2021 Honda Ridgeline - Wind noise issue

Excessive wind noise, like a howling, about 60 mph.

have you contacted with your dealer about this?

This is one of those situations where ā€œthey all do thatā€ might be true. See if your dealer will let you drive another Ridgeline. Aerodynamics of trucks are different than cars.

1 Like

it could just be the wind hitting your outside mirrors making it howl. but you did not say if the window was open a little or fully closed.

Windows fully closed. I blue-taped around windshield molding, didnā€™t resolve howling. I have contacted two local dealerships who have no knowledge of Ridgelineā€™s making howling noises at high speeds.
Iā€™m reluctant to take it to dealer, but truck is under warranty so itā€™s Hondaā€™s responsibility to fix. This howling noise at high speeds >60 MPH is very loud and not simply wind noise.

Will the dealership mechanic ride with you to verify what you are hearing?

here is a ridgeline forum discussing your problem
Wind Noise?? In ā€˜21 G2.5 Ridgeline | Honda Ridgeline Owners Club Forums

1 Like

This is your ONLY recourse unless YOU want to pay to have it fixedā€¦ and that wonā€™t be cheap because time will need need be spent by an expert to determine the cause and then more time spent to develop a fix.

If itā€™s under warranty, why are you reluctant to take it to a dealer?

Hi, I will take it to the dealer, eventually. However, I am reluctant since the Ridgeline boards seem to imply this is a common issue however, the two local dealers I called are not aware of this issue. I imagine a tech, paid to do warranty work as quickly as possible may not take the time to fully diagnose the issue. You are right, the dealer is my only option. I was hoping the Honda engineers were aware of this since so many other owners have taken it to their local dealers with limited success.
thanks,
Chuck P

I wouldnā€™t trust their ā€˜we donā€™t know about itā€™ response. If they claim itā€™s normal, Iā€™d ask for a test drive in another Ridgeline to see.

While I agree, it is also possible that this is ā€œnormalā€ for that model.
If it is truly a case of ā€œthey all do thatā€, then the dealer and the mfr will not have a solution to the problem. Some vehicles just have more wind noise than others.

https://youtu.be/PHD-vwtqk74

I tried to record the noise Iā€™ll share with dealer

That whistling sound is not normal. Take it to the dealer. Just remember that they canā€™t do anything under warranty unless Honda allows it. If they say they canā€™t hear it, take them for a ride and point out the whistle when it occurs. If they still canā€™t hear it, try another dealer or call Honda. If you contact Honda directly, be sure to tell them that the dealer blew you off. If they blow you off, that is.

It has to be caused by something. A seal isnā€™t sealing, something has broken or changed shape. Unless thereā€™s something obviously wrong that you can spot by inspection, you need to expand your previous tape-up experiments. You were on the right track there. Place tape around every interface that is supposed to be sealed, especially all the roll-up windows, and the door closure interfaces. For the driverā€™s side door you may need help from someone to place tape after you get in the driverā€™s seat. Make sure you can still get out in an emergency of course. You donā€™t have to tape everything at once, just tape a few areas, and see if there is any improvement. Eventually something you tape will produce a big improvement. Ray discussed a similar situation on the show and recalled a customerā€™s car; he tried this and that and couldnā€™t figure out the cause of the wind noise. The customer kept bringing it back to the shop. Then one day he took it for a test drive and accidentally put his hand on the roof rack. Voila.

found this on another site. maybe it will help.

I can hear the same wind noise at highway speed. The higher the speed, the louder it gets. Itā€™s really annoying at 75mph, especially if there are strong cross winds. I realized that my wife could also hear it on the passenger side as she tried opening and closing the passenger window while we were on the highway.

If I pushed out on the top of the door/window while driving, there would be a wind noise, but itā€™s a different sound.

I tried all the various fixes offer here such as trying to adjust the latch, making sure the trim between the windows is secure, tightening the rubber door stops, etc. But nothing worked.

I may have found the source.

The trim that runs vertical along the edges of the windshield is not secure at the top corner. (see the attached photos) You can easily pull it out with a finger. So, I covered the area with a piece of duct tape, sealing the piece to the windshield. On my next trip at highway speeds, I didnā€™t notice the noise anymore. Yesterday, I removed the tape and took another trip. The wind noise was again very noticeable.

Iā€™m going to try taping it down again to see if I get the same results. Maybe this will work for others.

Attachments

  • 20180214_081749.jpg

20180214_081749.jpg

73.6 KBViews: 880

  • 20180214_081818.jpg

20180214_081818.jpg

75.6 KBViews: 848

A neighbor of mine w/Tesla 3 has tape on both sides, at the very rear where, an acute triangle forms, the rear passenger windows stop and roof line meet. Itā€™s sort of unattractive, I asked why, wind noise.

thanks all for great suggestions. Much appreciated!
Chuck P

I have the same issue on my 2021 Ridgeline Sport. Iā€™m not sure what the cause is yet, but try thisā€¦ Squirt windshield washer fluid while the sound is happening, do this two or three times. The noise should go away. We took a 4 hour trip last weekend and this trick was our saving grace. Note, the sound will come back after things dry out, just squirt it again and the noise will stop. Itā€™s not a complete fix, but a way to keep yourself from going crazy while driving 60 plus mph.

Do you think itā€™s plugging up a leaking windshield seal (Iā€™d have thought they were glued in)? If thatā€™s the case then the windshield needs to be resealed under warranty.

Or might it be getting to the door seals? I might try some silicone rubber seal lubricant, if thatā€™s the case, to let the door seals work better.