2019 Acura RDX Complaints

AIR BAGS,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — Filed 10/07/2026

Car goes into limp mode all the time and fuel cuts on and off

VISIBILITY/WIPER — Filed 10/09/2026

I came out to my car which is parked on my driveway and went to put something in the trunk. When it opened I saw and heard things falling and looked to me like pebbles and was confused. After looking closely, my rearview window was shattered and it was pieces of the rearview glass window that was broken and was falling down. I had driven the car an hour prior and there was no windshield damage nor did anything hit my car (ie: an airborne rock). I picked up pieces of the broken glass from my driveway to prevent any punctured tires. I immediately called my local Acura dealer to arrange for a replacement. The car is currently there and the repair is going to cost approximately $1500. There was no indication of this issue happening (nothing hit the window, etc). I have numerous pictures and a video of the whole rear windshield. The problem has been confirmed with the dealer and the glass hole continued to get larger as I was driving the car from my home to the dealership which is less than 5 miles. I have done a quick online research and see that this spontaneous breakage of the rearview window has happened with other 2019 RDX owners. As my car is outside of the warranty, I am told this is an out of pocket expense which is not right. I am just fortunate that this did not occur while I was driving my car.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 08/27/2026

The front sunroof glass on my vehicle shattered without warning while the vehicle was in motion and without any impact, collision, or contact from an outside object. I had the vehicle inspected at AutoNation Acura [XXX]. The dealership's own service advisor confirmed in writing that the remaining glass "seems to be facing upward, which is an indication that it may have shattered due to pressure, as opposed to any outside influence," and stated explicitly that there was "no evidence of mistreatment/accident found during inspection." I am enclosing a copy of that email. Despite this documented finding, Acura denied my warranty/goodwill claim for the repair telling me the glass had been broken by an outside force — a conclusion that directly contradicts the dealership's own written inspection. This is a known, documented issue Acura Technical Service Bulletin 23-004 acknowledges spontaneous glass breakage as a known issue on this platform. My incident is consistent with that bulletin: no external impact, and physical evidence consistent with breakage from internal pressure rather than an outside force. I believe this points to a defect that Acura has already identified internally but is not consistently honoring at the claims level. This could have easily caused a wreck when it shattered or had the covering not be closed the glass could have injured anyone in the car and I travel with a [XXX] baby often. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 09/09/2026

I own a 2019 Acura RDX that I purchased new in 2018. It has now experienced three separate major water-intrusion events. The first two occurred while I lived in [XXX], including an incident in approximately 2021 that required an insurance claim, extensive repair, and about a month without the vehicle. The current incident occurred in [XXX]. Because the same issue has occurred in two different states and multiple times, I do not believe it is an isolated environmental event. In the current incident, I discovered pooled water beneath the front passenger-seat carpet and in the rear cargo area where the vehicle’s audio-system equipment is located. The audio system has stopped working. Before I discovered the water, the interior windows repeatedly fogged while the vehicle was parked and unoccupied, indicating excessive moisture trapped inside the cabin. The water may have been present for several days. The vehicle appears to require removal or lifting of the passenger seat and carpet to dry the underlying padding, inspect wiring and connectors, and prevent mold, corrosion, and further electrical damage. The rear cargo area and audio components also require inspection for moisture and corrosion. Prior repairs did not permanently resolve the water intrusion. The suspected source is the panoramic moonroof drain system or another water-management/body-sealing defect, but the exact source has not yet been confirmed. I am concerned that recurring water intrusion can cause electrical failures, interior mold, corrosion, loss of vehicle functions, and impaired visibility due to interior window fogging. I am requesting investigation of recurring water-intrusion complaints involving 2019 Acura RDX vehicles, including moonroof drains, drain-hose routing, drain connections, rear cargo-area water paths, and front passenger-side water entry. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING — Filed 07/03/2026

The factory-installed LED Daytime Running Light (DRL) system on my 2019 Acura RDX has failed. The passenger-side DRL is completely inoperative, and an authorized Acura dealership documented that the driver's-side DRL is beginning to fail as well. The affected components are available for inspection upon request dealership has declined to provide further documents and American Honda Moto Daytime Running Lights are a safety-related exterior lighting system designed to improve vehicle visibility to other motorists. The failure of one DRL and the developing failure of the second DRL may reduce vehicle visibility and create a potential safety concern. On July 3, 2026, Cerritos Acura inspected the vehicle and confirmed the condition. The dealership's written diagnosis states: "Recommend passenger headlight assembly due to daytime running light out. Recommend driver's headlight assembly due to daytime running light going out as well." The dealership recommended replacement of both headlight assemblies. The dealership found no evidence of collision damage, misuse, unauthorized modifications, or water intrusion. The DRL is an internal LED component that is not serviceable separately and requires replacement of the entire headlight assembly. The vehicle has been inspected by Cerritos Acura, an authorized Acura dealership. To my knowledge, the vehicle has not been inspected by police, insurance representatives, or any government agency there is no record of any only with the dealership. There were no warning lights, warning messages, dashboard indicators, or other symptoms before the failure occurred. The DRL failure happened without warning and was later confirmed by dealership inspection. I am concerned that the failure of both factory-installed LED DRL assemblies may indicate a defect in the lighting system rather than normal wear and tear. The condition was confirmed by an authorized Acura dealership and was not attributed to accident damage or other external causes.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 09/04/2026

My 2019 RDX Rear Windshield Glass Shattered. The car was parked and not started. There was no impact or reason for it to shatter.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 11/26/2025

The center infotainment display went completely black, with only the backup camera feed still functioning. There was no audio output at all (radio, navigation prompts, or Bluetooth). The dealer diagnosed and replaced the FAKRA service cables under Acura TSB B23-025, which addresses this exact display-blank/audio failure. After the cable repair, the screen remained black and audio remained completely non-functional. The dealer then determined the tuner/AV control unit had failed, confirmed by swapping in a working unit from another RDX which restored function. Acura Client Relations was contacted and declined to provide any coverage for the tuner unit replacement, stating the TSB only covers the cables themselves, despite the failure occurring immediately downstream of the covered repair. The vehicle is safe to drive but loses infotainment display, audio, navigation, and rear camera guidelines during forward driving, which is a distraction and safety concern. The vehicle remains available for inspection. No warning lamps preceded the failure; the screen simply went black."

SUSPENSION,ENGINE — Filed 04/25/2026

Premature valve cover gasket oil leak and rear shock absorber oil leak at 43,818 miles At 43,818 miles on 04/25/2026, Acura dealer documented on RO XXX: "Valve cover gasket leaking - Recommend replacement $500+Tax" and "Rear Shock/Strut starting to leak oil residue $435.64". This is premature failure. Valve cover oil leak can cause engine fire hazard - oil leaking onto hot exhaust. Rear shock oil leak causes loss of stability and increased stopping distance. Dealer quoted over $3,500. Repaired at independent shop with OEM parts for $1,670. Honda Case #XXX denied goodwill citing out of warranty. VIN: [XXX], 44k miles, well maintained. Request investigation for 2019 RDX premature oil leaks. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

SUSPENSION — Filed 07/10/2026

I took the car in to get new tires. Both rear coil springs are broke. The driver side is broke in 2 places.

POWER TRAIN,ENGINE — Filed 01/01/2026

Head Gasket failure. Design failure there are grooves holding coolant on the block making the coolant leak into cylinders heads

ENGINE — Filed 07/03/2026

There was head gasket failures around cylinders 2 and 3. This allows small amounts of coolant to leak into the engine, causing a distinct startup sputter or a choppy shudder as turbo boost climbs. This is a reoccurring issue with 2019 Acura RDX the vehicle ran hot while driving and was instructed to turn the vehicle off also the check engine light began to flash on and off.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 05/25/2026

While parked, i got into my vehicle turned on the car engine put the car into reverse and was backing out of my driveway when the rear window exploded and shattered into many pieces.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 05/13/2026

Upon my entry into the vehicle I closed the driver side door and the back glass shattered all the way across.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 12/15/2025

I am writing to report an incident involving the rear window of my2019 Acura RDX that shattered unexpectedly. The incident occurred while the vehicle was parked at my workplace. I was notified by a co-worker that the rear window had shattered. Upon inspection, there was no obvious sign of a collision, vandalism, or other event that would explain the damage. A glass replacement company was called to my workplace to replace the shattered rear window. After examining the vehicle, the technician advised that there was no evidence of an external impact, such as a rock strike or other object, that would have caused the glass to break. Because the window appeared to shatter without any apparent outside force, I am concerned that this may indicate a defect in the rear glass or its installation. I respectfully request that this incident be documented and reviewed as a potential safety-related issue. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

ENGINE — Filed 03/06/2026

blown head gasket

UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER — Filed 06/02/2026

Came out to parked car, rear window was shattered with no damage to the rear area of the car. it was spontaneous without any apparent contact

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 05/05/2026

Rear windshield has shattered spontaneously 3 times. 2 insurance claims have been filed, along with 3 transit police reports.

ENGINE — Filed 01/15/2026

My RDX A-Spec experienced premature head gasket failure and suspected turbocharger related issues at low moderate mileage. Vehicle shows coolant loss and overheating/midfire symptons, rough idle. Im concerned this May be related to known Honda/Acura 2.0 turbo engine defects causing unsafe and costly engine damage.

POWER TRAIN,ENGINE — Filed 04/01/2026

The car started jerking and overheating. Mechanic says blown head gasket. The car is only 64000 miles.

VISIBILITY — Filed 11/08/2023

The contact owns a 2019 Acura RDX. The contact stated that while entering the vehicle and closing the front driver's side door, the rear windshield shattered unexpectedly. The contact took the vehicle to Safelight Repair to replace the windshield. The failure reoccurred approximately 2 years and 3 months later. The dealer was not informed of the failure. The manufacturer was informed about the failures and confirmed that there was no recall related to the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

STEERING — Filed 10/12/2025

While driving on a congested highway, my steering wheel lost power making it impossible to control the truck's steering. The truck spun around multiple times before crossing lanes of traffic and hitting a guardrail head on. Thankfully, others avoided hitting my vehicle which would have caused more serious injuries. As of yet, the issue hasn't been reproduced or confirmed. The insurance company will conduct the Inspection. There were no warning lamps, alerts or symptoms prior to the steering wheel losing power. The insurance company has possession of the truck.

STRUCTURE,VISIBILITY/WIPER — Filed 04/11/2025

Got into my car started it and the back window burst I might add it was not to cold out but the rear window wiper was on due to the rain sensor

AIR BAGS — Filed 02/27/2024

My 2019 Acura was involved in a front end collision which resulted in the car being deemed a total loss. Not one of the airbags deployed at any point during the collision, despite hitting head on. The collision resulted in me having severe neck and shoulder pain and stiffness as well as my foot and arm. There was no warning indicators on the dash prior to the collision. The car did however contact emergency services and was able to give the coordinates of the crash. I have searched for recalls on the 2019 Acura and none of which identify the airbags being faulty.

STEERING,WHEELS — Filed 03/14/2020

I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 20 MPH, ON A CITY STREET, AND I FELT THE CAR VEERING TO THE RIGHT. THE NEXT THING I KNEW I WAS SIDE SWIPING A PARKED CAR AND REALIZED THAT I HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE STEERING. WHEN I FINALLY CAME TO A STOP AND OUT OF THE WAY OF TRAFFIC, SEVERAL WITNESSES CAME OVER TO MAKE SURE I WAS OKAY. FORTUNATELY, I WAS, HOWEVER, WE ALL SAW THAT THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE WAS PERPENDICULAR TO THE WHEEL WELL AND THE TIE ROD WAS BROKEN IN TWO. WITNESSES, POLICE OFFICERS WHO RESPONDED TO THE SCENE, AND THE AAA TOW TRUCK DRIVER WERE SHOCKED TO SEE THE DEFECT IN THE TIE ROD, AND ALL COMMENTED THAT HAD I BEEN DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY, I COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN SEVERELY INJURED OR WORSE, OR CAUSED A FATAL CRASH AND HARM TO OTHERS. THANKFULLY THAT DID NOT HAPPEN, BUT THE FACT THAT THE TIE ROD BROKE IN A RELATIVELY NEW CAR MAKES ME EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT EVER DRIVING THIS CAR AGAIN, EVEN IF IT IS SOMEHOW 'REPAIRED'.

STRUCTURE — Filed 08/10/2018

WHILE LOADING ITEMS IN THE REAR OF THE SUV, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE TAILGATE ACTIVATED AND CLOSED, PINNING ME BETWEEN THE BODY AND THE TAILGATE. ADDITIONALLY, THE TAILGATE ON THE CAR UNEXPECTEDLY CLOSED AT A DIFFERENT TIME, STRIKING MY WIFE IN THE HEAD. ON BOTH OCCASIONS THE TAILGATE FAILED TO REVERSE ITS CLOSING MOTION WHEN ENCOUNTERING INTERFERENCE.