Acura RDX Reliability by Year
Best & Worst Years, Problems & Recalls β NHTSA Data
Comparing used Acura RDX options? We analyzed 10 model years (2017β2026) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
Model-year trends show patterns. Run a VIN check for the exact Acura RDX you plan to buy.
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the Acura RDX has 1,088 owner complaints and 22 safety recalls across model years 2017β2026. The most reported issue area is UNKNOWN OR OTHER. 2019 drew the most complaints; 2024 drew the fewest.
- Make
- Acura
- Model
- RDX
- Model years analyzed
- 2017β2026 (10 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 1,088
- Safety recall campaigns
- 22
- Crash-related complaints
- 26
- Fire-related complaints
- 3
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2019 (422 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2024 (10 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- Reliability signal
- Poor
Acura RDX: Which Years to Avoid & Which to Buy
Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used β lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.
These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.
These years have the fewest owner complaints on record β lower risk starting points.
β NHTSA NCAP Crash Test Ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
What the Complaint Data Suggests
PoorThe ACURA RDX has 1,088 NHTSA complaints and 22 recalls on record. 26 complaints involve crash-related incidents. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 1,088 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 22 federal recall campaigns
- 26 crash-related complaints on record
- Review NHTSA complaint history for the most-reported components
- Check recall completion status at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Verify service records for frequently complained components
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with elevated complaint rates.
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with fewer reported issues.
- Run a VIN check on the specific vehicle you are considering
- Verify all open recalls are completed at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for the most-reported complaint components
- Have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
π NHTSA Safety Recalls
22 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
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Safety Recall
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Safety Recall
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Safety Recall
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
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Safety Recall
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
Safety Recall
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2017β2026. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
π§ Most-Reported Problem Areas
Based on component keywords extracted from all 1,088 NHTSA complaints.
π NHTSA Complaint Reports
1,088 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
I own a 2025 Acura RDX with an open EPS recall involving potential loss of power steering assist due to improper software calibration. I live in Bozeman, Montana, far from the nearest Acura dealer. Acura customer care and escalated supervisor offered no reasonable accommodation. Completing this safety recall requires substantial long-distance travel and lease mileage to repair a manufacturer defect. I am submitting this complaint regarding recall remedy access and owner burden.
The contact owns a 2025 Acura RDX. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70-75 MPH, the steering wheel was pulling to the right, and the vehicle unintendedly attempted to switch lanes. The contact swerved to avoid another vehicle. Several unknown lights were illuminated. The Lane Departure/Lane Keep Assist feature was previously turned off by the owner. While driving around a curve, the vehicle began to change lanes unintendedly. The vehicle continued to pull in the opposite direction. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but it was unclear if the vehicle was diagnosed or repaired. The Smart App indicated that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V582000 (Steering). The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the tires were rotated, but the recall was not completed. The failure mileage was approximately 6,800.
Brakes making a humming noise and loud noises when reversing. Have taken it to the dealer two times already, have had the car less than a year, and the dealer claims there is nothing they can do.
Two issues with this brand new Acura RDX 2025: 1) Herky/Jerking brakes. Experienced this issue weeks after purchasing. Lots of vibration when applying brakes....happens often. Took car back to Acura dealership and they said brakes working as designed. 2) Very soft /no tension in brake pedal. This issue arose within last few months. Press on brake pedal and often it goes to floor panel. Very concerning.
While driving on the highway, without warning the tire tread separated from the rim causing danger to myself. Luckily I was able to pull to the side of the highway to await assistance. State police was called and the car was eventually towed to the dealership. The entire tire literally separated from the rim. Tire size: 235 /60 R 18.
The problem I am reporting I found reported on the internet. My dashboard lite up with power steering and brake warning lights and told me to contact the dealer. Power steering was lost and braking power diminished. Pulled over and restarted the car several times and steering and braking came back but the warning lights still on. After sitting for an hour while we ate the car started with no warnings and brakes and steering functioning. From what I saw on the internet the problem stems from when the LKAS system is turned on. I found on your site my VIN has the issue I described above. Why hasn't Acura contacted me about the problem ? Seems irresponsible.
The contact owns a 2025 Acura RDX. The contact stated that while reversing, the vehicle stalled, and the engine seized. The contact stated that while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that after the third attempt, the vehicle restarted. The contact stated that several days later, the message βIdle Stop - Temporarily Interrupted - System Warming up or Chargingβ was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failur,e and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 380.
exiting interstate 270 onto highway 40/64 when the dashboard lit. up and there was no power steering. Tuning the steering wheel very difficult. Luckily no accident occurred however in a different situation or location the results would have been disastrous. Wife was able to exit the interstate and get to a parking lot.
The windshield is distorted and when looking through it is like looking through a convex piece of glass. I went onto the Acura forum and there are numerous complaints. My daughter won't drive the car because its dangerous she said. Its like looking through a fish bowl. all forum complaints were similar to mine. driving for any amount of time is difficult.
Was driving the car then all of the sudden all these error messages came up on the dash and my power steering turned off. Car became very hard to steer. Almost went off the road. Luckily I was able to stop. After restarting the engine error messages went away and car was driveble again. This car is a loaner acura of milford gave me while my car was being serviced
August & September 2025 The power steering stopped while driving and without warning, causing the car to be almost impossible to steer. I happened about 3 weeks ago and the dealer replaced the power steering unit after consulting with the Acura techline. Then after the power steering unit was replaced, it happened again, the same problem. Both times the Lane Keeping Assistance was engaged, so it might be related. The first time I was on a curve and it forced the car into the oncoming lane at night. Fortunately, there was no oncoming traffic or a could have a head-on collision. The second time I was on a highway and moving into the Exit lane, so I was able to pull off the road. Both times, when I stopped the car and turned the engine off and back on, the problem went away, but I got a brake warning that did not seem to affect the driving or the brakes. This is a serious safety problem that is very dangerous and must be fixed by Acura immediately. The local dealer seems to know nothing about the problem. Online there are multiple customer complaints being reported of the same problem. See: [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] Steering INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
While driving at highway speed, all of a sudden I lost all power steering and multiple system failure warning lights appeared on the center dashboard including power steering failure, brake system failure and collision mitigation system failure, among others. With great difficulty I was able to steer the car off the highway and was towed to an Acura dealer. The car was 5 months old with just over 3000 miles at the time and there were no prior issues and no advanced warning when this happened. The dealer (Acura of Berlin in CT) stated they have seen this issues several times. The battery voltage was low (11.98-12.09 volts), although the car was being driven at highway speeds for at least 45 minutes before the incident. They charged and tested the battery, and their diagnostics said the battery was good. They also found a code "DTC U3000-49 EPS CONTROL UNIT INTERNAL CIRCUIT MALFUNCTION". The dealer opened an incident with the Acura Tech line, who indicated that if the problem happens again they should replace the steering rack. No repair other than battery charging was performed. This is an unacceptable safety risk waiting for it to happen again. There are many reports of this exact problem online from 2025 Acura RDX owners. We need an immediate recall.
While driving my 2025 Acura RDX A-Spec Advance (approx. 5,000 miles) at about 40 mph through a light curve, the vehicle suddenly lost power steering mid-turn. The dash displayed: βElectric Power Steering System Problem. Steering Assist Not Available. Do Not Drive.β This was not just a loss of assist. The wheel felt like it was resisting input and was nearly impossible to turn, locking the car into an off-road path. I narrowly missed a curb and a large tree by inches, only avoiding collision by forcing the wheel with maximum effort while applying heavy brakes. If this had occurred at higher speed or on a mountain road, the result could have been catastrophic. Once stopped, five additional warnings appeared: Brake System Problem, Lane Keeping Assist System Problem, Collision Mitigation Braking System Problem, Road Departure Mitigation System Problem, and Low Speed Braking Control Problem. After restarting, most warnings remained, though steering assist and brakes seemed temporarily normal. I cautiously drove to a nearby lot, then to the dealership. At the service center, the errors cleared only after shutting down the engine. Staff first suggested a βloose battery cable.β When I mentioned that other 2025 RDX owners have reported the same issue, I was told not to trust the internet. They kept the vehicle overnight under warranty. Initially no loaner vehicle was available, which forced my wife to leave work for daycare pickup. After she called management directly, a loaner was provided. At the time of this report, no diagnosis has been given. Service staff speculated it could be nothing or it could be a failed steering column, which matches reports from other owners. This sudden steering failure, combined with simultaneous warnings across multiple safety systems, created an immediate risk of serious crash. The incident occurred only two days after routine service at the same dealership.
Started vehicle in the morning and had driven about 5 miles. LKAS, Adaptive Cruise Control and all other collision avoidance systems turned on. ACC Speed set, but disengaged due to prior braking for the curve. Weather overcast but dry. While turning left around a sweeping curve at about 40mph the vehicle suddenly started emergency braking and trying to turn right into the guardrail on the side of the road. Major force required to keep vehicle in the lane and under control. Power steering went out. Collision braking warning, Power steering warning, LKAS warning, Road departure mitigation warning, Low speed braking control problem, also power steering icon glowed orange, safety system icon glowed orange, Lane keeping icon glowed orange, Brake system icon glowed orange. No place to pull off, continued several miles to a parking lot. Took photos of dash warnings (provided to dealer). Cycled engine power to no effect. Cycled again waiting about 1 minute and opening door to turn off nav display. Upon restart warnings all remain, power steering returned. Drove home and parked for about 1 hour. Upon restart all errors gone and functioning normally. Noted Acura Link sent CMBS Problem! notification. Car now at Acura of Brookfield (WI) for evaluation. All notification on vehicle and Acural Link cleared by time I arrived at dealer. Note vehicle defaulted back to "Normal" drive mode after this event. Had been set on "Comfort" which is normally retained at power cycle.
The contact owns a 2025 Acura RDX. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the steering wheel seized, causing the vehicle to veer into another lane. The contact was unable to move the steering wheel more than half an inch to the left or the right. The contact was able to reach the nearest exit and pulled over to the side of the road. The contact stated that after pulling over to the side of the road, the βSteering Wheel Lockβ and βStop Drivingβ warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 2,200. The VIN was not available.
When slowing as I exited freeway the steering locked up and forced me into right lane. There were lots of warning lights, STOP when safe, steering assist problem, brake system problem, low speed braking problem. I had no power steering but was able to get car into a parking lot. I turned the car off and back on. The warning message said it was a brake system problem and to see dealer. Acura Link showed it was a CMBS problem. After turning the car off and on a couple more times the warnings went away and I was able to drive car to dealership. There were no warnings prior to steering lockup. Dealer told me it was a power steering malfunction. The vehicle is available for inspection at the dealership in Fresno, CA. This happened on [XXX]. Parts have been ordered but not expected to arrive until Monday, Jul 7th, 2025. If there had been a car in the right lane this would have caused an accident. I researched this issue on the internet and have found several reports of the same problem. Some people have had it happen multiple times. I purchased the car [XXX] and there were 4,523 miles on the odometer. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
As this car was being driven by my mother, she was going approximately 40 mph around a turn on a road she drives every day and for now reason the car starting saying she had been in a crash, the steering stopped working and the brakes locked and she was no longer in the car. She was able to manuever it into a ditch, which fortunately wasn't very deep to avoid any other cars. We took this to the dealership who indicated they had never seen this type of issue there however when I researched, there had been several reports of this type of incident, 4 in VA alone. The car was at the dealership for over two weeks to be repaired as the dealership had to work with technicians at Acura to determine cause/replacement; however they indicated they can not guarantee it won't happen again. My mother lost my father two years ago and this was the first car she purchased on her own and now she is terrified. We asked Acura to help assist changing her out of this car and they simply refused through the manager of the dealership indicating they did nothing wrong and they have replaced the $8k part. Since she bought the vehicle in April 2025 and this happened just 6 weeks later, that does not give us comfort. The dealership was helpful and we were able to get her into a different kind of vehicle although she had to pay $8k more and she is on a fixed income. She has had multiple Acuras however this is a safety issue and likely a potential recall simply from numbers I have seen from research and the potential harm this could cause occupents of the car and anyone else that may be near them on the road. We are very disappointed in Acura. We may have to go back to dealership to get repair info as we didn't accept this car back, they gave my mother a loaner and then we bought a new one. Crown Acura of Richmond is where it was repaired.
While driving approximately 35 MPH and exiting the highway, the brakes locked up and the power steering became inoperable. The steering wheel was difficult to turn. The power steering, low brake speed, and Lane Keep Assist warning lights were illuminated. The message βDo Not Drive Vehicle β See Dealerβ was displayed. If a vehicle had been behind me it definitely would have hit me. I got to a parking lot and shut off the car. I turned it on and the messages were still there. I called for roadside assistance for a tow. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure; because there were no warning lights illuminated upon arrival. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and has no concerns. I am afraid to drive this car as it is on the highway every day.
Picked up the vehicle. on [XXX]... on the way home I was going around a curve on a highway with a semi-truck to my right, when the car suddenly braked autonomously, and the power steering stopped working. I struggled to steer into the curve and then allowed the semi to move ahead so I could safely pull to the side of the road. I had several alarms go off that I had to cycle though to turn off. I fully powered down the car, and when I turned it back on I had 2 alarms that stayed on. Lane Keep Assist warning, and Braking System problem. I returned to the dealership the following morning [XXX] and they could not diagnose nor replicate the issue. I'm being asked to roll the dice by picking up the car today 6/30/25, and gamble with mine and my families safety. This problem need to be fixed! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
For the third time now, my steering has locked up and sent my 2025 Acura RDX into limp mode. It is a major safety concern because the car steering locks up and or tries to turn. The first time it occured I almost went into a field because the car was trying to turn right while in the middle of a LH corner at 55mph. The second time was on a country road at around 40-50mph with no shoulder, and this most recent time on a straight country road at 50mph. Two times it has been towed to the nearest dealer and Acura has made major component replacements, including the engine wiring harness, and steering system twice now. I have opened a case with Acura stating the severity of safety concerns I have for myself, my family and other drivers on the road. If someone is not prepared to fight the steering and or strong enough it could very likely cause a crash and injuries. At this point, I don't believe Acura knows exactly what the issue is, since they are making the same repair as they did the first time. There are also other reports of this exact issue being reported online, specific to the 2025 model year.
Showing 20 of 1,088 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Before You Buy, Check the Exact Acura RDX
These pages show model-year patterns across 10years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
π Understanding This Data
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is β but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The Acura RDX has 1,088 complaints on record across 10 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The Acura RDX has 22 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 26 of the Acura RDX's 1,088 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions β a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Poor) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable β simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all Acura RDX vehicles on the road β not any specific car. Two Acura RDX vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage β NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The Acura RDX has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
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