My 2013 Acura RDX headlights are so dim and it is very dangerous for me to drive at night. This is worse when raining or street lights aren't available. It seems to be a known issue that these cars are equipped with unsafe low-beam headlights that gradually dim over time. This is a huge safety risk, even more so for families wit…
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My 2013 Acura RDX headlights are so dim and it is very dangerous for me to drive at night. This is worse when raining or street lights aren't available. It seems to be a known issue that these cars are equipped with unsafe low-beam headlights that gradually dim over time. This is a huge safety risk, even more so for families with young kids. Why were these not raised earlier and why are these cars not recalled for the fix? Please take necessary and immediate action so lives are not lost over this. Thank you very much for your time and consideration of this matter.
NHTSA ODI #11624871
Mileage unknown · Nov 4, 2024
Exterior LightingVisibility/wiper
After 10 years, the low beam headlights have become very dim to the point that it’s difficult and unsafe for myself and other drivers for me to drive this car at night, especially in the fog or rain. Apparently this won’t be fixed by simply replacing the bulbs and will be a costly repair at no fault of the owners. I agree with m…
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After 10 years, the low beam headlights have become very dim to the point that it’s difficult and unsafe for myself and other drivers for me to drive this car at night, especially in the fog or rain. Apparently this won’t be fixed by simply replacing the bulbs and will be a costly repair at no fault of the owners. I agree with many others that this needs to be a recall fix.
NHTSA ODI #11623380
Mileage unknown · Oct 1, 2024
Exterior LightingUnknown Or Other
My headlights are dim and this started happening about 3 years ago when my car 7-years-old. I have to use my brights to drive at night. The Ron Tonkin Acura of Portland, OR told me the projectors are bad and that both headlights need to be placed for $2000. This is luxury vehicle and this situation is ridiculous. This needs…
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My headlights are dim and this started happening about 3 years ago when my car 7-years-old. I have to use my brights to drive at night. The Ron Tonkin Acura of Portland, OR told me the projectors are bad and that both headlights need to be placed for $2000. This is luxury vehicle and this situation is ridiculous. This needs to be a recall. Others have complained online about the same issue.
NHTSA ODI #11617528
Mileage unknown · Aug 16, 2024
Exterior Lighting
Over the last few years or so, the low beam headlights have provided less and less illumination of the road when driving at night. I have purchased and installed a variety of different new bulbs in attempts to rectify the problem and have tried adjusting the set of the beam, all to no avail. At this point the low beams provide d…
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Over the last few years or so, the low beam headlights have provided less and less illumination of the road when driving at night. I have purchased and installed a variety of different new bulbs in attempts to rectify the problem and have tried adjusting the set of the beam, all to no avail. At this point the low beams provide dangerously little illumination on the road in front of the vehicle and the only reasonable way to drive is with the high beams on. I have searched online forums and it seems that the reflector dish in the headlight assembly delaminates over time to the point that it no longer directs the light of the bulb forward in front of the car. I called the Acura dealership in Annapolis, MD and was told that the forums are correct and the headlight housing is failed. The only thing they could do for it was to replace the entire housing at a cost of $2,300 ($1,000 for each headlight and $300 for the labor) with another OEM housing, which has not been modified or upgraded from the original and would therefore have the same problem. Acura would not bear any of the cost of this replacement. The original headlight housings are still in hand and available for inspection upon request. The dealer did not need to inspect the parts, they were already aware of the problem, so yes, it has been reproduced and confirmed by the dealer. There is no warning light or message associated with the problem, just a progressing failure to illuminate the road. The safety of the driver, occupants, and others on the road, is put at risk by the inability to see ahead of the vehicle and the consequent need to drive with the high beams on. The date provided below is the date of the filing of this report, but the failure has been progressive and did not occur on a specific date.
NHTSA ODI #11608941
Mileage unknown · May 31, 2024
Exterior Lighting
Low beam headlights gradually became dim to the point of not illuminating the road. Replacement halogen bulbs made no difference. The reflective coating inside the low beam projector housing delaminates to the point that no light illuminates the road. You literally have to drive with high beams on as those are in another housing…
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Low beam headlights gradually became dim to the point of not illuminating the road. Replacement halogen bulbs made no difference. The reflective coating inside the low beam projector housing delaminates to the point that no light illuminates the road. You literally have to drive with high beams on as those are in another housing. Acura dealer said only solution was to replace the entire headlight unit. I spent about $500 on replacement headlight housing from eBay and paid a body shop to install them. Acura refuses to recall the 2013-2014-2015 RDX that all have this same issue.
NHTSA ODI #11591700
Mileage unknown · May 22, 2024
Exterior Lighting
My car headlights are very dim and can't see road well at night-other cars have trouble seeing me. This has slowly happened over time. My mechanic replaced headlight bulbs still a problem and he says the reflectors are bad so I have ordered new headlights. I went online and found this has been a problem for many Acura RDX owners…
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My car headlights are very dim and can't see road well at night-other cars have trouble seeing me. This has slowly happened over time. My mechanic replaced headlight bulbs still a problem and he says the reflectors are bad so I have ordered new headlights. I went online and found this has been a problem for many Acura RDX owners, Acura is aware but hasn't sought a recall to fix situation. However, Acura had same problem on another model (TLX I believe) and did recall and fix problem. This is a safety hazard and almost had head on collision multiple times in the last few years so try not to drive at night which is unrealistic. Other issues are had to replace side passenger mirror which spontaneously melted and cracked, car is garage kept. Similar melting of plastic back side area of car on drivers side, others online report similar problems for my year and color car, Acura won't do anything about it
NHTSA ODI #11590243
Mileage unknown · May 15, 2024
Exterior Lighting
Low beam lighting failures due to the reflective property breakdown
NHTSA ODI #11588873
Mileage unknown · May 8, 2024
Exterior Lighting
There hasn't been a specific incident at this point. I am reporting what appears to be a manufacturing defect with the headlamps on my 2013 Acura RDX. I have owned this car for approximately 9 years and recently (past 6-12 months) noticed having difficulty seeing the road at night. Even worse seeing the road at night when raini…
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There hasn't been a specific incident at this point. I am reporting what appears to be a manufacturing defect with the headlamps on my 2013 Acura RDX. I have owned this car for approximately 9 years and recently (past 6-12 months) noticed having difficulty seeing the road at night. Even worse seeing the road at night when raining. I took this vehicle to my personal mechanic and he suggested that the reflective coating inside the light seems to have dulled or has become corroded. He suggested this should not happen and wondered if Acura was aware of it. I did a brief google search and quickly found I was not the only one who had experienced this issue. I called Acura and opened a case file to see if they were aware or if there was something they could do. Then took to a Acura dealer to have them investigate. The dealer has agreed the reflective coating inside the light was no longer working as intended and may be the cause of the dim lights. They contacted Acura about this and Acura said they would only pay for half because the car was 11 yrs old. I suggested this didn't seem equitable since this definitely a safety issue that is not related to normal maintenance and there was literally nothing I could have done to prevent this. So in my opinion they acknowledged there is a manufacturing defect and refuse to own the problem. I don't believe it's reasonable to expect to have to replace the entire light assembly of a vehicle during the life of that vehicle to keep the lights working properly. Certainly not on a car that is just over 10 years old.
NHTSA ODI #11587643
Mileage unknown · Apr 2, 2024
Exterior Lighting
A few years ago I began to notice the lack of visibility when I would drive at night. I had my headlight bulbs replaced thinking it was a simple maintenance issue. After spending the money the lights did not get any better. They have only gotten worse over the year and now its so bad when i drive its a hazard. In speaking…
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A few years ago I began to notice the lack of visibility when I would drive at night. I had my headlight bulbs replaced thinking it was a simple maintenance issue. After spending the money the lights did not get any better. They have only gotten worse over the year and now its so bad when i drive its a hazard. In speaking to Acura they have stated that this is a known issue and its the entire head light component that must be replaced not just the bulbs. That cost would be upwards of $2,000 just for the parts! I can not afford to purchase this and I dont think this falls under normal wear and tear maintenance. I am a very responsible car owner and have always kept records of my car service that I will attach for documentation.
NHTSA ODI #11580612
Mileage unknown · Mar 17, 2024
Exterior Lighting
The low beam headlights are so dim I cannot see the road driving at night. I tried replacing the light bulbs with new lights and it still does not improve the visibility. I contacted Acura and it is a known issue with the headlight housing and assembly but they don't want to pay for it. The headlight assembly replacement cost fo…
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The low beam headlights are so dim I cannot see the road driving at night. I tried replacing the light bulbs with new lights and it still does not improve the visibility. I contacted Acura and it is a known issue with the headlight housing and assembly but they don't want to pay for it. The headlight assembly replacement cost for both sides will be about $3,000. Acura should be responsible for continuing to let drivers drive at night in such dangerous condition that poses significant threat to the driver themselves as well as other drivers and people on the road at night. NHTSA, I hope you can please help us!!
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The affected vehicles received a replacement driver air bag inflator as part of a previous Takata inflator recall remedy or a replacement driver air bag module containing the same inflator type as a service part. Due to a manufacturing error, in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, these inflators may explode.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An explosion of an inflator within the driver frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver, front seat passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is O41. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is U40.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Honda CR-V, 2011-2015 CR-Z, 2010-2014 FCX, and Insight, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013-2014 Fit EV, 2007-2014 Ridgeline, 2013-2016 Acura ILX, 2013-2014 Acura ILX Hybrid, 2007-2016 RDX, 2005-2012 Acura RL, 2009-2014 Acura TL, and 2010-2013 Acura ZDX vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are JY0, JY1, and JY2.
Honda is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 CR-V, Odyssey, and model year 2013 Acura RDX vehicles. During sub-freezing temperatures, the brake-shift interlock blocking mechanism may become slow and allow the gear selector to be moved from the Park position without pressing the brake pedal. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the gear selector is moved from the park position without pressing the brake pedal it can allow the vehicle to roll away, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicle to a Honda or Acura dealer. The dealer will install an updated brake shift interlock blocking mechanism free of charge. The recall began on May 13, 2013. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009. Honda's campaign recall numbers are S96, S97, and S98.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1
EA21002 · Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Opened Sep 17, 2021 · No close date supplied
Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module; Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.
Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 Blomquist Report at www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.Consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substance that traps and holds moisture) in US vehicles are under recall. These "non-desiccated" inflators either have been or are required to be replaced.In some cases, the remedy part for these recalled inflators was, or will be, an inflator using either propellant 2004 or 2004L that does contain a desiccant. None of these "desiccated" remedy parts (which were installed in older model year vehicles) are currently under recall for a degradation concern. Certain subsets of desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004 for use as original equipment, however, have been recalled for a degradation concern. All Takata inflators produced with propellant 2004L contain desiccant, and none of these desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L are under recall for a degradation concern. There have been no reported field ruptures in any non-recalled desiccated PSAN inflators.It is understood that desiccants fully saturate at some threshold, at which point any additional moisture will not be captured. This means the degradation process observed in non-desiccated inflators using propellant 2004 may also occur in non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004, assuming additional moisture enters the inflator and high temperature cycling occurs. Based on available information, desiccant saturation can occur within the first five years in the worst environments, and the time required for full saturation is affected by multiple factors. While no present safety risk has been identified, further work is needed to evaluate the future risk of non-recalled desiccated inflators using propellant 2004.Three entities -- Takata (now known as TK Global), the Independent Testing Coalition, and Exponent -- have been studying the long-term behavior of Takata desiccated PSAN inflators using propellant 2004L (as well as 2004) in the presence of moisture and temperature cycling. The research efforts, which include development of predictive modeling techniques and field sample analysis, are ongoing. To date, none of the researchers have identified field evidence showing that propellant 2004L is undergoing a degradation process that leads to aggressive deployment and potential rupture. However, the time in service of such inflators remains short compared to that of the inflators using propellant 2004. Further study is needed to assess the long-term safety of desiccated inflators using propellant 2004L.The Office of Defects Investigation is opening this investigation to examine whether a safety defect related to propellant degradation exists in non-recalled desiccated PSAN frontal inflators manufactured by Takata. This investigation will require extensive information on Takata production processes and surveys of inflators in the field. Lists of recall actions that may have used desiccated PSAN inflators as remedy parts, as well as the makes and models originally manufactured with them, is available with the downloadable version of this document (see nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=EA21002 -- note this information is subject to change/revision as the investigation proceeds). This investigation does not supersede EA15-001, which remains open.
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