[wjfyfe]

I wrote this a couple of months back:

Thinking as a mechanic, and a carpenter, one of the things I truly hate is tracking down water leaks. Be it a structure, or a vehicle, the water can travel a considerable distance and tracking the leak to it's source can surely be an exercise in frustration. Very seldom do you find it where you would think it should be.

Bill

Poor Quality

Haven’t posted in a while so wanted to share my experience with my 2019 RTL-T. I purchased my truck in October of 2019. In March 2020 I found a large amount of water under the drivers side under all weather mat. Too make a long story short I took my truck and left at dealer 4 times for a total...

www.ridgelineownersclub.com

I would think that Honda themselves should have a pretty good handle on where these leaks probably are originating from and should be offering suggestions. Otherwise, if a dealer has little to no experience with tracing a particular water leak, they have all my empathy with tracking a leak down blindly.

Bill

 

[wjfyfe]

Started by pulling the driver side rear sill plate and running my hand under the carpet…dry as a bone. Repeated on the passenger side and…reached into soaked foam.

First, I got to thank you Starquesbd22 for because of you I now know how easily the sill plates pop off in the rear! What did I find, after two years of Oregon winter rains and a dozen or more washings, it was reassuring to find that with our 2019 RTL was bone dry as far as I could reach under the carpet on both sides!

Thank you again, Starquesbd22,

Bill

 

[wjfyfe]

For those of you that has discovered water intrusion, do you guys have a tonneau installed?

You may have something there where from the very beginning we have had a tonneau cover installed, (though not the OEM.)

Bill

 

[wjfyfe]

Seriously?
When you buy a vehicle you do not LOOK to see what is wrong with it out of the gate..
It's not the buyers fault.

Well, we did give our Ridgeline a pretty thorough once over of anything readily visible before we purchased it, though admittedly we did very little research before hand. Even so, It seems to me that this problem of water intrusion appears to depend upon the individual vehicle? For example, living here in Oregon, where rain is humorously known as "liquid sunshine", our 2 1/2 year old Ridgeline has exhibited no water intrusion issues to date. What a shame it would have been if we had decided not to purchase this vehicle because of a relatively few complaints on an Internet forum?

Bill

 

[wjfyfe]

By using your numbers, 600 total number of problems with water intrusion divided by 500,000 total number of Ridgelines sold equals, let's see, 0.0012% of Ridgelines exhibiting water intrusion problems? To me this is insignificant.

OK, I am just having a wee bit of fun with ya now, where significance of complaints here to be taken seriously can be highly a matter of one's own perspective, can it not?

Bill

 

[wjfyfe]

Consider yourself lucky. Dealing with this has been a PITA. And still is.

Luck has very little to do with it, the odds were predominately on our side that our Ridgeline would be an excellent vehicle!

Bill

 

[wjfyfe]

Maybe try to tie these two threads together?

How do I make sure new RIdgeline doesn't have the...

And that you a very particular set of skills, skills you've acquired over a very long career, skills that make you a nightmare for people like them. 😂 A little off topic but in keeping that same train of thought. When my daughter first started dating I did this with all those boys showing...

www.ridgelineownersclub.com

An important aspect to remember is that mid-body area of the truck is designed to be “water managed”, not water tight. Much like a thatch roof is far from water tight, but works to keep a home dry. Water flows through the mid-body on a path to the ground so not every joint can be sealed or it might trap water.

This makes sense to me, like what happens when the drain holes in the sun roof become clogged and water starts to leak inside? With that being said, could trying to seal seams actually be creating more problems, thus the reason for return trips?

Bill

So, to look at this in a different way, could it be that dealers in the attempt to seal these leak(s) are actually creating more of a problem by doing so?

Bill

 

[wjfyfe]

Well that's all fine and good until you are in the 20%. A "DEFECT" as critical / harmful / just WRONG as water leaking into your NEW car at 20% (?) of vehicles is WAY too many.

Taking into account that most folks gravitate to a forum such as this to post their grievances and complaints, 20% of the already disenchanted really is not too bad!

Bill

 

[wjfyfe]

Just to offer a voice of optimism, we currently are experiencing some of the wettest weather in years here in Oregon where I just checked under the rear carpet of our 2019 to still find it dry.

Bill

 

[wjfyfe]

If a water leak occurs during the warranty period, then it seems to me that it is a warranty issue to be taken care of by Honda. The only time an owner should be concerned about tackling this issue on their own is if the "leak" is discovered after the warranty has expired. How many owners have found these water leaks only after the warranty has expired?

Bill

 

[wjfyfe]

2019 RTL, our recent trip to Montana, 40 above zero to 20+ below zero. Rain and piled up snow on the vehicle most of the trip, still no water under the carpet!

Honestly folks, if you could poll each and every Ridgeline owner, I would be willing to bet that the number of vehicles actually experiencing water leaks would be minimal to minuscule.

Bill

 

[wjfyfe]

I have met several Ridgeline owners but I have yet to meet another owner personally that is experiencing this problem. The only experience that I have with this issue is right here.

Bill

 

[wjfyfe]

Question... Do you think this thing would work? I'm sick of thinking/fretting/being paranoid about "water intrusion". The little sensor part could go under the carpet behind the back passenger seat...and would set off an alarm if water hit it.

water detector, thin sensor.

Here in Oregon, where during our "wet" season, ( rain here is known as "liquid Sunshine"), while I am cleaning the vehicle every couple of months I may pull the sills just to give a quick check. During the "dry" season, there is no need. Honestly, I certainly would not, do not, loose any sleep over it!

Bill

 

[wjfyfe]

Oregon, Cool ! I used to live in Medford for a few years...a very beautiful place. I miss going up to Crater Lake, Klamath Falls, Coos Bay, Grants Pants LOL, Hells Gate Jet Boats. Now I'm in FLAT Texas, haha.

agreed in general! But....you didnt answer the question Bill!

lol, I would find something else to spend my money on. 😁

Bill

 

[wjfyfe]

TROLL!

Bill

 

[wjfyfe]

Build quality at Honda Manufacturing of Alabama where the Ridgeline is made was below the industry average before the pandemic.



Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and observations even if we don't agree with or have experienced them. Imagine a forum where only good things were said.

O c'mon zroger73, Oliver1774 just joined and this is his/her very first post? Yea, I do get a bit testy when somebody new drops in here and immediately starts out criticizing my Ridgeline!

Bill

 

[wjfyfe]

Stealing this cut-away from another thread, can somebody point to where the Ridgeline is supposed to be leaking?

Bill

 

[wjfyfe]

So, where is this water entering from the outside so to get into these joints?

Bill

 

[wjfyfe]

OK, it has been insinuated that having a tonneau cover installed, (like we have had since new), helps with this issue, obviously this is not the case?

Bill