2012 Acura Rdx

WITHIN THE FIRST 2 YEARS AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC NOTICED MY RACK AND PINION WAS LEAKING. THE ACURA DEALER REPLACED THE RACK AND PINION UNDER WARRANTY 28,782.00 MMI MAY 16, 2014. I WAS EXPERIENCING VIBRATION ESPECIALLY AT SPEEDS OF 60-65. IT KEPT GETTING WORSE I THOUGHT IT WAS THE ROAD, TIRES OUT OF BALANCE, WHEELS OUT OF BALANCE? I GOT NEW TIRES, BALANCED. IT CONTINUED. I READ ABOUT COMPLAINTS WITH THE AXLE AND SIMILAR SYMPTOMS IN OTHER ACURA SEDAN MODELS, NOT THE RDX. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THE AXLE DID NEED TO REPLACED AT 46,306.00 MILES 11/30/15. IT WAS ON BACK ORDER FOR OVER A MONTH. I WAS DRIVING IN A PARKING LOT FEBRUARY 8, 2016 AND HEARD A TERRIBLE LOUD GRINDING NOISE TURNING THE WHEEL. I PUT IT IN PARK AND IT STOPPED THEN I PROCEEDED AGAIN AND IT HAPPENED AFTER MOVING A FEW YARDS. I TRIED TO PULL TO A SAFE OUT OF THE WAY SPOT AND THE NOISE CAME AGAIN AND THIS TIME JUST WHEN PUTTING IT IN DRIVE THE TERRIBLE LOUD GRINDING TYPE NOISE CAME. I THOUGHT THE ENGINE WAS GOING TO FAIL. I STOPPED WHERE I WAS AND CALLED AAA FOR A TOW. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE AXLE HAD BROKEN INSIDE ON A PIECE ON THE LEFT SIDE. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE IE, I DID NOT HIT ANYTHING ETC... THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID MAYBE THE PART WAS DEFECTIVE, HE DID NOT SEE ANY DAMAGE. HE HAD ONE IN STOCK AND WAS ABLE TO REPLACE IT RIGHT AWAY. THERE IS STILL A CREAKING NOISE WHEN I TURN THE WHEEL ESPECIALLY TO THE RIGHT OR WHEN I STEP ON THE BREAKS THE FRONT END MAKES NOISE SEEMS LIKE IT NEEDS LUBRICATION OR SOMETHING. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR. THE ACURA CORPORATION WILL NOT ADMIT THE PART WAS DEFECTIVE THEY WANT ME TO TAKE IT TO A DEALER TO HAVE IT EVALUATED. (DID THAT) TONY THE DISTRICT CASE MANAGER SAID THEY CAN ONLY TAKE CARE OF THINGS THAT ARE UNDER WARRANTY AND THEY WILL NOT BUY BACK THIS CAR SO THAT I CAN PURCHASE A SAFE CAR. I WILL BE SEEKING ARBITRATION.

DEC. 23 2014: MY HUSBAND AND I WERE TRAVELING DOWN HIGHWAY GA400 AT APPROX. 60 MPH. ALL WINDOWS WERE CLOSED, THE SUNROOF & SUNROOF SHADE WERE CLOSED. APPROX. OUTSIDE TEMP WAS 45F, CLOUDY DAY, INSIDE VEHICLE TEMP WAS APPROX. 70F. THERE WERE NO CARS OR OBJECTS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY. SUDDENLY, WE HEARD A LOUD POP THAT SEEMED TO COME FROM THE ROOF OF THE CAR. SINCE WE DID NOT SEE ANYTHING MAKE CONTACT WITH THE ROOF OF THE CAR, WE DIDN'T INVESTIGATE FURTHER. JAN. 4, 2015: AGAIN TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY ABOUT 70MPH, WE HEARD A NOISE FROM THE SUNROOF. APPARENTLY PIECES OF GLASS FLYING OFF THE TOP OF THE ROOF. AFTER, WE HEARD THE FAINT SOUND OF OUTSIDE AIR COMING FROM SUNROOF. THE PASSENGER OPENED THE SUNROOF SHADE JUST ENOUGH TO IMMEDIATELY SEE THAT THE ENTIRE SUNROOF GLASS WAS SHATTERED (PARTIALLY INTACT, BUT COMPLETELY SHATTERED). WITHIN THREE MINUTES WHEN A SAFE PLACE WAS REACHED, THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO EXAMINE FROM OUTSIDE. DRIVER GOT OUT OF THE CAR, AND SAW THAT THE GLASS SUNROOF WAS BUCKLED UPWARDS (AS THOUGH IT HAD POPPED FROM THE INSIDE), WITH A HOLE IN THE CENTER APPROXIMATELY 6 INCHES IN DIAMETER. THE GLASS WAS NOT BROKEN IN ANY PATTERN WHICH INDICATED AN OBJECT FROM OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE HAD HIT IT. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE ROOF OF THE VEHICLE OF ANY INCIDENT. IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE GLASS HAD POPPED, POTENTIALLY DUE TO INCORRECT PRESSURE INSIDE THE VEHICLE, FROM THE INSIDE OUT. THESE FACTORS LEAD US TO BELIEVE THE INCIDENT IS A VEHICLE SAFETY ISSUE, AT THE FAULT OF THE MANUFACTURER. WE CONTACTED ACURA CORPORATE TO FILE A REPORT JAN 8, 2015.

WHILE COMING TO A STOP AT A BUSY INTERSECTION, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED UP TO 5,000 TO 6,000 RPM WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND THE TRANSMISSION IN DRIVE. THE BRAKE WAS NOT HOLDING AND I STARTED MOVING CLOSER TO THE CAR STOPPED FOR THE RED LIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. I THEN PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL WHILE THE ENGINE WAS STILL AT 5,000 RPM AND GETTING FASTER. FINALLY, THE ENGINE CAME DOWN TO ABOUT 1,000 RPM AND I CONTINUED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION ON THE GREEN LIGHT AFTER PLACING THE CAR IN DRIVE. I DROVE TO WORK AND CALLED THE ACURA DEALER THAT I PURCHASED THIS "CERTIFIED USED CAR" FROM AND THEY CAME TO MY WORK AND HAULED THE ACURA RDX TO THE DEALER LOCATION. THEY INFORMED ME THAT A "SPECIAL ACURA INVESTIGATING TEAM" WILL COME AND LOOK AT THE CAR ON TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2014. THIS IS MY WIFE'S CAR I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF SHE WAS DRIVING. THIS INSTANT ACCELERATION, WITHOUT PLACING THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, WOULD HAVE PUSHED THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AND MYSELF DIRECTLY INTO A BUSY INTERSECTION WITHOUT STOPPING UNTIL THE ENGINE QUIT! THIS FAILURE COULD RESULT IN A VERY TRAGIC ACCIDENT. I AND ESPECIALLY MY WIFE ARE VERY VERY CONCERNED WITH WHAT CAUSED THIS PROBLEM AND WE ARE AWAITING WORD FROM THE ACURA DEALER SPECIFIC TO WHAT THEY FOUND DURING THEIR INVESTIGATION. MY WIFE DOES NOT WANT TO DRIVE THIS CAR IF THEY INDICATE THEY CAN NOT FIND OUT WHAT CAUSED THE CAR TO SUDDENLY ACCELERATE. THIS COULD HAPPEN TO ANYONE DRIVING THIS CAR AND NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED ASAP SO NO ONE WILL SUFFER. WE WERE VERY LUCKY THIS TIME.