10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
7,738 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2013 Acura RDX:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #41

Apr 172023

RDX

  • miles
My exterior headlights have dimmed over time and are now DANGEROUSLY low. This is a known issue with 2013 Acura RDXs that cannot be fixed without completely replacing the lights for about $2,000. This is a safety issue.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #40

Apr 012021

RDX

  • miles
I, along with many others according to the internet, am experiencing very low, unsafe visibility at night due to poor low beam performance. New bulbs make no difference and most of the time the vehicle must be operated using the high beams, which is a safety issue for other drivers.

- Sparta, GA, USA

problem #39

Apr 252018

RDX

  • miles
Hello, The projectors on the inside of the headlights on my 2013 Acura RDX have failed, creating a VERY dangerous condition in which the low beam headlights are extremely dim. It is to the point in which driving at night is dangerous, and no longer emits enough light to be considered legal by state and federal guidelines. This is occurring on both the driver side and passenger side headlights. The exterior lens on the headlights is completely clear. It would appear that I'm not alone, as a Google search reveals SEVERAL other drivers with 2013/14/15 RDX's that have extremely dim headlights as a result of projector failure. In addition, Honda recalled approximately 14,000 model year 2013 and 2014 Acura ILX's for this exact same issue. Source: https://hondanews.com/en-US/releases/statement-by-acura-regarding-headlight-recall-2013-2014-acura-ilx This vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

- Athens, GA, USA

problem #38

Apr 032023

RDX 6-cyl

  • miles
Low beam headlights are so dim. I cannot drive at night. I-??ve had the bulbs replaced twice and within a month they are Still too dim to safely drive at night, particularly in the rain. I live in the PNW and that means half the year I can-??t safely drive at night. It-??s very dangerous and other drivers tell me they can-??t see me. I-??m over 55 and very concerned, and the cost to replace the headlight assemblies is nearly $2000 which is almost 3x the value of the car! Acura recalled 2013 ILX for same issue why not RDX?

- Tacoma, WA, USA

problem #37

Jun 222022

RDX

  • miles
The low beam lamps have become very dim. I replaced with new lamps, but no improvement. After having the bulbs replaced and outside lamp assembly polished I discovered the projector lens itself that the lamps are inserted into have become clouded, similar to having cataracts. On social media I have learned this is a problem shared by many owners. One night after returning home from work I was stopped by a deputy sheriff because he noticed I had my bright lights on too long and that my low beams were too dim. I explained the issue to him and what I was in the process of doing so he let me go. So next day I contacted the dealership and Acura too about this issue. Being denied any satisfaction to remedy the issue I found it necessary to search for and then purchase out of pocket new after market headlight assemblies. The dealership quoted me well over $1,400 to purchase and install. I went to a local auto/body shop and got it done for just under $600. I also purchased fog light assemblies to be added to the vehicle while the headlight assemblies were being installed. Total out of pocket was just over $900.

- Clearwater, FL, USA

problem #36

Mar 062022

RDX

  • miles
Headlights are very dim. Because of dimness of my headlights, others car were not able to see me and came in front of me, the lights are so dim that I can-??t see at night, rain, snow and just simply can-??t see the line. I-??m going to take my car into to dealership to formally get diagnosed but apparently his is ongoing problem on this models

- Ann Arbor , MI, USA

problem #35

Feb 282021

RDX

  • miles
The headlight projectors (not the bulbs) clouded and dimmed the lights over time, to the point where it became unsafe to drive at night, and I had to replace the headlight assemblies with new ones. Putting brighter bulbs in the headlight assemblies did not help. There is no warning indicator for this failure, and there is no exact date of the "incident." In fact, it occurred gradually over time, and at first I thought it was my eyes and night driving. My dealer, Criswell Acura of Annapolis MD during a phone call has acknowledged and confirmed this problem with several model year RDX's, and referred me to the national Acura customer service, who said there was nothing that they would do. I have seen in several online forums that this is a common problem among 2013-2016 RDX's.. I recently replaced the headlights with aftermarket replacements at a cost of about $1,000 installed, which was about half the price of OEM replacement parts, before installation. I kept the old, defective OEM headlights, and have them available for inspection.

- Easton, MD, USA

problem #34

Feb 272023

RDX

  • miles
The headlights are dangerously dim and getting worse. Replacing bulbs does not improve the situation. I've had two close calls where I didn't see pedestrians due to the poor light output.

- Columbus, OH, USA

problem #33

Oct 012020

RDX

  • miles
The OEM headlights assembly dims and overheat over prolonged use. The metal liner inside the headlights melts using a halogen bulb and overtime the liners reflective function goes away and produces a dim light beam. The light is no longer bright enough to drive in dark conditions. And it is hard for oncoming traffic to notice the lights.

- Bellevue, WA, USA

problem #32

Feb 282023

RDX

  • miles
Got a problem with dim headlights in my Acura RDX change the bulb and still not working properly. I can-??t see at night. Dim headlights present a significant safety issue for drivers and pedestrians,

- Carolina, PR, USA

problem #31

Dec 182019

RDX

  • miles
Headlight housing has failed to where lights are so dim, the vehicle has become too unsafe to drive at night unless using high beams. This problem for my vehicle is known by Acura, with their only solution being to replace the entire headlight housing. Replacing the bulbs is not the issued. There is a manufacturing defect on the reflective coating for the light housing which deteriorates over time causing extremely dim headlights. Problem was first observed 2-3 years ago but dimming of lights have been happening over time.

- Sugar Land, TX, USA

problem #30

Jan 252023

RDX

  • miles
The low beam headlights on our Acura RDX are so dim that they cannot be used at night and we are forced to drive with high beams on for safety.

- Franklin, NC, USA

problem #29

Jan 122023

RDX

  • miles
Halogen headlights are dangerously dim. You almost cannot tell they are even on. We-??ve had this car for years and we won-??t drive it at night. According to a lot of other owners - they have the same problem. Dealer confirmed it is a known problem but the only way to fix it is to replace the entire housing at $3,000.

- Buckley, WA, USA

problem #28

Dec 302022

RDX

  • miles
A low-beam headlight is too dim to drive at night, especially during rain

- Taunton, MA, USA

problem #27

Apr 122020

RDX

  • miles
The headlights are extremely dim making it very difficult to see at night. The bulbs have been replaced and are still very dim. They are available for inspection upon request. There were no messages regarding any failure. And it first was noticed upon purchasing the car and driving it at night.

- Maple Valley, WA, USA

problem #26

Dec 012022

RDX

  • miles
Exterior Lighting. Low beam headlights are too dim. Due to the flawed design the reflective film backing material inside the low beam headlights delaminates. The vehicle no longer conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108. Please investigate.

- Niles, IL, USA

problem #25

Jan 012000

RDX

  • miles
Headlights are too dim to drive safely at night.

- Red Hook, NY, USA

problem #24

May 212022

RDX

  • 125,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Acura RDX. The contact stated while driving at various speeds at night, the low beam headlights were significantly dim, affecting the visibility of the roadway and the side of the roadway. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed but no issues were found. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

- Portsmouth, VA, USA

problem #23

Oct 012022

RDX

  • miles
The low beam headlights are very dim. Researching on the internet this is a known issue with this model from 2013-2015, but there is no recall for this obvious safety issue. My dealer states they cannot do anything about it without recall, and it is very expensive to replace the entire headlight assembly. Apparently the low beam reflector oxidizes over time. I am afraid to drive this vehicle at night.

- Waterford, NY, USA

problem #22

May 012022

RDX

  • miles
The low beam headlights are so dim that night time driving is dangerous. The car has approximately 150K miles on it. I have tried changing bulbs thinking they were just getting old and it did not improve visibility. I have seen other complaints about this for the RDX 2013, '14, & '15 online so it is definitely a known issue. Acura needs to recall these vehicles and replace the headlight assembly with ones that work.

- New Haven, CT, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »