2018 Honda Ridgeline Electrical System

WIRING HARNESS TO BACKUP CAMERA SEVERED DO TO TAIL GATE PINCHING WHEN IT IS OPENED OPENED AND CLOSED ELIMINATING CAMERA FUNCTION. THIS HAPPENED AFTER 33 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP AT 33K MILES. DEALER HAS AGREED TO REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY BUT IS NOT PREPARED TO DO SO EXPEDITIOUSLY.

BACK UP CAMERA INOPERABLE RELATED TO FAILURE OF WIRING HARNESS TO TAILGATE. STRESS POINT IN HARNESS SEVERS ELECTRICAL CONNECTION LEADING TO NO IMAGE FROM CAMERA. THIS INITIALLY OCCURRED WHILE BACKING BOAT TRAILER DOWN ACCESS RAMP AT NOBLEBORO, MAINE PUBLIC BOAT LAUNCH. HEAVILY TINTED REAR WINDOW IN THIS VEHICLE INCREASES DRIVER DEPENDENCE ON BACK UP CAMERA FOR AVOIDING ACCIDENTS. BOUGHT VEHICLE NEW FOR $42,000.00. CAMERA FAIL AT 43,000 MILES OF LIGHT USE. THIS RECURRENT SAFETY ISSUE IS WELL DOCUMENTED ON THE INTERNET AT HTTPS://WWW.RIDGELINEOWNERSCLUB.COM/THREADS/2017-2018-BROKEN-TAILGATE-HARNESS-CAUSES-BACKUP-CAMERA-FAILURE.217776/PAGE-9

THE WIRING HARNESS (HONDA PART #32109-T6Z-AOO) BETWEEN THE LIFT GATE AND THE TRUCK BED FOR THE BACKUP CAMERA IS SUBJECT TO PREMATURE FAILURE. MY 2018 RIDGELINE BACKUP CAMERA QUIT, AND WHEN I DID RESEARCH ON THE RIDGELINE BLOGS, I FOUND THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. THE HARNESS ITSELF IS SURPRISINGLY WIMPY FOR A HONDA PRODUCT. I HAD MINE REPLACED BY MY HONDA DEALER, BUT MY GUESS IS VIRTUALLY EVERY RIDGELINE WILL EXPERIENCE THIS FAILURE EVENTUALLY. I'VE TRIED TO ATTACH PHOTOS OF THE HARNESS, AS WELL AS THE EMAIL I RECEIVED FROM HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE.

REVERSE CAMERA FAILURE CAUSED BY BROKEN WIRE IN A FAULTY DESIGNED TAILGATE HARNESS. 40.5K MILES.

REAR CAMERA FAILURE DUE TO WIRING HARNESS SEVER AT TAILGATE PIVOT POINT.

ALL THE WINDOWS ROLL DOWN ON THEIR OWN. SOMETIMES WHEN UNLOCKING THE DOOR, AND SOMETIMES WHEN EXITING THE VEHICLE. NEVER WHEN THE CAR IS RUNNING.

TWO WAY TAILGATE BACK UP CAMERA WIRING BROKE AFTER ONLY 7000 MILES DUE TO POOR DESIGN, PER LIA HONDA REPRESENTATIVE.THIS WIRE HARNESS SUPPLIES BACK UP CAMERA VIEWING. AFTER 7000 MILES I WAS UNABLE TO SEE WHAT WAS BEHIND VEHICLE WHEN BACKING UP. WIRES BROKE DUE TO UNDER ENGINEERED HARNESS MATERIAL. AS TAILGATE CAN BE OPEN IN 2 WAY, UP/DOWN AND AS A SWINGING OUT DOOR, HARNESS IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO ENDURE SURE REPETITIVE MOTION. DEALER INFORMED ME THAT THEY ARE SEEING MANY HARNESSES BEING REPLACED AND THERE IS NOW A BACK ORDER OF REPLACEMENT HARNESSES. THE NEWLY INSTALLED HARNESS IS THE SAME PART NUMBER AS NEW. IT WAS AND IS NOT AN UPDATED CAMERA WIRE HARNESS. IN CONCLUSION THIS HARNESS WILL ALSO FAIL IN THE FUTURE.

ON SUNDAY JANUARY 20TH I WAS HEADING TO MONTREAL FROM TORONTO DURING A SNOW STORM. ABOUT 2 HRS INTO THE TRIP, SOMEONE CUT IN FRONT OF ME , AND I ATTEMPTED TO SOUND THE HORN, HOWEVER IT APPEARED IT HAD FROZEN UP, AND BARELY WORKED. ALONG WITH A HORRIBLE EXHAUST VIBRATION DURING THE LAST 3 HOURS OF MY 6 HOUR TRIP. IT APPEARS THAT HONDA ISN'T READY FOR WINTER AS THRY CLAIM WITH THEIR CRV AD AT THIER WINTER TESTING FACITLY.... THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE NOT HAVING A WARNING DEVICE DURING A SNOW STORM, ALONG WITH THE ACCUMULATION OF SNOW STICKING UNDER THE VEHICLE CAUSING A TERRIBLE EXHAUST NOISE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 HONDA RIDGELINE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SAFETY SYSTEM FEATURE THAT DETECTS SURROUNDING VEHICLES DID NOT FUNCTION. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES DID NOT ACTIVATE IN ORDER TO AVOID A CRASH WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHEN VEERING OFF THE LANE, THE SYSTEM DID NOT ALERT THE DRIVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO OCEAN HONDA DEALER (8442 US-19, PORT RICHEY, FL 34668, (727) 312-0759) AND THE COURTESY PALM HARBOR HONDA (31200 US HWY 19 N, PALM HARBOR, FL 34684) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE RADAR SUB-ASSEMBLY (PART NUMBER: 36802T6ZA01) NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PARTS FOR THE REPAIR WERE ON BACKORDER. THE CONTACT WAS PROVIDED WITH CASE NUMBER: 06603727 FROM THE MANUFACTURER HOWEVER NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,700.