[wireless]

A little over two years ago I bought a used 2010 Ridgeline. Two weeks ago I got rid of it with a smile on my face. Before buying the vehicle I did a lot of research including using this excellent forum (a truly valuable resource for owners and prospective owners).

The good, the bad, and the ugly of my experience with this vehicle.

The good - there were a lot of things that I loved about this vehicle. I found the ride to be excellent. I got pretty reasonable fuel economy for a vehicle of this size and capabilities. It handled well on roads covered in snow and ice. I loved the 16000 km between oil changes.

The bad - I had to have the A/C repaired twice in 27 months of ownership which totalled about $1500. I had a few small complaints about the vehicle that I hope Honda has addressed with the redesign. Specific problems included poor visibility because of the A pillar, and poor rearward visibility with the mirrors. I hated the windshield wiper controls - I have driven a couple of vehicles that have one switch that you rotate in one direction to increase the amount of wiping and this is easy to use and very intuitive. The Ridgeline's two knob system is horrible, and the labelling would leave a reasonable person assuming that as you turn the knob toward the larger lines you would increase the frequency of wipes, when in actuality, the larger lines indicate larger intervals between wipes. I can only assume that this was designed by someone who doesn't drive. Another small complaint is about the light that indicates that you are low on fuel. It is inconspicuous, and it is near the gas gauge. If I was looking there I would know what the gas situation is. I want a light that is central and bright - something that can't be overlooked (maybe even use part of the airbag to inflate into a fist and punch me in the face while the radio yells "hey, idiot, look at your gas gauge").

The ugly - by far the worst problem with the Ridgeline (at least mine anyway) was the dust, and this is ultimately the reason that I am no longer a Ridgeline owner. I have looked at many other people's posts about the dust issues in their vehicles and am at least consoled by the fact that I am not the only one who has experienced this problem. I understand that Honda feels that the HVAC system works correctly as it was designed to be used with the windows rolled up - this is a horrible excuse for poor design. I hope prospective buyers of the Ridgeline will find the following video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2jpWKO6cJs

Thanks,

Wireless

I don't think I have posted on this site in a year or possibly two, so I must apologize if I have broken any of the rules of the forum in this post.

 

[wireless]

I hear you. I think that this is likely a fine vehicle for a person who never leaves pavement, or never rolls down the window, but ultimately that is not my lifestyle, so I either had to change my vehicle or change my lifestyle.

 

[wireless]

Yes the shipping plugs were in place. I found that tip on this site and checked on them in the first couple of months of ownership.

 

[wireless]

I think these will be my final comments on this as I have nothing to gain by remaining involved.

The cabin air filter was in place. I replaced it several times, trying different brands in hopes of fixing the problem.

I spent a considerable amount of time searching for the issue over my 27 months of ownership - that makes so much sense that I felt it didn't need to be said.

I have driven many other vehicles in these same conditions. None of them shot dust through the vents like the Ridgeline.

I have spoken with a few people in Honda service centres. Without fail, when I told them I was trying to fix the dust issue in my Ridgeline, they didn't ask "what issue", they KNEW what I was talking about, and served up the party line each time.

I have spoken with other owners, and seen a few comments on this forum regarding this issue, but I have yet to hear from someone who drives with the window cracked open in dusty conditions who doesn't have this issue.