2009 Acura RDX Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2009 Acura RDX, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Airbags1062.5%
- Brakes212.5%
- Driver assistance16.3%
- Other / unspecified16.3%
- Transmission16.3%
- Visibility16.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
I was involved in an accident and upon impact the airbags didn’t deploy although there was a chemical smell that occurred and the check airbag light comes on intermittently. Also driver seatbelt locked up and does not retract out.
TAKATA RECALL
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
AN ERROR MESSAGE ALWAYS COMES ON FOR "THE BRAKE SYSTEM" & "TIRE PRESSURE SENSORS". THEY BECOME PROBLEMATIC WHEN THE TEMP OUTSIDE DROPS TO 20 AND BELOW. LIVING IN CONNECTICUT DURING THE WINTER TIME A LOT OF OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS RECOGNIZED THIS ISSUE WITH THEIR ACURA RDX'S AND MDX'S. AS SOON AS YOU TURN THE VEHICLE ON THE ERROR MESSAGES ENGAGE AND THE BRAKE PEDAL FEELS DIFFERENT FROM THE NORMAL. AS SOON AS THE CAR WARMS UP OR THE OUTSIDE TEMP GOES UP HIGHER THAN 30 DEGREES IT GOES AWAY. AND WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE TOOK LONGER TO STOP AND I HAD TO STOMP ON THE BRAKE PEDAL HARD (GOING 20MPH)
EXCESSIVE WEAR OF REAR BRAKE COMPONENTS
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
2009 ACURA RDX HAS UNCONTROLLABLE ACCELERATION PROBLEM. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED AS HE WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, HE APPLIED THE BRAKE. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. HE PUSHED HARDER ON THE BRAKE, BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE CONSUMER THEN SWITCHED THE GEAR FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL AND THEN THE VEHICLE STOPPED GOING FORWARD, BUT THE ENGINE REVVED EVEN MORE. THE CONSUMER STATED IT HAS HAPPENED TWO MORE TIMES SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENT. *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
AN ERROR MESSAGE ALWAYS COMES ON FOR "THE BRAKE SYSTEM" & "TIRE PRESSURE SENSORS". THEY BECOME PROBLEMATIC WHEN THE TEMP OUTSIDE DROPS TO 20 AND BELOW. LIVING IN CONNECTICUT DURING THE WINTER TIME A LOT OF OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS RECOGNIZED THIS ISSUE WITH THEIR ACURA RDX'S AND MDX'S. AS SOON AS YOU TURN THE VEHICLE ON THE ERROR MESSAGES ENGAGE AND THE BRAKE PEDAL FEELS DIFFERENT FROM THE NORMAL. AS SOON AS THE CAR WARMS UP OR THE OUTSIDE TEMP GOES UP HIGHER THAN 30 DEGREES IT GOES AWAY. AND WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE TOOK LONGER TO STOP AND I HAD TO STOMP ON THE BRAKE PEDAL HARD (GOING 20MPH)
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
VEHICLE FAILS TO SHIFT AND HITS REV LIMITER STOPING ALL FORWARD MOMENTUM. MERGING INTO TRAFFIC, THIS ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THIS VEHICLE IS MARKETED AS AN AUTOMATIC, BUT WHEN THE CAR IS PUT IN "S", YOU HAVE TO USE THE SHIFTERS TO SHIFT, HOWEVER IF YOU ARE IN EVEN A SLIGHT TURN, YOU CANNOT ACCESS THE SHIFTERS AS THEY TURN WITH THE STEERING WHEEL. THERE ARE NO WARNINGS OF THIS HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. ACURA HAS BEEN CONTACTED AN REFUSES TO LOOK AT MY VEHICLE.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
A DRIVER AND ONE PASSENGER WERE TRAVELING DOWN AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT APPROX. 70 MPH. ALL WINDOWS WERE CLOSED, THE SUNROOF AND SUNROOF SHADE WERE CLOSED. APPROX. OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS 45 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, A SUNNY BUT COLD DAY, AND THE INSIDE VEHICLE TEMPERATURE WAS APPROX. 70 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. OUT OF NOWHERE, A LOUD POP (LIKE A GUNSHOT) WAS HEARD. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING, THERE WAS THE FAINT SOUND OF OUTSIDE AIR COMING FROM THE SUNROOF. THE DRIVER OPENED THE SUNROOF SHADE JUST ENOUGH TO IMMEDIATELY SEE THAT THE ENTIRE SUNROOF GLASS WAS SHATTERED (STILL INTACT, BUT COMPLETELY SHATTERED). WITHIN THREE MINUTES WHEN A SAFE PLACE WAS REACHED, THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO EXAMINE FROM OUTSIDE. DRIVER GOT OUT OF THE CAR, AND SAW THAT THE GLASS SUNROOF WAS BUCKLED UPWARDS (AS THOUGH IT HAD POPPED FROM THE INSIDE). THE GLASS WAS NOT BROKEN IN ANY PATTERN WHICH INDICATED AN OBJECT FROM OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE HAD HIT IT. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE ROOF OF THE VEHICLE OF ANY INCIDENT. IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE GLASS HAD POPPED, POTENTIALLY DUE TO INCORRECT PRESSURE INSIDE THE VEHICLE, FROM THE INSIDE OUT. THESE FACTORS LEAD US TO BELIEVE THE INCIDENT IS A VEHICLE SAFETY ISSUE, AT THE FAULT OF THE MANUFACTURER. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .