Is there a 2024 Honda Ridgeline stop sale?

In our Q2 sales recap, we noted that the 2024 Honda Ridgeline had an inexplicable sales drop, being down 18.6% from last year Q2 sales and down 28.3% in year-over-year sales. However, it seems there might be an explanation after all. There may be a 2024 Honda Ridgeline stop sale.

The rear-camera recall

In early May, Honda issued a recall for the 2020 – 2024 Honda Ridgeline. The gist of the recall is that the electric wiring for the rear-view camera, located in the tailgate, could fatigue and break in the presence of freezing salt and water. So, the pickups sold in all those Midwestern and Northern states that get winter weather and use salt on their roads are at increased risk for failure.

The recall potentially involves 187,290 pickups, but Honda estimates that only 3% of the trucks have this defect. The remedy: Honda will replace the rear-view tailgate harness with an improved part. Furthermore, owners who have replaced this part with their own money may be eligible for reimbursement.

The original recall by Honda dropped on May 14, 2024, and owner notifications were set to go out at the beginning of July 2024, and per the Honda Ridgeline Owners Club forum, some owners have started to get recall letters. 

2024 Honda Ridgeline stop sale

The Honda Ridgeline owners club forum posted a notice about the stop sale in early May, stating that it was specifically due to this recall. 

We reached out to Honda, and Spokesperson Chris Martin said there was a stop sale but only on vehicles that had the defective part.

“[G]eneral recall repairs are not yet underway due to low parts inventory, but we are repairing vehicles that actually experience a problem and in-stock dealer units as limited parts supplies arrive,” Martin said. “So, there’s not a general ‘stop sale’ on all Ridgelines. Once a vehicle gets the fix, it can be sold.”

Furthermore, Martin confirmed the recall and stop sale only affects vehicles produced before April 24, 2024, which is when the production line change occurred. Therefore sales might have been impacted by this defect, but all new trucks arriving at dealerships now have the improved part.

The general recall repairs should begin by this fall, Martin said.

The bottom line

Though the Honda Ridgeline gets a lot of guff as a pickup truck because of its unibody construction, it’s a solid seller for the brand, and the owners are effusively supportive of the vehicle. So, it makes sense that Honda would want to nip any potential problem in the butt to keep those future owners rabidly loyal.