( Bose ),1999 pontiac Transport, 2000 Toyota Celica and a 2005 Pontiac Gran Prix. All had good reception. Anyone else have this problem?


Wow..early model in deed. Did you get any free stuff with that RL? I have read on here somewhere that someone got an autographed picture or something like that of the designer. Anyway, welcome to the ROC family, we're glad you're here.
There has been a thread or two maybe that speaks of poor radio reception. I'm not sure of the exact name of the thread but if you search the forums I'm sure you will find it. I wish I could be more help. Good luck.

USARSHOE, Welcome to the best Ridgeline forum on the net! I don't think everyone of these members of the Ridgeline Owners Club have had all of the problems posted here. Hopefully, My wife and I have lucked out having waited a while and bought our's with a higher vin#. We have not found any water leaks during washing and plowing through water crossings (I've used a high pressure washer in and around the firewall and under the truck just to make sure) And have not heard any creaky steering wheel sounds or the wind noise coming from the windshield. We don't have the clunking noise from turning lock to lock or the power steering or engine oil leaks or the wind-whistling rear window. Our RTS has been perfect in everyway. Relax in the knowledge that you stand a greater chance of getting an improved RL than anyone here on the ROC. Go get it!! :D