2019 Acura Rdx

TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS EXPERIENCE RANDOM FAILURES, AT VARIOUS TIMES SOMETIMES WHEN DRIVING. FUNCTIONALITY CAN SOMETIMES BE RESTORED BY STOPPING THE CAR AND RESTARTING THE ENGINE. SOMETIMES THE VEHICLE MUST SIT FOR HOURS WITH ENGINE OFF TO RESTORE FUNCTIONALITY. SYSTEM FAILURES INCLUDE DASHBOARD LIGHTING, VEHICLE DISPLAY SCREEN, AND HEADS-UP DISPLAY. NUMERIOUS DEALER VISITS HAVE PROVIDED NO SOLUTION TILL TODAY WHEN I WAS INFORMED THAT THAT THIS IS A SOFTWARE ISSUE AND THAT A SOFTWARE VEHICLE UPDATE IS REQUIRED. HOWEVER THIS IS NOT AVAILABLE, HAS NOT BEEN AVAILABLE FOR AROUND 6 MONTHS AND NO TIMELINE HAS BEEN OFFERED FOR THIS UPDATE. I REGARD THIS AS A SAFETY AND DRIVER DISTRACTION ISSUE THAT CAN LEAD TO COLLISIONS. ACURA NEEDS TO PLACE A HIGHER PRIORITY ON THIS ISSUE IN ORDER TO PROVIDE OWNERS WITH A SAFER DRIVING ENVIRONMENT.

VOICE RECOGNITION WITH APPLE CARPLAY AND 3RD PARTY APPS FAILS TO FUNCTION WHICH CAN LEAD TO DRIVER DISTRACTION RESULTING IN COLLISIONS. THIS IS AN APPLE ISSUE, NOT AN ACURA ISSUE. THIRD PARTY APPS FOR APPLE CARPLAY HAVE BEEN RELEASED SEVERAL WEEKS AGO FROM THIS DATE BUT VOICE RECOGNITION WILL NOT WORK WITH THEM, AT LEAST IN THE 2019 ACURA RDX (LISTED AS COMPATIBLE) AND MOST LIKELY ALL VEHICLES THAT DO NOT HAVE TOUCHSCREENS. I HAVE DONE EXHAUSTIVE TESTING ON THIS ISSUE AND REPORTED IT TO THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF APPLE THAT APPLECARE WILL ALLOW ME TO GO BUT I GET 'STONEWALLED' ABOUT THIS WITH APPLE CLAIMING IT IS A PROBLEM WITH GOOGLE MAPS AND WAZE, NOT CARPLAY. HOWEVER BOTH APPS USE THE THE SAME GUI WHICH SENDS ME A MESSAGE THAT IT IS AN ISSUE WITH THE CARPLAY SOFTWARE LIBRARY, NOT THE 3RD PARTY APPS. HOWEVER APPLE REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS OR GIVE A HIGH PRIORITY TO RESOLVING IT. I AM OF THE OPINION IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AS IT CAN LEAD TO DRIVER DISTRACTION RESULTING IN ACCIDENTS AND POSSIBLE INJURY OR DEATH. I HAVE SUGGESTED TO APPLE, AND GOOGLE THAT THE APPS BE DISABLED IN CARPLAY UNTIL THIS ISSUE IS RESOLVED BUT HAVE FAILED TO RECEIVE ANY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO THIS SUGGESTION. EXTENSIVE DOCUMENTATION OF APPLE'S REFUSAL TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS ISSUE IS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR MANY WEEKS NOW. WITH THE LATEST ATTEMPT ON THE DATE BELOW. GOOGLE, CREATOR OF THE CURRENT 3RD PARTY APPS HAS ALSO BEEN INFORMED WITH NO RESPONSE.

THE REAR HATCH UNEXPECTEDLY CLOSES AND FAILS TO REVERSE WHEN ENCOUNTERING RESISTANCE, WHILE IT IS STATIONARY. I WAS BENT OVER THE REAR BUMPER LOADING ITEMS WHEN SUDDENLY THE REAR HATCH CLOSED ON TOP OF ME. I SQUEEZED OUT AND THE HATCH CLOSED. THE HATCH ALSO UNEXPECTEDLY CLOSED, HITTING MY WIFE IN THE HEAD. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, THE HATCH UNEXPECTEDLY CLOSED WHEN ONLY THE SHOPPING CART WAS NEAR THE REAR BUMPER. THE LOCAL ACURA SERVICE MANAGER DUPLICATED THAT THE HATCH WILL NOT REVERSE WHEN ENCOUNTERING SIGNIFICANT RESISTANCE. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT ACURA DOES NOT HAVE A FIX FOR THE PROBLEM. THIS VEHICLE IN ITS CURRENT CONFIGURATION IS UNSAFE. SOMEONE (I.E. A YOUNG CHILD) IS GOING TO BE INJURED WHEN THE HATCH CLOSES ON THEM. PAGE 167 OF THE ACURA RDX OWNER'S MANUAL STATES THAT THE HATCH WILL REVERSE ITS COURSE WHEN ENCOUNTERING RESISTANCE.

REAR SEATBELTS ARE NOT SAFE FOR CHILDREN. THERE IS A LARGE GAP BETWEEN THE SEATBELT AND THE CHILD (5 YEAR OLD AND 9 YEAR OLD). FOR THE 9 YEAR OLD THE SEATBELT CROSSES HIS FACE. IT IS ANCHORED TOO HIGH AND TOO FAR FORWARD FROM THE SEAT,. THE SEATBELT CANNOT BE ADJUSTED AND THE SEATBACK CANNOT BE ADJUSTED. THE ACURA MANUAL SHOWS A PICTURE OF A GAP AND STATED THIS IS NOT SAFE (IN AN EXAMPLE WHEN YOU HAVE ADJUSTABLE SEATS - TO NOT ADJUST WHERE IT CREATES A BIG GAP). WHEN I DISCOVERED THIS AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR, THE DEALER WOULD NOT LET ME LEAVE UNTIL I PUT MY 5 YEAR OLD IN A BOOSTER "WITH SEATBACK" TO HOLD THE SEATBELT IN PLACE DUE TO THE ISSUE. ACURA OFFERED TO GIVE ME MONEY TO BUY 3 BOOSTERS WITH SEATBACK TO KEEP IN THE CAR IN CASE I TRAVELED WITH KIDS. THEY SAID IT WAS A MANUFACTURED THAT WAY AND THEY COULD NOT FIX ANYTHING. THE SEATBELT ADAPTERS THEY WANT ME TO PURCHASE ARE NOT FOR COMFORT BUT TO SAFELY BE ABLE TO TRANSPORT KIDS IN MY CAR.

WHILE LOADING ITEMS IN THE REAR OF THE SUV, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE TAILGATE ACTIVATED AND CLOSED, PINNING ME BETWEEN THE BODY AND THE TAILGATE. ADDITIONALLY, THE TAILGATE ON THE CAR UNEXPECTEDLY CLOSED AT A DIFFERENT TIME, STRIKING MY WIFE IN THE HEAD. ON BOTH OCCASIONS THE TAILGATE FAILED TO REVERSE ITS CLOSING MOTION WHEN ENCOUNTERING INTERFERENCE.