Honda Motor Co. announced that it's recalling nearly 200,000 of its Ridgeline trucks. It's all due to a potential issue with the truck's backup camera. In total, the company said the issue affects 187,000 vehicles. It doesn't affect any other vehicles as of this time.
According to the recall notice reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Honda will be issuing letters to owners affected. You can expect letters to go out on July 1 for those that have the issue. It's specifically Ridgeines from 2020 to 2024. The rearview camera may malfunction due to a broken tailgate wire harness. Stress over time can cause this to break. This prevents the rearview camera from working and can cause potential accidents.
You may remember that Honda had a similar recall back in 2022 for its 2017 to 2019 models of Ridgelines. While the company thought it addressed it, it appears that the issue has stretched further than it realized. Honda gave those models updated wire harnesses.
Honda Issues Recall
So what causes the issue with the rearview camera? Well, the wire harness has a woven twist tube. Unfortunately, this tube has the habit of getting a lot of moisture. Moisture causes it to become brittle over time. Things like temperature changes and corrosive elements such as road salt can also hasten the wear and tear on the harness. Once it snaps, then the camera no longer works.
It appears that the issue also affects its current 2024 model as well. The company introduced a new wire on May 3rd and has begun retrofitting units with it. However, if you already bought a Ridgeline then you'll need to bring it to your local Honda dealership. You can also call Honda Service at 1-888-234-2138.
It's been a year for recalls so far. Honda's recall while annoying appears less serious than some other recalls. For instance, Ford recalled a half a million vehicles due to a potential for malfunction. Meanwhile, Toyata recalled 400,000 Tacomas due to a loose nut. It could cause the truck to become unstable and crash. Additionally, Tesla recalled its lot of Cybertrucks due to an accelerator pedal issue. Those seem more severe in nature, but it's still frustrating for Honda owners.
