Acura Rdx Years to Avoid
Based on CarWhere's analysis of 2,052 NHTSA complaints, the Acura Rdx years to avoid are 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 — the worst logged up to 6.9× the model's median severity-weighted complaint rate, driven by body failures. Updated August 2026.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall campaigns · Data as of August 2026 · How we rate model years
Year-by-year verdict
| Model year | Complaints | Severe | Recalls | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 33 | 7 | 3 | BEST |
| 2009 | 15 | 4 | 2 | BEST |
| 2010 | 22 | 7 | 2 | BEST |
| 2011 | 16 | 4 | 2 | BEST |
| 2012 | 15 | 5 | 2 | BEST |
| 2013 | 161 | 18 | 3 | CAUTION |
| 2014 | 239 | 13 | 3 | AVOID |
| 2015 | 405 | 19 | 3 | AVOID |
| 2016 | 40 | 24 | 2 | BEST |
| 2017 | 73 | 45 | 1 | SOLID |
| 2018 | 75 | 57 | 1 | AVOID |
| 2019 | 430 | 153 | 5 | AVOID |
| 2020 | 338 | 115 | 5 | AVOID |
| 2021 | 102 | 34 | 3 | AVOID |
| 2022 | 30 | 9 | 2 | SOLID |
| 2023 | 19 | 7 | 2 | SOLID |
| 2024 | 10 | 3 | 2 | N/A |
| 2025 | 29 | 27 | 1 | CAUTION |
"Severe" = complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury, or a safety-critical component. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume; verdicts compare each year against the rest of the Acura Rdx. Full methodology.
Common Acura Rdx problems
Across the federal record, the most-reported problem areas on the Acura Rdx are body, fuel, transmission. The confirmed and owner-reported issues below include owner mileage and repair-cost ranges where available.
Spontaneous rear window shattering
· Acura Rdx 2009–2024Corroborated by 43 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 419 body complaints across 2009–2024, typically 30,000–74,000 miles. Owner-reported repair cost $1,000.
Fuel pump failure causing sudden power loss
· Acura Rdx 2019–2020Corroborated by 2 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 79 fuel complaints across 2019–2020.
Transmission output shaft seal leak
· Acura Rdx 2019–2023Corroborated by 1 owner account of this failure, within a federal cluster of 69 transmission complaints across 2019–2023.
Why these years stand out
2014 Acura Rdx: 239 owner complaints on federal record, 13 of them severe, plus 3 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Acura Rdx.
2015 Acura Rdx: 405 owner complaints on federal record, 19 of them severe, plus 3 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Acura Rdx.
2018 Acura Rdx: 75 owner complaints on federal record, 57 of them severe, plus 1 recall campaign — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Acura Rdx.
2019 Acura Rdx: 430 owner complaints on federal record, 153 of them severe, plus 5 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Acura Rdx.
2020 Acura Rdx: 338 owner complaints on federal record, 115 of them severe, plus 5 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Acura Rdx.
2021 Acura Rdx: 102 owner complaints on federal record, 34 of them severe, plus 3 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Acura Rdx.
Know what to pay for the right Acura Rdx — then negotiate it
Years-to-avoid tells you which year. Search live listings to see the target price and what verified buyers actually paid for it.
- Verified buyer-paid target price for your exact make, model & trim
- DealDrive AI negotiator reads any dealer quote and writes your counteroffer
- Comparable real deals near you, from verified transactions
FAQ
What years of the Acura Rdx should you avoid?
Based on federal NHTSA complaint and recall data, the Acura Rdx years to avoid are 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 — they carry the model's highest severity-weighted complaint rates, led by body issues. See the year-by-year table for the full picture. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the best years for the Acura Rdx?
The 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2016 Acura Rdx show the cleanest federal records among years with enough time on the road to judge — the lowest severity-weighted complaint rates for the model.
How is the Acura Rdx verdict calculated?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries, and safety-critical components count more), converted to a rate per year on the road, and compared against the rest of the Acura Rdx's own history, then adjusted for recalls. Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.
How do I check a specific Acura Rdx before buying?
Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the exact year and build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for that exact VIN plus a market price check from verified buyers.
Is the Acura Rdx reliable?
The Acura Rdx's reliability depends heavily on the model year. Across 2,052 NHTSA owner complaints, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 rate "avoid", while 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2016 show the cleanest federal records — see the year-by-year verdicts above. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the most common problems with the Acura Rdx?
The most-reported problem area for the Acura Rdx is body, followed by fuel and transmission. Confirmed failures include spontaneous rear window shattering, fuel pump failure causing sudden power loss, transmission output shaft seal leak. See the common-problems section above for owner-reported mileage and repair costs where available.
Sources & data notes
All figures are drawn from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of Defects Investigation — owner-filed complaints and recall campaigns — covering the Acura Rdx across every model year on record. Retrieved August 2026. Counts are raw federal filings and are not adjusted for the number of vehicles sold or registered; a verdict compares each model year against the rest of the Acura Rdx, not against other vehicles. Full scoring at the methodology page.
Verify the flagged years in NHTSA's public database:
Verdicts are computed from federal NHTSA complaint and recall records, refreshed monthly. Read the full methodology.