A family pickup with a serious blind spot: where Honda Ridgeline lets rear passengers down

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The Honda Ridgeline 2026 unexpectedly performed poorly in IIHS testing. While the pickup carries the maximum overall safety score under NHTSA’s methodology, the updated moderate overlap frontal crash test revealed serious problems with rear-passenger protection.

From the outside, the impact looks routine, but sensors on the rear dummy recorded a risk of head and neck injury. The shoulder belt stayed on the chest, yet the lap portion shifted onto the abdomen, raising the likelihood of internal injuries. On top of that, the headrest came loose from the rear seat during the rebound, and a piece of interior trim flew past the passenger’s head.

The small overlap frontal test wasn’t flawless either. IIHS flagged a slight risk of injury to the driver’s legs and feet. The front dummy’s head barely brushed the airbag before sliding forward and striking the dashboard.

The Ridgeline did better in the side-impact test, earning a Good rating. But the front crash prevention systems still drew criticism: IIHS faulted Collision Mitigation Braking in both the vehicle-to-vehicle scenario and the pedestrian simulation.

The headlights didn’t score well either. The LED low-beam projectors showed inadequate visibility on the gradual left curve, and the halogen high beams proved weak on both sides of the straightaway.

There are concerns about the child seat anchors, too. The LATCH anchors are hard to find, and the lower attachment points sit too deep in the seats. For a crew-cab pickup that often doubles as a family vehicle, that’s a meaningful drawback.

The Ridgeline isn’t young anymore: the second generation debuted in 2016, with a major refresh in 2020. In the US, the pickup starts at $40,795 before destination and taxes — roughly €37,600. Under the hood sits a 3.5-liter V6 J35Y6, the same engine used in the Odyssey minivan. Fuel economy is nothing to write home about either: around 11.2 L/100 km combined.

The bottom line is straightforward: the Ridgeline remains a comfortable, practical pickup, but as a family vehicle it now deserves a more cautious look — especially if children or adult passengers regularly ride in the back row.