[klossfam]

After checking my 2020 after a hose down, I was not shocked that there was moisture under the driver side rear seat. I'm at 30k miles and usually deal with most stuff like this myself but being in warranty, going to let the dealer work on it (then repair their reassembly work - as always).

I will check the grommets first as noted above but I think based on leak rate, it is the seam issue. Just poor design and half assed assembly but not surprising anymore after also having a 2017 G2.

Not that it'll have less issues but put my $100 reservation on a F-150 Lightning already for summer 2022.

I bet if we could guarantee ALL the replies on the survey actually pull the sills and hit the drain areas with a hose, that the leak rate would approach 50%.

 

[klossfam]

Not the unsealed seam that's leaking on mine. My fender liner is already out, it's much further forward. The dealer is taking about the seam at the top of the photo. Look way in the back of the photo inside the yellow box. That's forward of the fuel tank.
View attachment 413712

I think my investigation syncs with yours on the source of the leak. It appears my moisture is more from the area ahead of the tank you discuss above (aka in the forward portion of the yellow box in your pic). I'm trying to provide as much guidance as possible to the techs for my June 2 dealer visit (still under warranty).

However, unless I tell them what to do and they actually do it, I'd be better off doing it myself. I couldn't recreate leakage at the seam that most ROCers are looking at. I will do some more water tests prior to the dealer visit. My moisture seems to be middle of the rear seating position on the drivers side. Frustrating that all/any of us have to even deal with this.

 

[klossfam]

UPDATE on my 2020: At the dealer now and just came in from the hose down area. Mine was NOT the body seams as I suspected but the center rear window.

The lower seal is all part of the rear window assembly, so the whole rear window is getting ordered ($990 under warranty). My fault for not pulling the back seat but I saw the water trail from the dealer testing.

Going to temp seal and not use the rear window until the new one comes in. They are going to have a glass guy do it when the window is in.

Of course, no guarantee the seam isn't a small factor but the rear window was super obvious with the seat and trim pulled.

 

[klossfam]

I went from "this is my lifetime truck" to "maybe this will hold me over until the second or third year of the electric F-150" really fast lol.

I've owned 3 RLs and love the format to the point where family makes fun of me BUT I'm diving in head first to the F-150 Lightning (reservation/deposit made on the intro night). I have enough experience with PHEVs and EVs in the family to know that there are simply less issues with EVs as there is simply less stuff to go wrong. No EV in the family has EVER been back to a dealer (we have NO Teslas to qualify - just Hyundai and Toyota). Hoping to have the Lightning by this time in 2022. I had a Mach-E for an afternoon and have confidence in Ford's EV approach to things.

 

[klossfam]

Just to add to the wetness theme. The seams are a definite issue but after my leak proved to be the seal at the bottom of the rear sliding window, I wonder how common this is as well. Seeing the gasket exposed and the liner fully removed, there are serious issues with the engineering of this gasket. It is a single point of failure and can very easily be kinked and distorted.

You could watch the trickle of water flow straight down behind the seat trim to the floor. I'd imagine the rate of wet floors is higher with sliding rear window G2s vs those with solid rear windows. The whole thing is disappointing and the one benefit of a body on frame pickup is the separation of the bed and cab. I use to EASILY get a water tight tonneau cover fit with a separate bed where the water dropped between the front of the bed and cab without incident.

 

[klossfam]

Klossfam, any pictures that you can share ? Thanks.

Unfortunately no (unless I get them from the tech who took pics to send to Honda). Basically, the bottom seal that contacts the middle glass separated from the bottom of the rear window gasket.

When a hose was turned on the rear window, water seeps under the middle glass and down the bulkhead sheet metal to the floor. Tended to flow towards the mid-drivers side which explains the moisture being middle to drivers side.

I used a heavy clear packing tape to create flashing to move any water away from the gasket area (until parts - still TBD come in).

 

[klossfam]

Well...ya'll got me really worried and since my 2021 Sport has had every other known issue, I had to check again since we've had lots of rain lately. I drove it in a deluge the other night, and have washed it many times.

To my delight...everything was dry on both sides. I did find this curious little screw under the carpet. Looks like it was never screwed into anything as the locktite is not disturbed and there are no tool marks on it. Maybe just a screw that got dropped....or my Ridgeline has a screw loose. LOL!

View attachment 414301

This is crazy but I found the same sheet metal screw under my rear carpet when elevating the carpet to dry it out.

No idea of where it was intended to go but another example of the QA level at the AL plant.

BTW, still waiting since June 2 for Honda to approve the warranty repair on the leaking rear sliding window. The dealer is trying to get a reply from Honda but no luck.

I started a case# with Honda that they will probably not reply to. End of the line for me and Honda as soon as my F-150 Lightning EV is available next year.

Not that Ford, Toyota et al are much better but if I'm going to have issues anyway, at least I won't be buying gas...with our Variable Time Of Use meter rates in Western NY, your electricity is close to free from 11pm to 7am.

 

[klossfam]

Going in Friday for the full rear window assembly replacement (as noted earlier was leaking at bottom gasket of slider). Still did a precautionary Gorilla Waterproof sealant tape on the seam forward of the fuel tank. I did seal the bottom of the slider with Gorilla Waterproof tape as a temporary measure and it did appear to work as the floor was bone dry after the last big rainstorm (I did a complete dryout on a hot day with the carpet and foam held up a good 4-6 inches to allow airflow and that did work - after about 12 hours).

We'll see if the rear window swap works or just adds additional grief. At least Honda approved the dealer doing the teardown and a respected local auto glass company doing the install, so there is hope.

 

[klossfam]

I hope they do it right. Even large auto glass companies have very little experience replacing rear windows on a niche-market vehicle like the Ridgeline.

That is my concern as well.

 

[klossfam]

That is my concern as well.

So, the saga will continue. After Honda sent the entire back glass to the dealer and they had their favorite glass guys come over, they said it is too involved and will need to go to a local body shop for the glass install.

That is probably for the best as the shop they use would be my first choice and they have done outstanding work for me in the past. Note this is literally all about the seal at the bottom of the slider. A 10" piece of rubber.

Pretty questionable design that it requires this level of drama and expense (for Honda in this case) to fix. It is definitely leaking but I'm sure the sliders in non-Hondas have a simpler repair option.

 

[klossfam]

UPDATE: Full rear window replaced which does solve the rear bottom seal for the center slider but the usual sloppy job by the glass company my dealer uses. They also hooked up the slider cables out of sequence which caused them to bind up and wreck the cable spool. Going back Monday for that but the motor/cable assembly is cheap if you had to do it out of warranty (about $120).

When reconnecting the cables to the slider, it has to be cycled to full close before connecting. Noted in the service data but I guarantee either the dealer's techs or the glass techs had no idea and messed it up.

Another reason ALL non-warranty work is handled by ME to make sure things are done right.

Once the new window was in, I did what I hope if the final dry out under the rear carpet until my F-150 Lightning is available mid-2022.

 

[klossfam]

UPDATE: Full rear window replaced which does solve the rear bottom seal for the center slider but the usual sloppy job by the glass company my dealer uses. They also hooked up the slider cables out of sequence which caused them to bind up and wreck the cable spool. Going back Monday for that but the motor/cable assembly is cheap if you had to do it out of warranty (about $120).

When reconnecting the cables to the slider, it has to be cycled to full close before connecting. Noted in the service data but I guarantee either the dealer's techs or the glass techs had no idea and messed it up.

Another reason ALL non-warranty work is handled by ME to make sure things are done right.

Once the new window was in, I did what I hope if the final dry out under the rear carpet until my F-150 Lightning is available mid-2022.

UPDATE ON THE UPDATE: After much drama and a month plus of messing around (4 visits to get this done and about 10 days without the G2) the new window is in and the motor/cable for the slider replaced (short version on this: They didn't follow the directions on reattaching the cable to the new slider slots and ended up trashing the original motor and cable - so they had to order a new motor/cable assembly and try again).

Second time was a charm I guess. The usual carnage: broken clips, glass; even broke off the hex head to the screw for my Extang tonneau rail bracket by over torquing it.

I'm 90% sure the window will not leak as the gasket failure was obvious but the seams are still a question TBD later. If any semi-skilled DIYer doesn't think you should do your own maintenance and basic non-warranty repairs, think again as most Honda service depts will prove you are better off doing the work at home.