Honda is hitting the pause button on the Ridgeline. Again.
According to Automotive News, production stops in Q4. It stays off for roughly eighteen months. The culprit isn’t lack of demand or a labor dispute. It is the emissions regulations. The truck just can’t cut it anymore.
Unibody construction was always the selling point. Now it’s the problem. The aging SOHC V-6 under the hood doesn’t meet the new rules. It’s old news. Really old news. Honda uses a newer DOHC version in the Pilot and Passport, but this pickup is stuck in the past. Why swap it out earlier? You’d have to ask the engineers in Ohio.
So, what now.
A spokesperson dodged the question on inventory levels. Smart. When asked for specifics on future plans, the statement was… polite. And empty.
“[the] Ridgeline remains an importance model in our lineage… and one of our top conquests… with unique appeal.”
Fluff. All of it. The real plan is simpler. Clear the decks. Wait for the refresh.
Expect the dust to settle around late 2028. A heavily revised Ridgeline returns then. Not a full rewrite, mind you. Just updates. Styling tweaks. And finally, that newer V-6 engine gets moved over.
It’s a stopgap measure. The real shakeup doesn’t hit the showrooms until the early 2030’s. That version? Hybrid architecture. A complete change of pace.
For now, the mid-size truck segment shrinks slightly. Honda pushes back the Accord, the HR-V, the Odyssey, the Acura MDX. And now the Ridgeline. Everything is delayed. Everything is aging.
Maybe they’ll build enough stock to last until then. Or maybe they won’t.
We’ll just have to wait. And wonder if a two-year gap feels too long when you’re waiting to buy a truck that can tow a small boat but won’t pass a sniff test in 2025.
