[Hoffernsp]

Car reviewers who rely on press cars, air fare, hotel, food, drinks, and entertainment paid for by the automakers must be careful not to tip the scales to net-negative reviews or call too much attention to problems else they'll become a liability rather than an asset to the automakers and they'll lose access to all those benefits that are key to their success. They need to keep the reviews "just real enough" to appear credible without being too honest. If reviewers had to rent or buy the cars they review (like Consumer Reports does), you'd see different stories. You'll rarely see reviewers reveal the whole, dirty truth about a vehicle. It's not in the best interest of the major reviewers to start reporting on assembly quality at Honda Manufacturing of Alabama. Now, Consumer Reports may have an interest.

Thanks for your great explanation for me as a neophyte. Please school us not just on Honda but others on Their reluctance to address these documented problems? Do they absorb these recalls/fixes on their net sales or is there a fall back insurance plan that covers the warranty claims? I am and hopefully others are getting frustrated on the overall lack of reluctance/support/response for a solution from what seems like a real design problem.
Yikes what is the next step!! We've invested in a product that we have trusted over the years.

 

[lionsm13]

While I had it, it probably only seems like that in this echo chamber. We're all here because we had problems one way or another; there are plenty of folks that saw this thread, checked their carpet, found it dry, and moved on with their lives.

For the '21 Sport, I would expect to see more cases as folks discover them. But I'm relatively sure that there are Ridgelines that don't have the issue.

Edit: It would be fun to see a "dry" Ridgeline all taken apart to see how it was sealed/seamed, but people with brand new, dry trucks don't tend to take them apart.

Probably because they reside in an arid area like the desert

 

[owequitit]

Probably because they reside in an arid area like the desert

I'm in the desert and I had it after getting the bed wet to test it. Plus, massive flash floods out here are a real possibility, though granted, it is not every day.

 

[Dkepp]

I had a loaner 2020 sport when my 21 BE was being repaired. I checked to see if that was dry by checking through the door sills and didn’t feel any moisture. So I’m assuming it’s not all 2 gen Ridgelines that have the problem.

I wish I had taken some pics of the areas in question for water infiltration now.


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[RogersRTS]

Thanks for your great explanation for me as a neophyte. Please school us not just on Honda but others on Their reluctance to address these documented problems? Do they absorb these recalls/fixes on their net sales or is there a fall back insurance plan that covers the warranty claims? I am and hopefully others are getting frustrated on the overall lack of reluctance/support/response for a solution from what seems like a real design problem.
Yikes what is the next step!! We've invested in a product that we have trusted over the years.

A number of years back, had worked for a manufacturer of commercial vehicles. Warranty was funded from a reserve fund and sensed there was some form of second layer insurance purchased. However, that was typically for smaller events like component failures with known and relatively fixed/limited labor expense, and the failed component was in turn replaced by the supplier (which presumed had similar reserves). As a customer of that same manufacturer, when I had a warranty event would call for a pre-authorization. A case was opened and parts would then be shipped. After the repair, would return the failed part with a bill for the labor (which the shop rate was pre-negotiated). The part would be verified that it had belonged to the VIN (or at least correct for the VIN) and was sent a reimbursement check for labor. TSB's were handled similarly... UPS guy would show up with a box of parts and printed instructions on how to do it. Then complete the task and return the old parts with signed paperwork that the TSB was performed, afterwards received reimbursement for the labor.

This water intrusion concern is fundamentally different in that it lacks a failed component and the actual labor is a huge unknown. Where I believe Honda is failing is by not issuing some form of service bulletin with step-by-step instructions to standardize the troubleshooting process. Defining the process would quantify a known/fixed value on the labor involved and also ensure consistent repairs between customers (essentially QA process/inspection after-the-fact).

My own RL is currently at the dealer for this problem, which presume by now is disassembled and inspected by representatives being sent in from Honda (or that was the plan). The major hold-up was being too old to still be covered under the basic factory warranty. So who is paying the bill??? The cost of repairs are potentially so high that the dealership's service dept could not provide an estimate in good faith. They were also up-front that they didn't want to touch this problem because Honda burned them severely on the warranty labor reimbursement on their previous case. In my case, the truck is now being inspected/repaired only after some leveraging via contacting the owner of the dealership and Honda.

Oh yeah, reminded them of that same concern about being invested in a product that is not meeting quality expectations from past experiences, and that situations such as this have intrinsic properties which transcend a written warranty. Thus far they seem to be listening and making a good faith effort to make this right.

 

[Cbayman]

My own RL is currently at the dealer for this problem, which presume by now is disassembled and inspected by representatives being sent in from Honda (or that was the plan). The major hold-up was being too old to still be covered under the basic factory warranty. So who is paying the bill??? The cost of repairs are potentially so high that the dealership's service dept could not provide an estimate in good faith. They were also up-front that they didn't want to touch this problem because Honda burned them severely on the warranty labor reimbursement on their previous case. In my case, the truck is now being inspected/repaired only after some leveraging via contacting the owner of the dealership and Honda.

Oh yeah, reminded them of that same concern about being invested in a product that is not meeting quality expectations from past experiences, and that situations such as this have intrinsic properties which transcend a written warranty. Thus far they seem to be listening and making a good faith effort to make this right.

In an earlier post you said you had fixed your problem. Is it leaking again?

Thus far I'm still dry following that seal up job underneath. I intentionally left it parked out in heavy rain. The new wetness problem was the front seal of the trifecta tonneau was allowing drainage down the bed headboard. Unplugged the 2 drainage slots near the rear window and repositioned the tonneau that seems to help with water getting past the tonneau seal. So far so good...

 

[RogersRTS]

In an earlier post you said you had fixed your problem. Is it leaking again?

Yes, got back from a 3700 mile road trip where I drove though the rainstorm from Hell in eastern Kansas and Missouri. That rain event was like 50 mph max speed for 90 minutes with cars stopped on the shoulder and under bridges. Afterwards there was some moisture in the carpet pad on the vertical wall. Was much drier than before but still leaking somewhere. So basically a couple likely intrusion point to check now:
1). Still think the access cover to the fuel pump leaks some, has a flimsy foam seal that in my opinion looks pretty much useless. Had resisted the temptation to glue that down with silicone RTV form-a-gasket. In hindsight should likely have done it, rear seat has to come out to gain access to that cover.
2). Some unknown point higher up on the rear cab wall. In discussions when dropping off the truck, the dealership service people and Honda's regional rep seem hyper-focused on the rear window installation seal for some reason.

Further troubleshooting requires disassembling the bed panels and removing all the shrouds surrounding the rear window. So now into a labor-intensive activity with disassembling the bed and leak testing. Not sure yet what will be done about the carpet. Had throughly soaked the padding with anti-bacterial disinfectant cleaners and dried that out. Now when it gets wet, the odor is that of soap (like a freshly mopped floor), no longer swamp odor. Think I could live with soapy odors as long as the leaks are fixed, and not press them to gut the interior to replace the carpets.

Probably should add that while in the rain storm the bed was covered by a soft tri-fold tonneau cover and completely dry inside. The only moisture to challenge the rear wall either came from above the tonneau-level, or draft/splash from underneath. There would have not been any drainage coming from the lower forward bed drains directly onto the pinch-welded cross seam. The only odd variable is that I purchased a set of used wheel & tires in Denver for my Nissan Leaf. Those were stacked in pairs side-by-side in the forward 1/2 of the bed and X-strapped to the forward sidewall tie-downs with ratchet straps. That put some clamping stress against the forward headboard and rear wall under the rear window. That was all under the tonneau cover and bone dry, certainly hope that strap tension wouldn't distort anything to the point of leaking.

 

[lionsm13]

I had a loaner 2020 sport when my 21 BE was being repaired. I checked to see if that was dry by checking through the door sills and didn’t feel any moisture. So I’m assuming it’s boy all 2 gen Ridgelines that have the problem.

I wish I had taken some pics of the areas in question for water infiltration now.


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If the 2020 sport was dry why then would you assume that "all 2 gen Ridgelines that have the problem"?

 

[Utilitan]

Found a small amount of water soaked in to the carpet near the rear passenger side sill plate after I washed my truck this weekend. I usually do touchless washes but performed a hand wash this weekend as well as spraying out my bed. The increased amount of water in the bed and hand wash vs the touchless wash is most likely what caused the leak to finally present itself.

I always assumed mine didn't leak after my checks when I ran the truck through the touchless wash. At this point if you don't have a leaking truck then you have a unicorn lol. Now I get to deal with getting my truck torn apart at the dealership and hope they do a good job. This truck has been amazing this far, but this is quite discouraging to say the least.

 

[Dkepp]

If the 2020 sport was dry why then would you assume that "all 2 gen Ridgelines that have the problem"?

*not all 2 gen Ridgelines

Typo fixed.

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[RogersRTS]

The 2nd business week with my truck at the dealership for diagnosis and repair is coming to a close. Their tech called me a few days ago to discuss that it leaked significantly with Honda's reps watching, and the general consensus it's from points higher on the truck body and likely the passenger side based on the water flow patterns observed inside. His own hunch (and speculative/unconfirmed) are from sealed body seams that are concealed behind the headboard of the bed and/or the seal on the lower lip of the rear window. The fact that it's an RTS (so no moonroof drains, no sliding rear window, no wire harnesses to bed accessories) helps narrow the suspect entry points.

 

[Celltech]

His own hunch (and speculative/unconfirmed) are from sealed body seams that are concealed behind the headboard of the bed and/or the seal on the lower lip of the rear window.

I will have my body shop send over their 6 year old with a gallon of seam sealer....he will smear it everywhere for ya.

 

[Cbayman]

The 2nd business week with my truck at the dealership for diagnosis and repair is coming to a close. Their tech called me a few days ago to discuss that it leaked significantly with Honda's reps watching, and the general consensus it's from points higher on the truck body and likely the passenger side based on the water flow patterns observed inside. His own hunch (and speculative/unconfirmed) are from sealed body seams that are concealed behind the headboard of the bed and/or the seal on the lower lip of the rear window. The fact that it's an RTS (so no moonroof drains, no sliding rear window, no wire harnesses to bed accessories) helps narrow the suspect entry points.

I’m surprised they are doing this investigation on a truck that is outside of the warranty period. This issue must be getting a lot of attention at Honda. Maybe using your case to help develop a TSB?

 

[eurban]

I’m surprised they are doing this investigation on a truck that is outside of the warranty period. This issue must be getting a lot of attention at Honda. Maybe using your case to help develop a TSB?

Yes and to hopefully fix the problem(ssss) at the factory too.

 

[RogersRTS]

My truck was completed and returned to me today (3 weeks start to finish). The leak was isolated to a passenger side welded seam at the junction where the bed's upper unibody frame attaches to the corner of the cab near the lower corner of the rear window. The upper bed panels/fenders hang from those frame members. A joint wasn't sealed correctly. The entire bed was disassembled completely to the bare unibody frame to access the area for inspection and repair, the only panel left in place was the bed floor/trunk. It was also the exact location of the leak on the '19 that they repaired just prior to mine.

 

[Celltech]

Wow...very happy that you were able to get your RL fixed. But this "new" spot of leaking has me thinking I want to check my carpet again. We had some good rains in Dallas...and ya never know. So is Honda gonna eat the expense on this one?

 

[RogersRTS]

Wow...very happy that you were able to get your RL fixed. But this "new" spot of leaking has me thinking I want to check my carpet again. We had some good rains in Dallas...and ya never know. So is Honda gonna eat the expense on this one?

I'm leaving mine parked outside in the rain for a few days. It was raining torrents yesterday when I picked it up from the dealer. I might reinstall the tonneau cover (soft Trifecta) later today so the drainage is forced higher on the back wall through the upper drain slots on the headboard. I was also told some of that water drainage originates from the roof, then drains down behind the rear window side trim and behind the exterior plastic & sheet metal to the rear wall and over the leaking body seam (and over the rear window seal which is also a potential leakage point).

Not certain how Honda and the dealership worked out the expenses, there was no charge to me.

 

[carlobolo]

Bought a 2021 Sport less than 2 months ago (1800 miles) and after yesterday's rain storm ran my hand under carpet on drivers side rear and found water and a random screw. I guess what I don't see here is what the steps are to getting this resolved? Do I contact the dealer first? Do I have my mechanic document the issue? Do I call Honda? Let me know what you all think. Thanks

 

[zroger73]

You'd do the same thing you'd do for any other warranty repair - take it to the dealer. Your mechanic documenting the issue doesn't accomplish anything. Honda can't fix it, so they'll tell you to take it to a dealer.

 

[carlobolo]

Thanks. Can I take it to any dealer or do I take it only to the one I bought it from? There is one closer to me than the one I bought it from. Thanks