2019 Acura RDX

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2019 Acura RDX has 558 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 7.0x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is other problems (24% of all complaints), specifically: the electronics on the vehicle - the phone, navigation system, radio - freeze up and won't function. the navigation system's keypad doesn't work. apparently this is now a frequent problem on 2019 acura rdx's.

3 injuries

558

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

7.0x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

OTHER

136 complaints

24%

• THE ELECTRONICS ON THE VEHICLE - THE PHONE, NAVIGATION SYSTEM, RADIO - FREEZE UP AND WON'T FUNCTION. THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM'S KEYPAD DOESN'T WORK. APPARENTLY THIS IS NOW A FREQUENT PROBLEM ON 2019 ACURA RDX'S
• VOICE RECOGNITION WITH APPLE CARPLAY AND 3RD PARTY APPS FAILS TO FUNCTION WHICH CAN LEAD TO DRIVER DISTRACTION RESULTING IN COLLISIONS. THIS IS AN APPLE ISSUE, NOT AN ACURA ISSUE. THIRD PARTY APPS FOR APPLE CARPLAY HAVE BEEN RELEASED SEVERAL WEEKS AGO FROM THIS DATE BUT VOICE RECOGNITION WILL NOT
• AFTER APPLE'S IOS UPDATE FOR IPHONE, APPLE CARPLAY HAS BECOME UNSTABLE AND CRASHES FOR NO APPARENT REASON RESULTING IN ACTIVE NAVIGATION SERVICES WHILE DRIVING, BECOMING UNUSABLE WITHOUT WARNING. RESTARTING THE ACURA TECHNOLOGY AND/OR THE IPHONE RESULTS IN CONTINUED SPORADIC BUT UNUSEABLE OPERATION.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“THE ELECTRONICS ON THE VEHICLE - THE PHONE, NAVIGATION SYSTEM, RADIO - FREEZE UP AND WON'T FUNCTION. THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM'S KEYPAD DOESN'T WORK. APPARENTLY THIS IS NOW A FREQUENT PROBLEM ON 2019 ACURA RDX'S”

— NHTSA complaint filing

VISIBILITY

113 complaints

20%

• SINCE PURCHASING CAR, I'VE HAD: SQUEAKY BRAKES. ACURA IS AWARE BUT DOES NOT HAVE FIX. LANE DEPARTURE ISSUE. A LOT OF "FALSE POSITIVES" WHICH CAUSES CAR TO SHAKE AND SLOW DOWN - VERY DANGEROUS WHEN ANOTHER CAR IS DRIVING BEHIND. ACURA IS AWARE BUT DOES NOT HAVE FIX. ISSUES WITH RADIO AND APPLE
• WINDSHIELD CHIPS, SCRATCHES, CRACKS VERY EASILY. ONCE A CHIP OCCURS, WINDSHIELD CRACK(S) EXPAND SIGNIFICANTLY IN JUST HOURS/DAYS. THIS CAUSES OBVIOUS DRIVER INTERFERENCE OF VISIBILITY. HAVE HAD TO REPLACE 4 WINDSHIELDS PROFESSIONALLY IN 40K MILES AT 18 MONTHS FROM PURCHASE.
• Windshield chips and cracks easily from minor road debris. My 2019 Acura RDX Advanced with approximately 22,000 miles has needed to have the windshield replaced 3 times since purchasing (fourth windshield since buying). The latest replacement lasted less than a week before cracking again. These c

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“SINCE PURCHASING CAR, I'VE HAD: SQUEAKY BRAKES. ACURA IS AWARE BUT DOES NOT HAVE FIX. LANE DEPARTURE ISSUE. A LOT OF "FALSE POSITIVES" WHICH CAUSES CAR TO SHAKE AND SLOW DOWN - VERY DANGEROUS WHEN ANOTHER CAR IS DRIVING BEHIND. ACURA IS AWARE BUT DOES NOT HAVE FIX. ISSUES WITH RADIO AND APPLE”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

87 complaints

16%

• THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION IN TRAFFIC, WHILE IN MOTION. THE CAR REFUSED TO START UP AGAIN, INDICATING A TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE CAR ALSO REFUSED TO SHUT DOWN, AND THE ELECTRONICS ARE CONFUSED. THIS IS THE THIRD INCIDENT THAT I HAD WITH THIS VEHICLE.
• MY RDX WENT INTO 'LIMP MODE' (30 MPH MAX) WHILE ON I-75 SOUTHBOUND IN MODERATE TRAFFIC NEAR MACON GA AT 10 AM TRYING TO ACCELERATE TO SPEED LIMIT (70 MPH) FROM 50 MPH AFTER BEING CUT OFF BY AN INATTENTIVE DRIVER. ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT WAS BLINKING. GOT TO RIGHT SHOULDER SAFELY AND TURNED ENGINE
• AFTER DRIVING 100 MILES BETWEEN 70 AND 75 MILES AN HOUR IN LEFT LANE OF 3 LANE FREEWAY, THE ENGINE QUITS AND GOES INTO LIMP MODE PRODUCING ALMOST NO ENGINE POWER. IN LIMP MODE THE ENGINE RAN, BUT ONLY PRODUCED ENOUGH POWER TO FOR CAR TO DO 20 MPH. TURNED OF ENGINE, CHECKED OIL AND COOLANT, BOTH FI

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION IN TRAFFIC, WHILE IN MOTION. THE CAR REFUSED TO START UP AGAIN, INDICATING A TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE CAR ALSO REFUSED TO SHUT DOWN, AND THE ELECTRONICS ARE CONFUSED. THIS IS THE THIRD INCIDENT THAT I HAD WITH THIS VEHICLE.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

FUEL SYSTEM

43 complaints

• TRYING TO OVERTAKE SLOWER CAR ON TWO LANE ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 60MPH, CAR LOST ALL POWER WENT INTO "LIMP MODE" FORCED TO FIND WAY OFF ROAD ON BUSY ROAD. USING 93 OCTANE GAS, SUNNY DAY. WAITED FEW MINUTES RESTARTED VEHICLE. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION.
• ON WEDNESDAY, OCT 16, 2019, I WAS DRIVING THIS RDX FOR ABOUT 2 HOURS, AND WAS GOING SOUTH ON N CAROLINA RT #171 IN A STEADY RAIN ON A FLAT ROAD. I DROVE BEHIND A 18 WHEEL LOG TRUCK FOR 10-15 MINUTES AT 50-55MPH BEFORE CONFIRMING THERE WAS NO VEHICLES COMING THE OTHER WAY. WHEN IT WAS CLEAR FOR 1
• WE TURNED ONTO THE ON-RAMP OF I40 WEST IN ARKANSAS AT EXIT 58 HEADING WEST. I ACCELERATED TO GET UP TO SPEED TO MERGE ONTO THE HIGHWAY. WHEN I REACHED 70MPH THE CAR STOPPED ACCELERATION AND VERY RAPIDLY SLOWED TO 20MPH IN FRONT OF MULTIPLE CARS AND SEMI TRUCKS. I WAS LUCKY TO HAVE BEEN MISSED BY THE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“TRYING TO OVERTAKE SLOWER CAR ON TWO LANE ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 60MPH, CAR LOST ALL POWER WENT INTO "LIMP MODE" FORCED TO FIND WAY OFF ROAD ON BUSY ROAD. USING 93 OCTANE GAS, SUNNY DAY. WAITED FEW MINUTES RESTARTED VEHICLE. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

37 complaints

• THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION IN TRAFFIC, WHILE IN MOTION. THE CAR REFUSED TO START UP AGAIN, INDICATING A TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE CAR ALSO REFUSED TO SHUT DOWN, AND THE ELECTRONICS ARE CONFUSED. THIS IS THE THIRD INCIDENT THAT I HAD WITH THIS VEHICLE.
• VOICE RECOGNITION WITH APPLE CARPLAY AND 3RD PARTY APPS FAILS TO FUNCTION WHICH CAN LEAD TO DRIVER DISTRACTION RESULTING IN COLLISIONS. THIS IS AN APPLE ISSUE, NOT AN ACURA ISSUE. THIRD PARTY APPS FOR APPLE CARPLAY HAVE BEEN RELEASED SEVERAL WEEKS AGO FROM THIS DATE BUT VOICE RECOGNITION WILL NOT
• ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL FAILED TO DETECT VEHICLE IN FRONT, NEAR COLLISION. LOOKS TO BE RELATED TO SOFTWARE/FIRMWARE AS OTHER INSTRUMENTATION ALSO APPEARED TO HANG/PAUSE. VEHICLE WAS ALSO SOLD WITHOUT A WORKING HORN

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

VISIBILITY(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

FUEL SYSTEM(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 558 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
OTHER: THE ELECTRONICS ON THE VEHICLE - THE PHONE, NAVIGATION SYSTEM, RADIO - FREEZE UP AND WON'T FUNCTION. THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM'S KEYPAD DOESN'T WORK. APPARENTLY THIS IS NOW A FREQUENT PROBLEM ON 2019 ACURA RDX'S
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
VISIBILITY: SINCE PURCHASING CAR, I'VE HAD: SQUEAKY BRAKES. ACURA IS AWARE BUT DOES NOT HAVE FIX. LANE DEPARTURE ISSUE. A LOT OF "FALSE POSITIVES" WHICH CAUSES CAR TO SHAKE AND SLOW DOWN - VERY DANGEROUS WHEN ANOTHER CAR IS DRIVING BEHIND. ACURA IS AWARE BUT DOES NOT HAVE FIX. ISSUES WITH RADIO AND APPLE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION IN TRAFFIC, WHILE IN MOTION. THE CAR REFUSED TO START UP AGAIN, INDICATING A TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE CAR ALSO REFUSED TO SHUT DOWN, AND THE ELECTRONICS ARE CONFUSED. THIS IS THE THIRD INCIDENT THAT I HAD WITH THIS VEHICLE.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
FUEL SYSTEM: TRYING TO OVERTAKE SLOWER CAR ON TWO LANE ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 60MPH, CAR LOST ALL POWER WENT INTO "LIMP MODE" FORCED TO FIND WAY OFF ROAD ON BUSY ROAD. USING 93 OCTANE GAS, SUNNY DAY. WAITED FEW MINUTES RESTARTED VEHICLE. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)