Are Acuras Reliable? Acura Reliability by Model
Acura reliability varies significantly by model year. Among the 5 Acura models analyzed, the ILX has the fewest flagged years at 1, while the MDX has the most at 8. The sharpest single-year spike belongs to the RDX, whose worst year logged up to 6.9× its own median complaint rate. Because complaint totals are not adjusted for vehicle sales, this analysis identifies strong and weak years within each model — it does not rank Acura models against one another.
Analysis by CarWhere Research · Updated August 28, 2026 · Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall campaigns · Data as of July 2026 · How we rate model years · Download the dataset (CSV)
4,779 NHTSA complaints
model years flagged on federal data
records too thin to rate
Acura problem areas by service-bulletin volume
The vehicle systems drawing the most federal service-bulletin (TSB) filings across the 5 Acura models we analyze — a volume signal of where the manufacturer issues the most fix guidance. These are TSB counts by NHTSA component category, not owner-complaint counts.
Acura reliability by model
| Model | Complaints | Years to avoid | Best years | Worst year vs. its avg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acura MDX | 1,969 | 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2025 | 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013 | 4.1× |
| Acura RDX | 2,052 | 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 | 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2016 | 6.9× |
| Acura TL | 458 | 2008 and 2012 | 2011 and 2014 | 2.8× |
| Acura RL | 36 | None | — | — |
| Acura ILX | 264 | 2016 | — | 1.9× |
Counts are raw federal filings (NHTSA owner complaints), not adjusted for sales volume. A model year is flagged when its severity-weighted complaint rate is among the highest within that model's own history — never a comparison against other brands. Follow any model for its full year-by-year verdict. Full methodology.
Insufficient data: not yet rated
This model appears in the dataset, but no model year has enough federal complaint history to earn a verdict — every year rates “insufficient”. The absence of a flag here is a data gap, not a clean bill of health.
Where Acura owners report the most trouble
Acura RDX: 6 model years flagged to avoid (2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021) — the worst logged up to 6.9× the model's own median severity-weighted complaint rate. See the year-by-year verdict →
Acura MDX: 8 model years flagged to avoid (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2025) — the worst logged up to 4.1× the model's own median severity-weighted complaint rate. See the year-by-year verdict →
Acura TL: 2 model years flagged to avoid (2008 and 2012) — the worst logged up to 2.8× the model's own median severity-weighted complaint rate. See the year-by-year verdict →
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FAQ
Are Acuras reliable?
Acura reliability varies sharply by model year, not by badge. Among the 5 most-documented Acura models, 4 carry at least one model year we flag to avoid on NHTSA complaint and recall data — the ILX has the fewest flagged years (1) and the MDX the most (8). These are raw federal complaint counts, not adjusted for how many vehicles Acura sold, so they can't be read as a single cross-brand reliability score — use the per-model, per-year verdicts below.
Which Acura model years should I avoid?
The Acura models carrying the most flagged years are the MDX (8 flagged years: 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2025); the RDX (6 flagged years: 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021); the TL (2 flagged years: 2008 and 2012). A flag means that model year's severity-weighted complaint rate is among the highest within that model's own history — it is not a comparison against other models or brands. See each model's page for the full year-by-year verdict.
Which Acura models have the fewest flagged years?
Among Acura models with enough federal complaint history to rate, the ILX carries the fewest flagged years (1). That is not a cross-model reliability ranking — complaint counts are not sales-adjusted — and a thin record is never counted as a clean one: model years with too little data rate "insufficient" instead.
How do I check a specific Acura before buying?
Start with the free Acura window sticker lookup at carwhere.com/window-sticker/acura to confirm the exact trim and factory options, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report for that VIN — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for the exact model year plus a market price check from verified buyers. One-time purchase, no subscription.
Sources & data notes
All figures are drawn from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of Defects Investigation — the public NHTSA owner-complaints data and safety recall campaigns — across the 5 most-documented Acura models and every model year on record for each. Retrieved July 2026. Counts are raw federal filings and are not adjusted for the number of vehicles sold or registered, so they cannot be read as a single cross-brand reliability ranking; each model year's verdict compares it only against the rest of that model's own history. Full scoring at the methodology page.
Suggested citation
CarWhere Research. "Acura Reliability by Model & Year: NHTSA Complaint and Recall Analysis." Based on 4,779 NHTSA owner complaints across 5 Acura models, model years 2008–2025. Updated August 28, 2026. https://www.carwhere.com/research/reliability/acura
This dataset is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with attribution to CarWhere Research and a link to this page.
Download the dataset (CSV) — per-model complaint totals, flagged years and verdict counts for every brand we cover (version 2026-08-28).