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Two later engine safety recalls reach the third-generation J35Y6 (VCM) V6 in the 2017-2019 Ridgeline. Recall 23V751000 (2024): a connecting-rod bearing may wear and seize, damaging the engine and causing it to run improperly or stall -- it covers the 2017 and 2019 Ridgeline (and 2016/2018-2019 Pilot, 2018-2019 Odyssey and several Acura models beyond these windows); dealers inspect and repair or replace the engine free. Recall 19V298000 (2019): the timing-belt teeth may separate from the belt and stall the engine -- it covers the 2019 Ridgeline (and 2018-2019 Pilot, 2019 Odyssey, plus Acura models); dealers inspect and replace the belt, and inspect the engine, free. A snapped belt matters because the J35 is an interference engine on a scheduled timing-belt interval, unlike Honda's four-cylinders.

Check — On a 2017-2019 Ridgeline (or a later Pilot/Odyssey), run the VIN and confirm both 23V751000 (rod bearing) and 19V298000 (timing belt) are closed. Independently, confirm the timing belt has been serviced on schedule -- the J35 is an interference design, so a broken belt means bent valves, not just a tow.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM is the top complaint component on the fifth-generation Odyssey, and the recurring story is an unstable infotainment head unit: crackling or popping from the speakers, "network connection lost" errors, the center screen going black, and the system rebooting itself while driving -- which also blanks the rearview camera and navigation. Recall 23V431000 covers 2018-2023 Odyssey vehicles in which a faulty Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) communication cable connector can keep the rearview camera image from appearing, a backing-up hazard; owners describe symptoms that match. The head-unit instability itself is mostly a comfort and usability problem, but the lost backup camera is a safety-relevant loss.

Check — Sit with the infotainment system running for a while: check for audio popping, screen blackouts, reboots, and that the rearview camera image reliably appears when reverse is selected. On a 2018-2023 example, run the VIN and confirm rearview-camera recall 23V431000 (MOST cable connector) is closed. Ask whether the head unit has been replaced or software-updated.