10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
6,743 miles

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problem #299

Oct 012022

RDX

  • miles
Gradually the low beam headlights on my 2015 Acura RDX became ineffective despite replacing the bulbs many times and cleaning the housings. I've taken the car to three different mechanics and none have been able to fix the problem. I can no longer drive at night with these headlights and will have replace the housings at significant cost. This seems like a manufacturer defect that should be recalled and replaced at their expense.

- Oakton, VA, USA

problem #298

Mar 012025

RDX

  • miles
Low beam headlights became very dim, making it unsafe to drive at night. Only solution was to replace entire headlight housings, costing $2,285 (would have been $4,000 if purchased original vs aftermarket housings)

- Naperville, IL, USA

problem #297

Oct 012024

RDX

  • miles
Headlights have become very dim, to the point where it is dangerous to drive at night and high beams need to be used for most of my nighttime driving. Exterior of the headlights have been cleaned, but the issue is with the lights themselves. It is a hazard, as I cannot see properly at night while driving. This has been a problem for at least one year.

- Birmingham, AL, USA

problem #296

Oct 032025

RDX

  • miles
My 2015 Acura RDX has such dim headlights, that I feel that it is not safe to drive at night. The headlights have gotten so dim that I can't even tell if they are on, unless I drive by a building and see the lights in the reflection. The only way I can drive safely is to have my high beam headlights on, which is not safe for other drivers. Not to mention illegal in most areas. As I understand it, the 2015 Acura RLX has had recalls for a very similar headlight issue. Why hasn't this recall been extended to the 2015 RDX, which appears to be built off the same platform, and is having the same issue?

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #295

Oct 022025

RDX

  • miles
Can-??t see to drive at night with low beams on. Miss turns at night.

- Pelion, SC, USA

problem #294

Aug 012023

RDX

  • miles
The headlights on the vehicle are VERY dim, so much so that driving at night is really not safe. At any point I have a passenger in my car while dark, they always ask if I have my lights on. On roadways at night, I have to either ride behind someone else to have the road lit in front of me OR illegally drive with the high beams on. This has been an ongoing issue for a few years but I only realized recently what a real safety hazard this is when others have brought it to my attention. I have read quite a few posts that others are also having similar issues with the 2013-2015 RDX base model (the 2014-2015 Acura RLX vehicles were recalled due to the potential delamination of reflective film inside the headlights and I suspect this is a similar issue).

- Scotch Plains, NJ, USA

problem #293

Aug 162025

RDX

  • miles
Purchased car with ~96k miles. Drove at night and had extremely low road visibility due to lighting. Replaced the bulbs to a high lumen LED, did not increase lighting/visibility. My research finds this to be a known issue with a refractor found behind the headlight lens within the headlamp housing.

- Lebanon, OR, USA

problem #292

Aug 122025

RDX

  • miles
At night when I turn on my headlights, they turn on, however they do not reflect properly causing severe dimming and inability to see farther than 1-2 feet in front while I am driving. This is a severe safety hazard. Changing the bulbs regardless of halogen or LED does not improve. Many forums have this issue and it is too unsafe to drive at night putting myself, my passengers, and people on the street at risk. Mechanic confirms the issue.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #291

Jul 292025

RDX

  • miles
The headlights on this vehicle are terrible. Have to drive with brights on at night or cannot see. I replaced with better bulbs but no improvement. I have been told this is a common problem on these vehicles and the only fix is to replace the complete headlight assembly. I was told by dealership this was approximately a $3000 job.

- Forsyth, GA, USA

problem #290

Jul 242025

RDX

  • miles
The headlights on this vehicle are very dim and it is dangerous to drive at night. I require my daughter to drive with the high beams on since the low beam lights are hardly functional. I've had the lights replaced at a cost of $500. This did not help the situation. The lights have failed inspection and I'm faced with having to replace the lights again for an additional $500 just to pass inspection. This fix will not resolve the issue. From what i've been able to research online, this is not an isolated situation with 2015 Acura RDX vehicles. It appears to be a result of a defect in the entire headlight assembly part, which is a significant cost to repair. I'm concerned for the safety of my daughter having to drive this vehicle and the safety of other drivers due to her needing to use her high beams more often than typically required. I contacted Acura USA and was told there were no recalls and that i needed to manage repairs through the dealership. This is an obvious safety issue that Acura should resolve.

- Charlotte, NC, USA

problem #289

Jul 092025

RDX

  • miles
Low beam daily headlights do not illuminate properly forcing you to use high beams constantly because you can't see the road at night. Dangerous for driver of vehicle and major hazard for cars you pass because you are using your high beam headlights all the time.

- North Andover, MA, USA

problem #288

Jun 212025

RDX

  • miles
The low-beam reflector itself oxidizes, is not reflective at all, and no amount of brighter bulbs or clean outside lenses will help with a reflector that doesn-??t reflect. (It-??s also not related to the cloudy inner-lens. It-??s the reflector.) Replacing the entire headlight assembly is the only solution which is about $1,000 many people are complaing of this. This should be a recall from Acura. On this model car, the low beams get so dangerously dim, that (my case for example), I literally could not tell if the low beam headlights were on or off if I were driving on a street where any street lights (even just residential neighborhood street lights) were anywhere within eyesight. The only time I could make out that they were on would be if I were on a pitch black section of a street, in which case I could see a very faint glow that only extended maybe four-feet out.

- Hudson, MA, USA

problem #287

Jun 192025

RDX

  • miles
Very low light output from low beams, I have researched others, here is the same situation I have The low-beam reflector itself oxidizes, is not reflective at all, and no amount of brighter bulbs or clean outside lenses will help with a reflector that doesn-??t reflect. (It-??s also not related to the cloudy inner-lens. It-??s the reflector.) Replacing the entire headlight assembly seems to be the only solution ($300-450 for the lights and 2-3 hours of labor) People who mean well and arent familiar with the specifics of the Acura RDX 2013 to 2015 problem will give you conventional advice (clean the outside lenses and buy the brand bulbs they like), but they are incorrect. There is a widespread and extreme problem and defect with this specific generation of the Acura RDX. On my car the low beams are so dangerously dim, that (my case for example), I literally could not tell if the low beam headlights were on or off if I were driving on a street where any street lights (even just residential neighborhood street lights) were anywhere within eyesight. The only time I could make out that they were on would be if I were on a pitch black section of a street, in which case I could see a very faint glow that only extended maybe four-feet out. And when I parked facing the garage door at night, just about three feet from the garage door, both the running lights and the flashers were far (not just a little) brighter than the low beams.

- Port Washington, NY, USA

problem #286

Jun 182025

RDX

  • miles
Both headlight are dim, even change the headlight bulbs still dim. Night time driver can't see well is very danger!

- Middle Village, NY, USA

problem #285

Jan 272022

RDX

  • miles
Reflective film backing material inside both headlights has delaminated to the point where it's too dim to drive safely at night.

- Petaluma, CA, USA

problem #284

Jun 062025

RDX

  • miles
I recently purchased this vehicle used, and just drove it at night for the first time. The low-beam headlights are extremely dim, to the point that it was difficult to tell if they were even turned on. This made it very difficult to drive in the dark, and I nearly went off the road as a result. The vehicle has not been inspected by a dealer, service center, or other party, but I did confirm that the headlights were operating, but remained dangerously dim. No warning lights or messages came on to indicate any sort of problem.

- Moncks Corner, SC, USA

problem #283

May 012024

RDX

  • miles
The contact's owns a 2015 Acura RDX. The contact stated that the front headlights had become dim, which made it difficult and unsafe to operate the vehicle while driving at night. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was notified of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V792000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Louisville, KY, USA

problem #282

Apr 102025

RDX

  • miles
Left headlight low beam has become progressively more dim over time and although it appears functional, it's not actually lighting the roadway. Have replaced bulbs and cleaned/buffed headlight assembly with no improvement. Had entire headlight assembly replaced with used headlamp assembly and replaced bulbs, but no improvement. 2014 RDX head lamps have been recalled for the same reason. Driving at night is difficult and dangerous.

- Vancouver, WA, USA

problem #281

Apr 012025

RDX

  • miles
After purchasing this used vehicle from a dealership we began driving home and it got dark. It was then we noticed the headlights on the vehicle are significantly dimmer than other vehicles. I was driving in front of them and noticed this once we got out of the city and onto the freeway. Once we got home I confirmed with the person driving the vehicle that in the dark and rain it was very difficult to see and they felt unsafe. I checked to ensure the lights were turned on properly, which they were. I was hoping that replacing the bulbs would fix the issue but when I went to research this I discovered that many people online experienced the same issue and that replacing the bulbs would not fix the issue. I confirmed in the paperwork and online that the vehicle was up to dates on recall work but that this known issue was not part of any as of yet. I would like to ask that this safety issue be resolved via recall as until doing so I will not be driving in the rain or night as we believe it a potential safety hazard and likely to cause accident or injury to someone.

- Bremerton, WA, USA

problem #280

Mar 042024

RDX

  • miles
The reflective material inside the headlight fixtures in this vehicle have degraded so severely the low beams don't illuminate the road well enough to drive it at night. This is a manufacturer defect that has been confirmed by the Acura dealership we took it to for repair. They told us the cost to replace both fixtures is ~$2,500, which we could not afford. This is a huge safety issue, one that prevents us from driving it at night unless absolutely necessary, in which case we have to use the high beams. The 2014 Acura RDX was recalled for this defect and I frankly don't understand why the 2015s haven't -- it's exactly the same issue. We contacted our auto insurance company about submitting a claim, but they do not cover manufacturer defects. Reaching out to the NHTSA for any assistance or advice you can provide.

- Chelsea, MI, USA

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