Free. Instant. No signup. Pulls recalls and complaints for your exact vehicle.

Couldn't find that VIN. Check the digits and try again.

Direct rivals · Direct rivals in the midsize truck segment

2017 Chevrolet Silverado vs 2017 Honda Ridgeline

Reliability comparison based on NHTSA recall and complaint records.

Synced 2026-09-13 Source: NHTSA public records Reviewed by ASE-certified contributors
Quick verdict
2017 Chevrolet Silverado clearly comes out ahead on reliability data

Two trucks built for the same buyer, and the data tells a clear story. The 2017 Chevrolet Silverado edges the 2017 Honda Ridgeline on reliability scoring (3.4 versus 2.7) with meaningful gaps in complaint volume and severity. Real differences, not noise.

More reliable

2017 Chevrolet Silverado

3.4/5
Reliability score
836 complaints
0 recalls (0 critical)
$14,550 repair exposure
vs

2017 Honda Ridgeline

2.7/5
Reliability score
337 complaints
9 recalls (0 critical)
$11,200 repair exposure

Stories from the shop

If I'm picking between these two head-to-head, I'm taking the 2017 Chevrolet Silverado. Reliability score's a solid 3.4 versus 2.7 on the 2017 Honda Ridgeline, and the complaint counts back it up — 836 versus 337. That's not noise, that's a real gap between rivals built for the same buyer.

If you lean 2017 Chevrolet Silverado, know what you're getting into on powertrain and electrical. Those categories have noticeably more complaints than the 2017 Honda Ridgeline sees, and they're not cheap items when they go.

Going with the 2017 Honda Ridgeline? Watch the lighting and cruise control. The 2017 Chevrolet Silverado has fewer reports in those categories, so you'd be trading one set of weak spots for another.

On the dollars-and-cents side, total repair exposure across the top problem areas runs 1.3x higher on the 2017 Chevrolet Silverado. That's the number to keep in mind when you're pricing the deal — a $2,000 difference in purchase price disappears the first time you're staring at a transmission rebuild.

Bottom line: pick based on use case more than the spec sheet. If you tow heavy and don't want to think about it, that's one calculation. If you're a daily driver and want the cheapest path forward, that's another. Both of these will get you down the road. We're just telling you where each one is most likely to break.

— ProblemsByVin editorial team, drawing on the NHTSA data and shop experience.

Side-by-side by problem area

Category
2017 Chevrolet Silverado
2017 Honda Ridgeline
powertrain
216 reports
moderate · ~$2,500
41 reports
moderate · ~$2,500
electrical
102 reports
severe · ~$850
83 reports
moderate · ~$850
brakes
172 reports
severe · ~$450
8 reports
severe · ~$450
engine
72 reports
moderate · ~$3,100
71 reports
severe · ~$3,100
steering
66 reports
severe · ~$700
No reports
visibility
19 reports
severe · ~$350
12 reports
severe · ~$350
airbags
29 reports
severe · ~$1,100
No reports
body
19 reports
severe · ~$1,500
10 reports
moderate · ~$1,500
lighting
No reports
5 reports
moderate · ~$250
cruise control
No reports
4 reports
moderate · ~$600

Common questions

Which is more reliable, the 2017 Chevrolet Silverado or the 2017 Honda Ridgeline?

Based on the NHTSA data we track, the 2017 Chevrolet Silverado comes out ahead with a reliability score of 3.4 versus 2.7. The margin is clear, so the verdict could shift if you weight specific categories differently or factor in your own use case.

What goes wrong more often on the 2017 Chevrolet Silverado?

Compared to the 2017 Honda Ridgeline, the 2017 Chevrolet Silverado sees more reported issues in powertrain and electrical. That doesn't mean it's a bad truck — it means those are the categories worth budgeting for if you go that direction.

What goes wrong more often on the 2017 Honda Ridgeline?

Compared to the 2017 Chevrolet Silverado, the 2017 Honda Ridgeline has more complaints in lighting and cruise control. Whether that's a deal-breaker depends on the cost and severity — see the comparison table above for repair cost ranges.

Which has more recalls?

The 2017 Honda Ridgeline has more active recalls (9 vs 0). Total count is less important than severity, though — a vehicle with one critical recall and zero moderate ones is generally riskier than one with five moderate recalls.

Is an extended warranty worth it on either of these?

Both vehicles are out of factory bumper-to-bumper coverage at this point. Combined repair exposure across the top problem categories runs around $14,550 on the higher-risk vehicle. A quality service contract typically costs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years, so a single major failure usually pays for the contract. The math favors warranty coverage on whichever vehicle you choose, especially if you plan to keep it past 100,000 miles.

Related comparisons

Reliability scores, complaint counts, and severity ratings derived from the NHTSA public records database. Verify each vehicle's federal record: 2017 Chevrolet Silverado on NHTSA · 2017 Honda Ridgeline on NHTSA. "Repair exposure" is the sum of average independent-shop repair costs across each vehicle's tracked problem categories and is intended as a relative comparison, not an exact prediction. Editorial commentary written by ProblemsByVin contributors and reviewed by ASE-certified mechanics. Some links on this page are affiliate links.
Sponsored
Get a free warranty quote →