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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

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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 · Jul 6, 2021
Unknown Or Other

I purchased a 2021 Acura RDX new. The car makes loud cracking/popping sounds from the panoramic sunroof when driving over uneven pavement, particularly at an angle such as, entering or leaving a driveway. This has occurred since new. It consistently makes the sounds when cold, like backing out of the driveway and over the curb …

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I purchased a 2021 Acura RDX new. The car makes loud cracking/popping sounds from the panoramic sunroof when driving over uneven pavement, particularly at an angle such as, entering or leaving a driveway. This has occurred since new. It consistently makes the sounds when cold, like backing out of the driveway and over the curb first thing in the morning. It is inconsistent after first having made the sound but, will still make the sounds under the right conditions. I have reported the issue to Acura dealer service and to Acura Client Relations, with no resolution. Many have reported similar issues on an Acura owners blog.

NHTSA ODI #11423632

Mileage unknown · Jun 28, 2021
Unknown Or Other

All sound warnings are very low and impossible to hear them especially with the music on. The volume is very low and will not override the music volume. The warning volume is very low and driver can’t increase the volume. Especially the blind spot warning on the right side, if you miss it, it’s an accident sure to happen. Acura…

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All sound warnings are very low and impossible to hear them especially with the music on. The volume is very low and will not override the music volume. The warning volume is very low and driver can’t increase the volume. Especially the blind spot warning on the right side, if you miss it, it’s an accident sure to happen. Acura can change this with a simple software update but they keep ignore my requests. Hopefully you, the consumer advocate, can convince them to do the software update. Let’s make it safer for all and save some lives.

NHTSA ODI #11422704

Mileage unknown · Jun 22, 2021
EnginePower Train

Brand new 2021 RDX - bought 3 days ago, only 128 miles. Driving on highway and it suddenly loses power. Was able to get to shoulder, but unable to get enough power to exit the highway to find a safer place to park. Check engine light and several transmission warnings indicating I should see dealer immediately. As vehicle came cl…

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Brand new 2021 RDX - bought 3 days ago, only 128 miles. Driving on highway and it suddenly loses power. Was able to get to shoulder, but unable to get enough power to exit the highway to find a safer place to park. Check engine light and several transmission warnings indicating I should see dealer immediately. As vehicle came close to a stop, it shuddered and clunked so badly it seemed like I ran something over, but nothing was there. Tried to shut vehicle down and restart, but constant error messages and would only lurch a little. Had to have vehicle towed to dealership, but of course they said they never heard of this happening before.

NHTSA ODI #11421931

Mileage unknown · Jun 11, 2021
Unknown Or Other

Brand new 2021 Acura RDX panoramic sunroof exploded less than 2 weeks after purchase. I was driving when all the sudden, out of nowhere, there was a loud pop/explosion sound. I immediately pulled over and inspected the but didn't find anything. Not one scratch or dent anywhere. It wasn't until I was getting back in the car, and …

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Brand new 2021 Acura RDX panoramic sunroof exploded less than 2 weeks after purchase. I was driving when all the sudden, out of nowhere, there was a loud pop/explosion sound. I immediately pulled over and inspected the but didn't find anything. Not one scratch or dent anywhere. It wasn't until I was getting back in the car, and heard the sound of glass slowly shattering, that I realized it was the sunroof. Nothing external hit the car to cause the explosion/shatter. I was the only car on the road when it happened...no cars in front of, behind or beside me. The road was smooth and I hadn't driven over any bumps. Thankfully, the sun shade closed so no one in the car was injured.

NHTSA ODI #11420647

Mileage unknown · Jun 11, 2021
Engine

I was driving in the rain, accelerated to pass a vehicle and the engine lost power. The check engine light came on and the car went into "limp" mode. The car would barely go 40 mph on a highway and the speed seemed to be continuing to decrease. Luckily I was able to pull over and shut the car off. Restarted, the problem appeared…

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I was driving in the rain, accelerated to pass a vehicle and the engine lost power. The check engine light came on and the car went into "limp" mode. The car would barely go 40 mph on a highway and the speed seemed to be continuing to decrease. Luckily I was able to pull over and shut the car off. Restarted, the problem appeared to go away. This is a very dangerous situation and I have read other people reporting similar incidents.

NHTSA ODI #11420614

Mileage unknown · Jun 8, 2021
Forward Collision Avoidance

On May 9th we were driving on the freeway at around 3 pm on a sunlit clear day. It was a straight section of road. Dry pavement and traffic moving reasonably well. The car in front of us was at least 100 yards in front of us and about the same for the vehicle behind I believe. We were going around 50 mph. The car slammed on the…

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On May 9th we were driving on the freeway at around 3 pm on a sunlit clear day. It was a straight section of road. Dry pavement and traffic moving reasonably well. The car in front of us was at least 100 yards in front of us and about the same for the vehicle behind I believe. We were going around 50 mph. The car slammed on the brakes so hard the seat belt restraints engaged as we flew forward, enough so that my wife and I were both sore the next day. Items on the back seat flew onto the floor. If there had been a car behind us we would have been rear ended and potentially a multi car pile up. We took the car to the dealership the next day. They had the car for the day and returned it saying everything is calibrated as it should be. I have called Acura and they set up a case number and a case manager and said they would call me. They have not called nor returned my repeated phone calls. I have asked for a supervisor to call and that has not happened either. Acura’s case number is 12213602 and Simon is the case manager. His phone is 800 999 1009 x87723. The supervisor’s name is Terry. I don’t have an extension number for her. We have grandkids that ride in car seats in the back seat. Thank god this didn’t happen with one or both in the back seat with a car behind us. We have been driving cars with the braking feature on them for 10 years now (Ford and Infinity) and have never had anything like this happen. We’ve had the adaptive cruise pick up on something in the past and ease off the accelerator but never anything like this. The cruise was not engaged when this occurred. In googling this it sounds like we aren’t the only ones having this issue.

NHTSA ODI #11420161

Mileage unknown · May 24, 2021
Engine

2021 RDX A-spec 7322 miles northbound Hwy 95 Nevada to Oregon, raining. Attempted to pass semi, car behind me also passing semi, sudden loss of power, almost hit from behind, risk of on-coming traffic, able to move to right behind semi. Feeble response to any attempt to accelerate, barely limping along, moved to right shoulder a…

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2021 RDX A-spec 7322 miles northbound Hwy 95 Nevada to Oregon, raining. Attempted to pass semi, car behind me also passing semi, sudden loss of power, almost hit from behind, risk of on-coming traffic, able to move to right behind semi. Feeble response to any attempt to accelerate, barely limping along, moved to right shoulder and then to pullout, blinking check engine light, no other warning indicators. Idled engine for several minutes, continued to run rough, would not rev, check engine light cycled off, then back on (blinking), then off over period of several minutes. Turned engine off, waited 10 min or so, restarted ok, finished rest of 600 mile journey scared to pass lawnmower. Life-threatening event for my wife and I, several moments of sheer panic. First time this has happened.

NHTSA ODI #11418254

800 miles · Mar 13, 2021
Wheels

REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE. JUST BEFORE LEAVING THE HOUSE IT WAS INFLATED TO 35 PSI. AFTER GETTING ON INTERSTATE I RECEIVED A LOW TIRE PRESSURE INDICATION. INITIALLY IT SHOWED 17 PSI. I SLOWED DOWN AND BY THE TIME I GOT TO THE NEXT EXIT IT WENT DOWN TO 0. I PULLED UNTIL A PARKING LOT AND THE TI…

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REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE. JUST BEFORE LEAVING THE HOUSE IT WAS INFLATED TO 35 PSI. AFTER GETTING ON INTERSTATE I RECEIVED A LOW TIRE PRESSURE INDICATION. INITIALLY IT SHOWED 17 PSI. I SLOWED DOWN AND BY THE TIME I GOT TO THE NEXT EXIT IT WENT DOWN TO 0. I PULLED UNTIL A PARKING LOT AND THE TIRE HAD SHREDDED OFF THE RIM. THERE WERE NO HOLES OR NAILS IN THE TIRE TREAD BUT APPEARS TO HAVE BLOWOUT HOLES IN THE SIDEWALL. THE TIRES ARE CONTINENTAL CROSSCONTACT.

NHTSA ODI #11402789

3,100 miles · Mar 9, 2021
StructureUnknown Or Other

BOTH MYSELF AND HUSBAND HAVE HEARD KNOCK OR LOUD POP SOUND. ONE LOUD KNOCK OR TWO WITH SLIGHT LEVEL CHANGE SUCH AS ENTERING OR LEAVING DRIVEWAY. MANY OTHER ACURA RDX OWNERS HAVE REPORTED SAME ISSUE. APPEARS TO BE FLEXING OF PANORAMIC SUNROOF. MY VEHICLE IS ONE WEEK OLD (WAS COURTESY VEHICLE) 2021 ACURA RDX. IN SHOP NOW. MA…

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BOTH MYSELF AND HUSBAND HAVE HEARD KNOCK OR LOUD POP SOUND. ONE LOUD KNOCK OR TWO WITH SLIGHT LEVEL CHANGE SUCH AS ENTERING OR LEAVING DRIVEWAY. MANY OTHER ACURA RDX OWNERS HAVE REPORTED SAME ISSUE. APPEARS TO BE FLEXING OF PANORAMIC SUNROOF. MY VEHICLE IS ONE WEEK OLD (WAS COURTESY VEHICLE) 2021 ACURA RDX. IN SHOP NOW. MANY HAVE REPORTED SERVICE ISSUES WITH NO RESOLUTION THROUGH DEALERSHIP OR ACURA. SEVERAL OWNERS HAVE ADDED ISSUES WITH SUNROOF LEAKING AND EVEN BLOW OUT OF SUNROOF WINDOW.

NHTSA ODI #11399917

200 miles · Dec 16, 2020
Service Brakes, AirSuspension

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2021 ACURA RDX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, SHE HEARD A CLUNKING AND RATTLING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE WHEEL WELL AREA. DURING ACCELERATION AND STOPPING, THE CONTACT HEARD A POPPING SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR WHEELS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO JENKINS ACURA (2025 SW COLLEGE ROA…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2021 ACURA RDX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, SHE HEARD A CLUNKING AND RATTLING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE WHEEL WELL AREA. DURING ACCELERATION AND STOPPING, THE CONTACT HEARD A POPPING SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR WHEELS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO JENKINS ACURA (2025 SW COLLEGE ROAD, OCALA, FL 34471, (352) 414-4588). THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ROTORS WERE MAKING THE SOUND AND NEEDED TO BE ADJUSTED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A CALLBACK AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE BALL JOINTS AND ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, ALONG WITH THE AXLE AND WHEEL BEARINGS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200.*DT THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER REPLACED RF ROCKER ARM AND RF BALL JOINT ELIMINATING THE PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI #11383623

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.