Ridgeline

Make
Honda
Segment
Sports Car

Owners of certain model year examples of the Honda Ridgeline, Passport, and Pilot need to pay attention. This could affect you. In coordination with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Honda has issued a recall for nearly 725,000 SUVs and trucks because there's a possibility their hoods could fly open while the vehicle is in motion.

The recall is specifically for 2019 model year Passports, 2016 through 2019 Pilots, and 2017 to 2020 Ridgelines. Honda says it's possible the hood latch striker can somehow get damaged and separate from the hood itself. Basically, there's a faulty seal located between the hood and the grille.

Once air enters the gap there's the potential for buffeting at highway speeds. These vibrations can lead to minor damage to the location where the hood latch striker and the hood meet. Having your car's hood suddenly open while cruising down a highway or any road is far from an ideal situation, to say the least.

"Hood vibration noises or a loose hood are potential warnings of a failing hood latch striker," Honda said. "A separated hood latch striker may allow the hood to open, obstructing the driver's view and increasing the risk of a crash." Owners whose vehicles are affected by this are expected to be notified by starting January 17.

A Honda dealer technician will inspect the vehicle and do one of two things: reinforce the attachment point on the hood latch striker, or replace the entire hood if the damage is deemed unrepairable. The document doesn't mention if there were any related injuries, so that's a good sign.

The recall does extend outside of the US, it should be noted. All told, the global recall is for 788,931 vehicles. Government safety agencies in those countries have also been notified of the issue and are taking necessary action. Hopefully, there won't be any flying hood between now and when the recall gets underway.