10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
3,737 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #25

Mar 242021

RDX

  • miles
My SUV has been in service over 15 times stemming from electrical issues with the dash harness, multi times for loss of power while driving, loss of infotainment systems, and piping noise coming from the speakers. The loss of power and 'limp mode' has happens 3 times. Once at highway speed after an out of state trip, and twice on my way to work during humid conditions. The electric issues have happened multi times during all driving conditions. I was on my way home from work today, and I started to smell something burning. I worked my way out of the main highway when smoke started pouring out of the ac vents. A few moments later I could see flames coming out of the dash behind the infotainment screen.

- Flower Mound, TX, USA

problem #24

Mar 012020

RDX

  • 100 miles
I purchased a 2020 Rdx a spec package vehicle and almost immediately started experiencing a hesitation or slipping of the transmission sensation. It is intermittent but happens when coming to a complete stop and then trying to pull onto street, freeway or traffic from a complete stop. I have had the vehicle into the dealership but they refuse to acknowledge anything because the manufacturer has not posted any vehicle problems or recalls. The dealership says there is nothing wrong with car based on the "computer checks" run on the vehicle. The problem is becoming increasingly worse and I am becoming concerned about an accident because of the hesitation caused when trying to pull into traffic.

- North Venice, FL, USA

problem #23

Nov 252020

RDX

  • 12,000 miles
I was driving on a freeway at 4:30am when I suddenly lost all power from the engine and it went into limp mode. The check engine light was flashing and fortunately there was no traffic so I was able to pull off the road. I shut off the car and sat for a few minutes and when I restarted the car everything was working fine. I had a 12 hour drive ahead of me and I never stopped thinking of how that could have ended up so badly. Later that day as I was driving through atlanta I shuddered to think what could have happened if this lack of propulsion had occurred. My guess, quite bluntly, is that I probably would have been killed. I have read online of this problem happening to a significant number of other people. Acura needs to be held accountable before someone is killed!

- Plainwell, MI, USA

problem #22

Nov 222020

RDX

  • 6,630 miles
November 22, 2020 10:15 pm route 287 (in route to Edison rte 1 exit). 2020 Acura Rdx A-spec - a few minutes after accelerating safely onto a merging lane (with trucks) the engine performance light starts blinking and car started to slow down almost to a roll. As the truck's headlights got closer, it managed along with several other cars to switch lanes as I turned hazard lights on and steered the car into the shoulder. I turned the car off (hazard lights still on) waited a few minutes and when I turned it back on the engine performance light was off and I was able to drive home. Acura needs to address this before something tragic happens. Car was purchased in June and was under 6700 miles when this happened. It was also serviced with maintenance B a week prior to my trip.

- Colonia, NJ, USA

problem #21

Nov 122020

RDX 4-cyl

  • 5,300 miles
The contact owns a 2020 Acura Rdx. The contact stated that while accelerating above 50 mph, the vehicle loss motive power and stalled without warning. The contact pulled over and waited for several minutes before restarting the vehicle and, the vehicle operated as intended. Napleton's palm beach Acura (6870 okeechobee blvd, West palm beach, fl 33411, (877)363-2817) was contacted and informed of the failure. The contact was informed that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The contact was notified of an unknown tsb related to the failure. The contact was informed to call back in January 2021 for assistance. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and was informed that the VIN was not subjected to a recall. The manufacturer recommended that the vehicle be diagnosed and the results forwarded to a representative. The contact was provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 5,300.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

problem #20

Sep 162020

RDX

  • 9,500 miles
While traveling at highway speed without warning vehicle slowed to an idle and would not re-accelerate. Vehicle was towed to an Acura dealer who failed to find a fault. Exact same situation occured the next day on the highway. Only this time I shut off the vehicle for 30 seconds and it restarted and resumed full power. Was able to drive it to an Acura dealer who again could not find a fault on the computer. However, the dealer kept the vehicle and ordered and replace the vehicle fuel pump complete. No issues since.

- Palm Coast, FL, USA

problem #19

Nov 122020

RDX 4-cyl

  • 6,935 miles
After a stop at the va welcome center, I attempted to merge into traffic on I-81 North. The vehicle suddenly lost power and the check engine light came on. I was able to move to the shoulder and avoid being rear ended. The vehicle was towed to duncan Acura. They determined multiple cases of similar models had the same complaint. This is a known issue that has the potential for loss of life and should be remedited immediately. One online source said Acura has known of this problem since 2016.

- Charlotte, NC, USA

problem #18

Nov 122020

RDX

  • 28,785 miles
First time occurrence; I am the first time owner and bought my car new. Approximately 1 year and 3 months of ownership. Attempted to merge onto the freeway. Going about 55 mph and attempted to advance to 65 mph. Rpms increased to about 4500-5500 but no speed increase. Vehicle made a erving engine sound. Flashing check engine light them came on and again so speed increase with pressing the gas pedal. Car then started slowing down as it was not responding to my foot on the gas. Had to merge onto the side of the road, turn the vehicle off then back on.

- Fayetteville, NC, USA

problem #17

Oct 152020

RDX

  • 5,600 miles
Driving in the rain, accelerating onto a highway, our 2020 Acura Rdx lost power and would not accelerate. The check engine light was blinking, and we were forced to pull over. After restarting the car, the the check engine light was off and we were able to drive normally. The car was taken to the dealer on 10/24/20 but the issue could not be reproduced. We were informed that Acura is aware of the problem and may be working on a fix. The problem is also widely reported on the acurazine internet forum. Researching the issue, it appears to only happen during rainy conditions and when accelerating.

- Great Falls, VA, USA

problem #16

May 202020

RDX

  • 180 miles
I recently leased 2020 Acura Rdx base model SUV. I have noticed frequent unexplained deceleration when on highway, probably occurs at leased once every time I drive at highway speeds. I have contacted Acura of pleasanton via the sales associate I have dealt with for the past several years, described the problem. Have not received response, and it does not appear that a recall on this model has been issued, so I am is contacting the company directly. In researching the issue online I find there have been at least 40 complaints to the NHTSA regarding exactly the same issue. Many of the complaints have included prior visits to Acura dealers for repairs, but what was done did not solve the problem. So appears Acura is aware of the issue also that it could be a safety factor, based on reports in the complaints. I have not had an instance where safety was involved - yet - but I can see the potential for a dangerous situation, when my Rdx decelerates, there is nothing I can do, the vehicle is unresponsive for a period of time, which could lead to an accident. I have received mailings from a legal group urging me to file, they indicate that my Rdx is subject the 'lemon law'. I am also aware from searching the internet that more than one class action suit has been filed by Rdx owners who have experienced the same problem. I don't see the point of taking vehicle in for service since others report the problem does not get resolved, and Acura does not seem to have solution for deceleration issue.

- Turlock, CA, USA

problem #15

Oct 142020

RDX

  • 2,800 miles
At approximately 10A Oct 14th 2020 traveling South bound route 15 in lycoming county pa weather conditions light rain 65deg F driving 2020 Acura Rdx with 2800 miles on odometer. Upon approach of truck traffic in right lane moved into line of faster moving traffic in left lane to pass trucks when the Acura Rdx immediately lost power and speed, almost caused a chain of rear end collisions and the vehicle flashed the engine light on the display and would not maintain more than 25 mph in a 70 mph zone. Left the roadway shut the vehicle off and restarted in approximately three mins and vehicle function was normal for the remaining 40 miles of the trip. Oct 16 2020 contacted Honda Motors usa customer service and was told to contact dealer (150 miles away) for diagnosing. Upon some quick research discovered this is a common complaint for many 2019/2020 Acura Rdx owners. This is an obvious safety issue that Acura is aware of and is not addressing. Currently there is no recall and not one owner has had any resolution to date. I request the NHTSA intervene immediately to engage Acura in resolving this critical vehicle design flaw. This is a deadly issue. Thank you.

- Westfield, PA, USA

problem #14

Oct 112020

RDX

  • 6,000 miles
Car lost all acceleration and went into limp mode attempting to overtake someone on the freeway, accelerating from 60 to 70 mph (in a 70). I had to navigate from left lane to right shoulder across 3 lanes of traffic. Terrifying. Car was remedied after turning off for a few minutes. Of note, this was a long (3+ hour) trip in the rain. A quick search revealed a ton of other Acura owners with a similar issue' noting specifically that it doesn't generate an error code thats stored that Honda/Acura can use to troubleshoot. My car was cpo, under a week since purchase, 6,000 miles on the odometer. Crazy there isn't a recall. Very dangerous

- Towson, MD, USA

problem #13

Sep 282020

RDX

  • 10,000 miles
While driving down a two lane 55 mph speed limit road, I came upon a car that had stopped in my lane and direction of travel. I slowed down, probably under 30 mph, and decided to go around the vehicle. I was over the center line of the road and floored my accelerator to get around the stopped vehicle as quickly as possible. Right after this my car lost power and the mil light came on. I can not remember if it was flashing or on steady. My car's engine was running but had no power so I pulled off the road and turned it off. After about a minute, I restarted my car, the mil light was off and my car ran fine. I have a code reader. When I got home the first thing I did was attach the code reader and found that there was no code(s) stored. I was of the belief that if the mil light came on a code would be stored. My concern is my car lost power when I really needed it to pass safely. The dealer said the manufacturer is aware of the same problem but I want it on record. I checked the Acura forum and found other owners have had the same problem of the car going into limp mode, the mil light coming on and no code stored.

- Hermitage, TN, USA

problem #12

Sep 302020

RDX

  • 9,100 miles
I was accelerating to approximately 55mph to pass a vehicle. As soon as I completed the pass, the engine decelerated to 20 mph and the check engine light was flashing. Fortunately for us we were able to get the car safely off of the road. We then shut the engine off. Waited about 5 minutes restarted the engine and it ran fine the rest of the way home.

- Cabot, PA, USA

problem #11

Sep 162020

RDX

  • 4,314 miles
While driving northbound on I-75 through the leading edge of the remnant of hurricane sally on 9/16/2020 my vehicle suddenly lost speed control and the check engine icon started flashing. I managed to safely pull off the interstate onto the shoulder and stopped the engine. After reviewing the owners manual I verified that the gas fill door was closed. Started the engine and had no icons or warnings. I then got back on the interstate but about twenty miles later the car again lost speed, 9 maintenance warnings and multiple alarm icons lit up. This time the max speed obtainable was about 20 mph. I managed to drive on the shoulder to an exit and stop. I called Acura and they had aaa send a tow truck to take car to the dealer in macon, ga. The dealer said two cylinders were not firing and numerous codes were reported. They were able to reset the computer to eliminate the alarms and take it out of "limp mode" but they could not say what caused the problem or what the permanent fix would be. My vehicle had 4314 total miles and had only been owned for less than 3 months when this occurred. This could have caused a multiple vehicle wreck resulting in injuries or deaths to my family and other motorists.

- Dayton, TN, USA

problem #10

Aug 162020

RDX

  • 500 miles
I wanted to let you know a frightening experience we had with the Acura Rdx on August 16th. My family, including my 2 children & dog, were driving home on the expressway in the hov line. My husband was driving the Rdx we just leased not even a month ago. He had the car in cruise control doing 60 mph. The car suddenly lost acceleration and despite my husband trying to hit the gas, the car would not go and eventually lost power and came to a dead stop in the hov lane. He just missed getting hit by the car behind him. You can imagine how catastrophic this could have turned out. The malfunction indicator light came on. He turned the car off and let it cool as it said to in the manual. Eventually after being turned off for approximately 5 - 7 minutes, he turned the car back on and it started. He drove home, but clearly we were beyond shaken.

- New Rochelle, NY, USA

problem #9

Jul 302020

RDX

  • 4,900 miles
While driving at a consistent rate of speed on a 65 mph highway the vehicle suddenly and without warning lost engine power. The vehicle began to rapidly drop speed and the check engine light would blink when the accelerator was depressed. I was forced to abandon the highway and pull over onto the shoulder - not in an emergency lane - in between North and South bound traffic because the vehicle would not accelerate over 20 mph or exceed 2,000 rpms. After 3 hours of waiting in this dangerous location Acura roadside assistance was unable to locate a tow truck. I turned the vehicle off and back on and noticed the check engine light ceased blinking. I then proceeded to return home and the problem returned a second time, this time accompanied with numerous indicator lights (e.g., AWD problem, ABS problem, etc). The vehicle was towed to pohanka Acura in chantilly, Virginia. I was told the first time they cleared the codes they returned, but after a second time they did not. They were not able to replicate the problem, did not fix anything, and said it was caused by fuel choice. This is significant problem and safety risk known to Acura. There is a patent history of Acura choosing to not identify the root cause, associate this anomaly with fuel choice, and return the vehicle to the owner. In my opinion this is a negligent business practice and Acura should be responsible for any injuries or damages associated with these unexpected, unannounced "limp mode" events.

- Reston, VA, USA

problem #8

Jul 102020

RDX

  • 6,200 miles
2020 Acura Rdx with approx 6,200 miles. Driving from pittsburgh, pa to New Jersey. I reached New Jersey after driving from pittsburgh. There was moderate to heavy rain showers during the drive. The rain ended prior to me entering New Jersey. I exited the jersey turnpike for the on ramp to 195 East. I was going approximately 45 miles mph when I pressed the gas pedal to accelerate so I could safely enter traffic. I could feel the engine give way as I pressed the pedal. The car decelerated and the check engine light illuminated. I pulled off the highway to the side of the road and put on the flashers. I let the car run at idle. The check engine lite went off so I tried to accelerate the vehicle with no luck. The engine would rev a little but the car would only accelerate to approximately 25 mph. I tried this multiple times. I was near an exit and the vehicle was able to move at a slow speed so I drove approximately 2 miles to a friend's house. Again, the vehicle would not go over 25 miles an hour. After reaching my friend's house, I turned off the ignition. About 1 hour and 30 minutes later I turned on the vehicle. This seemed to fix the problem and I was able to continue home with no further issues. The check engine light remained off. Acura looked at the car but there was no record of the problem and they could not duplicate the issue. Not sure if it was an electrical issue or an engine issue.

- Point Pleasant Beach, NJ, USA

problem #7

Jul 222020

RDX

  • 3,000 miles
On 7/22/2020, I was entering the mass pike from I-495 outside of boston. I accelerated to get around a box truck and suddenly the engine light started flashing and the car started to lose power. No matter how much I stepped on the gas, the car kept losing speed. Thankfully, I was near a rest stop and was able to pull to the shoulder (from the middle lane) and had enough momentum to get the car in the parking lot. Thank goodness it was nighttime and with covid, there aren't as many cars on the road. This could have ended very badly for my children and me if traffic levels were what they usually are in that area. As soon as I put the car in park, the engine light went off. I called Acura roadside assistance and turned the car off. Roadside assistance transfered me to an Acura service department on the West coast that was still open. The service tech I spoke to said she never heard of the problem and "maybe" if I turned it off and turned it back on, it might be okay. I also googled and saw that this exact situation has happened to other owners and that after turning the car off and back on again, their cars were fine. I did the same, and the car went back into its normal mode and I was able to drive the rest of the way home without further incident.

- South Windsor, CT, USA

problem #6

Jul 042020

RDX

  • 2,800 miles
- 2020 Acura Rdx aspec purchased apr2020 new - ~2,800 miles when incident occurred on sat, 4jul2020 - was traveling on I-10 West at ~70 to 75 mph - attempted to pass a vehicle (on the left) when car lost all ability to accelerate and orange engine light began to blink in lower left corner of dashboard - I was pushing accelerator to the floor but no acceleration, no engine revving - vehicle slowed down to ~20 mph by the time I was able was able to get over to shoulder safely - turned car off waited ~30 seconds turned car back on and car appeared to function properly - I reported issue to Acura dealership - service rep advised that this is a known issue, but service manager said he knew nothing about this issue - I researched issue and discovered that my vehicle appears to have experienced "limp mode" - as have many other 2019 and 2020 Acura Rdx models - at time of incident was using adaptive cruise control with one bar spacing between vehicles, start/stop was on, comfort mode, always use premium (93) fuel, gas tank was ~1/2 full, weather was clear ~90 degrees - after restarting car realized that had changed to sport+ mode - at this point, I no longer trust the safety of this vehicle - this could have caused a catastrophic accident had there been a fast moving vehicle (e.g. 18 wheeler) behind me - up to and including death - vehicle is currently at dealership for analysis

- Houston, TX, USA

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