08 Honda Ridgelne RTS

[mjk]

Hello,

Just looking for overall thoughts on this vehicle. Have a 1 owner, lower than average miles, and priced at fair value, pop up locally.


Thank you.

 

[supton]

What do you want to do with it? And what is your tolerance for other's opinion of your vehicle?

Off the top of my head, it's a timing belt motor and an interference motor at that. 105k change interval? It might be due now just on age. I think that vintage is known for the radiator leaking coolant into the ATF cooling circuit, so a proactive radiator swap may be in order. Beyond that I'm not sure anything else is of real note. Other than those who would poo on it for not having a real frame and not being able to 10k and whatnot. MPG was never a strong point, averaging 18 or so, about the same as full sized trucks, but smaller and more car like in ride and handling. YMMV.

 

[jayjr1105]

The engine is a J series and are rather bulletproof if you do regular maintenance. I think the Transmission was rather improved too since 07. See if he/she has service records. Don't expect actual truck performance since it's the same engine used in minivans.

 

[PowerSurge]

If it's in great shape and the price is fair, buy it. Who cares if some people think it's not a real truck? You can tell the world you're not compensating.

 

[mez]

I have 2006 RTL Ridgeline with 182K TROUBLE FREE miles. Done nothing but normal maintenance and It's so easy to maintain. Don't know the details of the one you are looking at but they are a great comfortable driving truck. Visit https://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/ forum for additional info.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted by supton
What do you want to do with it? And what is your tolerance for other's opinion of your vehicle?

Off the top of my head, it's a timing belt motor and an interference motor at that. 105k change interval? It might be due now just on age. I think that vintage is known for the radiator leaking coolant into the ATF cooling circuit, so a proactive radiator swap may be in order. Beyond that I'm not sure anything else is of real note. Other than those who would poo on it for not having a real frame and not being able to 10k and whatnot. MPG was never a strong point, averaging 18 or so, about the same as full sized trucks, but smaller and more car like in ride and handling. YMMV.

supton pretty much nailed it.

The timing belt is fairly easy to do. An Aisin TKH002 kit from Rockauto, Bando Drive Belt, 6 spark plugs and a pair of valve cover gaskets will cost you under $400 and the entire job (including valve adjust) can be done in one day.

 

[NormanBuntz]

See my sig. My 2007 RTS has been excellent for me. Only four things have broken in 13+ years: right front drive axle leaked after 10 years, cloth headliner started sagging after 10 years (ez fix by an upholstery shop), A/C clutch relay ($12) failed this year and the seat clips on both rear seats that hold them upright (I use bungee cords) broke in year 4. It's been easy on tires, brakes and shocks/struts. 105K is the interval for the timing belt, but Honda recommends 9 years if the mileage is less. The job is not as costly as some vehicles. Oil changes are a snap. I've used mostly synthetic blends, and the engine uses no oil. And I've heard no stories about radiator leaks into the A/T.

It's no work truck, but it's served me very well, including some long distance towing. I get 21-22 mpg highway and 17-18 mpg in mixed driving. You should like the car like ride. I've enjoyed mine so much that three years ago I added front leather seats. The one thing I miss is a backup camera. Maybe the 2008 has one. If you have good service records and it's fairly priced, It's hard to go wrong.

 

[Aichiguy]

I just bought an 09 3 months ago. Miles and maintenance were in order so I overlooked a few cosmetic issues.
The first thing I did was get it to a mechanic for a fresh timing belt/water pump. (94k)
I like the way it sits up. It's at least as quiet as my wife's 19 CR-V. It goes GREAT in snow. Gas mileage not so good. Around 17 in the cold. I could probably baby it to get 20 in the summer. The sound system, sunroof, and heated seats are nice but only happened to be on this used one.
This is a test to see if ultimately I will get a gen 2. I'm watching owners' reviews on these. 25 mpg is more palatable.
It seems they routinely go 200 to 300k so it's relatively cheap transportation. I'm not crazy about the gen 1 styling but that's subjective.
Oh, and look inside the oil fill cap and check for neglect. One I looked at was sludgy. Too bad because it was a creampuff.

 

[mjk]

I have no need for a 'real truck', but the utility of it is what I am after. Whatever I tow, if I even tow in the next few years, would be 2.5k or less. The car like ride, all wheel drive, and reliability of the engine is what intrigues me.

Alll wheel drive certainly has its merits in MN, and gas mileage will be better than the 01 Tahoe I am selling this spring.

 

[14Accent]

It's just a Pilot with a "bed" on it. You really won't have any issues with it, just stay up on maintenance.

Timing belt every 105k, trans D&F with DW-1 every 30k, rear diff with VTM4 every 30k, and transfer case with whatever 75w-90 is cheap at the time.

Issues are minor:

Plan on doing the P/S pressure hose. It's not a matter of if, but when. It's not fun to replace.

Wheel bearings aren't common, but aren't uncommon.

Struts seem to get eaten by Pilot's/RL's. Figure once every 80-100k

LCA's, specifically the "compliance bushings" (as Honda calls them) tend to fail around 100-150k. Replacing the entire arm is usualy the most cost-efficient.

2009 is in the year range that Honda had lots of issues with the Hands-Free modules in all their cars. They fail, stay awake after key-off, and kill the battery. Luckily, if you don't care about built-in Bluetooth technology from 10 years ago you can unplug the module in around 15 minutes and the problem is solved for the low low price of free.99

 

[RichR]

I have had two as daily drivers,one currently .Love them!
The only issue I remember not mentioned here from ROC threads is the number four spark plug backs out and burns up the cylinder[iirc] in the early model years ('06-'08).
They have a good reliable reputation and are great stable AWD for snow and ice.
Let us know if you get one!