78 of the
2,655 complaints filed about the Acura RDX
are about the throttle and cruise control —
3% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2020.
78
Complaints
3%
Share of all complaints
11
Crashes
1
Fires
Acceleration & Cruise Control complaints by model year
On or about XXX, my 2021 Acura RDX, with approximately 121,078 miles, suddenly displayed multiple dashboard warning lights and system-failure messages while I was driving. These included the check-engine light, Road Departure Mitigation System Problem, steering, stability-control, braking-assistance and other driver-assistance warnings. Earlier, the tire-pressure monitoring system had also indicated a malfunction even though the tire pressures were correct. The vehicle initially continued to drive and the conventional brakes appeared to function normally. However, it then began hesitating when I attempted to accelerate. The vehicle would eventually gain speed, but the initial hesitation created a serious safety concern when pulling into traffic or attempting to accelerate. The check-engine light remained solid while the vehicle was stopped but flashed whenever I began driving and accelerating again. No crash, fire or injury occurred. The vehicle had undergone a full diagnostic inspection approximately two weeks earlier, and I was informed that everything checked out properly. There were no known drivability problems before this incident, and the vehicle has been maintained according to the manufacturer’s recommended service schedule. The vehicle was subsequently inspected by Elite Acura, an authorized Acura dealership in [XXX]. The dealership confirmed a head-gasket failure and a problem with the rear differential left-side actuator. The dealer recommended replacing the head gasket, four spark plugs, coolant, oil and filter, as well as replacing the rear differential left-side actuator and changing the differential fluid. The estimated head-gasket repair was $5,391.46, and the estimated rear differential actuator and fluid service was $813.85. The dealer also recommended rear brake pads and rotors. The head-gasket and rear differential actuator problems were confirmed by the authorized Acura dealership. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11750876 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2017 Acura RDX. While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact's wife enabled the parking brake. The contact stated that at a later while, the vehicle independently accelerated. No warning lights were illuminated. 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 dealer. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the vehicle was repaired an unknown recall was associated with the turbocharger repair. The contact researched and discovered that the failure was a known failure with similar vehicles. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 143,500.
NHTSA complaint #11734021 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving in the rain, after an hour long drive home from Philadelphia back to Reading, taking [XXX] and [XXX], I accelerated my vehicle while going around 50 mph and immediately was faced with a blinking check engine light and lost the ability to accelerate. My Acura essentially went into, what others call, limp mode while in sport mode. I filled my car with 93 gas around 20 minutes before this. After losing acceleration, I pulled over on the highway and the check engine light disappeared. After which, I still was unable to accelerate after leaving the car in park. After I turned the car off and turned the car back on maybe 30 seconds later, I was then able to accelerate and found no issues afterwards. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11690148 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle should be included in the recall for similar makes and models with the same issue. I almost crashed on the freeway because my high fuel pressure pump stopped working.
NHTSA complaint #11688628 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Drove into parking lot and as I was pulling into the parking spot next to the building, the vehicle started to surge forward as if I had my foot on the gas instead of the brake. The sudden surge caused the vehicle to plow into a brick building causing about $10K damage to the vehicle and $5K to the building. This was not the first time this sudden surging occurred. It happened at least 3 times previously, and one time since. Fortunately, the other occurrences did not lead to any damages, but just some anxious moments. I took the vehicle to the dealership to get checked out after the last occurrence, but they said they couldn't duplicate it. I thought it might be some sort of "unknown" problem, until I started reading on Facebook and other internet websites of other people having the same scary "surging" engine issues. I believe there's more to it now, and an investigation is warranted.
NHTSA complaint #11665825 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was going from an on ramp to the hwy traveling approx 55 mph and my rdx lost power, the steering wheel either locked up or lost all power steering and warning beeps started and so did lights and brake warning systems. I was able to get it a few feet onto the shoulder of the HWY. after calling Roadside assistance and turning the car off and back on I was able to get the steering wheel to turn freely again and pulled my car further off the hwy to safeth warning messages that popped up Brake system - "Brake system problem. Brake Performance may be reduces see your dealer Lane Keeping Assist System problem- see your dealer Collision mitigation Braking system problem- see your dealer Low spped Braking control problem. In googling this issue its a known issue on 2025 RDX and had caused some accidents. Some people have had it happen to them in 2 2025 RDX's since Jan and their loaner did it to them. There needs to be a reall on this
NHTSA complaint #11663933 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am writing to report a concerning issue with my Acura RDX 2017, which I believe poses a significant safety risk and requires immediate attention from your organization. The problem I encountered while driving jeopardizes the safety of both myself and others on the road. About five days ago, while driving at approximately 20 mph, my vehicle began emitting loud, thunderous sounds, accompanied by intense vibrations that shook the entire car. Additionally, it seemed to struggle when shifting gears, particularly into second or third gear. Despite my careful and gradual acceleration, the car exhibited signs of a malfunction within its transmission system. Furthermore, at around 35 mph, the engine suddenly revved to over 3000 rpm, causing the vehicle to accelerate without any input from me. This acceleration occurred even though my foot was not on the gas pedal, making the car difficult to control and putting me at risk of colliding with other vehicles or objects. The unpredictability of these incidents is deeply alarming and could lead to serious accidents if not addressed promptly. I purchased this vehicle in December 2023 and have maintained it according to the manufacturer's recommendations. However, when I inquired about the timing belt at the dealership, I was assured that it had passed inspection. Despite this, the recent malfunctions suggest a more serious underlying issue that needs immediate attention. Crucially, there were no warning lights, messages, or other indications of a problem prior to these incidents, underscoring the sudden and unexpected nature of the issue. I urge the NHTSA to investigate this matter urgently and thoroughly. I request that you initiate a recall of affected vehicles and implement necessary repairs to address the identified defects. Swift action is essential to ensure the safety of all motorists who may be affected by this issue.
NHTSA complaint #11579723 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On 2-10-2024 I was driving the 2021 RDX SH-AWD on I-40W in TN with my daughter in the passenger's seat. It was raining. After about 2 hours of driving, at about 3:00 pm, I took a break at a Rest Area near Buffalo Valley. After ~20-min rest, I restarted the car and tried to merge back onto I-40W. I was accelerating towards the speed limit of 70 m/h, but suddenly, at about 65m/h, I felt the car losing power. I could not speed up anymore: the car did not respond to the gas pedal and the speed dropped to about 40m/h. The orange engine light started to flash on the dashboard. A truck nearly piled on me from behind. Cars and trucks from behind had to switch lanes quickly to avoid collision. I was able to pull over to the shoulder and stopped with my emergency light on. I turned off the engine for about 10 minutes, then I restarted the car again and got back on the road. This time, everything seemed normal, but I was so scared and worried the car might suddenly not respond again. Fortunately, I was able to get home eventually without any additional problems.
NHTSA complaint #11575647 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On April 18, 2023 driving thru shopping center parking lot, WITHOUT WARNING car suddenly jerked right, accelerated, while brakes, steering wheel, gears locked. Ended crashing thru the wall of a structure. Airbags did NOT deploy but seat belts tightened firmly keeping us from going thru windshield. Episode of "UNINTENDED ACCELERATION" was reported to Honda Motors whose agent, Jason, checked the car 8/1/23 and found no defect. We had driven the car for almost 49,000 miles without incident yet, their agent drove it for LESS than 10 miles and concluded NOTHING WRONG with the car. Twelve days later while stopped at a red light, dashboard lights suddenly flashed and engine came to a complete STOP. DEAD. Conclusion was damaged sensor to gas tank since husband had run over tanker truck tire debris on fwy earlier in the day. Point is, this 2020 Acura RDX with <50K miles has had TWO MAJOR INCIDENTS : UNINTENDED ACCELERATION and UNINTENDED DECELERATION. Feel betrayed by Honda Motors Corp at conducting a superficial, inadequate inspection for the defects mentioned and fear for our safety and those of others we share on the road. There's a class action lawsuit in Florida for similar complaints but we live in California and have been unable to procure legal representation.....apparently, not cost effective. My driving record is clean.
NHTSA complaint #11546195 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Unintended acceleration, hesitation, and transmission issues. When accelerating from first gear to second gear, hesitates and then suddenly lurching forward.
NHTSA complaint #11543405 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My car lurches when I put it into gear, drive or reverse. When a red light turns green and I put my foot on the accelerator the car will lurch forward. I was in my garage when I started my car and my foot was firmly on the brake as I shifted into reverse with my foot on the brake the car violently lurched backwards.
NHTSA complaint #11541845 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
5 different occasions where the car enabled the emergency braking system for collision when there were no possibility of collision. This has occurred twice on the freeway, where all of a sudden, the vehicle slams down on the break, coming to a screeching halt. No vehicle or other object in front, side or back of vehicle that should cause this. The other instances happened on city roads and similar to the freeway instances. Hard braking for no reason, jolting me and passengers forward and causing vehicles behind me to not understand why we stopped randly and took so long to get going forward again as the emergency system doesn’t have a quick override.
NHTSA complaint #11534996 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
upon entering the cross driveway at a mall parking lot, car suddenly veered right, accelerating & unresponsive to stepping on brakes pedal, steering wheel locked, gear buttons did not respond, seat belts tightened, but air bags DID NOT deploy. Speed was slowed when car ran over a large rock and crashed into the wall of small store front. I, the driver, have not been in any accidents, had not taken any medication of any sort.
NHTSA complaint #11521064 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When I am stopped the vehicle routinely lurches as I touch the gas. I’ve complained to the dealer about it and they can’t reproduce the problem. It does lurch for my husband also. It hasn’t caused any injuries or damage, so far.
NHTSA complaint #11506678 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On 12/22/22, I was driving in a 2021 RDX SH-AWD with my pregnant wife and 2 year old son from Media PA to Pittsburgh PA . It was rainy and 35-40 degrees F the whole drive. Approximately 4 hours into the drive we stopped at a rest stop on the PA turnpike to get gas. While attempting to merge back onto the turnpike from the service road to the right of the turnpike, a truck was coming up behind me in the right hand lane of the turnpike. I was traveling approximately 40mph on the service road, so I went to accelerate to safely complete the merge in front of the truck. Near the end of my acceleration sequence (I estimate I had gotten to approx 65mph) my car went into “limp mode”. I felt an unexpected and immediate loss of power and my check engine light/“MIL” began flashing yellow. I was luckily able to barely avoid a collision with the truck that was approaching. After the light started flashing I was unable to turn the knob to switch drive modes (it was in snow mode at the time this all happened). I was unable to do anything but attempt to drive to safety with severe power loss. I was able to coast my car with minimal accelerator response to the next exit off the turnpike and into a motel parking lot. I shut down the car and then turned it back on. When I turned it back on, the MIL light was no longer flashing and I had normal power restored to the vehicle, but interestingly the auto stop/start feature no longer worked. I was able to drive the remainder of the way to Pittsburgh without any further loss in power, though I was anxious the entire drive considering the major malfunction I had just experienced while attempting a merge at highway speeds. The vehicle only had approx 10,500 miles on it at the time of the incident. The vehicle is currently at the dealership being diagnosed. A case has also been opened directly with Acura/Honda.
NHTSA complaint #11499336 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On July 24, 2022, while driving from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois back to our home in Lisle, IL, in a heavy rainstorm, our RDX suddenly started flashing the engine light and lost power on Interstate 57. We were fortunate to be able to maneuver it to the side of the road, and off the nearby ramp at Bradley, IL. We ‘googled’ the circumstances on our iphone, to learn that this is considered a serious, potentially life-threatening situation, and that Acura recommended immediate Service Bulletin 20-053, dated May 25, 2021, states the symptom as “The MIL is flashing with loss of power.” It indicates “Corrective Action” for the RDX as “Update the PGM-FI and replace the intercooler, the intercooler outlet pipe assembly and the intercooler outlet hose.” Affected vehicles include “ALL” 2019-2020 RDX models.” Despite the Service Bulletin that was issued, many RDX owners, noted the same response from their local Acura dealer. They note that the dealers “played dumb,” claim they could not locate a Service Code, nor “replicate the conditions and response” in the shop…. precisely my experience! In fact, the Service Receipt, indicates the car was driven less than one mile, hardly sufficient to replicate conditions. Acura Client Relations has refused to assist. I contacted the CEO Jon Ikeda but his office has not responded. I fear driving the car in wet conditions.
NHTSA complaint #11488228 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On September 6, 2022, at 7:45 AM I was traveling from my home to work in my 2020 Acura RDX. As I was merging on to an interstate in heavy, high-speed traffic, my RDX suddenly lost power and started to decelerate with absolutely no warning at all as high-speed traffic was approaching from behind. My vehicle decelerated to a speed of about 20mph on an interstate in the midst of heavy, high-speed traffic. The malfunction indication light began flashing in the instrument panel. I was able to drive at slow speed of about 15-20 mph, with 4-way lights flashing, until I could exit the interstate. I turned the car off for a few minutes and then was able to proceed. This created an extremely dangerous situation.
NHTSA complaint #11483039 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My experience is in the attached file. My concern is Honda (Acura, same company) issued a service bulletin with VIN ranges (which my vehicle falls in) and yet there is no diagnostic error code to show it happened to the car, repair persons/dealerships can and have denied fixing anything because they can’t diagnose it and it’s in the owner’s manual directing the owner to take it to the dealer for repair. That’s a big disconnect. Luckily, I was able to dig to find the bulletin and provided it to my dealer with the description of what happened and they’re going to fix it. But that doesn’t help anyone else. You really should put pressure on American Honda Motor to issue a recall and do it right.
NHTSA complaint #11477191 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
One week ago 6-20-22, my car started to ‘chug’ and slow down as I was accelerating up a hill on a highway. It was almost as if my car was losing power. When this happened about 10 warnings signs came up on my dash. I drove it directly to the dealership. They replaced my oil saying the pressure was low. All was well for the day after 6-21 when driving it home from dealership. On 6-22 I went to merge onto a local highway from a stop sign with traffic coming at 55-65 mph. My car would not accelerate over 25 and I was unable to pull of. Thankfully I pulled off onto the next exit. I could have easily been rear ended and hurt. This issue since will go away if I shut off my car and turn it back on, but not every time. It is still chugging and losing power when I drive and all the errors on the dashboard are coming up randomly. I drive A LOT everyday for work and this problem is really scaring me knowing I or others could get hurt.
NHTSA complaint #11471260 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.