About to buy a 2022 Ridgeline and worried about water intrusion

So I've missed a lot and I have a lot to say, lol. Sorry for the long post.

daveroski79 said:

well it’s cold in CT right now. I test drove it and went through the car wash and pulled the sill plate off on each side and felt under carpet. To me the drivers side felt very damp. More so that passengers. But because of the cold. It could of just been the feeling of that foam. I
Showed the sales guy. He isn’t convinced there’s water because he didn’t see rust!!? So I said. Please have them run a hose and pull up carpet to make sure there’s no water. I just really want to see it myself as he just wants to sell a car and there’s about 12/12k miles left on the factory 36k. If it does leak. I am not sure I want to bother them tryin to fix it a million times. It sucks because I love the vehicle. 2021 RTL E.

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It can be difficult to tell at first because it is very cold and clammy feeling under the carpet. But the ones that I have found leaking, it was very apparent. My hand came out obviously wet.

I test drove mine and took it to the old school wand style car wash. I removed the sill plates and also some of the plastic trim at the back of the cab under the rear seat. It all just snaps off…no tools needed and very easy. Then I spent 10-15 minutes spraying water onto the rear window and in the bed, making sure to push it to drain through the front of the bed rather than to the rear. I would stop periodically and go inside and thoroughly check for water. You can get your hands all the way to the back of the metal cab wall with those trim pieces removed. This is where the water streams in if it’s leaking. I wedged my fingers in every nook and cranny and never felt a drop of water. So I put it back together and bought it. I have checked it three times over the last 10 months immediately after long soaking rains and thankfully found no water. But you are going to have to be willing to put the work in to check any RL you consider buying. Do not count on the dealer to do it because they will make a half-hearted effort at best. I showed one dealer (not a Honda dealer) that his 21 RTL with 6k miles was leaking through the back window and he basically said Honda warranty will take care of it.

wjfyfe said:

Purchase a used Ridgeline that has already proven itself to be leak free, (which will be very easy!)?
Bill

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In all seriousness, I am not sure if you are being serious or sarcastic here. How exactly would one go about purchasing a used RL that has been proven to be leak free?

daveroski79 said:

Yeah. It’s so weird to have to go to a car wash and pull sill plates on both sides to feel the foam. I see people use moisture meters.

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I don't know anything about moisture meters but pulling the sill plates and sticking your arm under the carpet up to the elbow on each side takes all of 60 seconds.

tedsmithhof said:

Colorado and Canyon are not smaller than RL

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According to the numbers, they are, at least on the inside. The big number is width. The RL shows to offer roughly 5" more hip and shoulder room than the GM mid size trucks. I honestly don't know how Honda did it but there is noticeably more interior room in the RL than any other mid-sized truck.

Also daveroski79, to those saying maybe you should consider another brand...not the worst advice but the problem with that is that the RL is a very unique vehicle. The market is expanding but there is still nothing out there that directly compares to the RL in terms of comfort, space, and overall practicality. It's a shame to have to consider a vehicle that doesn't meet your needs as well over an issue like this. If you have determined that the RL is what you want and need, my recommendation is that you stick with it. Completely educate yourself on what to look for and how to look for it. Commit to not buying until you find one that you are completely satisfied with. Be willing to walk away if a dealer doesn't want to cooperate with your concerns. Understand that this may take some time and a few failures before you find that one. That's what I did and after 10 months of ownership, I would say it was worth it. If mine is totaled, stolen, spontaneously combusts, or is hit by a direct meteor strike today, I'll start the search process over again tomorrow.

wjfyfe said:

Common sense, where when looking at a used Ridgeline, which would have obviously encountered rain, or a car wash, sometime in it's existence where just pulling the sills and checking for any evidence of water infiltration. If none, then obviously it has been leak free?
Bill

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So you're suggesting that he do his due diligence in checking for leaks in any RL that he considers? I believe that is what has already been suggested and is being discussed. I took your comment to suggest that there was some way to very easily identify the RL that has not leaked and unfortunately, it's not as simple as that. The potential buyer is going to have to prove it for themselves. You cannot trust the dealer. You cannot trust the private seller. You don't know when the truck last saw rain or a carwash or how it was parked during those times. You don't know if it's been wet and dried. And there are no other signs other than the presence of water which can be difficult to actually detect. I'm sorry for being so long-winded but I guess my point is that it is not an easy process at all. But it is IMO, worth the effort.

daveroski79 said:

@Starquesbd22 Wow. Thanks for your reply. This is very good deal and I still have 12 months of warranty if it did leak. But. I hate to have a headache. I wish it was warm out to test this better.

What year was yours again?

This would be a 2021 RTLE w 26k miles factory tonneau cover , running boards (only so my 4 year old can get in is why I want them) , mud flaps, all season mats For only $36500

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Long story short, I have found leaks of varying degrees and unknown origin on 3 different RLs (a used 20 and 21 and a brand new 22). I haven't looked at pricing since I bought mine and I know it varies by region but I paid a good bit more for my used 22 RTL (even though it only had 800 miles on it). Off the top of my head, I'd say that is a fair price on your 21 RTLE.

If I were you and this is the one you want, I would make every effort to check it thoroughly. Best bet is to park the truck facing just enough downhill that the water will run forward and then soak the rear window, area where bottom of rear window meets front of bed, and front of bed floor for a solid 10-15 minutes. If there's a leak, enough water should enter under the carpet to be felt through the sill plate openings. But removing those 2-3 plastic trim panels under the rear seat at the back of the cab is even better. Look and feel everywhere you can. If you can't get access to a hose, a wand carwash will work but you need to spray a lot of water into the bed and keep it draining to the front. It's not about trying to force water in anywhere, it's about keeping it all flowing forward. If it's dry after all that, I'd buy it. On the off chance that you do encounter an issue over the next 12 months, even though that's a pain that no one wants to go through, Honda will make it right.

daveroski79 said:

I agree totally. I’m going to take it for a second test drive. Go into the bay where I can spray water. Do I need any tools to take the panels off the rear wall? I know the sills are easy to take off and feel with my hand. Do you have any pictures of what to take off?

Thanks again you all are great here.

Dave

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How far away is the dealer from your home? Ask them for an extended test drive and take it home to check it out if they will let you. A vehicle is probably the second largest purchase that most of us will ever make and often we make a decision based on a 15 minute test drive, lol. I've done it so I can say it!

You do not need tools for the panels. It looks like one big panel that runs the length of the cab but it's actually 2 or 3 separate pieces best I remember. They are snapped in. Just grab an edge and give a quick, firm pull. I never broke any clips when removing them. They are a little tricky to navigate around the seat belts but you will understand when you see it. Taking these off allows you access to the rear cab wall and the rear edge of the carpet so you can stick your hand down from that direction.

daveroski79 said:

Haha what I should do is bring a 5 gallon bucket. Fill it up and splash it hard into window and bed. That should show If there’s a leak

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You certainly could. I'd repeat it several times and pour it slowly so it has time to find the little holes. But filling a bucket from a carwash wand is a task in itself, lol.