2017 Honda Ridgeline Powertrain & Transmission Problems

Transmission started shifting roughly last year, dealership has changed fluid a few times and shifting was better but last time rough shifting came back within a few months. I was driving on a two lane highway and did three individual passes of slower vehicles, after the third pass my transmission lost its mind and started banging into gear then going into neutral, I had to feather the accelerator all the way home. Next drive a few days later in regular traffic it clunked into gears, I did feel the judder for the first time, entered the freeway; check emissions, transmission, blind spot warnings all came on. Got it home a few miles later and had it towed to my dealership, was told the trans is shot, there was metal debris in the fluid. Negotiated getting a reman trans from Honda at a huge expense for a truck only worth $10k according to what carvana would give for it but I can’t find any light truck that I want to spend $45k on again. Having the trans replaced made the most sense since my truck is in really good shape (knock on wood) otherwise. Honda adjusted the cost under Goodwill which I appreciate but the cost should’ve been lowered much more and increase the warranty for others with this trans. People think Hondas are bombproof but then we’re blindsided by this huge repair and people don’t know what they’re getting into by buying these used when used car dealers can really take advantage knowing this fatal flaw exists and knowing most shoppers won’t know and will trust that it’ll be fine being a Honda product.

When driving the vehicle on I-94 near Taylor, MI, 2 codes popped up on my dashboard cluster: 1) Transmission System Problem 2) Blind Spot Info System Problem When diagnosing this at a local auto stores & the Honda dealer itself, a stored code of DTC P0741 Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Performance or Stuck OFF is listed. Honda has identified a problem with this under Service Bulletin 23-078, but after talking with the dealer & calling American Honda they state the issue does not relate to my vehicle, even though it falls under their 2017-2019 Honda Ridgeline model.. The model in question is a 2017 Honda Ridgeline Black Edition. American Honda is not taking ownership of the same issue as described in their bulletin stating improper specifications when manufactured.

At 96k miles, the transmission started slipping and juddering. Three warnings appeared: transmission system, emission system, and blind-spot monitoring problems. Also P-D indicator flashing to not drive. Took into dealership. They said that code P0776 was appearing - clogged solenoid in the transmission. Also said that transmission fluid had a foul burnt smell and had large pieces of the clutch. All of these are symptoms of the torque converter failure, which is covered under TSB 23-078 with warranty extension to 10 years, 150 k miles in letter of June 2025. The TSB states that the warranty will only cover these problems if code P0741 appears. Visually, the dealership has confirmed that my torque converter has failed and my transmission needs replacing. However, because code P0741 isn't showing up, they will not cover replacement. Also they confirmed that the clogged solenoid was due to the failed torque converter. They are fixated on the code reading and refuse to repair the transmission. They quoted me a price of over $13,000 to do this work. The TSB 23-078 should have included any code associated with the transmission, torque converter, or other transmission components such as the solenoid B that would be affected by the failed torque converter.

The transmission problem light came on my 2017 Honda Ridgeline. It is less than 9 years old and it has 117K miles. The transmission shifted hard about a month ago, then came the engine light. Honda dealer did a diagnostic and recommended to replace transmission. It’s estimated to cost $10,700. All the routine maintenance has been done at the dealer.

Honda has an issue with the torque converters locking up on this vehicle year. Instead of fixing the issue through a recall, they pushed it off by extending the warranty. If the torque converter locks while driving the vehicle, the mostly likely outcome will be an accident. Honda should fix the issue through a recall, instead of the band-aid approach.

I have a 2017 Ridgeline. I bought it brand new. Always keep up with the maintenance, keep it clean and well taken care of. I only have 45,000 miles on it. A few days ago the engine failed on me while on the freeway. Limped it off the freeway as it made a horrendous sound, like marbles in the engine. I had it towed, at a cost of $275. I took it to Honda. I told them I was aware of the NHTSA investigation into the the 2017-2019 Ridgeline reports of failing connecting rod bearings. They said they were not aware of that and it was not showing on the recall list for my specific vehicle . Their diagnostic came back requiring a short block replacement as "oil was coming from the oil pan rod bearing." They took it the warranty department, as the original warranty of 5yrs/60,000mi has passed. Honda is going to cover 75% of a $9,738.35 bill because of the low mileage on the vehicle, which brings the cost to "only $1,850." They’re giving me a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty on their work. They’re also recommending that I do a 100,000 miles service that would require a replacement of a timing belt, water pump, drive belt, etc. that would cost an additional $2,123.58. It seems a bit counterintuitive to do that service since I only have 45,000 miles on an eight year-old truck that has been kept up on its regular maintenance schedule. The initial cost to do the diagnostic was stated at $199. I received a call to approve $697 to break down the engine to do further evaluation. After receiving the results of their evaluation, I am now awaiting the estimate with a breakdown of costs. I have yet to receive that, but can provide it when available. The vehicle is still sitting at the Honda service center. I have also contacted Honda directly and have opened a case with them.

Most likely a connecting rod bearing failure leading to catastrophic engine failure per dealership service department. Vehicle is currently available for inspection. Safety was put at risk by engine part (likely connecting rod bearing) coming loose. It flew through my oil pan and bounced off the road, fortunately no people or other vehicles were hit by the part. Vehicle lost power and engine started smoking, oil spilled all over the road. I had to evacuate vehicle on busy highway (70 mph speed limit) since it was smoking. The vehicle was towed to the dealer which inspected it and said most likely connecting rod bearing failure but could not confirm unless engine taken apart. To my knowledge no one else has inspected it. All service for the life of the vehicle has been performed at Honda dealerships at recommended times. A check engine light had come on shortly before the problem occurred.

Transmission failure (6 speed). Vehicle has 56200 miles. Never towed and kept in great shape. Noticed judder symptoms around 35000 miles and have changed the transmission fluid 3 times. Recently experienced large jolts from rear of truck during gear shirting. Warning lights on dash went off ( Emissions system problem; Trans system problem) and my plug in analyzer showed code P0776 - pressure control solenoid B performance/stuck off. Took into dealer - they flushed the transmission 3 times and added fluid. Said they could not find anything wrong but did see the codes and dash warnings. Drove vehicle for about 20 miles and now getting jolts in rear end when shifting. Dealer says I need a new transmission.

I heard a loud knocking noise, accompanied by a squeling, that increased/decreased with engine RPM emitting from the engine compartment. I quit driving the vehicle once I returned home. I had the vehicle towed to a Honda dealership where I was told the connecting rod bearing had failed. My vehicle was not included in a safety recall (23V-751) issued by Honda but suffered the same symptoms mentioned in the recall. The vehicle is otherwise solid and well maintained with little issues at current mileage of 92,795.

The Drive Train / Transmission has always had a "pause" then a "clunk" before shifting into or from Reverse gear, its worse now. The engine is starting to make noises and Im afraid its part of the engine recall of 2017 and it may fail and injury me while driving. I take excellent care of my truck and its only adult driven by me, hence the concern.

The torque converter is failing therefore causing the vehicle and pedal to pulsate rapidly. This is a recall for the exact truck we have, just not for our vin which I do not understand.

While driving the automatic transmission would shift hard causing a lurching motion with the truck. This has happened multiple times and is a known to Honda. It did it again recently shifting hard or not shifting which is a problem in traffic where cars are moving faster speed I almost had someone hit me from behind because as the truck accelerates it suddenly stops and lurches forward like popping a clutch in a standard. Then the emission control light came on, check transmission light came on, bsi light came on and on the display where it indicates P D R L it the P symbol with an X through it. I was in heavy traffic and felt lucky not to be in an accident

Rod bearings failed, leaving metal shards in the pistons which causes engine the to overheat and seize or catch fire. The engine noise was getting increasingly loud over a 3 day period so I took it into the dealership (Honda of Seattle) and they found rod bearings had worn apart and were floating around inside the engine. This requires a full engine replacement. There were no warning lamps.

So I complained before and nothing has happened. I took my Ridgeline in for the recall on the backup camera and my camera still flickers or goes out. Happens randomly not all the time. I brought it up twice to the Honda dealership and they couldn’t help me since it was working fine when I brought it in. And my transmission since 20k miles still lags and jutters and makes clanking sounds. I have done multiple transmissions fluid changes like recommended but I don’t trust it. And only the first time they covered it and did a software update but that didn’t fix it then my warranty expired and they wanted to charge me for any repairs after. I have had this issue since I bought the Ridgeline. Not even 100k miles and I can’t trust it to drive more than an hour. This been happening for years and I complained before but nothing ever got done. My backup camera still goes in and out as of today and I have received multiple transmission is over heating warnings that then turn off. And now it’s starting to to not shift sometimes and high revs it.

Over the past 15 months, our 2017 Honda Ridgeline has been at the Honda dealership service for over 90 days, or 20% of the elapsed time. A 2nd replacement of the torque converter (3rd unit) in March 2024 has not resolved the judder/vibration, which does not occur when the engine temperature is cold. The vibration is consistently recurring once the engine has reached nominal operating temperature, when the transmission is in 4th-5th gear around 1800 RPM, 30-50 MPH. Based on the dealership-attempted fixes, the dealer believes the issue is due to Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) and Active Control Mount (ACM) degradation. The dealer, in contact with Honda tech line, have no known fix to this systemic defect. The vehicle has been 100% serviced at Fisher Honda per the factory maintenance schedule. All recommended and required service, including Technical Service Bulletins and Recalls have been performed and are up-to-date. Reference earlier NHTSA ID 11554673 (Nov 2023).

component: transmission. Not available for inspection - has since been rebuilt. Rebuilder noted leaking 3rd gear clutch seal + failed valve body. safety risk: suddenly unable to accelerate or maintain speed until the vehicle is stopped and restarted. problem recreation: by independent service center inspection: by independent service center warnings: Shift flare on 2-3 upshift & hard engagement. Then dash warning light. Error code: P0776 AT Clutch pressure control solenoid valve B stuck off

Transmission shifts hard Torque converter problems have been reported by many owners online and Honda has apparently extended warranties for some but says my vin is not recalled I would like you to investigate and resolve this issue

I was driving and without any warning or indication that anything was wrong, I heard a loud clunk noise and immediately lost power to the wheels, but the engine continued running. I was barely able to get the vehicle to the shoulder before it came to a complete stop without me applying the brakes. A Police Officer came to assist and tried to push it, but even after shifting to neutral, the car would not move. The tow company had to drag it onto the flatbed because the front passenger wheel would not turn. The Honda Service Center indicated that the axle separated from the transmission. They are in the process of making repairs. While waiting for the tow truck, my car had to sit in a busy highway on ramp turn lane, nearly getting hit several times despite my hazard lights. Had this happened at a higher speed, busier road, or the highway, it could have been extremely dangerous to me and the cars around me. There were no warnings, messages, or other symptoms prior to the incident.

The contact owns a 2017 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission was slipping. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that a transmission flush was needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 63,000.

Transmission malfunction. Could lead to transmission failures on the road. Transmission lagging while down shifting and sudden acceleration on occasion. Problem has been duplicated by a 3d party shop that specializes in transmissions. Both Honda and AAMCO agree the transmission has failed. No warning lamps appear indicating a problem unless major transmission shifting occurs which will throw a transmission problem warning lamp. Lamp goes away once car is turned off and re started.