Acura RDX Transmission Problems by Year
By CarWhere Research · Updated
Some, but not unusually many. Owners have filed 134 transmission complaints with NHTSA for the 2008–2025 Acura RDX. For the Acura RDX, that's 0.27 transmission complaints per 1,000 sold across the 2015–2022 cohorts, close to the 0.28 median of the 53 models we can rate. The worst years are 2019, 2017 and 2020.
Transmission complaints
134
Filed with NHTSA, 2008–2025 models
Per 1,000 sold
0.27
2015–2022 cohorts
Share of all complaints
6.5%
of 2,052 complaints for this model
Transmission recalls
2
NHTSA campaigns, all years
Acura RDX transmission complaints by model year
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA whose component list includes Power Train (transmission, transfer case and driveline), and per 1,000 vehicles sold where a published U.S. sales figure exists. Worst years are highlighted.
| Model year | Transmission complaints | Per 1,000 sold | Share of all complaints | Crash / fire / injury | Transmission recalls | Transmission TSBs* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 2 | — | 6.1% | 0 | — | 2 |
| 2009 | 1 | — | 6.7% | 0 | — | 2 |
| 2010 | 2 | — | 9.1% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2011 | 2 | — | 12.5% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2012 | 2 | — | 13.3% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2013 | 7 | — | 4.3% | 2 | 13V143000 | 11 |
| 2014 | 2 | — | 0.8% | 0 | — | 10 |
| 2015 | 4 | 0.08 | 1% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | 9 | 0.17 | 22.5% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2017WORST | 21 | 0.41 | 28.8% | 1 | — | 13 |
| 2018 | 12 | 0.19 | 16% | 1 | — | 0 |
| 2019WORST | 37 | 0.59 | 8.6% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2020WORST | 21 | 0.4 | 6.2% | 1 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | 9 | 0.16 | 8.8% | 0 | 21V939000 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 | — | 10.5% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 | — | 0% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 | — | 3.4% | 0 | — | 0 |
- Per 1,000 sold = complaints ÷ published U.S. calendar-year sales × 1,000. Calendar-year sales stand in for the model-year cohort. A dash means no published figure or fewer than 5,000 sold, too small to divide by.
- Older model years have had more time on the road to collect complaints, so compare neighboring years, not 2010 against 2024.
- Crash / fire / injury = complaints where the owner reported a crash, a fire or an injury.
- *Technical service bulletins in the year's leading TSB categories that name the transmission.
Common Acura RDX transmission problems owners describe
We searched the narratives of all 134 transmission complaints for symptom keywords. One complaint can mention several, so the shares don't add up to 100%.
Acura RDX years to avoid for the transmission
2019 Acura RDX
37 transmission complaints (8.6% of the year's 430), 0.59 per 1,000 sold. Most often described: loss of power or limp mode.
2017 Acura RDX
21 transmission complaints (28.8% of the year's 73), 0.41 per 1,000 sold. Most often described: jerking, lurching or harsh shifts.
2020 Acura RDX
21 transmission complaints (6.2% of the year's 338), 0.4 per 1,000 sold. Most often described: loss of power or limp mode.
Worst years are those with at least 10 transmission complaints and at least 1.5 times the model's median year. For every year's overall verdict, including other systems, see the Acura RDX years to avoid.
Acura RDX transmission recalls
NHTSA recall campaigns filed under Power Train for any Acura RDX model year. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check a specific car by VIN on NHTSA's site.
- 21V939000 · 2021-12-02 · 2021 models
A component in the right or left front driveshaft may have been improperly heat-treated, which could result in driveshaft failure.
- 13V143000 · 2013-04-15 · 2013 models
During sub-freezing temperatures, the brake-shift interlock blocking mechanism may become slow and allow the gear selector to be moved from the Park position without pressing the brake pedal. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of…
Related research
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2019 Acura RDX have transmission problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 37 transmission complaints with NHTSA for the 2019 Acura RDX, 8.6% of all 430 complaints for that year, or 0.59 per 1,000 sold. The most common description is "loss of power or limp mode" (13 complaints).
Does the 2017 Acura RDX have transmission problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 21 transmission complaints with NHTSA for the 2017 Acura RDX, 28.8% of all 73 complaints for that year, or 0.41 per 1,000 sold. The most common description is "jerking, lurching or harsh shifts" (6 complaints). 1 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Does the 2020 Acura RDX have transmission problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 21 transmission complaints with NHTSA for the 2020 Acura RDX, 6.2% of all 338 complaints for that year, or 0.4 per 1,000 sold. The most common description is "loss of power or limp mode" (12 complaints). 1 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Which Acura RDX years have the most transmission complaints?
2019 (37), 2017 (21) and 2020 (21), by owner complaints filed with NHTSA that name the transmission. Raw counts favor older and higher-selling years, so compare the per-1,000-sold column too.
What are the most common Acura RDX transmission problems?
In the 134 transmission complaints, owners most often describe loss of power or limp mode (22.4%), jerking, lurching or harsh shifts (15.7%) and hesitation or delayed engagement (10.4%). One complaint can mention several symptoms.
Is this a transmission failure rate?
No. These are complaints owners chose to file with NHTSA. Many failures are never reported, and one complaint is not a confirmed defect. Dividing by sales shows how often owners complain relative to how many were sold, which makes models of different sizes comparable.
How we count
Counts are unique owner complaints (by NHTSA ODI number) filed with NHTSA for each Acura RDX model year, from NHTSA's public complaints data fetched July 2026 to November 2026. A complaint counts as a transmission complaint when NHTSA's component list for it includes Power Train (transmission, transfer case and driveline).
Per 1,000 sold divides complaints by published U.S. calendar-year sales for that year. A year needs at least 5,000 sales to get a rate, and a model needs at least 3 such years for its overall rate. The comparison median covers every model with at least 50 transmission complaints that clears those floors.
These are complaint rates, not failure rates. Owners report some problems more than others, and a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
Sources
- NHTSA complaints by vehicle (owner complaints API) — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Report a vehicle safety problem — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration