2015 Acura RDX Complaints

EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VISIBILITY/WIPER — Filed 10/06/2026

I have experienced the following situations while driving: •At night, drivers approaching from the opposite direction signal me to turn on my headlights, even though my headlights are already on. •In rainy conditions, I often have to pull over because I cannot adequately see the road markings. •Recently, while driving on neighborhood streets lined with mature trees, I failed to see a curb and struck it because of the limited visibility. My vehicle's history shows that an Acura dealership replaced the headlight bulbs in 2020, at approximately 77,000 miles, slightly beyond the basic warranty period. Since then, I have replaced both low-beam bulbs again in 2026. My exterior headlight lenses are clear, and replacing both bulbs has not resolved the problem. In October 2026, Acura dealership inspected my vehicle. The dealership documented that both headlight bulbs were operating properly and that the electrical output was proper at 12V. The dealership recommended replacing both headlight assemblies due to cloudiness inside the headlight lenses resulting from moisture/oxidation. The dealership also documented that it could not perform photometric output testing because it lacked the appropriate equipment. The dealership quoted $4,652 for the replacement of headlight assemblies. A vehicle should not develop severely inadequate headlight illumination to the point that it becomes dangerous to drive at night simply because of its age or mileage. As a family vehicle, I regularly drive with my child as a passenger. At this point, this is a severe safety hazard to my family and other people on the road.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 02/04/2026

My 2015 Acura RDX Technology package has been having very dim headlights. I have replaced the bulbs in the car which provided no remedy. I then had the bulbs replaced with LED lights which are more bright than the original lights with no remedy. The danger is to me and the occupants of the vehicle as you can not see more than 5-10 feet in front of the car. In addition, other cars or pedestrians on the road, I can not see them because of these issues will pose a serious safety risk to not my occupants but to others on the road. I have had the car inspected by my mechanic and we tried the different lights to improve the vision of the lights. The car has not provided any errors on the dashboard, or "engine warning light". I would like to lodge this complaint against Honda, Parent Company of Acura, to see if there is a resolution to the problem. This is currently still happening on my vehicle.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 10/05/2026

The low beam headlights are very dim at night time. An extreme safety issue. I had to occasionally use the high beam headlamps for proper visibility. I had the bulbs replaced and the brightness did not improve at all. I spoke with the service department at the dealership where I purchased the vehicle and was advised that the headlamp assemblies need replacing. I replaced them at a significant cost.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 09/27/2026

The deteriorating chrome in the headlight projector is impossible to see. I just miss head on collision. And weeks before. I have purchased all and every headlight bulb and nothing works. Either I’m going to die in a wreck or kill somebody. Due to this ongoing problem with the projector. Please recall 2015 Acura RdX projectors so know one gets hurt.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 09/21/2026

My low beam headlights have not been giving off enough light to see at night. Upon further investigation, I found several complaints regarding the same problem with the year and make of my car. I went yesterday, 9/21/26 and had the bulbs replaced with LED for $190 and the problem still exists. I have to use my high beam headlights to see at night, which is unsafe and illegal. Acura should be held accountable for faulty equipment and not their loyal customers.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 08/11/2026

The component that failed is the low-beam headlight system, specifically the internal projector lens housings of both the driver and passenger side headlight assemblies. The reflective chrome coating inside the projector bowls has degraded, delaminated, and burned away due to heat from halogen lightbulbs. This failure severely compromises nighttime driving safety. Because the reflective backing inside the headlights has deteriorated, the low-beam bulbs cannot project light onto the road ahead. This creates a critical lack of forward visibility, preventing the driver from seeing pedestrians, debris, road signs, or upcoming turns in the dark. The problem was physically inspected and confirmed by an Acura dealership certified technician. The technician verified that the halogen bulbs themselves were functioning at full power, but determined that the light output was blocked due to the ruined internal chrome housing. Because of this, the vehicle did not pass the safety inspection and they stated that the only remedy was a complete replacement of both headlight assemblies, with the likelihood that this same issue will occur again. There were no electronic warning lights, dashboard messages, or sudden failures prior to the condition.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VISIBILITY/WIPER — Filed 12/31/1969

Reflectors on low beam headlights have completely failed. Provides almost no illumination and is very dangerous to drive at night. Changing bulbs, cleaning outer lens makes no difference, the entire housing needs to be replaced.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 07/31/2026

The HID low beam headlamps are not putting out enough light to drive the vehicle at night. This is dangerous, and I drive home from work at night. The inner low beam lens has degraded and become hazy. This would require the entire headlight housing to be replaced, which are very expensive - about $1,700. I believe this is the same problem that 2015 Acura RLX are experiencing, and recall JN2 was created. I don't understand why the 2015 Acura RDX models weren't included in that recall.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 07/20/2026

There is a defect in my headlights, too dim to drive at night, have to engage high beams to see. This is a safety hazard. I believe this should be repaired by the manufacturer

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 07/14/2026

Headlight reflector assemblies have delaminated causing headlight output to be very dim to the point that driving at night is not safe.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 05/25/2026

Low beam headlights are very dim after installing new bulbs. It appears the reflective capsule is not working properly. My car headlights have not been damaged in the past.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 03/01/2026

Headlights are so dim and cannot operate at night driving thru the mountains. It seems like a repetitive issue that affects many owners.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 12/02/2024

Headlights are so dim that it is a safety risk. Literally cannot see to drive at night. I see reports online from many Acura owners that say this is a known defect yet to be recalled by Acura. There were no warning signs.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 01/01/2020

Low Beam head lamp assembly is defective and no longer focuses light forward. Delamination of reflector material is a common issue according to internet searches.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 04/15/2026

Low beam headlights are very dim and nighttime driving visibility is very low. Both headlights appear to have degraded over time and fail to produce adequate light for driving. This vehicle has been brought to the dealer for repair to address this issue, and has had two related repairs that did not solve the problem. The bulbs have been replaced with new low-beam lamps. The headlight lens has also been restored by the dealer to reduce haze on the headlight cover. These repairs have not fixed the dim lights and the problem seems to be internal to the light. The high-beams are rarely used and do not appear to be affected by the same dim output.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 06/01/2025

The low beam headlights have degraded over time and are now barely providing any light, making driving at night unsafe. This appears to be due to the degradation of the low beam assembly reflector. Replacing the low beam headlights with higher quality lights did not make any noticeable difference. This issue has been reported in numerous online chats for the 2015 Acura RDX.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 04/12/2026

Exterior lighting - HID low beams have become extremely dim and very difficult to see at night. Reading other complaints, seems like this is a very common problem with this vehicle. The manufacturer should address as this is a safety issue.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 10/20/2024

Common problem with the headlights of this model. The regular headlights become too dim, causing danger to driver at night. Using brights is mandatory during night time driving. Entire light housing must be replaced due to dimming. Replacing bulbs does not solve issue.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 12/22/2023

The headlight reflector has become so foggy that it does not illuminate anything further than 5 feet in front of it. The light does not spill onto the road. This has caused other drivers to be unaware of my presence at night, and lead to one turning into my lane and running me off of the road, popping my tires and ruining my car’s alignment.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 11/06/2023

My 16 year old son was at a church function until after dark because daylight savings time means it is dark earlier. When he began to drive home he could not see the roadway because the low beam headlights provided close to zero illumination. He lost visibility and drove off the road into someone’s yard. There were children outside and they could have been killed. Only minor damage to the grass and yard occurred and fortunately no damage to the vehicle. He called me and I instructed him to engage the high beams and drive home which caused several oncoming vehicles to swerve and react menacingly because he didn’t dim his lights. The oxidation of the reflective coating is a known defect that was recalled in the Acura ILX and I expect that they should be required to take the same corrective action for the base model RDXs. Please take action

EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 10/28/2023

The headlights are horrible. I am unable to drive safely without using my bright lights. When I dim my headlights before approaching an oncoming car it is dangerous. On October 28, 2023 I did just that and missed seeing a deer due to the lack of visibility due to the defective headlights and hit the deer damaging my vehicle's right headlights. Prior to the accident, I invested in installing fog lights to remedy the situation, but it still did not help. I am holding Acura responsible for my accident which was due to defective headlights.

AIR BAGS — Filed 07/02/2020

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 ACURA RDX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE LANE ON THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE WAS REAR-ENDED WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO A CONCERT DIVIDER. THE VEHICLE ENDED UP IN THE LEFT LANE, WHERE IT WAS HIT HEAD-ON BY A BUS. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AN UNKNOWN LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DRIVER AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SUSTAINED NECK, BACK AND LEG PAINS THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND THERE NO DECISION ON THE STATUS OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURE WERE NOT CALLED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 78,000.

STEERING,SUSPENSION — Filed 04/05/2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 ACURA RDX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE CONTACT INADVERTENTLY LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND COLLIDED WITH A TREE. THE CONTACT DID NOT KNOW HOW CONTROL WAS LOST, BUT BELIEVED IT WAS DUE TO A MECHANICAL FAILURE WITH THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (OPEN ROAD ACURA, 1425 ROUTE 23, WAYNE, NEW JERSEY 07470) WHERE IT WAS AWAITING DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 09/19/2017

PUT MY CAR IN PARK IN DRIVEWAY WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, STEPPED OUT OF MY VEHICLE AND IT STARTED MOVING FORWARD, HITTING THE GARAGE. THE CAR HIT THE GARAGE AND I TRIED TO PUSH IT BACKWARDS, IT MOVED BACKWARD AFTER HITTING THE GARAGE AND STARTED ROLLING AWAY FROM THE GARAGE. MY BABY WAS IN THE CAR, SO I GOT IN THE OPEN DOOR OF THE CAR AND ATTEMPTED TO MOVE THE GEAR SHIFT OUT OF P TOWARDS D, THINKING THIS WOULD HELP STOP THE CAR AS I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE PAD. DURING THIS ENTIRE PERIOD, THE CAR WAS MAKING A GRINDING SOUND, WHICH I ASSUME WAS THE BRAKES. THE CAR FINALLY STOPPED ROLLING AND CAME TO A STOP AS I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE A SECOND TIME. THE DRIVEWAY IS ON A DOWNWARD SLOPE SO THE CAR WAS GAINING MOMENTUM AS IT BOUNCED OFF THE GARAGE. THERE MINOR DAMAGE DONE TO CAR BUT THE GARAGE DOOR WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED SINCE IT IS BADLY DAMAGED.

AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE — Filed 11/23/2016

TAKATA RECALL. THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHILE MY RIGHT HAND WAS ON THE 2 O'CLOCK POSITION. I WAS GOING ABOUT 30 MPH ON A CITY STREET, AND HIT A CAR THAT STOPPED SUDDENLY IN FRONT OF ME. IT WAS LIKE A BOMB BLAST ONTO MY WRIST, FORCEFULLY BLASTING OUT ACID AND AIR OR WHATEVER'S IN THAT AIRBAG. I HAVE A TRAUMA INJURY AND CHEMICAL BURNS ON MY WRIST. THERE ARE CHEMICAL BURN HOLES ALL OVER THE DASHBOARD AS WELL. AT FIRST I THOUGHT MY BEADED BRACELET HAD PUNCTURED MY WRIST. ONE BURN LOOKED LIKE A CIGARETTE BURN, AND WITHIN 2 HOURS THE BURN HOLE SKIN TURNED PITCH BLACK. OTHER BLISTERS FORMED AS THE HOURS WENT BY. THE NEXT MORNING (THANKSGIVING) I WENT TO URGENT CARE AND THEY REFERRED ME TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM. THEY SAID IT WAS CHEMICAL BURN INJURIES, WHICH I AM NOW TREATING. IT IS EXTREMELY PAINFUL. I DID FILE AN INSURANCE CLAIM AND THERE IS A POLICE REPORT, BUT THE ACCIDENT WAS ONLY 3 DAYS AGO. I DECLINED MEDICAL ATTENTION AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AS I THOUGHT IT WAS ONLY A SIMPLE BRUISE, AND AT THAT TIME DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THE AIRBAG VENT WAS BY MY WRIST, AND THAT I HAD CHEMICAL INJURIES.