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2011 Honda Ridgeline problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
8%
1 of 12 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2011 Honda Ridgeline. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 8% of relevant complaints.

Better than 98% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 27 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 3%).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
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The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2011 Honda Ridgeline have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 1 of 12 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2011 Honda Ridgeline concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (8%). For comparison, the 2010 scores 14%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
1
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
39
this model year
Fires reported
0
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
11
2 crashes · 0 injuries

Complaints by component

AIR BAGS27 · 69%
STRUCTURE6 · 15%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER5 · 13%
SUSPENSION1 · 3%
VISIBILITY1 · 3%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1 · 3%

The years either side

2010
14%
3 of 42
2011
8%
1 of 39
2012
too few complaints
2013
40%
4 of 45
2014
5%
1 of 34
2015
too few complaints
2016
no data
2017
47%
159 of 342
2018
31%
50 of 162
2019
45%
103 of 236
2020
33%
49 of 169
2021
42%
35 of 101
2022
42%
36 of 117
2023
34%
30 of 128

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2011 Honda Ridgeline

What one owner reported

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,STRU09/15/2011
FIREWALL: ON 12/2010, WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE THERE WAS A HIGH PITCHED SQUEAL FROM THE FIREWALL AREA. WINDSHIELD MOLDING: ON 07/2011, WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE MOLDING CAME LOOSE & WAS FLAPPING IN THE WIND, I PUSHED IT BACK IN UNTIL A DEALER COULD LOOK AT IT & THEY RE-GLUED IT. HOWEVER, IT CAME LOOSE …

One of 1 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2011 Honda Ridgeline?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 11 recall campaigns on the 2011 Honda Ridgeline, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

11 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
structure: frame and members22V430000 · Jun 2022
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles that were sold, or ever registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland,…
vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal19E068000 · Oct 2019
Dorman Products, Inc. (Dorman) is recalling certain Accelerator Pedal Assemblies part numbers 699-114 and 825-5029-1, sold as replacement parts for 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2004-2008 Acura TL and TSX,…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module19V501000 · Jun 2019
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2012 RL, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V,…
air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module19V500000 · Jun 2019
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013 Acura ILX, 2015 RDX, 2005-2010 and 2012 RL, 2009-2014 TL, 2010 and 2012 ZDX, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2011-2013 and 2015 CR-Z, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013…
air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module19V182000 · Mar 2019
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module18V662000 · Sep 2018
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014 Honda Ridgeline vehicles nationwide. Honda is also recalling certain 2011-2012 Acura RL, 2011 Honda Element and 2011-2013 Ridgeline…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module18V041000 · Jan 2018
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2010-2012 Acura RL, 2010 Honda Element, and 2010-2013 Honda Ridgeline vehicles ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida,…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module17V029000 · Jan 2017
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Acura MDX and Honda CR-V vehicles, 2005-2011 Honda Element vehicles, 2005-2012 Acura RL vehicles, 2006-2012 Honda Ridgeline vehicles,…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module16V344000 · May 2016
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2011 Acura RL, 2005-2006 Honda CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2003-2008 Pilot, 2002-2004 Odyssey,…
air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module16V061000 · Feb 2016
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Honda CR-V, 2011-2015 CR-Z, 2010-2014 FCX, and Insight, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013-2014 Fit EV, 2007-2014 Ridgeline, 2013-2016…
tires12V025000 · Jan 2012
HONDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 RIDGELINE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM AUGUST 25, 2011, THROUGH NOVEMBER 29, 2011. THE SPARE TIRE INSTALLED IN AFFECTED VEHICLES MAY NOT MATCH THE…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2011 Honda Ridgeline? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2011 Honda Ridgeline

Does the 2011 Honda Ridgeline have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 1 of 12 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2011 Honda Ridgeline concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (8%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2011 Honda Ridgeline?

No. NHTSA lists 11 recall campaigns on the 2011 Honda Ridgeline, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Honda Ridgeline years are better?

Among the Honda Ridgeline years we track, the 2014 (5%) has a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2011 (8%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car.

Should I buy a 2011 Honda Ridgeline?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2011 Honda Ridgeline shows no elevated engine or transmission pattern in owner complaints, which is a good starting point. It is still one car with its own history, so get an independent pre-purchase inspection and a vehicle history report before you commit.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.