- NHTSA had been investigating thousands of recalled Honda Ridgelines.
- Several customers had complained that Honda’s fix hadn’t resolved a camera issue.
- NHTSA’s Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC) investigated and analyzed concerns.
Honda, like many other car manufacturers, has recalled well over one million vehicles in recent years for rear-view camera issues. Had things gone a little differently, it may have been forced to recall certain vehicles for a second time, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has elected not to force such a move.
Since 2024, NHTSA has been investigating reports that some 129,092 Honda Ridgeline models recalled in 2022 for rear-view camera issues may still be faulty. The agency initially opened a recall query to probe these claims.
Read: Honda Recalls Another 880,514 Vehicles Because Rust Can Rip A Rear Wheel Loose
In February 2025, NHTSA followed its usual process of upgrading its investigation to an engineering analysis and could have subsequently called for Honda to issue a second recall, fixing vehicles that should have originally been repaired in 2022. However, despite claims that vehicles that received the original fix were still encountering rear-view camera issues, NHTSA has officially closed its investigation.
What Was The Issue?
As part of the original recall, Honda said the rear-view camera wiring harness used on 2017-2019 vehicles used corrugated tubing that couldn’t sufficiently prevent it from bending and wearing over time. In addition, the company determined the zip ties used hadn’t been tightened suffiencitly, meaning the tubing may not have remained in place. To fix the issue, Honda dealers replaced the harness with one that had more protective tubing and tighter zip ties.
NHTSA’s Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC) analyzed impacted Ridgeline models during the investigation, surveyed owners of impacted vehicles, and inspected several vehicles that reportedly still suffered from issues after the recall. It was quickly determined that there had been no new rear-view camera failures triggered by damage to the wiring harness. Tests performed by the VRTC also indicated the impacted part should not fail “within a reasonable vehicle life span,” which is why the probe has now been closed.
