Essentially a CR-V under its shell, the Acura RDX is a popular luxury SUV. Since its launch, the SUV has given its German counterparts tough competition and its reliability aspect has also improved substantially. The 2018 Acura RDX has zero recalls and 20 complaints to date to its name with the NHTSA. The most common problems faced by the 2018 RDX are powertrain issues and electrical system issues. The luxury crossover comes at a base price of $36,800, competing with the BMW X3, the Volvo XC60, and the Lexus NX 300 in the segment.
Acura RDX user complaints and problems
Safety problems
- Automatic emergency braking fault: One owner complained about the forward collision mitigation system of the vehicle malfunctioning. The complaint stated that while the vehicle was being driven, another vehicle entered the lane from the opposite side, and the automatic emergency braking slowed down the owner’s vehicle to such an extent that he was unable to swerve. It resulted in a crash.
- Sound from steering wheel: One owner complained regarding this issue. He mentioned that while driving and operating the steering wheel, there were abnormal sounds from underneath the airbag module in the middle of the steering wheel.
Engine problems
- Stalling of engine: A couple of reports mentioned that the affected vehicles stalled on multiple occasions. In one instance, the owner complained that the engine stalled while driving at low speeds.
- Hesitation while acceleration: Alongside the stalling issues, some owners also faced this problem too. The reports mentioned that on random occasions, the vehicle would hesitate to accelerate after the accelerator pedal was depressed.
- Vehicle rolling away: One owner complained about this problem. During the incident, the Acura RDX was idling while the transmission was slotted into park mode. While the owner exited the vehicle after parking the vehicle on a slight gradient, the vehicle rolled away and injured the owner to quite an extent.
- Sudden acceleration: In an isolated incident, the vehicle accelerated suddenly but the owner was able to stop the vehicle right on time. It was further mentioned that while the owner mildly tapped on the gas to enter a parking lot, the vehicle accelerated suddenly and jumped over a curb.
Exterior problems
- Exploding sunroof: A couple of complaints were registered regarding this issue. One owner mentioned that the sunroof of the vehicle exploded suddenly while it was being driven on a highway. There was no external impact that might have shattered the glass. In another case, the sunroof shattered suddenly on a brand new vehicle and the incident occurred while driving as well.
- Moisture in headlamps: A total of two complaints were lodged about the headlamp issue. One owner stated that there was a stress fracture on the headlamp glass which caused water to accumulate inside. The fracture was caused on its own, without any impact. In another case, the poor design of the headlamps caused moisture to accumulate inside the headlamp units reducing the visibility during nighttime.
2018 Acura RDX recalls
The 2018 Acura RDX has not faced any recalls to date.
Should you buy a used Acura RDX?
The Acura RDX is quite an underrated option in the segment and lacks in some key areas considering its price and the rivals. However, it makes for a decent luxury SUV if comfort and cruising are the main preferences and the styling part comes as a bonus. Getting a used example of the SUV wouldn’t be a troublesome affair given its good reliability record in the recent past. We recommend a trusted used car dealer and a thorough examination of the used example before you get one home.
