RoadVitals

2014 Acura Rlx Hybrid Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
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Latest Feb 7, 2018
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
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Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2014 Acura Rlx Hybrid, 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

  • Electrical1100.0%

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

Electrical

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

MY CAR HAS BEEN DAMAGED 3 TIMES BY RODENTS CHEWING ON WIRING IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TWICE. FORTUNATELY, THE BREAKDOWNS HAVE OCCURRED WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED, AND NOT WHILE I WAS DRIVING. BUT, YOU ONLY NEED TO DO A SEARCH OF THE 'NET TO FIND REPORTS OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD BREAKDOWNS WHILE DRIVING, AND EVEN FIRES IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE ROOT CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM IS THAT MANUFACTURING OF WIRING IS NOW USING "ECO-FRIENDLY" LUBRICANTS BASED ON SOY OR PEANUTS. THIS CREATES AN "ATTRACTIVE NUISANCE" FOR RODENTS TO CHEW ON THE WIRING, THINKING IT MAY CONCEAL FOOD. IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY AT THE PICTURE I ATTACHED, THE WIRING HAD BEEN WRAPPED WITH A GREY "ANTI-RODENT" TAPE (WHICH CONTAINS CAPSAICIN) THE SECOND TIME IT WAS REPAIRED. BUT, I DON'T THINK IT WAS COMPLETELY WRAPPED ALL THE WAY TO THE CONNECTOR, AND ONLY A SMALL PART WAS LEFT EXPOSED. THIS TAPE IS AN ACTUAL HONDA PART THAT CAN BE ORDERED BY THEIR SERVICE DEPT. SO, HONDA IS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THREE MEN FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST AMERICAN HONDA IN 2016. AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS BY HONDA TO DISMISS IT, THE PLAINTIFFS FILED A MOTION TO CERTIFY THE LAWSUIT AS A CLASS ACTION. WITHIN WEEKS, THE LAWSUIT WAS WITHDRAWN WITHOUT PREJUDICE BY THE PLAINTIFFS, PRESUMABLY BECAUSE HONDA SETTLED. THIS METHOD OF MANUFACTURE IS IMPOSING SIGNIFICANT COSTS ON CONSUMERS TO REMEDY THE RESULTING PROBLEM, INCLUDING HIGHER INSURANCE PREMIUMS. I'M ACTUALLY NOT FILING A CLAIM ON MY LATEST DAMAGE, BECAUSE MY INSURANCE COMPANY CAN CANCEL MY INSURANCE IF I HAVE MORE THAN ONE CLAIM IN A YEAR DUE TO ANIMAL DAMAGE. I AM NOT ASKING FOR A RECALL. BUT, SOME REGULATION IS NEEDED TO BAN AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURERS FROM USING FOOD-DERIVED LUBRICANTS IN MANUFACTURING, FOR SAFETY REASONS.

NHTSA ID 11071578 · filed Feb 7, 2018

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

Data on this page last refreshed .