- The NHTSA and Honda have received reports of rear-view camera wiring issues.
- Honda launched its first related recall in late 2022 and the second in mid-2024.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation has opened a probe into issues related to a pair of recalls issued by Honda over potentially faulty rear-view camera systems on 2017-2024 Ridgeline models. So, should owners of impacted Ridgelines be worried? Let’s dive in and find out.
Honda first initiated a recall of 2017-2019 Ridgeline models on November 23, 2022, to address concerns about rear-view cameras that could fail because of insufficient corrugated tubing and improperly tightened zip ties used to protect the wiring harness. Honda’s solution was to replace the harness with a new one that included longer protective corrugated tubing and zip ties that were actually secured.
Fast forward to May 3, 2024, and Honda issued a recall for 2020-2024 Ridgeline models that were also experiencing rear-view camera issues. This recall notice said the wiring harness could break after repeated opening and closing of the tailgate. Honda decided to replace harnesses with one that could better withstand the wear.
On February 11, the ODI launched an engineering analysis into certain impacted models because both fixes use the same supplier and materials. The NHTSA says it’s received one allegation of a wiring harness failing after repairs made during the 2022 recall, while Honda says it’s aware of 14 reports of the wiring harness failure after the fixes.
The ODI says its probe “is being opened to further assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety related consequences of the rear view camera harness failures.” Importantly, the investigation is only focusing on 2017-2019 Ridgeline models impacted by the first recall, not 2020-2024 Ridgelines that were recalled in mid-2024. In total, 129,092 Ridgelines from the 2017-2019 model years are under the microscope.
