Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2023-2024 Passports & Ridgelines with a customer complaint of moisture/condensation in the headlight(s). To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to inspect the vehicle prior to you attempting a repair of any kind.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2023 Honda Ridgeline lighting problems
moderate Owners of the 2023 Honda Ridgeline have filed 39 NHTSA complaints about the lighting at roughly $250 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See lighting across all vehicles →
Complaints
39
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$250
| Model year | lighting complaints |
|---|---|
| 2020 Ridgeline | 10 |
| 2021 Ridgeline | 14 |
| 2022 Ridgeline | 29 |
| 2023 Ridgeline (this page) | 39 |
| 2024 Ridgeline | 12 |
| 2025 Ridgeline | 22 |
| 2026 Ridgeline | 3 |
What stands out
Of the 9 model years of Honda Ridgeline we track for lighting problems, this one carries the most owner complaints on file — 39.
Lighting accounts for 32% of every owner complaint on file for this vehicle — the dominant problem area across 7 categories tracked.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering lighting on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Service Bulletin - The headlight seal may become damaged from a misadjusted hood. Damage to the headlight seal may lead to moisture condensation building up in the headlight.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Water and condensation regularly enter the driver-side headlight housing during wet conditions, rain, snow, or car washes—sometimes within weeks of purchase. Water pools visibly inside the lens and can freeze solid, blocking light output and affecting daytime running light function. Honda addressed this in technical service bulletin TSB23-024 (dated March 2023), which cites misaligned hoods damaging the headlight seal. Dealers have quoted $250 diagnostic fees plus replacement costs and initially told owners moisture is "normal," though some later offered warranty repair after escalation.
The automatic high-beam system is the bigger complaint. It engages high beams within 100 feet of oncoming traffic instead of dimming, then fails to stay off when approaching vehicles. Simultaneously, it dims or cuts out entirely at the sight of reflections from road signs, street lights, utility poles, or distant house lights—creating constant flickering on rural roads or neighborhoods with no traffic present. Owners report this as a widespread, long-standing issue dating back to 2020 model years. Dealerships acknowledge the problem but say Honda has no fix and advise customers to simply disable auto mode and dim lights manually. Honda confirms the system operates "as designed" and offers no recall, adjustment, firmware update, or solution.
One owner also reported LED headlights accumulating ice and snow during winter driving, since LEDs generate too little heat to melt accumulations.
Same Honda Ridgeline lighting reports on nearby years: 2020 · 2021 · 2022 · 2024 · 2025
Failure modes owners describe
Water and condensation intrusion into headlight assembly
Driver-side (occasionally both) headlight housings fill with water and condensation when driving in wet conditions, rain, snow, or after car washes. Water can freeze inside the lens, impairing visibility. A Honda technical service bulletin (TSB23-024) addresses moisture in 2017–2023 Ridgeline headlights, citing misaligned hood causing headlight seal damage.
When: Occurs within first months of ownership; reported as early as ~50 miles; happens during or after wet driving conditions or car washes
Symptoms owners cite: Visible water pooling or condensation inside headlight lens; Water freezing inside the headlight; Daytime running lights operating inconsistently; Reduced headlight effectiveness and visibility; Poor headlamp performance
Repairs/costs cited: Honda TSB23-024 recommends replacing affected headlight(s) and readjusting hood stoppers. Dealers have quoted $250 diagnostic fee plus replacement costs. Some dealers initially claimed water inside headlights is 'normal' before escalating warranty claims.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Honda TSB23-024 (dated 3/3/2023) for moisture in headlights on 2017–2023 Ridgeline. Dealers initially denied warranty coverage, claiming it is not a recall; some later offered warranty repair after escalation to Honda Customer Service. Customer Service later refused further intervention on some cases.
Automatic high-beam system erratic and overly sensitive
Auto high-beam function engages and disengages unpredictably. System activates high beams inappropriately when approaching oncoming traffic, sometimes within 100 feet, causing potential blinding hazard. System also dims or deactivates when detecting reflections from road signs, street lights, distant structures, or road markings—not actual oncoming vehicles. Constant flickering between high and low beams occurs with no traffic present, creating distraction and visibility loss. Multiple owners report this as a known issue across 2020+ model years, with some noting the feature worked properly on 2019 and earlier models.
When: Present since purchase; reported on vehicles with as few as 560 miles; one case noted camera sensor failure at ~50 miles
Symptoms owners cite: High beams engage within 100 feet of oncoming vehicle instead of disengaging; High beams fail to disengage when approaching oncoming traffic; High beams activate and deactivate erratically on empty roads with no oncoming vehicles; System dims or deactivates in response to reflections from road signs, street lights, utility poles, reflectors, or distant house lights; Flickering or constant switching between low and high beams, especially in neighborhoods or near road signs; System does not activate high beams on very dark roads where activation is needed; Activation only occurs above ~45 mph on some vehicles; Complete failure—auto high-beam feature does not function at all on some units
Codes mentioned: Camera sensor fault (reported in one case)
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers have attempted adjustments (service advisors have taken vehicles home to test), but no permanent fix has been applied. Owners report receiving no parts replacement or firmware updates. One case mentioned 'the dash computer' adjustments did not help. Door switch replacement on one vehicle did not resolve the issue.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Honda confirms the system is 'operating as designed.' Service advisors at multiple dealerships state Honda is aware of the problem but has no fix available. Honda Customer Service has documented owner dissatisfaction but stated the vehicle operates as designed and offered no recall. One dealership advised customer to disable the feature and use manual dimming instead. Owners cite knowledge of this issue dating back to 2020 model year with no engineering correction made since then.
LED headlight ice and snow accumulation in cold climates
LED headlights on 2023 Ridgeline accumulate ice and snow on the lens during winter driving in sleet and snow conditions. Owner attributes this to LED headlights generating less than 10% of the heat produced by incandescent/halogen bulbs, insufficient to melt accumulations. This is reported as unexpected compared to owner's previous vehicles with traditional bulbs and creates visibility and safety hazards in snowy regions.
When: During winter conditions (sleet/snow); one reported incident on 2/21/26
Symptoms owners cite: Ice coating on headlight lens requiring manual scraping to restore visibility; Dramatic decrease in headlight effectiveness during snow/sleet conditions; Reduced visibility due to lens obstruction
Repairs/costs cited: No repair or mitigation mentioned by owners or dealers; owner suggested need for wiper mechanism or defrost system similar to Volvo headlights.
Synthesized from 39 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 3 most recent
Automatic high beams do not come on enough, turn off with slightest reflected light.
The Auto High Beam functionality is erratic and dangerous. The high beams go off unexpectedly when needed. The high beams come on unexpectedly when there are close oncoming vehicles blinding these drivers and causing a road rage potential. This is a common complaint on the Honda Ridgeline forum. I made both our dealer and Honda USA aware of this problem weeks after I purchased this truck and…
Auto high beams do not work properly. When using they do not work as intended and cause an extreme danger for visibility. I nearly hit a deer at highway speeds due to failure to operate when should have been in high beam. Also they go on and off causing blinding to oncoming traffic. This is a well known problem documented by numerous honda Ridgeline owners. It needs to be fixed before more people…
Had lighting trouble with your 2023 Honda Ridgeline?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the lighting problem on the 2023 Honda Ridgeline?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 39 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $250 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the lighting typically fail?
Mileage data is limited for this issue. Owners report failures across a wide range, suggesting cause is more about driving conditions and maintenance than mileage alone.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $250 for lighting repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to lighting?
No active recalls currently cover lighting issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2023/Honda/Ridgeline.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.