602 of the 2,655 complaints filed about the Acura RDX are about the lighting — 23% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 2015.
602
Complaints
23%
Share of all complaints
6
Crashes
0
Fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Reflectors on low beam headlights have completely failed. Provides almost no illumination and is very dangerous to drive at night. Changing bulbs, cleaning outer lens makes no difference, the entire housing needs to be replaced.
NHTSA complaint #11755291 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
The contact owns a 2014 Acura RDX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver’s and passenger’s side headlights were very dim. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the headlight bulbs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.
NHTSA complaint #11754763 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The HID low beam headlamps are not putting out enough light to drive the vehicle at night. This is dangerous, and I drive home from work at night. The inner low beam lens has degraded and become hazy. This would require the entire headlight housing to be replaced, which are very expensive - about $1,700. I believe this is the same problem that 2015 Acura RLX are experiencing, and recall JN2 was created. I don't understand why the 2015 Acura RDX models weren't included in that recall.
NHTSA complaint #11754106 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
There is a defect in my headlights, too dim to drive at night, have to engage high beams to see. This is a safety hazard. I believe this should be repaired by the manufacturer
NHTSA complaint #11751826 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Headlight reflector assemblies have delaminated causing headlight output to be very dim to the point that driving at night is not safe.
NHTSA complaint #11750714 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The low beam headlight projector lens has degraded to the point of being extremely unsafe and therefore unable to drive at night. Repair for the defective headlight is costly and should be addressed by Honda/Acura as it is a HUGE safety concern. Acura recalled/replaced the defective lens on the 2014-2015 RLX model but has chose not to do so on the RDX with the exact same problem.
NHTSA complaint #11748435 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The headlight housings on this generation of 2013 Acura MDXs completely fail due to a design flaw that causes the housing to overheat and dim the lights to a dangerous level. At night, you would be safer if you were driving with flashlights taped to the hood of the vehicle. I’m sure this has caused numerous wrecks for 2013-2015 MDX owners as it is a widely reported issue that needs to be fixed asap before more people perish. Please do something about this as it is not just a select few lemons but it is nearly every 2013 Acura MDX out there with the same OEM housings. Lives could depend on fixing this issue. Please hear this out.
NHTSA complaint #11742536 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Low beam headlights are very dim after installing new bulbs. It appears the reflective capsule is not working properly. My car headlights have not been damaged in the past.
NHTSA complaint #11739860 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Headlights are so dim and cannot operate at night driving thru the mountains. It seems like a repetitive issue that affects many owners.
NHTSA complaint #11739101 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The Auto High-Beam system activates the high beams inappropriately during operation. The system triggers the high beams directly into the eyes of oncoming traffic and activates during early dusk conditions. The sudden, intense illumination blinds oncoming drivers. This creates an immediate glare hazard and significantly increases the risk of a head-on collision. I reported this specific failure to the authorized dealership on three separate occasions, engaging three distinct service advisors during the active warranty period. The service department omitted these complaints from the formal repair orders. The first advisor stated the system was functioning normally. The second advisor stated the technicians completed an inspection and verified the system as fully operational. The third advisor acknowledged experiencing the exact same malfunction on their personal vehicle and instructed me to manually disable the safety feature. The system fails silently, displaying zero warning lamps or error messages prior to or during the malfunctions. The attached service invoices document a severe, underlying instability within the vehicle's electrical and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) network, culminating in a complete VSA modulator replacement. These records establish a confirmed administrative pattern of the dealership dismissing intermittent safety faults, officially logging statements such as "unable to verify issue" and "no problem found" on subsequent visits. This evidentiary paper trail substantiates the dealership's systemic suppression of my specific, repeated verbal reports regarding the Auto High-Beam safety hazard. The vehicle and the Auto High-Beam system remain available for inspection upon request.
NHTSA complaint #11737515 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Headlights are so dim that it is a safety risk. Literally cannot see to drive at night. I see reports online from many Acura owners that say this is a known defect yet to be recalled by Acura. There were no warning signs.
NHTSA complaint #11733288 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Low Beam head lamp assembly is defective and no longer focuses light forward. Delamination of reflector material is a common issue according to internet searches.
NHTSA complaint #11733444 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Low beam headlights are very dim and nighttime driving visibility is very low. Both headlights appear to have degraded over time and fail to produce adequate light for driving. This vehicle has been brought to the dealer for repair to address this issue, and has had two related repairs that did not solve the problem. The bulbs have been replaced with new low-beam lamps. The headlight lens has also been restored by the dealer to reduce haze on the headlight cover. These repairs have not fixed the dim lights and the problem seems to be internal to the light. The high-beams are rarely used and do not appear to be affected by the same dim output.
NHTSA complaint #11731329 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The low beam headlights have degraded over time and are now barely providing any light, making driving at night unsafe. This appears to be due to the degradation of the low beam assembly reflector. Replacing the low beam headlights with higher quality lights did not make any noticeable difference. This issue has been reported in numerous online chats for the 2015 Acura RDX.
NHTSA complaint #11731371 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Exterior lighting - HID low beams have become extremely dim and very difficult to see at night. Reading other complaints, seems like this is a very common problem with this vehicle. The manufacturer should address as this is a safety issue.
NHTSA complaint #11730859 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Common problem with the headlights of this model. The regular headlights become too dim, causing danger to driver at night. Using brights is mandatory during night time driving. Entire light housing must be replaced due to dimming. Replacing bulbs does not solve issue.
NHTSA complaint #11730124 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Low beam halogen headlights are dangerously dim. It is not possible to see in darkness without the high beams on. New factory bulbs have been replaced. Lens cleaning restoration has been performed. This widely known flaw will cause accidents if it hasn't already. Hundreds of complains have been filed with the NHTSA. There are dozens of forums highlighting this important design flaw. The issue lies with the headlight assembly reflector becoming oxidized in a relatively short period of time. Based on research, the degradation of light emittance takes about 5-6 years to reach a dangerous visibility issue. Owners are not interested in spending $1,600 every ~6 years just to have minimum visibility while driving. This is dangerous. This is serious. This is consistent across all 2013-2015 RDX models. Sadly, my father's 1999 Ford F150 with 250K miles has original headlights which shine about 10 times brighter than this "current day" Acura. I attached a .pdf with comments from a certified Acura technician who also owns one of these vehicles. I own (2) RDX vehicles that my daughters both drive. I am considering not allowing them to drive at night in the rain because there is literally ZERO visibility. Turning the lights to the off position or on position while driving at night makes ZERO difference in visibility. The brights are fantastic and have no issue.
NHTSA complaint #11729175 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Headlights are extremely dim even when replaced with new bulbs. Issue has progressively worsened over years. Vehicle is unsafe to drive in the dark. Was informed I need new headlights housings from my local mechanic due to internal reflector failure.
NHTSA complaint #11727346 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
My main headlights became DIM after 7 years of ownership. I have gone to the Dealership and had BOTH bulbs Replaced with No Visible Improvement in the Brightness. Given the age of my car, I've also had the Lenses Polished to ensure there's no significant Film on the Outside. Again... No Improvement in the Brightness of the lights. I asked the techs at the Shop about the problem and they said they haven't seen any systemic problems. I'm concerned as this is a Safety Issue and my work does have me driving at night on occasion.
NHTSA complaint #11723739 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The low beam headlights are very dim and this causes reduced / no visibility while driving at night. While driving in the dark, it is impossible to see anything on the road ahead
NHTSA complaint #11723244 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.