2020 HONDA RIDGELINE Electrical System Problems

While stopped at a traffic light on a state highway the idle stop did shut off the engine. When the light turned green, I released the brake, but the engine did not crank or start. After placing transmission into Park, I attempted to start normally. There was no response to the start button being pushed, other than all the typical pre-start warning lights check on the panel. Tried to start with transmission selector in Neutral..same result. All doors and hood was closed, driver in seat, belt fastened, and key nearby. I attempted to get out and push the truck to the side of road with assistance. Unable to do that because of the transmission park interconnect. After about 3 minutes trying multiple times to start the engine, it finally did start normally. The vehicle battery is pretty new and checking the voltage at home, it is fine. This is a dangerous situation. This “ Idle stop” system is senseless and a safety hazard. I have not received any notice from Honda about any recall on this system.

My 2020 Honda Ridgeline has an Auto Idle/Start system. The truck engine turns off when it stops, then automatically turns on when brake is released or gas pedal pressed. There was a Honda notice issued that the system may not automatically restart. A fix (software update) from Honda was implemented on my truck on 03/29/23. This "fix" did not work. On 09/05/25 at 1:25 pm I pulled up to an intersection. The Auto Idle system automatically turned off the engine as intended. About 2 minutes later, when the brake was released and gas pedal pressed, the engine did not restart. The truck stalled. Various efforts (~ 1 minute of panic) ensued to start the engine. Eventually, put the truck in park, waited, then started the engine. This situation occurred during high traffic at a busy intersection. It caused other drivers to take risks pulling out in front of other cars to get around my stalled vehicle. It was a very dangerous situation. A class action lawsuit was filed against Honda about this. Honda claims their software update fixed the problem. My scary experience shows that it did not fix the issue. Their auto idle/start system is simply unsafe. Also, it is not possible to permanently disable it.

My rear camera failed again. The vehicle was recalled for rear camera failures and a supposed better cable was installed. In less than a year it failed again. So I once again are without a rear camera even though it was recalled and repaired. The repair apparently didn't work.

In then last 6 months my Honda Ridgeline fell to restart engine at the stoplight 7 times

Reference Investigation: EA25004, No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages 2 separate instances 1st instance during stop and go driving on highway in heavy traffic, engine failed to restart automatically after full stop, message stating something about neutral appeared, unsure exactly what message stated. I had to shift to park and hold the brake down for a normal start. 2nd instance 2 weeks after 1st 04/04/2025 while stopped at a traffic light engine failed to Auto start - same result as above (1st incident)

Sunday March 23, 2025 vehicle would not restart after the auto engine idle shut off feature turned off the engine. Attempted to restart several time with no success. Vehicle finally did restart when jumped the battery. Could be a safety hazard being stuck in traffic. Have not reported to dealer but will on next scheduled service. No warning lamps indicated a problem but every lamp on the dash console lit up when attempting to restart.

On two occasions the vehicles auto start/stop system has shut off the truck and not restarted it after releasing of the brake.

Stopping behind another vehicle. My vehicle engine was off because it was in ASD((automatic shutdown mode).Vehicle ahead moves forward. Immediately the dashboard says vehicle ahead has moved. Depressing the gas pedal the vehicle will not move forward. It does not come out of ASD. Message on dash says SHIFT TO PARK. Then I have to restart my vehicle The delay of moving is a safety hazard to me and obviously an irritant to the traffic behind me at least. Perhaps more than that. This has happened more than a few tmes

Scheduled my vehicle for recall related to the tailgate/camera/rear area warning system harness replacement for today 10-15-2024 after two notices. Upon arriving for my appointment, I learned that the dealer, Voyles Honda Marietta, GA does not have the parts, nor can they provide a time/date when parts would be available. Further, the Service Manager, Marvin, said the same parts issue is present with a fuel pump and electric steering campaign currently released. From prior involvement with many heavy truck campaign recalls, I know the O.E.M. Is required to have adequate repair parts to satisfy the released safety recall. In the previously noted Honda recalls this requirement is ignored by the manufacturer placing safety concern on the public, stressing dealers, and forcing vehicle owners to operate defective vehicles because parts to repair are not available, nor is there an expected date when they will be. Responses like “on manufacturer back order “ is not acceptable for a released National Safety Recall. Honda Corporate needs to be held accountable and owners need to be compensated for their inconvenience. Maybe restrict Honda from selling more vehicles until ALL safety campaigns are completed. NHTSA, check your records on Honda’s completion performance and take appropriate actions.

I experienced multiple warning lights on my dash when disengaging my cruise control on the freeway to pass a slower vehicle in front of me. Attached photo depicts these lights and a loss of dash gauges. I arranged a vehicle inspection from the purchasing dealer the next day, but later the entire dash “blacked out” losing speedometer, tachometer, turn signals, back-up camera etc. Given the uncertainty of the safe driving condition of the vehicle I opted to have a closer authorized dealer inspect the vehicle. The consensus was that there was a failure of the dash panel resulting in a $1600.00 repair. Learning that this exact failure was known to American Honda Motor Co., Inc. I reached out to their customer service since like year(s) models of the Passport, Pilot & Odyssey were part of an official warranty recall (along with extended warranty coverage) by American Honda Motor Co., Inc. to see if any goodwill assistance would be provided, given what I’m sure are shared components between the three models. Honda declined. In all transparency, I am a retired AHM employee who services my own vehicles, so their decline, I’m told was partially based on the lack of an official service history. The failure that I have described is totally unrelated to scheduled service. In closing, I am attaching a “screenshot” for a Honda Pilot Owners blog which goes into greater detail of the exact failure I experienced, described as inappropriate software programming. Again, these items in the Recall cited FMV SS101 & FMV SS111 as being key reasons for the issuance of the recall. Why the 2020 Honda Ridgeline which experienced this exact failure was excluded is a question that Honda should answer. Thank you.

When operating the vehicle in reverse, the dashboard screen was black/blank instead of displaying the view from the rear backup camera. The issue began to occur intermittently at ~40,000 miles and the camera was completely non-operational at 42,163k miles (10/21/2023). Upon investigating and diagnosing the root cause of failure, the dealer determined that the rear backup camera wiring harness failed. The failure point was a flexible section at the rear tailgate hinge that permits opening and closing the rear tailgate. Because the dealer's total replacement cost was too expensive (>$500), the original wiring harness was repaired by the owner. At 50,185 miles, the failure is intermittently occurring again with the repaired harness. A non-operational backup camera puts pedestrians, cyclists and others at risk when the vehicle is backing up because the driver may not be aware of their presence and could strike them or cause a collision. The local dealer diagnosed the issue and subsequently sold the owner a new replacement wiring harness that has yet to be installed. The vehicle or component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. No warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem occurred prior to the failure.

Back up camera no longer works, all black when in reverse.

Back-up camera failed.

Rear camera does not work. After investigation found four or five broken wires in the wire harness that goes to the rear camera and some other stuff

The back-up video is not operating on this vehicle. It stopped functioning properly within the past week. In checking on this, it appears multiple other owners of this vehicle are experiencing the same issue and it generally relates to wires being pinched or cut accidently due to apparent design or equipment failure while vehicle is being operated in routine fashion. Specifically, it appears these wires are pinched and ultimately severed when tailgate is being opened/closed. This is an issue as the camera is very important manner for safely backing.

Rear Camera has stopped working. Black Screen. Poor rear visibility when trying to back up causing a safety issue. Same Issue as Service Bulletin 22-049 describes, except this is a 2020 not a 2019.

My rear back-up camera suddenly stopped working. The display screen is fine, but no signal is reaching it. No warnings or messages. Worked one minute, not the next. Looking on-line in the forum, it looks like a common failure of the wiring harness at the tailgate.

Backup camera wires pinched, camera stops working!

The backup camera suddenly went black. I saw this was a problem that led to a recall on earlier models of the Honda Ridgeline. I was fortunate in that the dealer did get it covered by the warranty department. The confirmed it was a wiring problem.

Back camera failed and screen goes black.

rear view camera and rear traffic and warning systems stopped working. Honda diagnosed and repaired the wiring harness. NHTSA has opened an investigation PE24004 which appears to identical to the issue we have.

Rear back up camera stopped working. When putting the truck in reverse the video display only shows the yellow grid lines. The camera video is black. I saw on line that this is caused by a faulty wire harness. There’s a you tube video showing where the problem is and how to fix it so this must be a common issue. I followed the instructions from YouTube and I took the tailgate apart and found that the camera wire was broken. I spliced the wire back together and now it works again.

My rear camera stopped working. My understanding is that it is a defect in the wiring harness. My rear camera is not useable, and makes backing up very difficult and is a potential hazard.

My cars auto engine idle is malfunctioning causing my car to have serious transmission issues. I currently have 3 warning signs on my dashboard. 1. All wheel drive system problem 2. Auto engine idle stop system problem 3. charging system problem. I bought the car used last year. Its a 2020 honda ridgeline with only 29k mikes. Ive been seeing reports online that this issus has been affecting many honda users. Please help!! Honda needs to be responsible for this problem! RECALL NOW!

My reverse camera was intermittent approximately 2 months ago. It would occasionally flicker, but then went totally dark with no picture. I took it upon myself to investigate for a loose wire as I know this was an items that was recalled on the 2017-19 models as well. I did find a severed wire, which leads me to believe that the same issues that forced a recall on the previous models is also affecting my 2020 Ridgeline. The absence of the backup camera makes backing out of parking space or the potential for colliding with other cars or pedestrians a very real concern.

Back up camera is black with yellow lines

Rear view camera wiring harness broken. Recalls on 2017 to 2019. My truck is built in 1-20 and is out of warranty. Same issue as with previous Ridgeline harness. Safety issues with no backup. Dealer refuses to do anything about it as it is not in current recall and it's out of warranty.

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Ridgeline. The contact stated while stopped, the automatic STOP/START feature intermittently failed to operate as needed after the vehicle had shut off. The contact stated that the vehicle would independently shift to neutral(N) during the failure. The contact called the dealer and was asked to bring the vehicle in for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and referred the contact back to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 18,000. The VIN was not available.

Mileage: 18,000

I shifted the vehicle into reverse and the parking assist camera (backup camera) did not appear on the infotainment screen as it should. There is an active recall on the 2017 - 2019 models as Honda is aware of this problem with the tailgate wiring harness design. Backing up without the visual aid poses a serious safety threat to any pedestrians or vehicles that may not be seen due to the camera not working as it should. I have not yet scheduled a repair for this item but will update when the problem is remedied. There was no warning before this occured. It was sudden without any signs. It is my hope and the duty of the manufacturer that this issue is fixed within ALL model years that this problem is known to occur.

Rear camera has failed and no longer works. Previously flickering then went dead. Same problem as with 2019 Ridgelines and other Hondas. Has been extended to other 2020 Hondas but not the ridgeline. This is an early build ridgeline that was delivered in Jan 2020.

The backup camera stopped working. The wires to the camera broke. This is the same issue as the 2017 - 2019 Ridgeline recall. When will the 2020 models be recalled?

The wiring harness for the rear back up camera is beginning to fail. I know this is an issue and has been a recall on the 2017-2019 model years. The harness that fails is the exact same on the 2020 model and should be recalled as well.

AT odometer reading 35870, while loading the pickup for a trip home the backup camera failed. No local dealership was open on the weekend and we were 600 miles from home. Upon arrival, Monday, the local dealership was called and we were told the repair would not be covered by warranty and a similar recall on 2019 vehicles would not apply to 2020 model year for the same issue.

Rear view camera ceased to display picture. Screen black except for yellow guidelines and view options. inspection of rear tailgate wiring found 3-4 wires in wiring harness corroded/broken. This is similar to known issue with 17-19 ridglines which have a TBS out for same issue.

On May 31, 2023, my wife and I were in our Honda ridgeline when attempting to back up into a parking spot. We noticed the instrument cluster went dark with only a "P" flashing. There were no alarms or indications of any fault. We shut down the truck. After trying to restart there was no instrument cluster along with the shifter locked in park. On this current model their is no emergency override out of park as on other vehicles. We had traffic backed up for hours as we called a tow truck to move the vehicle from the main street. Upon the ridgeline being towed to the local Honda dealer. They scanned for codes, U0103, U0155, u0404, U12AA. Checked Diag Tree and confirmed system test and found SBW control module and gauge control module didn't communication. They ended up finding a fuse had blown. My question is why no override out of park on this model? Safety issue.

Rear backup camera is not working

The rear opening and closing of the tailgate caused a break in the wiring harness, causing the rearview camera to fail. This is due to a design flaw and identical to what has happened in the 2017-2019 models.

Condition: truck is stopped, the auto engine idle is on Action: release the brake to press the accelerator Result: the truck fails to restart, shuts off the engine completely, puts itself in Neutral, and all the lights in the dash illuminate I have to place the truck in Park and restart the engine. Sometimes the engine is difficult to restart, and I have to try several times. This has happened 3 times since November, and 3 other times the truck has almost stalled when restarting.

Back up camera has stopped working. When the vehicle is put in Reverse the guide lines continue to appear, while there is no video of what is behind the vehicle. I looked up recalls on 2020 Ridgeline, and there are no reports. 2017-19 backup camera recall for similar problem. Honda dealer appointment to confirm is 3 days from today. There were no warning signs of failure.

Backup camera stopped working. Possible electrical wiring harness defective and severed prematurely. This was a safety feature that stopped working on a vehicle that’s not even 3 year old.

Wire harness for back up camera needed to be replaced. Dealer said not covered by current recall, ie 2020's are not covered

Several times over the past two months, I started having issues with the auto engine idle stop. I'm at about 25,000 miles and my vehicle has completely stalled out 4 times in two months. This is due to a failure of the auto engine idle stop system to restart the engine after I take my foot off the brake pedal. This has put my safety and others at risk in all of these incidents, all happened in busy, high traffic areas. In one instance it took a full minute to be able to turn my car back on. One time it triggered the collision system, and I couldn't restart my car for several minutes. After looking up this issue, I know there is an ongoing NHTSA investigation into the Honda Pilot models, but this needs to be expanded to the Ridge line models.

STOPPING AT A STOP LIGHT ON 10/4 & 09/27 ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND WOULDN'T START. pEOPLE BEHIND ME HONKING THEIR HORNS FOR ME TO GO. ENGINEWOULDN'T START AND HAD GONE FROMDR TO PARK. DASH SAID SOMETHINGLIKE PRESS BRAKE AND START BUTTON.THE WHOLE TIME THE LIGHT WAS GREEN,IR WOULDN'T START. THE 1ST TIME IT HAPPENED I THOUGHT IT WAS THE ECON ON BUT THE 2NDTIME IT WASN'T ON. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT TODAY AT ESKRIDGE IN OKC. THIS IS SO SCARRY,ITHOUGHT I NEEDED TO REPORT IT. I AM SCARRED THAT ENGINE AND EVERYTHING WILL SHUT DOWN AGAIN.

Beginning about 3 months ago the Automatic Idle Stop (AIS) would randomly not function at start-up during the length of a drive though there was no indication of any issue on the dash. Shutting off and restarting would allow usually allow it to function normally. About 6 weeks ago the AIS stopped the engine at a red light, and when I removed my foot to accelerate the engine did not start, the car shut off. It took a couple of seconds to realize the vehicle was down, I had to shut the car completely off and restart to get moving almost getting rear-ended since I did not move when the light changed even though my brake lights went off, confusing the driver behind me. AIS failing to start has become more frequent and now happens at least every other day. In traffic this is a safety issue for sure. Additionally, the LKAS system randomly displays a new message on the dash that it is disabled for a few seconds while driving on the freeway and then clears itself. Other seemingly related electrical issues started at the same time. On several of the occasions that the AIS failed to restart, All dash lights flickered rapidly, and the speedometer needle bounced wildly. after shutting down and restarting the A and B Trim computers had been zeroed as well as the MPG average being zeroed, and the Economy mode had been switched of. These nuisance electrical issues are not a safety concern themselves but may help point to a common failure which does cause the safety issues of the AIS and the LKAS systems. I believe you are investigating similar AIS issues on the Honda Pilot which shares many of the electrical and drive train components with the Ridgeline.