2019 Acura RDX Engine Problems

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)

NHTSA ID

11752557

Incident

Apr 25, 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.

NHTSA ID

11748536

Incident

Jul 3, 2026

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

NHTSA ID

11748469

Incident

Jan 1, 2026

blown head gasket

NHTSA ID

11745209

Incident

Mar 6, 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.

NHTSA ID

11739279

Incident

Jan 15, 2026

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

NHTSA ID

11735468

Incident

Apr 1, 2026

Vehicle: 2019 Acura RDX (Technology Package) I am reporting a serious safety issue involving sudden loss of engine power while driving. On March 14, 2026, I filled my gas tank before traveling approximately 1.5 hours out of town. The vehicle operated normally that day. The following morning, during snowy and icy conditions, while accelerating in traffic, the vehicle suddenly lost power and stalled. Multiple warning lights illuminated on the dashboard (“Christmas tree” effect), and the steering became very stiff, making it difficult to safely maneuver the vehicle out of traffic. I was able to restart the vehicle, but warning lights remained on. The next day, while driving on the highway under normal conditions, the same issue occurred again. While accelerating, the vehicle suddenly lost power and stalled in traffic, creating a dangerous situation. In response, the fuel pump inside the gas tank was replaced; however, the problem persists. The vehicle continues to display warning lights and still loses power when accelerating. I contacted an Acura dealership after seeing reports of a fuel pump recall for similar vehicles, but I was told my VIN was not included. Despite this, the symptoms match known fuel pump-related issues. This defect poses a serious safety risk, especially when driving at highway speeds or in traffic, as sudden loss of power and steering assist can lead to a crash. No injuries have occurred yet, but the issue is ongoing and unresolved. I am requesting investigation into this issue as a potential safety defect.

NHTSA ID

11728433

Incident

Mar 15, 2026

We have owned our 2019 Acura RDX for about 4 years. Roughly 2 years ago my wife called me panicked that the car had lost power and the check engine light was on as she was exiting the freeway. It was a rainy day, she had our kids in the car on the way to a soccer game. I called off work with an emergency, drove an hour to where she was and scanned the car. No codes popped up on my scanner, I started the vehicle and it seemed to run like normal, no check engine light. I had it towed to Honda of Gresham, OR and after a week or so they called and said they couldn't find anything wrong with our vehicle. I paid for a oil change, a tow and a dealer diagnostics and was told they could not find anything. $500 later no answers. Fast forward 2 years Oct 26th 2025 I was driving the RDX this time, in the rain on the freeway. Wife and kids in the car. Went to accelerate past a slow driver and the car went into limp mode. Check engine light flashing and limited to 40 mph or so, I put the hazards on as I was on a single lane bridge with traffic behind me. I pulled over after the bridge and turned the vehicle off. After 5 minutes or so I started the car again and everything seems fine, no check engine lights nothing seems off. I continued on down the freeway without any more incident. I started researching what is going on and find many many reports of this same thing. Acura has a tsb for a front mount intercooler as the fix, but when I took ours in for the stated problem they couldn't find a problem. This car looks beautiful, but it's a safety hazard on the freeway when moisture is present, we live in the PNW and it rains 7 months out of the year. I have owned 10-12 hondas in my lifetime and this 2019 Acura RDX is the worst. Absolutely a safety hazard to my family. Disappointed this will be the last Honda we buy.

NHTSA ID

11696704

Incident

Oct 26, 2025

Completed 100,000-mile service work at the dealership, 1 month following the work, while driving, all engine codes went off and the car went into "limp mode". I was unable to drive at normal speeds while on a major highway and going through a busy intersection. After multiple assessments at the same dealership, a "software update", a replaced spark plug (that was previously replaced during service work a month prior), it was found to have a warped head gasket with coolant leaking into the engine. It has not been inspected by police or insurance agents. It has been inspected by Shottenkirk Acura of Huntsville (Alabama) and a secondary mechanic with the same findings of engine failure. This should not occur at 116,000 miles in a Honda motor!

NHTSA ID

11694284

Incident

Aug 29, 2025

While driving in the rain, after an hour long drive home from Philadelphia back to Reading, taking [XXX] and [XXX], I accelerated my vehicle while going around 50 mph and immediately was faced with a blinking check engine light and lost the ability to accelerate. My Acura essentially went into, what others call, limp mode while in sport mode. I filled my car with 93 gas around 20 minutes before this. After losing acceleration, I pulled over on the highway and the check engine light disappeared. After which, I still was unable to accelerate after leaving the car in park. After I turned the car off and turned the car back on maybe 30 seconds later, I was then able to accelerate and found no issues afterwards. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11690148

Incident

Sep 28, 2025

The vehicle should be included in the recall for similar makes and models with the same issue. I almost crashed on the freeway because my high fuel pressure pump stopped working.

NHTSA ID

11688628

Incident

Sep 15, 2025

On July 12, 2025 my husband, the driver, and myself, owner of the vehicle and passenger this day, were driving on the freeway at approximately 7:00am in the middle lanes of the freeway. Without any codes or warnings beforehand, we heard the car make alarming beeps and automatically loss all power to the engine while traveling at highway speeds. This situation put my husband and my lives at risk and in a dangerous situation as there was traffic on a busy freeway and lost all power to the vehicle and made even maneuvering off the freeway a dangerous action as we had no warning beforehand there was something wrong. My husband was able to get us safely out of harms way. After being diagnosed at a mechanic, it turns out this problem happened due to a cracked cylinder head and had no previous warnings of an issue and no warning lights on the vehicle alerting to a problem, I will have the cylinder head in my possession and the mechanic I took my vehicle stated it cannot be ruled out this could be a manufacturer’s or casting defect. I tried contacting Acura Corporation about this situation but was told that since I did not take it to a dealership and have a certified tech look at my vehicle, there will be no case and no type of remedy or reimbursement for this situation.

NHTSA ID

11677100

Incident

Jul 12, 2025

The auto-stop feature on my 2019 Acura RDX has resulted in my car abruptly shutting down twice now -- today it happened when I slowed to a stop at an intersection. Basically, rather than just shutting the engine off while idling, it shuts of the electrical (dashboard and infotainment -- all systems) and engine and then immediately restarts with the car in Park. There was no warning sound or light prior to the car turning off and restarting. Obviously, it is very dangerous for a car to turn off unexpectedly, and I'm thankful that I was braking to a stop at a red light and had time for the engine to turn back on, and to put car back in Drive.

NHTSA ID

11630990

Incident

Dec 16, 2024

I started driving on the freeway for a few miles in the rain and suddenly started to hear a low rumble/rattling sound from the engine area. The car began to cycle through error messages for every one of the electronic safety systems (Brake system, vehicle stability assist system, electric power steering system, adaptive cruise control system, collision mitigation braking, & road departure mitigation) The car then began to lose drive power (wouldn’t maintain/increase speed when pressing the gas pedal). I moved over to the furthest right lane/slow lane and continued to lose propulsion from the gas pedal. Being forced to such a slow speed on the freeway in inclement weather was very unsafe for me and my wife who was in the car with me. I had to drive on the shoulder in order to exit the freeway and the engine rattle got increasingly louder and worse sounding. I pulled into a parking lot and the car was not drivable. AAA tow to a AAA certified mechanic repair shop and was told that there was metal debris in the oil pan and oil filter which was signs a faulty engine components that has now destroyed the motor. I’m currently without the RDX and being told it is in need of a whole new motor.

NHTSA ID

11627811

Incident

Nov 21, 2024

Near the first of the year 2024 I received a fuel pump recall notice for my 2019 Acura RDX. To date, no parts for addressing this issue have been available and no timeline has been made available as to when parts would be available. I am planning my annual trip to the Eastern Sierra in early September where no Acura dealer is available nearby. Should the fuel pump fail during that trip it would be a significant inconvenience for me, including interruption of medical appointments, room and board expenses, pet sitting expenses, etc., as I have been told by Honda that in such an emergency situation the car would have to be towed to the nearest dealership, with the part being specially ordered which would take 2 weeks and that I may be responsible for my room and board, and other costs during that period. I find this behavior to be outrageous. Additionally I have been told by my local dealer that it is not possible to determine possible failure beforehand as either it is working or it has failed. This is totally opposite from what I was told by Honda which was to schedule an appointment with a dealer to determine the status of the fuel pump so that they could special order one for replacement if it demonstrated potential failure. This entire issue reeks of poor and ineffective management of this situation by Honda, likely putting costs over safety putting me at substantial risk for this trip that was planned a year ago and likely will cost me my deposit and access privileges if canceled. As such, I am requesting that NHTSA hold Honda/Acura accountable for this disgraceful behavior, putting owners of their vehicles at substantial risk, and demand that they explore and take immediate actions to resolve the parts shortage in a reasonable amount of time.

NHTSA ID

11609569

Incident

Jan 15, 2024

The contact owns a 2019 Acura RDX. While the contact’s wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the engine seized. The contact's wife restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostic testing. Additionally, the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11603394

Incident

Jul 19, 2024

My vehicle stopped in the middle of the road as I took exit from the highway. I was almost rear ended as I was entering the parking lot .The vehicle just stalled. I took it the Acura Dealership for fix and they have not taken care of recall issue. I am being asked to spend money on fixing other electrical errors first before they fix the recall on my vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11600619

Incident

Jul 9, 2024

Transmission intermittently gets stuck in a gear while driving and will not shift until car is powered off and on again. Brake system, LKA, power steering, vehicle stability/traction control, hill assist, cruise control, collision mitigation, and road departure mitigation intermittently stop working and error. Infotainment and audio intermittently error or get stuck on after powering off vehicle. Trunk randomly opens when no one is in range of the vehicle. Horn randomly sounds for approximately 30 seconds on hot days after vehicle is stopped. Engine cylinder heads, transmission, and horns have been replaced without resolution. MOST bus system has been replaced twice without resolution. All issues have been recorded on video and documented with the local Acura dealer and Acura Client Relations, but neither has been willing to help reach a resolution.

NHTSA ID

11557162

Incident

Jan 1, 2020

I was driving on the highway and it was raining. I tried to pass another car so I started to accelerate. But during my attempt to accelerate, my 2019 Acura RDX would not respond to throttle response. So I slowly started to loose speed the car. The engine warning light started to flash and the car came to a stop on a dangerous road construction area with no medians. I had to turn on my hazards and wait ON THE ROAD at night. I quickly turned off the engine and tried to turn the engine on again. When I turned the engine on it no error codes were shown and the check engine light was gone. I started to drive again and was able to get to a service road. After a while I decided to try to keep driving so I could get home and when I was merging into the highway, it happened again. The same situation, I was accelerating when my engine decided to stop accelerating and flash the check engine light (it didn’t stall but it wouldn’t respond to throttle response). I stopped on the side of the road and turned the engine off before turning it on again. Again the check engine light was not on, and the car acted like nothing happened. It seems like accelerating to higher speed in the rain is a huge safety issue…

NHTSA ID

11551708

Incident

Oct 23, 2023

My car has been shaking on acceleration but no engine light or any warning popped up. When I called an Acura dealership, they said they would have trouble diagnosing the problem without a light on. A few days later, while accelerating on the highway, my car started shaking violently and lost power. The engine light started flashing. I could have gotten into an accident because I could no longer accelerate on the highway. I had to slowly pull off to a safe stop. This could have been a dangerous and life-threatening situation. Someone could have crashed into me behind me and I could not quickly get into a safe area. I brought it to an Acura dealership and they could not find anything. The engine light had turned off. Though, when I took the car again, the car was still shaking on acceleration. I was afraid to drive at normal speeds since it is extremely safe. I took it to another personal mechanic and he was able to reproduce the problem. He saw there is a service bulletin out for just this problem. The possible cause is “humid air within the intake tract May condense and accumulate excessive moisture during steady driving.” I would have to replace the intercooler system and get the PGM-Fl software updated. This is a safety issue, and Acura has not released any recalls on this. The dealerships are also saying it will not be covered by warranty for me.

NHTSA ID

11531878

Incident

Jul 9, 2023

The contact owns a 2019 Acura RDX. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the check engine warning light suddenly illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power and started to decelerate. After pulling off the roadway and restarting the vehicle, the failure was self-corrected, and the vehicle operated as designed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 57,000.

NHTSA ID

11519956

Incident

Apr 24, 2023

Mileage

57,000 mi

Once again, 3 weeks after the first time it happened, my 2019 ACURA RDX lost ALL power and I had to drift to the side of the road. This occurred on the Baldwin Beach Express and luckily there is not a lot of traffic this time of year so I could get on the shoulder. Car would not restart, all lights around the speedometer had come on. I had to have it towed to the Acura dealership in Mobile where it was towed the first time when this happened. At that time the told me they could not duplicate the problem. Three weeks later it has happened again . The tow truck driver tried to start the car and said " you're not getting any fuel" and asked if the fuel pump had been checked. Supposedly it has been replaced when it was first recalled. Could it be another faulty fuel pump? My question....how dangerous would this be if this happened in the I-10 Mobile tunnel?????? The first time it happened I tried to call Acura but the complaint department is not open on Sundays. This time it happened on a Friday and I was able to file my complaint. Will I get a response to this event now that it has happened a second time?

NHTSA ID

11506864

Incident

Feb 10, 2023

While driving on interstate 65 headed towards Mobile, Al. My 2019 Acura RDX lost ALL power. Every light surrounding the speedometer was lighted. No power, nothing.. was able to coast from the right hand lane to the shoulder of the interstate. . No power steering and I was moving slower and slower because I was on a hill. Frightening to say the least. If I had been in the left hand lane I’m not sure I could have made it to the shoulder. And if a truck had been behind me an unable to change lanes I would have been smashed. Car towed to dealership.

NHTSA ID

11502258

Incident

Jan 15, 2023

On July 24, 2022, while driving from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois back to our home in Lisle, IL, in a heavy rainstorm, our RDX suddenly started flashing the engine light and lost power on Interstate 57. We were fortunate to be able to maneuver it to the side of the road, and off the nearby ramp at Bradley, IL. We ‘googled’ the circumstances on our iphone, to learn that this is considered a serious, potentially life-threatening situation, and that Acura recommended immediate Service Bulletin 20-053, dated May 25, 2021, states the symptom as “The MIL is flashing with loss of power.” It indicates “Corrective Action” for the RDX as “Update the PGM-FI and replace the intercooler, the intercooler outlet pipe assembly and the intercooler outlet hose.” Affected vehicles include “ALL” 2019-2020 RDX models.” Despite the Service Bulletin that was issued, many RDX owners, noted the same response from their local Acura dealer. They note that the dealers “played dumb,” claim they could not locate a Service Code, nor “replicate the conditions and response” in the shop…. precisely my experience! In fact, the Service Receipt, indicates the car was driven less than one mile, hardly sufficient to replicate conditions. Acura Client Relations has refused to assist. I contacted the CEO Jon Ikeda but his office has not responded. I fear driving the car in wet conditions.

NHTSA ID

11488228

Incident

Jul 24, 2022

On 9/22/22 travelling on I-290 near Boylston, MA I was passing a large tractor trailer in the far left lane going up a hill. It was and had been raining very hard for at least the previous hour. When I stepped on the accelerator to increase speed, the car suddenly decelerated to about 20 mph and the check engine light began flashing. I was able cross all three lanes in very heavy traffic to the shoulder. I then slowly made my way off the interstate to a gas station right beyond the exit. My passengers and I were very concerned about the suddenness and the abrupt reduction in speed on an extremely busy roadway. A call to the nearest Acura dealer service department confirmed he had seen nearly the same symptoms the prior week under similar road conditions and the same model car as mine. He found no codes on the other car. I also notified Acura customer service who confirmed the existence of a Service Bulletin on precisely this issue (flashing light with loss of power).

NHTSA ID

11486697

Incident

Sep 22, 2022