2023 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 2023 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
- Visibility419.0%
- Electrical419.0%
- Engine419.0%
- Powertrain (other)29.5%
- Body & structure29.5%
- Driver assistance29.5%
- Fuel system14.8%
- Exterior lighting14.8%
- Brakes14.8%
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
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2023 Acura RDX. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked and retrieving an item from the front driver’s side door; after closing the door, the rear glass exploded without impact. The dealer was notified of the failure, and an appointment was scheduled. Upon investigation, the contact discovered an undisclosed Technical Service Bulletin that was associated with the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that the model of vehicle was not included in a TSB for the failure. A case was filed with the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 30,100.
The contact owns a 2023 Acura RDX. The contact stated that while driving in a heavy rain storm the windshield wipers was activated and suddenly seized. The contact was able to drive and park on the shoulder and the local police were contacted. After the rain storm passed the vehicle was safely driven home. The cause of the failure not determined. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 37,850.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
GPS has stopped working. This affects navigation safety. Also, creates clock error and compass error. It's dangerous to get lost and disoriented. This is a common problem in many Acuras. Needs to be a recall.
The infotainment system on this vehicle keeps failing when using Apple Carplay. The problem consistently happens when driving. The problem consists of the apple carplay going black screen and disconnecting entirely and then taking long to reconnect. This is a safety issue if you’re using the gps navigation from iOS while driving. The problem has been reported to the Acura Service dealer multiple times and they were able to reproduce it as well. They have said there is an interruption caused by satellite communications interfering with carplay while driving. They said currently no fix for this issue.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
On October 31, 2024, I was nearing the end of a three hour trip. I was traveling on a rural two-lane highway with a 55 mph speed limit. I had just pulled away from a 4-way stop intersection and was following a single vehicle traveling 40 mph. Once I could see there was a safe distance from oncoming traffic, I decided to pass the slower vehicle. As I moved into the opposite lane and accelerated, the engine lost power and barely made it around the car I was passing. If oncoming traffic had been closer there could have been a head-on collision. The engine light started flashing and I had to keep the accelerator pressed half way to the floor to maintain 50 mph. There was no shoulder on the road and no place to pull over, so I continued for 15 minutes with engine light blinking and struggling to maintain 50 mph. No other warning lights came on and the engine was not overheating. When I reached my destination I turned the engine off and then restarted it. The flashing engine light was gone and the car drove fine. The nearest Acura dealer was an hour away so I took the car to my dealer when I returned from my trip. They test drove the vehicle and called the Acura Tech Line. They could not duplicate the problem. They said they did not find any diagnostic codes so there was nothing they could do. They said if it happens again to bring it back. If it happens again I might not live to tell the story!
Highlight: The car was able to be started with a button press and driven away without any key inside the car. (Also, some side information that the car had it's annual check-up on the Saturday before this incident). Normally my wife keeps her purse in the house on the counter (along with the spare key in a drawer under that counter). Previously, if she forgot her purse (and car keys inside the purse), she would head out to the garage and attempt to start the car (she keeps it unlocked in the garage). In a normal situation, the car would beep at her that she didn't have the key and she would go into the house to grab her purse. On 7/31, after a frazzling day, she got a call from her doctor to come to their office for a checkup (40 minutes away). She forgot her purse again; however, this time, the car started without any warning. She took the complete drive to the doctor's office shut off the car and then realized she didn't have her purse. She even tried to turn the car back on to see if the key was in the car, it did not start. She called me, I checked her purse and spare key were both in the same location they were always in. I did remotely try to start the car to see if she could drive it back with me starting it, however, it wouldn't let her take it out of park. She continued with her doctor's appointment. Inconveniently, I grabbed her purse and took my car 40 minutes to drop off her keys and back. Luckily, she was at a doctor's office and in a safe space, however, this has the potential to be very inconvenient and unsafe for others.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
Transfer case is defective and Acura is refusing to fix it under warranty. Says it’s’normal’ for the AWD system to leak causing destruction.
On a new ACURA RDX with 10,771 miles my wife was charged $315 dollars by the local ACURA dealer for "differential service" because "sub code 6" was on the maintenance minder. I believe this is a scam or any differential service should be under warranty. I pursued the complaint with HONDA extensively on the phone and just now was called back by HONDA and told that is regular maintenance and is not covered by the new car warranty. No car that I have ever owned needed differential service after 5 months - this is a scam.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
My issue is with the liftgate on all Acura models including my own RDX. I was sitting on the edge of the van with the liftgate fully opened taking off my spikes after golfing. I inadvertantly triggered the fob in my pocket when i leaned forward causing the liftgate to close. At first i did not realize it was closing on me ,but jumped up and it caught me on my upper back. I avoided serious injury. Brought it to the dealership and it appears to be common to all makes of acura with liftgates. Serious pressure has to be put on the liftgate in order for it to stop . Page 177 of my manual states the if the liftgate detects resistance it will reverse itself. We tested it at the dealership and a great amount of pressure has to be used for it to stop and reverse. This is a serious defect and needs correction before someone gets seriously injured. The service advisor almost hurt her arm trying to get the liftgate to stop . It is not only my vehicle. the sensors do not react appropriately. I have had two Nissan Murano's before purchasing this vehicle and as soon as you got in the way of the liftgate as it closed it stopped and reversed itself. Acura has a serious problem here and it needs to be recalled and corrected immediately. I am totally surprised if this has not been brought to anyone's attention. Hopefully you will test this and see what I am expressing here. Thank you for you time and and I await your response .
On Friday, January 13, 2023, the rear hatch window on my 2023 RDX spontaneously shattered while it was sitting in my garage. After I discovered it, I searched for a cause and found nothing. I had just purchased this vehicle on 12/3/22. I discovered online similar complaints being made about the rear windshield glass and sunroof exploding in previous model years. The photos of the previous rear hatch window explosions matched exactly what my RDX looked like. I also discovered an Acura Service Bulletin #22-014 dealing with this issue for the 2019 and 2020 model years. In answer to your questions . . . it was the rear hatch window (aka, rear windshield glass) which failed. The vehicle is now with the dealer; inspection would have to be done quickly as I have made a warranty claim to have it repaired. Safety could have been an issue had I been in the vehicle. Problem has existed on previous models. No one except the dealer has inspected the RDX. There were no warning signals with before the failure or afterwards.
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
The contact owns a 2023 Acura RDX. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the Forward Collision Avoidance: Emergency Automatic Braking inadvertently activated, and the vehicle stopped. The contact was able to regain control of the vehicle, veer to the shoulder, and contacted the dealer to have the feature deactivated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 7,888.
The contact owns a 2023 Acura RDX. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH and overtaking another vehicle, the contact moved to the right lane and the vehicle started beeping with the Forward Collision Assist system engaging abruptly. The contact stated that the brake was applied independently without warning. The driver was able to avoid a collision. There were no warning lights illuminated. There were no other objects or vehicles nearby. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
On October 31, 2024, I was nearing the end of a three hour trip. I was traveling on a rural two-lane highway with a 55 mph speed limit. I had just pulled away from a 4-way stop intersection and was following a single vehicle traveling 40 mph. Once I could see there was a safe distance from oncoming traffic, I decided to pass the slower vehicle. As I moved into the opposite lane and accelerated, the engine lost power and barely made it around the car I was passing. If oncoming traffic had been closer there could have been a head-on collision. The engine light started flashing and I had to keep the accelerator pressed half way to the floor to maintain 50 mph. There was no shoulder on the road and no place to pull over, so I continued for 15 minutes with engine light blinking and struggling to maintain 50 mph. No other warning lights came on and the engine was not overheating. When I reached my destination I turned the engine off and then restarted it. The flashing engine light was gone and the car drove fine. The nearest Acura dealer was an hour away so I took the car to my dealer when I returned from my trip. They test drove the vehicle and called the Acura Tech Line. They could not duplicate the problem. They said they did not find any diagnostic codes so there was nothing they could do. They said if it happens again to bring it back. If it happens again I might not live to tell the story!
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
I am leasing the ACURA RDX 2023 . Currently mileage in 11444. This car start has oxidized on right side of headlight 4 months ago. I came to service in NIELLO ACURA. They called Acura factory service . It is not under warranty. They can’t do anything for my car. I only had this car 1 years . This is total defective .
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
The brakes squeaks all the time and makes a grinding noise. I have been at the dealership several times for the same issue. The sensor also hit brakes on its own sometimes when nothing is in front of the car!!! Very dangerous!!!!
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 .