The affected units include all of those sold in Canada and in the US salt belt
The rear frame could rust in a way that might damage the fuel tank
Depending on the extent of the rust, Honda will either repair or buy back the vehicles
Honda has announced a recall for over 140,000 units of the first-generation Ridgeline pickup in North America due to possible corrosion problems that could lead to a fuel leak.
According to the manufacturer, the rear frame of the pickup can accumulate dirt and de-icing agents in a way that could accelerate the formation of rust.
This could be problematic on its own as was seen on older Toyota Tacoma models and Honda’s own CR-V, but in this case, the recall is for another reason.
The place where the frame is most likely to rot is the spot where the straps that hold the gas tank in place are attached. This means that if the rust gets to these mounting points, the fuel tank could become unsecured.
In tests conducted by the automaker, this was shown to cause the fuel tank to get damaged by colliding repeatedly with the frame or the floor of the vehicle, which could cause it to leak and thus increase the risk of an accidental fire.
Since the issue is brought about by corrosion, only the vehicles sold or registered in places where road salt and other damaging substances are used in the winter are subject to the recall.
This still represents 31,862 vehicles in Canada and 112,060 in 23 US states in the North-East and the Midwest. All of these models were built between October 2004 and June 2014.
To fix this problem, Honda dealers will inspect the vehicles, and depending on the severity of the corrosion found, will either clean the frame and add a rust protection substance or they will repair the frame by adding reinforcement plates and brackets. In extreme cases, Honda said it will buy the vehicles back from their owners and scrap them
Owners of a first-generation Ridgeline that was sold or ever registered in one of the at-risk states or provinces can expect to be notified of the recall by mail around the beginning of August.
