HONDA RIDGELINE PICKUPS RECALLED BECAUSE FUEL TANK COULD DETACH DUE TO RUST

The rear frame of the trucks might corrode if exposed to road salt, posing a fire risk. Honda will buy back any severely rusted vehicles.

Honda has issued a recall for 112,060 Ridgeline pickup trucks from the 2006 through 2014 model years that were sold or registered in specific states where salt is used on roads during winter. The rear frame of the vehicle might rust if it is exposed to salt, and the fuel tank could detach from the vehicle as a result. This could cause a fire.

Only vehicles that were sold or registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Washington, D.C., are included in the recall. 

If the fuel tank is becoming detached from the vehicle, drivers may hear noises from the fuel tank and/or the bands that mount the fuel tank to the frame, according to documents Honda provided to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Honda dealerships will inspect the rear frame of the recalled vehicles to see whether there is any corrosion. Depending on what they find, they will either make repairs or—in some cases—offer to repurchase the vehicle from the owner.

In a statement, Honda said that it is not aware of any crashes or injuries related to this recall, nor have there been any instances of fuel leaks occurring. Honda says that it is aware of five customer complaints from the U.S. and “multiple” complaints from Canada regarding the rust issue but that no complaints have come from vehicles sold or registered outside of the region where salt is frequently used on roads in winter.

The Details

Vehicles recalled: Honda Ridgeline pickup trucks manufactured between Oct. 7, 2004, and June 26, 2014.

The problem: The vehicle’s rear frame may corrode after exposure to road salt. If this happens, the fuel tank might detach from the truck and cause a fire.

The fix: Dealers will inspect and repair the frame, if necessary. The repairs may include attaching a reinforcement brace, cleaning the rear frame, applying anti-corrosive wax, and attaching reinforcement plates. In some cases, Honda may offer to repurchase the vehicle.

How to contact the manufacturer: Honda will mail owner notification letters starting Aug. 1, 2022. Owners may also contact Honda at 888-234-2138.

NHTSA campaign number: 22V430.

Check to see whether your vehicle has an open recall: NHTSA’s website will tell you whether your vehicle has any open recalls that need to be addressed.

If you plug your car’s 17-digit vehicle identification number (VIN) into NHTSA’s website and a recall doesn’t appear, it means your vehicle doesn’t currently have any open recalls. Because automakers issue recalls often, and for many older vehicles, we recommend checking back regularly to see whether your vehicle has had a recall issued.

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2022-06-22T14:41:12Z dg43tfdfdgfd