← New search

2021 Acura Rdx

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Rdx years

Owner complaints for the 2021 Acura Rdx are substantially higher than the model-year median of 36.5.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
Compare all Rdx years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 12 of 111 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

3 crash reports0 fire reports1 injury reports

What owners actually said

111 reports
Mileage unknown · Jun 12, 2026
Electrical System

The contact owns a 2021 Acura RDX. The contact stated that while at a complete stop at a stop sign or traffic light, the engine auto stop-start system was inoperable upon depression of the brake pedal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated. The dealer initially suggested that the battery …

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2021 Acura RDX. The contact stated that while at a complete stop at a stop sign or traffic light, the engine auto stop-start system was inoperable upon depression of the brake pedal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated. The dealer initially suggested that the battery might require replacement. However, another dealer determined that the battery was functioning properly and exhibited no defects upon inspection. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.

NHTSA ODI #11743690

Mileage unknown · May 13, 2026
Electrical SystemExterior 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 increase…

Read full complaint

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 ODI #11737515

Mileage unknown · Apr 1, 2026
Unknown Or Other

On March 20th, my husband and I went out to dinner with three friends. We arrived around 6:50 PM and left our car with the valet. When we returned later that evening to pick up the vehicle, a valet employee approached us and asked us to walk with him to the car. The police were already present at the scene. The employee explai…

Read full complaint

On March 20th, my husband and I went out to dinner with three friends. We arrived around 6:50 PM and left our car with the valet. When we returned later that evening to pick up the vehicle, a valet employee approached us and asked us to walk with him to the car. The police were already present at the scene. The employee explained that when he entered the vehicle on the driver’s side to return it to us, he closed the door and immediately heard the sound of glass shattering. When we reached the car, we saw that the entire rear window had been shattered. The police later reviewed the surveillance footage and confirmed that the incident occurred exactly as described by the valet employee.

NHTSA ODI #11728451

56,000 miles · Mar 19, 2026
Visibility

The contact owns a 2021 Acura RDX. While driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal gunshot sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact inspected the exterior of the vehicle but found no failure. The contact stated that the following day, while driving at an undisclosed speed, …

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2021 Acura RDX. While driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal gunshot sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact inspected the exterior of the vehicle but found no failure. The contact stated that the following day, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the panoramic roof glass shattered, and glass shards fell inside the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.

NHTSA ODI #11725540

Mileage unknown · Feb 25, 2026
Visibility/wiper

Got in my vehicle as usual, started the vehicle shortly after I heard cracking thought nothing of it and all of a sudden the rear tailgate window shattered completely.

NHTSA ODI #11720321

Mileage unknown · Feb 10, 2026
StructureUnknown Or Other

- Rear window shattered without impact or any signs of stress. - Safety at risk if driving and breakage occurs. In this case I was away from the parked vehicle when the shattering occurred. - There are quite a few reports of this issue online in Facebook Acura owner groups and in published news stories such as this: [XXX] - I…

Read full complaint

- Rear window shattered without impact or any signs of stress. - Safety at risk if driving and breakage occurs. In this case I was away from the parked vehicle when the shattering occurred. - There are quite a few reports of this issue online in Facebook Acura owner groups and in published news stories such as this: [XXX] - In my case, it was inspected by the repair company and confirmed to be a common occurrence they are called to repair. - There were no warning lights or any signs of damage or stress to the glass. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11717087

Mileage unknown · Jan 27, 2026
Electrical System

Infotainment system fails on occasions. Sceen goes completely blank causing distraction while driving. There is currently a recall for this issue for 2019-2020 RDX.

NHTSA ODI #11713768

Mileage unknown · Jan 24, 2026
Structure

Sudden breaking of panoramic glass on sun/moon roof. I believe this is related to the clicking noise that is caused by the improper bolting in this model. There is an active service bulletin for the improper bolting/flexing in the panoramic glass. I called the Acura dealership where this was bought and they didn’t acknowledge th…

Read full complaint

Sudden breaking of panoramic glass on sun/moon roof. I believe this is related to the clicking noise that is caused by the improper bolting in this model. There is an active service bulletin for the improper bolting/flexing in the panoramic glass. I called the Acura dealership where this was bought and they didn’t acknowledge that. I had my two children, toddler and infant, in the back. They like the panoramic open. If this broke on top of them this would be a very serious injury.

NHTSA ODI #11713052

Mileage unknown · Jan 15, 2026
Unknown Or Other

Warmed car before driving, once I got in car and shut drivers side, Rear window shattered. Common issue with other owners of same car. Reached out to Acura dealerships and they claim it’s not an issue that is happening and will not replace it.

NHTSA ODI #11711100

60,000 miles · Jan 14, 2026
Visibility

The contact's sister owns a 2021 Acura RDX. The contact stated that the rear glass had shattered while the vehicle was parked in the driveway. The dealer was contacted and advised that the earliest availability to replace the glass was in 3-4 days. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened; however, the …

Read full complaint

The contact's sister owns a 2021 Acura RDX. The contact stated that the rear glass had shattered while the vehicle was parked in the driveway. The dealer was contacted and advised that the earliest availability to replace the glass was in 3-4 days. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened; however, the manufacturer later informed the contact that the model year was not covered under TSB: 22-014 (Rear Windshield Glass Shattering). The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA ODI #11710918

Official recalls

3

26V332000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger

May 21, 2026

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.

24V064000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger

Feb 1, 2024

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.

21V939000 · Power Train:driveline:driveshaft

Dec 2, 2021

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021 Acura RDX and 2022 CR-V Hybrid vehicles. A component in the right or left front driveshaft may have been improperly heat-treated, which could result in driveshaft failure.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Driveshaft failure can cause a sudden loss of drive power, or cause the vehicle to roll away when parked if the parking brake is not applied. Either condition can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the right or left front driveshaft as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 24, 2022. Owners may contact Honda customer service 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BBY, NBW, and OBX.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.