Acura RDX Complaints (2015)

416 consumer complaints on file.

#11692759October 11, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The sunroof of the vehicle spontaneously shattered while driver was driving on I-5 South in Orange County, California. Driver’s safety was compromised due to the potential for glass to have entered the vehicle while vehicle was in motion. The safety of other motorists on the road was also compromised, as pieces of glass appear to have flown off the sunroof into traffic. The sudden shattering was also extremely loud and startling, which was also a safety hazard because driver could have panicked and lost control of vehicle. After calling to report the incident to Acura, owner was advised the vehicle’s sunroof has not been recalled nor is it under an extended warranty, despite evidence of a class action lawsuit against American Honda Motor Co., Inc. for related incidents in 2015 to 2021 vehicles. Per the lawsuit, which is a case out of California, the alleged defect in 2015 to 2021 model year Honda and Acura vehicles, referred to in the complaint as the “class vehicles,” puts drivers and their passengers in “serious danger,” as the sunroof explosions can cause “shards of glass to fly through their vehicles, sometimes while driving at high speeds,” and “the loud explosion and flying glass distract drivers and create a hazard to the people in the Class Vehicles and those around them.” The complaint alleges that the sunroofs in Honda and Acura vehicles are made with tempered glass that, because of the pressure created during the tempering process, has been known to “explode suddenly” if the outer layer is compromised. The lawsuit also claims Honda’s use of thin tempered glass for its sunroofs is “substandard, dangerous, and inadequate” given the material’s propensity to shatter or explode.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11691307October 3, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
My 2015 Acura RDX has such dim headlights, that I feel that it is not safe to drive at night. The headlights have gotten so dim that I can't even tell if they are on, unless I drive by a building and see the lights in the reflection. The only way I can drive safely is to have my high beam headlights on, which is not safe for other drivers. Not to mention illegal in most areas. As I understand it, the 2015 Acura RLX has had recalls for a very similar headlight issue. Why hasn't this recall been extended to the 2015 RDX, which appears to be built off the same platform, and is having the same issue?
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11691110October 2, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Can’t see to drive at night with low beams on. Miss turns at night.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11682432August 22, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The headlights on the vehicle are VERY dim, so much so that driving at night is really not safe. At any point I have a passenger in my car while dark, they always ask if I have my lights on. On roadways at night, I have to either ride behind someone else to have the road lit in front of me OR illegally drive with the high beams on. This has been an ongoing issue for a few years but I only realized recently what a real safety hazard this is when others have brought it to my attention. I have read quite a few posts that others are also having similar issues with the 2013-2015 RDX base model (the 2014-2015 Acura RLX vehicles were recalled due to the potential delamination of reflective film inside the headlights and I suspect this is a similar issue).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11681749August 19, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Purchased car with ~96k miles. Drove at night and had extremely low road visibility due to lighting. Replaced the bulbs to a high lumen LED, did not increase lighting/visibility. My research finds this to be a known issue with a refractor found behind the headlight lens within the headlamp housing.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11680227August 12, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
At night when I turn on my headlights, they turn on, however they do not reflect properly causing severe dimming and inability to see farther than 1-2 feet in front while I am driving. This is a severe safety hazard. Changing the bulbs regardless of halogen or LED does not improve. Many forums have this issue and it is too unsafe to drive at night putting myself, my passengers, and people on the street at risk. Mechanic confirms the issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11677122July 29, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The headlights on this vehicle are terrible. Have to drive with brights on at night or cannot see. I replaced with better bulbs but no improvement. I have been told this is a common problem on these vehicles and the only fix is to replace the complete headlight assembly. I was told by dealership this was approximately a $3000 job.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11676754July 28, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The headlights on this vehicle are very dim and it is dangerous to drive at night. I require my daughter to drive with the high beams on since the low beam lights are hardly functional. I've had the lights replaced at a cost of $500. This did not help the situation. The lights have failed inspection and I'm faced with having to replace the lights again for an additional $500 just to pass inspection. This fix will not resolve the issue. From what i've been able to research online, this is not an isolated situation with 2015 Acura RDX vehicles. It appears to be a result of a defect in the entire headlight assembly part, which is a significant cost to repair. I'm concerned for the safety of my daughter having to drive this vehicle and the safety of other drivers due to her needing to use her high beams more often than typically required. I contacted Acura USA and was told there were no recalls and that i needed to manage repairs through the dealership. This is an obvious safety issue that Acura should resolve.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11672543July 10, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Low beam daily headlights do not illuminate properly forcing you to use high beams constantly because you can't see the road at night. Dangerous for driver of vehicle and major hazard for cars you pass because you are using your high beam headlights all the time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11668276June 21, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The low-beam reflector itself oxidizes, is not reflective at all, and no amount of brighter bulbs or clean outside lenses will help with a reflector that doesn’t reflect. (It’s also not related to the cloudy inner-lens. It’s the reflector.) Replacing the entire headlight assembly is the only solution which is about 1,000.00 many people are complaing of this. This should be a recall from Acura. On this model car, the low beams get so dangerously dim, that (my case for example), I literally could not tell if the low beam headlights were on or off if I were driving on a street where any street lights (even just residential neighborhood street lights) were anywhere within eyesight. The only time I could make out that they were on would be if I were on a pitch black section of a street, in which case I could see a very faint glow that only extended maybe four-feet out.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667924June 19, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Very low light output from low beams, I have researched others, here is the same situation I have The low-beam reflector itself oxidizes, is not reflective at all, and no amount of brighter bulbs or clean outside lenses will help with a reflector that doesn’t reflect. (It’s also not related to the cloudy inner-lens. It’s the reflector.) Replacing the entire headlight assembly seems to be the only solution ($300-450 for the lights and 2-3 hours of labor) People who mean well and arent familiar with the specifics of the Acura RDX 2013 to 2015 problem will give you conventional advice (clean the outside lenses and buy the brand bulbs they like), but they are incorrect. There is a widespread and extreme problem and defect with this specific generation of the Acura RDX. On my car the low beams are so dangerously dim, that (my case for example), I literally could not tell if the low beam headlights were on or off if I were driving on a street where any street lights (even just residential neighborhood street lights) were anywhere within eyesight. The only time I could make out that they were on would be if I were on a pitch black section of a street, in which case I could see a very faint glow that only extended maybe four-feet out. And when I parked facing the garage door at night, just about three feet from the garage door, both the running lights and the flashers were far (not just a little) brighter than the low beams.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667645June 18, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Both headlight are dim, even change the headlight bulbs still dim. Night time driver can't see well is very danger!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667158June 16, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Reflective film backing material inside both headlights has delaminated to the point where it's too dim to drive safely at night.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665559June 7, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
I recently purchased this vehicle used, and just drove it at night for the first time. The low-beam headlights are extremely dim, to the point that it was difficult to tell if they were even turned on. This made it very difficult to drive in the dark, and I nearly went off the road as a result. The vehicle has not been inspected by a dealer, service center, or other party, but I did confirm that the headlights were operating, but remained dangerously dim. No warning lights or messages came on to indicate any sort of problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11659565May 7, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The contact's owns a 2015 Acura RDX. The contact stated that the front headlights had become dim, which made it difficult and unsafe to operate the vehicle while driving at night. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was notified of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V792000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11659143May 6, 2025
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Re: Safety Concerns with 2015 Acura RDX Engine. My vehicle has experienced multiple serious engine failures beginning December 8, 2023, when it suddenly lost power while driving with a flashing check engine light. Despite multiple repair attempts by McDaniel's Acura dealership (timing belt replacement, spark plugs, front cylinder head replacement, pulley replacements), the issues have persisted and worsened. Technicians found oil in cylinders 1&3, metal debris in the oil filter, and diagnosed the engine as failing in May 2024. Current symptoms include white smoke from the tailpipe, engine rattling, and ongoing risk of sudden failure. This vehicle was leased new in 2015, purchased after lease term, and consistently maintained at Acura dealerships. Despite opening two cases with Acura Client Relations (#14622769 on April 29 and #14633862 on May 6, 2024), Honda Financial declined assistance. The dealership only offered a trade-in "incentive" while admitting they couldn't resell my vehicle due to its condition, and would instead auction in off. I'm unable to safely use this as my primary transportation. Similar engines have had multiple recalls between 2018-2023, including a December 2023 recall of 2.6 million vehicles for fuel pump issues and recalls for connecting rod bearings in similar engines. In November 2024, NHTSA began investigating 1.4 million Honda/Acura V6 engines for rod bearing failures. I request NHTSA investigate whether this represents a broader safety defect affecting other Acura RDX vehicles. Service records from December 2023-May 2024 are attached as documentation of all repair attempts and diagnoses by authorized Acura technicians.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11654015April 11, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Near miss of deer at night due to incredibly poor visibility of low beam headlights. Brightest bulb replacements installed and no change in visibility. Low beam internal reflection is defective
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11653950April 10, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Left headlight low beam has become progressively more dim over time and although it appears functional, it's not actually lighting the roadway. Have replaced bulbs and cleaned/buffed headlight assembly with no improvement. Had entire headlight assembly replaced with used headlamp assembly and replaced bulbs, but no improvement. 2014 RDX head lamps have been recalled for the same reason. Driving at night is difficult and dangerous.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11652318April 2, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
After purchasing this used vehicle from a dealership we began driving home and it got dark. It was then we noticed the headlights on the vehicle are significantly dimmer than other vehicles. I was driving in front of them and noticed this once we got out of the city and onto the freeway. Once we got home I confirmed with the person driving the vehicle that in the dark and rain it was very difficult to see and they felt unsafe. I checked to ensure the lights were turned on properly, which they were. I was hoping that replacing the bulbs would fix the issue but when I went to research this I discovered that many people online experienced the same issue and that replacing the bulbs would not fix the issue. I confirmed in the paperwork and online that the vehicle was up to dates on recall work but that this known issue was not part of any as of yet. I would like to ask that this safety issue be resolved via recall as until doing so I will not be driving in the rain or night as we believe it a potential safety hazard and likely to cause accident or injury to someone.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11650200March 24, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The reflective material inside the headlight fixtures in this vehicle have degraded so severely the low beams don't illuminate the road well enough to drive it at night. This is a manufacturer defect that has been confirmed by the Acura dealership we took it to for repair. They told us the cost to replace both fixtures is ~$2,500, which we could not afford. This is a huge safety issue, one that prevents us from driving it at night unless absolutely necessary, in which case we have to use the high beams. The 2014 Acura RDX was recalled for this defect and I frankly don't understand why the 2015s haven't -- it's exactly the same issue. We contacted our auto insurance company about submitting a claim, but they do not cover manufacturer defects. Reaching out to the NHTSA for any assistance or advice you can provide.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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