Rear End Alignment Problem

j404303 j404303 is online now
Junior Member

Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 1
Re: 2007 Ridgeline Suggestion
Dear honda.

I urge all Honda ridgline owners who are having problems with their steering wheel alingnment to have a 4 wheel alignment done. The problem may not be found by doing a front end alingment alone. I have found that honda ridgelines may have a rear end alignment problem which im told by honda dealership is known to be an acceptable margin of error in thier books, and will not cover repairs to your new vehicle. So if your car pulls to one side or the other, or will not generally stay in the center, or maybe whey you apply the brakes it tends to pull to one side as you stop, just get out and take a look at your rear tires and if they seem inverted on the top and not straight vertical as they should be, congratulaitions your problem isint the steering ,brakes, or tires , it may just be a crooked rear end, Which will not be covered.
Read the following post i have written for futher clearification,and hopefully a reply by honda if they indeed care and read about what thier customers feel.

I love your products, and every time i get a chance to purchase a new product form your company i do, from your lawn mowers to your cars, and now your trucks. It is no news that when you came out with the ridgeline , I was in line for one of the first to hit Arizona. Since then i have run into a few questions.
Why do the Honda dealers wait till you find something wrong with your ridgeline and complain about before they fix it. Why do your dealers say that they Have no knowledge about the problem tsb's, and then i have to produce one before they will fix the problem. The dealers also say that tsb's are really not their responsibility to repair, but they will fix tsb problems upon request.
I have had the water in the passenger side, the water enter in the back seat durring rains took two trips to have repaired, the wind noise from the windshield which has not been corrected as of yet, the trunk seal gasket falling off which is on order to be corrected, paint scratches on purchase that would not be fixed, the door locks that dont open as printed in the manual, damaged center console that took three trips to get it replaced. Pinstripining and clear door edge coating pealing off which your dealers will not address. But by far t he newst and worst of all Alignment. I have discovered that my new honda which now has 3thousand miles, has a rear end that is not lined up true in center. ON inspection of a possible alignment problem ,I was told at the honda dealership, that the rear drivers side tire is centered , but that the cameber is off postive by 7 degrees, and that on the passsenger side rear tire is also centered but also off 5 degrees positive on camber. I was also told that it would take putting it on a frame machine to bend it back where it sould be. I was also told that honda has a margin of error on their specs that allows for this, and for that reason honda will not authorize correction of the trueness of alignment.
I believe that missalignment may be due to shipping, and probably not a manufacturing problem. On examination of outher new unsold ridglines on the dealers lot i noticed the same inverted rear tires. My question is to honda are you willing to let your buyers learn on their own that they are buying new vehicles with crooked rear ends, of which they will end up paying to have fixed. I belive that soonner or later other buyers will be complainging about aligment problems, and when they go beyond a front end aligment and get a 4 wheel alignment they will discover that the pulling to oneside is not a front wheel problem but a rear wheel problem.
I as you honda Persons responsible for your answer to my qestion, Is it true that you are aware, and have a margin of error set aside that allows honda to not fix a problem with their ridgeline alignment. I have heard of this occuring with outher companies vehicles in transport, but they did resposibly repair said vehicle for their customers as it was discovered. Why does honda with its reputation for having the best motorized equipment on the road allow this to happen?

I do not like the idea of just buying a new ridgeline to find out that i bought a vehicle with esentually a bent frame aligment problem. Is there anything that can be done to correct this problem , before i decide that it was a big mistake to buy Hondas first generation truck.

Jose
Edit/Delete Message

Jose,

Welcome to the ROC. I haven't noticed an alignment problem. Hope you get yours resolved.

Can you explain what you mean by "noticed...inverted rear tires"?
The toe in for the rear wheels is 0 +/- 2mm (or 1/16 in). The camber for the rear wheels is -0 deg 30 minutes +/- 45 minutes. You're seeing 5 and 7 degree cambers? That's way off. The rear camber cannot be adjusted. If it's off, the suspension should be checked for damage.

This is what the dealer told me . I was told that it was seven degress off, which would equate to 7centemeters diffrence on the right side, and on the left side it was 5 degrees off which equates to 5cenemeters diffrence on passengers side. In either words the top of the tires are tillted inward from the top, and tilted outward from the bottom virtically like / \ this. if your looking at it from the rear of the truck. I also so the same on the new ridglines in their new car sale lot. The shop forman told me that it was withing spec of hondas margin of error for that vehicle and that honda would not take responsibility for repairs. oh and i did not get the print out sheet of results, so i cant be any clearer.

Are you sure you have the correct figures? 5 and 7 degrees would be very noticeable to the naked eye, and if it were positive camber the wheels would look like \ /. In any case they would be way out of spec and nowhere near Honda's "margin of error". I would request the printout from the alignment machine and if it is not within specifications it should be repaired, barring any damage done post delivery.

The only time I'd expect to see 5 or 7 degrees, or more, would be when the vehicle was placed back on the ground after being lifted, and then not being subsequently moved to allow the suspension to settle. It's highly unlikely that would be the case with every or even any vehicle on the lot.

What i have found in past expierence is that this can occurr during transport of a vehicle, like when a vehicle is secured with tow hooks, which if applied incorrectly to the rear can bend them, and cause them to pull to one side as if aligment problem is the cause, it has occured in fords and chevys etc. for some time now. In fact saturn cars are so effected that it is forbidden to tow, and must be trailered with tow hooks checked after every tow to see if rear end damaged has occured from the actual tow.....As a former tow truck co. owner...i can tell you that a man can bend any veh rear end out of position if tow hooks are incorrectly applied. Now as far as my ridgeline goes I will have to try and get a copy of the alignment stats and get back with you. But it did not take the shop forman but a minute to see the tilted wheels / \ ,
but says that it is probably an illusion caused by the fender splash guard causing it to look worse than it is. Even though he has told me that it is 7centemeters off on the drivers side and 5 centemeters on the passenger side rear. Whether it was durring aseembly, or during railroad transport or tow, or what ever , I still believe that a new vehicle should have a good aligment or they should not be sold to the public as a non salvage. I also believe that honda should stand behind their vehicle, or face the future litigation when someone pays the ultimate price when an accident proves that their vehichle was even remotely resposible for the cause, and they new it, margin of error or not!. I have also looked up alignment threads on this forum and have found that i am not the only one with aligment problems. I just note that they have not had their rear end alignment checked for the cause. I will be contacting the dealership tomorrow and ask for a copy of the alignment results. Then decide how to persue.

yes, i've noticed that my RL slightly wan't to go to the right when driving on flat level surface like a smooth freeway. When you going like 40mph and let the stearing wheel go it seems like the my RL wants to goto the right, and have to hold the steering wheel to the left to keep it straight. Honda is willing to replace my bumper since it was damage when i bought it, The Service Manager requested that i make a list and make an appointment one for the bumper and the other for the small tidbits like 4wheel alignment, small rattle or tapping on the front passanger side area, hood isn't aligned proplerly meaning large gap on left side and barely any gap on the right side of the hood. Etc...thanx for posting the alignement problem, i thought my alignement is off or something.
If the alignement is off, this means that the tire will wear faster if it isn't fix in the long term. Can this be a problem when going off road light duty?

I believe in the long run yes it will cause the tires to wear quicker, but mostly the vehicle will drive a little froggy, you know pulling to one side then the other espeically on more uneven surfaces. I dont think you will feel it much off roading,, becausse you will be going alot slower, and the ground is much softer. so it wont be as noticable in the dirt. Let me know how your aligment goes. be sure you get a 4wheel allignment, and if there is a problem, have them take you back to see the diffrence on the vehicle. In my opinion honda dealers have been trained well to treat you nice, until the sales over, then when you go to have something done its on you to bring the tsb, or proof that there is a problem before they are willing to admit that they have the burnden to repair it at their cost. I have even over heard some sevice advisors at diffrent locations admittedly telling customers that its not covered, until they insist, then oh hey guess what majically it suddenly is covered. Dont get me wrong, i dont think that all of them do this, but by my own experience the smiles somtimes hide the truth. You would be supprised at the power of a tsb in your hand, I thank the people on this forum especiall ladyridge who posted so much info that got most of my problems taken care of, because when i confronted them with a prolem, they said they never heard of it, and never heard of any tsb's , they dont get that info. Gee i guess honda relies on the customer to educate their employees on tsb's . I know it sounds sarcastic but at this time, im not feeling too good about the way they do business. I really dont blame honda. I do not think honda even knows whats really going on , on the dealership level. When i told them i had water comming in my vehicle, and to call honda to check it, they did not want honda to know a thing about it, and rather made tsb repair so they would not be called? Well anyway good luck.

I alos have had a forceful "pulling" to the left recently. I'll keep a sharp eye on these posts for sure. Thanks again Jose.:)

Well i went to the dealer and requested a copy of the alignment report to get the values and do a comparison with the ones i was sent. I was told that all that paperwork went to accounting, and it would not be till after the year before i could get a copy. I drove twenty miles, and they cant walk across the parking lot to get me a copy.

yes, i've noticed that my RL slightly wan't to go to the right when driving on flat level surface like a smooth freeway. When you going like 40mph and let the stearing wheel go it seems like the my RL wants to goto the right, and have to hold the steering wheel to the left to keep it straight. Honda is willing to replace my bumper since it was damage when i bought it, The Service Manager requested that i make a list and make an appointment one for the bumper and the other for the small tidbits like 4wheel alignment, small rattle or tapping on the front passanger side area, hood isn't aligned proplerly meaning large gap on left side and barely any gap on the right side of the hood. Etc...thanx for posting the alignement problem, i thought my alignement is off or something.
If the alignement is off, this means that the tire will wear faster if it isn't fix in the long term. Can this be a problem when going off road light duty? Even the flatest roads are built with a slight grade to the right. This is done to help with water drainage. Some times its not the Truck that is pulling to the right but the road that causes the feeling that the truck is pulling to one side.

I think each vehicle is a little different. My RL tracks straight no matter what the road conditions are. I think it's the straightest tracking vehicle that I've had in a long time.

Now our Odysseys are another story. The 00 always ran to the right even after 3 alignments in 2 different Honda dealerships. I finally got it mostly right aftermarket but it still wanted to "push" right depending upon road conditions and wind - side wind especially affected it.

The 02 Odyssey tracks straigher. After the spouse ran the right front wheel into the curb :eek: (new rim time) I called around looking for the highest tech alignment machine and someone that knew how to run it.:cool: After a session at the local Goodyear shop and their 60K machine with the same tech running alignments for 20 years - it tracks straight.

The best way to keep track of alignment problems is to rotate your tires at regular intervals and MEASURE AND RECORD YOUR TREAD DEPTH! When things are right I can get about the same amount of wear on each rotation. The last Odyssey rotation had 1/32 worn on the front and 0/32 on the rear. That's the best it's even been after it's new alignment. Don't even want to talk about tread loss after the curb deal before I caught it.:(

Anyway it's a long post but you might make headway with the dealer in measuring tread depth loss and comparing the other users. The tread depth on the RL new is 11/32 and at 4000 miles I am at 10/32 on the front and 11/32 on the rear. If your having alignment problems it will show up in tread loss quickly.

Also - with the Odyssey, Pilot, Ridgeline - the alignment has to be a 4 wheel alignment to get it right. I think that's true for any vehicle with 4 wheel independent suspension. Hope this helps.

This is interesting! Thought I'd hit the computer between the movie break and next thing I know, J404303 has me running downstairs to the garage to measure the camber on the rear wheels! Thanks a lot! I cut a stick 18 3/4 inches long (touches rims, not tires, they bulge at bottom). Both rears have negative camber. Hold the stick vertical, touching rim top and bottom, place level on stick. My stick is vertical at 3/8 inches out from top. This I believe, is ''seat of the pants" close. My 1975 Mercedes (independent rear suspension) has more. This is probably why the Ridgeline handles so well (at least I think so).

Well at this point this is where i sit. The service manger as i stated said that the rear end is off but within hondas margin of error (7 degrees which equatees to 7 centemeters on the DR, and 5degrees or 5centemeters on the PL rear)(his words). I have yet to get a copy of the aliment. I have called hondas 1 800-999-1009 number and was told that I would be assigned a councilor who would call me back next week . The loose panels around my rear window have new clips now to keep them from being loose, but when i got home i found all the bolts on the inside be trim are loose, but im not taking it back , im tightening them my self. I take it in for one thing and come out with a new problem. I havent been called to have windshield replaced, or trunk weather stripping replaced. I did get a note that the service manager called and did not understand my letter requesting a copy of the alignment results geeezzzz , dugh. I hope they realize that i cant be camping out at their facility 20-7. Waiting for a truck to drive that dosent need anything new repaired. Oh well, Honda says I should hear from their consilor next week on wensday maybe, The person i spoke to did not know what tsb ment , so i xplained the term. I told honda that If i was sold a truck which had a rear end missaligment that they sould give me another one with out that problem. They said that the bumper to bumper does not cover an alignment problem. I told them that the rear aligment is not adustable so in that case as like fellow roc member Lingered_I's Lingered_I Put it it, it sould be or would be a suspension issue or frame issue. I also told them that if i am told that it takes a frame machine to bend it back to being true, that they infact should cover it, But I told them i did not pay this much money for a truck with a frame problem and do not want to own one that has to be straightened. I do like the ridgeline, and i still want one, just not a bent one. 8 months old, and 4thousand miles, its been to the hondas truck hospital more than me. I plan to take it to an indipendent shop here in town that only works on hondas to have it examined by and honest and impartial party who will tell me the truth of the trueness of the vehicle. I also told honda that with thier reputation for good vehicles, I question why they did not want to stand behind their vehicle, and if infact somthing should occurre that shows that they knowingly sold a vehicle which contributed to an accident, margin of error or not they would open themselves to litigation in the future. Well thats my update, and I do want to say thank you members, and i want to tell Lingered_I's That i did appriciate his in put, and the valuable information on the specs that he generously provided. I will try update as things go on.

for all those confused by all this, here is a page for a short course on wheel aligment.

http://www.familycar.com/alignment.htm

According to my waranty book, alignment is covered for the first year. Tell them you want it better than spec.

Guys,

I think there is a possible mis-understanding about metric conversions (centimeters vs Degrees) here. If the Alignment was off by 7 centimeters (2.75 inches) and 5 centimeters (1.96 inches) this truck would barely be drivable and the tires would have worn out extremely fast. Not to be critical but if the Honda shop can not fix this, if indeed these numbers are correct, then a new truck is in order. That being said I do not believe that Honda would alllow a vehicle to go out with this much of an alignment problem. A few Milimeters maybe but not Centimeters.

Just a thought.
Carlg

Camber Inspection
Use commercially available computerized four wheel alignment equipment to measure wheel alignment (caster, camber, toe, and turning angle). Follow the equipment manufacturer's instructions.

Check the camber angle.


Camber angle:

Front:
-0 º 30 '±1 º

(Maximum difference between the front right and left side: 1 º 00 ')

Rear:
-0 º 30 '±45 'Caster Inspection
Use commercially available computerized four wheel alignment equipment to measure wheel alignment (caster, camber, toe, and turning angle). Follow the equipment manufacturer's instructions.

Check the caster angle.


Caster angle:
1 º 53 '±1 º


If the measurement is within specifications, measure the camber angle.

If the measurement is not within specifications, check for bent or damaged suspension components.

Rear Toe Inspection/Adjustment
Use commercially available computerized four wheel alignment equipment to measure wheel alignment (caster, camber, toe, and turning angle). Follow the equipment manufacturer's instructions.

Release the parking brake to avoid an incorrect measurement.

Check the toe.


Rear toe-in:
0±2 mm (0±1/16 in.)


If adjustment is required, go to step 3.

If no adjustment is required, remove the alignment equipment.

Hold the adjusting bolt (A) on the lower arm B, and remove the self-locking nut (C).

Replace the self-locking nut with a new one, and lightly tighten it.

NOTE:

Always use a new self-locking nut whenever it has been loosened.

Reassemble the adjust bolt and camplate with the eccentric facing up.

Adjust the rear toe by turning the adjusting bolt until the toe is correct.

Tighten the new self-locking nut while holding the adjusting bolt.


If the measurement for the front camber is outside the specification, go to front camber adjustment.
Rear Toe Inspection/Adjustment
Use commercially available computerized four wheel alignment equipment to measure wheel alignment (caster, camber, toe, and turning angle). Follow the equipment manufacturer's instructions.

Release the parking brake to avoid an incorrect measurement.

Check the toe.


Rear toe-in:
0±2 mm (0±1/16 in.)


If adjustment is required, go to step 3.

If no adjustment is required, remove the alignment equipment.

Hold the adjusting bolt (A) on the lower arm B, and remove the self-locking nut (C).

Replace the self-locking nut with a new one, and lightly tighten it.

NOTE:

Always use a new self-locking nut whenever it has been loosened.

Reassemble the adjust bolt and camplate with the eccentric facing up.

Adjust the rear toe by turning the adjusting bolt until the toe is correct.

Tighten the new self-locking nut while holding the adjusting bolt.

If the measurement for the rear camber is outside the specification, check for bent or damaged suspension components.

Front Toe Inspection/Adjustment
Use commercially available computerized four wheel alignment equipment to measure wheel alignment (caster, camber, toe, and turning angle). Follow the equipment manufacturer's instructions.

NOTE: After setting the front toe always perform the steering angle sensor writing procedure.

Center the steering wheel spokes and install a steering wheel holder tool.

Check the toe with the wheels pointed straight ahead.


Front toe-in:
0±2 mm (0±1/16 in.)


If adjustment is required, go to step 3.

If no adjustment is required, go to rear toe inspection/adjustment.

Loosen the tie-rod locknuts (A) while holding the flat surface sections (B) of the tie-rod end with a wrench, and turn both tie-rods (C) until the front toe is within specifications.

After adjusting, tighten the tie-rod locknuts. Reposition the rack-end boot if it is twisted or displaced.

Go to rear toe inspection/adjustment.

NOTE: After adjusting the front toe always perform the steering angle sensor writing procedure.

as of today I did not get a response from original honda dealer after requesting specs. so i went to another honda dealer and had the alignment rechecked after sitting from 730am to 130pm here are the values that they gave me today.

ACTUAL FRONT LEFT CAMBER
-0.2
BEFORE
-0.5 RANGE IS -1.5 0.5 CAMBER

ACTUAL CASTER
2.2
BEFORE
2.2 RANGE IS .09 2.9

ACTUAL TOE
0.07
BEFORE
-0.09 *********RANGE -0.08 0.08

ACTUAL SAI
12.0
BEFORE
12.3 RANGE -------

ACTUAL INCLUDED ANGLE
11.8
BEFORE 11.8 RANGE----------

RANGES FOR LEFT SIDE EXACTLY AS THE RIGHT

FINDINGS FOR LEFT FRONT
ACTUAL CAMBER -1.0
BEFORE -0.7

ACTUAL CASTER 1.9
BEFORE 1.9

ACTUAL TOE 0.07
BEFORE 0.20*************

SAI ACTUAL 12.9
BEFOE 12.7
INCLUDED ANGLE ACTUAL 11.9
BEFOE 11.9

NOW FOR THE BACK
REAR RANGES AS FOLLOWS
CAMBER -1.3 0.3

TOE -0.08 0.08

REAR LEFT ACTUAL CAMBER -0.08
BEFORE -0.7
REAR LEFT TOE ACTUAL 0.08
BEFORE 0.08

RIGHT REAR ACTUAL CAMBER -1.0
BEFOE -0.8

CROSS CAMBER ACTUAL VALUE 0.8
BEFOE 0.1 RANGE-------------

TOTAL TOE ACTUAL 0.12
BEFORE 0.08
RANGE IS -0.16 0.16

THRUST ANGEL ACTUAL 0.00
BEFORE 0.02

As you can see it idicates just the oppisite of what i was told, These values say that the front end aligment is off , not the rear as i was told. Where does one go for the truth....anyway remember its only been about 10miles and what? aweek in a half from the last alignment ...Right now it tracks better, but tends to still pull slightly to the left when stopping....

Right now it tracks better, but tends to still pull slightly to the left when stopping....
It seems to me that the brakes might cause this.

well its been about 2weeks, and the truck still drives very froggy pulling to both right and left, its hard to keep it centered ,and the ride is hard and rides like a fourwheel drive ford truck with nobby dirt tires. It still pulles to the left when the brakes are applied hard. Called again to honda america at 1 800-999-1009 to find out what happened to the rep who was going to be my council...I was told he has been out sick. Hes supposed to call me back, So now i wait for Cory the rep to call me. When i called he was there but on another call at the time. So for now Two seperate aligments have not fixed the problem . One dealership says its the rear, Another says its the front, but eitherway the truck does not drive true. But hey the tell me my windshield is on order now, and so is the trunk gasket.......

ok i finally got a hold of cory from american honda....he never got a copy of the alignment done at the first dealership? I asked him to get me a copy , as i have asked and not got one. I told him the story, and now i have an appt with the second dealership to examine my ridgeline....He called the shop manager at the second dealership and set it up. So Monday comming up it goes in again for another examination. From what he has surmized of the information from me and the two outher dealerships, he says it might be a subgframe problem,? which he says is fixable. Should i let them fix it or ask for a new truck? at this pont i have 4300miles on it , and i dont relish anything that has the word frame and fixable in it....(he says once in a while durring transport they are strapped not chained down, on front and on oppiste rear wheel, and if its a buppy ride, yep they can be tweaked.....We dont know yet, whats what till they check i guess, but im quezzy about the whole thing. Whish me luck....

Ok I took my truck in to honda dealer 2 and left it there overnight . They checked it and again said that it was a front end alignment problem. Gee i guess the one they did before only held for two weeks, and the one dealer 1 did held for 1 month. They said they checked the frame, and said they found nothing. They said they fixed every thing and that it was ready. I asked did they replace the windshield, aaaa no, did they replace the gasket in the trunk.....aaaa no...but they did tighten all the losose bots in the bed that dealer 1 didnt tighten, and they reapplied the tape to the door ege that was loose, Did they test drive it yes ...............alot , i got it back dead empty, they said it was fixed but it still drives the same. I asked did they check the fact that it pulls to the left when you brake, they said it dosent do that anymore. AAhh guess only when i drive it, its still doing it.....Im so fustrated with the whole thing. I told them to order the windshiled, put on the gasket, wash the thing and Id pick it up. It still drives the same but they sware nothing is wrong with it. I hanvent got a call from american hondas cory guy yet. Mabe its time to go to and independent honest honda repair mechanic that dosent work for a dealership. Oh and no one not even cory from amh was able to get a copy of the first alignment. ......I barely made it coasting into the gas station a mile from the dealership.....man right about now toyotas are looking better to me....but right now its trading apples for oranges , your still getting similar problems......Sorry i dont have a happy ending to this story.......I have the money to get a nother new car, but i think from now on im not buying new, i m buying a used one from a friend i know i can trust to sell me a good car. Dealerships have learned to talk you niclely in a friendly respectfull manner, i think they got that from honda teachings, but they still fall short when it comes to actually taking care of your problems properly....they try not to do anything to keep the cost down and then when you insist maybe youll bet some action, or just a pastry and some coffee from their lounge and a promise that your stuff will be ordered , or if you will be patient drive it for a while longer and see if it really bothers you. My thought is if I or you come into a dealership for a complaint , isnt that an assumption that we are already at that point...... Well i have also cancelled the 2nd order for another ridgelline that we had planned to get....
I think that you get the hand shake the pat on the back and the deaf ear to talk to from honda.....E. O. P.

Gang-

All new cars from Honda have a 1 year break in period. EVERYTHING is covered unless it can be proven that the driver cause the problems---impact areas on tires, abuse, that sort of thing. Jose.....your problem should havebeen completely covered under warranty. There is a chance tha the dealer you are dealing with is trying to get customer pay as they makemore money that way. the manufacturer does not pay for as much labor or parts when they fix things, so Service Advisors would prefer it to be Customer Pay.

The trucking companies also have insurance to cover damages caused by transport. If transport did indeed cause your problem, then Honda would end up billing htem for the repair.

When a car is brand new, as hard as this is to hear, it is VERY likely for it to have problems in the first year. All these parts that have never worked together on a road, have to adjust to one another, and things like misallignment and squeeks and rattles and just failing computers are common and covered. DO NOT LET THIS DEALER TRY TO TELL YOU IT IS NOT COVERED!!!!!!!

All that being said...I have no idea where you are at. If it is CAnada, they could have slightly different warranties,but I would be amazed to find out that the story they are telling is true. Try another Honda Dealer if you have not had this problem fixed.

Jose....you also sound like you could be close to getting Lemon Law inacted on your car. You need to call Honda Customer Service and explain to them you would like to begin the proceedings of Lemon LAw....they will respond. The process takes a while, no doubt, but it does happen. Sometimes cars just get put together wrong...it happens...hence the laws toprotect the consumers for when it does happen.

DON"T GIVE UP ON THE RIDGELINE...it is too cool a truck. COntinue to pursue....action will happen, and if all goes right and what you are saying is all accurate, then HOnda will be more than happy to help you get into a brand new Ridgeline, or out of the one you have if you don't want to try, at little or no cost to you!!!!!!! All the phone numbers you need are in your owners manuals. Pursue it....you will win!!!!!

The RidgeLine is the 6th new vehicle I've purchased in my lifetime. Each time I've had the alignment checked within the first couple of weeks. Each time it's been out enough to potentially cause problems (handling and/or tire wear).

Until now. This is the first new vehicle where the alignment has been within specs when checked.

Around here, there are actually alignment shops that use mechanical equipment to measure. If you run into one of these - run away.
Most shops use what I call "optical" equipment - mirror attachments on rims. They are tolerable.

There seems to be a whole newer generation of alignment machines. Not sure how they work, but there are no visible mirrors involved. Need to do some more research.

It is also my understanding that if the rear wheels require adjustment, that ca/does throw the front ones off, but not the other way around. So you can have a front-only alignment but not a rear-only.

I bought my new Ridgeline in June and had wanted one for a long time so I had test drove them before, so when I got the nerve one day to take the plung I did not even drive it, after all it's a Honda right, couldn't be any problems. I noticed the day I drove it home that something was not right with the stearing, it pulled to the right terrible.

I took it back and they looked at it and after a while they came and said they had found the issue. The ticket says "614 performed alignment, shifted rear cradle to correct camber"

It was better as far as I could tell but then the stearing wheel was way off and had to have them adjust it several times to get it where it was straight.

The truck still seams to pull to the right quit a bit if the road has any crown at all. I have some sections of road I drive every day that seems perfectly flat and there is really no pull then, but on some roads I am pulling to the left on the stearing wheel hard and constantly. Just doesn't seem right but I think if I take it back they will just tell me it is in line and it is normal.

Very frustrating, I am very much a Honda person and was very excited to finally get my Honda truck only to have a problem like this. I am almost to the point to want to sell it and get a new F-150.. I really like everything else about the truck, although I have noticed the wind noise accross the windshield some have noted on this site and some front end noise.

I bought my new Ridgeline in June and had wanted one for a long time so I had test drove them before, so when I got the nerve one day to take the plung I did not even drive it, after all it's a Honda right, couldn't be any problems. I noticed the day I drove it home that something was not right with the stearing, it pulled to the right terrible.

I took it back and they looked at it and after a while they came and said they had found the issue. The ticket says "614 performed alignment, shifted rear cradle to correct camber"

It was better as far as I could tell but then the stearing wheel was way off and had to have them adjust it several times to get it where it was straight.

The truck still seams to pull to the right quit a bit if the road has any crown at all. I have some sections of road I drive every day that seems perfectly flat and there is really no pull then, but on some roads I am pulling to the left on the stearing wheel hard and constantly. Just doesn't seem right but I think if I take it back they will just tell me it is in line and it is normal.

Very frustrating, I am very much a Honda person and was very excited to finally get my Honda truck only to have a problem like this. I am almost to the point to want to sell it and get a new F-150.. I really like everything else about the truck, although I have noticed the wind noise accross the windshield some have noted on this site and some front end noise.

Cross rotate the tires and check the tire pressure. You should be golden. :)

You told them that your RL was pulling to the right and they corrected the rear camber to fix it? Someone at that dealership doesn't know much about alignment geometry. I doubt rear camber had anything to do with pulling. I've seen rear toe-in off so far that it caused pulling, but that is rare also. Rear toe-in being off usually just causes an off-center steering wheel. The toe is that last adjustment made after any camber or caster adjustment. The dealer probably didn't set the rear toe after adjusting the rear camber. The first thing the dealer should have done with a brand new vehicle was check the front/rear camber and caster. If they were up to specs, which they probably were, then the probable culprit was a tire, especially if you have a severe pull to one side. To determine whether it is the tire, you simply swap the tire from one side to the other in the front. If it pulls the opposite direction then you know for sure it's the tire. Sometimes, if the pulling is due to a tire conicity (tire is cone-shaped) problem, you can reverse the tire on the rim and solve it. If it is a rolling resistance problem with the tire, sometimes replacement is necessary. I also remember reading a long time ago on this forum about some RLs that needed the front engine/trans mounts loosened and retorqued because of pulling problems. You might do a search if the dealer can't solve your problem. By the way, your car never should have been delivered to you that way. All dealers are required to do pre-delivery inspections which include road tests.