Overview
- Multiple industry reports say Honda will stop assembling the Ridgeline at its Lincoln, Alabama plant in the fourth quarter of 2026 and restart production in the third quarter of 2028 to allow time for a powertrain update.
- The pause is reported to be driven by the Ridgeline’s older J35-series V6 struggling to meet CARB LEV IV emissions rules that take effect for recent model years.
- Honda has said the Ridgeline remains important in its lineup but did not confirm the schedule while industry sources report the truck will return with a re-engineered V6 paired with two electric motors in a dual-motor hybrid layout.
- Honda and suppliers are expected to use existing Ridgeline inventory to sustain sales and reassign Alabama plant capacity to build more Passport and Odyssey SUVs during the production gap.
- Analysts and reporting link the timing to wider company constraints, including extended product cycles, supplier limits, and resources tied up by stalled EV programs, which could affect rollout timing for other V6-equipped models such as the Pilot, Passport, Odyssey and Acura MDX.