7.8

pretty bad
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
5,739 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2019 Acura RDX engine problems

engine problem

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2019 Acura RDX Owner Comments

problem #13

Jun 082019

RDX

  • 19,200 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was driving on a major highway accelerating to enter a toll lane. The engine light started flashing and I lost acceleration ability immediately. I had to cross 6 lanes to get to shoulder across a major highway.. I had already been driving for 1.5 hours with no issues. The dealership says there is no record of the issue in the car logs and therefore nothing they can do. This was a very dangerous situation and I was lucky that fellow drivers allowed my limping vehicle access to the shoulder before the car completely stopped. Shutting off and turning back on the car reset the issue and I was able to drive normally. Engine idle stop no longer worked after this happened. I had passed through a major rainstorm prior to this issue - not sure if that was related.

- Pickens, SC, USA

problem #12

May 162019

RDX

  • 500 miles
After leaving work on May 16, 2019, I accelerated from a stop light onto highway 1 in san luis obispo. Immediately, the car stalled, lost all power, and a warning light illuminated stating "AWD malfunction, AWD not available." I pulled off the road, turned the car off. I re started a couple minutes later, and made it home. However, the car appeared to be operating on about 50% power, as it struggled to maintain highway speeds.

- San Luis Obispo, CA, USA

problem #11

May 252019

RDX

  • 8,000 miles
While driving on a 2 lane highway on May 25, 2019, I attempted to pass a slower moving vehicle by flooring the gas to overtake them, and crossing the hashed highway line. I was driving in an area where the road undulated, so passing was only legal in stretches where the road was flat with distant visibility. As I moved over and floored it to pass, the car hesitated and lost propulsion, and the engine light began flashing. I was forced to transition from an aggressive, but legal, passing maneuver, to swinging back into position behind the vehicle I was attempting pass, and in front of another vehicle tailing me, but now I was losing speed. The car behind me was forced to brake hard, and my mechanical failure put them and me at risk. As I slowed due to lost power while in limp mode, I moved to the shoulder, shut off my car, and waited a few minutes. I restarted and experienced no continuing issue. This issue is so far isolated in my experience, however I have researched it on the following site and see multiple reports of the same issue: Https://acurazine.com/forums/3G-Rdx-problems-fixes-458/limp-mode-2019-spec-971802/page3/.

- Wauwatosa, WI, USA

problem #10

May 202019

RDX

  • 5,600 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My Acura has "stalled" twice now while passing (once at about 4800 miles and the other at about 5600 miles on odo). Both times the car was in cruise control and lane keep assist and traveling on a highway at about 60mph. Both times I was overtaking a large vehicle that was to the right of me. Both times, I put the pedal to the floor, the car accelerated for only a split second, then lost all power, the engine light started blinking and went into limp mode. I had to cut across several lanes of traffic with no engine power to get the shoulder. (very dangerous.) both times, when I shutdown and immediately restarted the car, it then ran normally. However, both times after this happened, the car's idle start/stop function stopped working (the engine never shut off at stops). So far, I have not been able to purposely recreate the problem when I try to do so in safe driving conditions. The first time I took it to the dealership, they didn't find any code or anything wrong with it. However, whatever they did caused the idle start/stop function to start working again. This time it has been 6 days and the idle start/stop function hasn't activated once (I have not returned to dealer yet). Acura client relations claims they will have a field technician test my car, but I may have to wait weeks or months for that to happen. Other owners are reporting near identical problems on https://www.carcomplaints.com/Acura/Rdx/2019/engine/engine.shtml this is going to result in a car crash at some point for some driver, so urgent attention is needed to resolve the problem.

- Irving, TX, USA

problem #9

Nov 182018

RDX

  • 8,000 miles
Trying to overtake slower car on two lane road at approximately 60mph, car lost all power went into "limp mode" forced to find way off road on busy road. Using 93 octane gas, sunny day. Waited few minutes restarted vehicle. Extremely dangerous situation.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #8

Apr 192019

RDX

  • 6,000 miles
A couple of days ago, onapril 19th, my wife and I were driving throughcolumbus, ga. It was around 7:00 am and raining. We had been driving about 1 1/2 hours andwe were only going around30 mph when I accelerated to pass a dump truck. The 2019 Rdx (6000 miles) started accelerating and then lost all power. I was able to limp over to the side of the road without getting run over by the dump truck but it a was very scary couple of minutes. Iturned the Rdx off for a minute, restated and then continued our trip. I took the Rdx to the Acura dealer in macon the following day and even though the check engine light came on no codes were stored. The service department did a hard reset of the system hoping to fix the problem. They seem to think that Acura is coming out with a software fix soon but that always seems to be the standard answer. I'm now afraid to let my wife drive the Rdx. Acura needs to fix this problem asap before someone gets killed.

- Perry, GA, USA

problem #7

Mar 092019

RDX

  • 3,500 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I am submitting this ticket to document a hazardous scenario that I have experienced two times since purchasing my brand new 2019 Acura Rdx. Incidents occurred while driving in Ohio and Pennsylvania on cool days (ambient temperatures between 30 and 50 deg Fahrenheit), with and without rainfall. The following conditions were true for both occurrences. While driving on an interstate highway with adaptive cruise control [with low speed follow] and lane-keeping systems enabled, I decide to overtake a slower vehicle ahead of me. I depress the accelerator pedal without disabling the cruise control functions and change lanes to the faster lane. Just as I execute this maneuver, the engine simultaneously goes into limp mode -- the maximum power output decreases dramatically and the malfunction indication lamp (cel) is blinking. At this point I have to get across all lanes of the highway to pull onto the shoulder, and I have to do this while the vehicle is slowing down. Referencing my owner's guide, I see that the blinking cel indicates a misfire in the engine's cylinders is detected, and as instructed I turn off the engine in a "safe" place and wait for the engine to cool down. When I restart the engine, the cel is cleared and the vehicle resumes normal function. I took my vehicle in for its first service appointment yesterday. I provided this anecdote to my service advisor, and asked that we check error code logs and inspect component systems for damage. I was informed that there were no error codes logged, and that there should be such a log if, in fact, the cel was indicating. All component systems passed inspection/diagnosis. I am attaching a pdf containing the full description text of the ticket submission that I have made to Acura client services.

- Canonsburg, PA, USA

problem #6

Apr 042019

RDX

  • 4,000 miles
When driving above 65 mph and passing, my engine has stalled on three different occasions. Once at 1200 miles and the other twice in one day at 4,000 miles. The car obviously loses all power causing me to have to merge right in traffic to the shoulder to restart the car. Each time is was under full acceleration and in high traffic conditions.

- Lake In The Hills, IL, USA

problem #5

Dec 022018

RDX

  • 8,300 miles
Traveling on interstate highway, hit the gas to get past another car, and car lost power and the engine light started blinking. Pulled over to shoulder, shut it down, restarted, and it was fine after that. Weather conditions were very humid. Fortunately was not rear-ended but was a very dangerous situation. Took car to dealer, no codes were found. Other owners have reported similar experience with this vehicle at similar speeds and weather conditions.

- Schnecksville, PA, USA

problem #4

Sep 022018

RDX

  • 1,500 miles
After driving for an hour on the highway about 65 mph, the check engine light came on and I was unable to accelerate. I had to pull over on the highway, and shut my car off and turn the car back on. The car went into "limp mode"

- Chester, NJ, USA

problem #3

Dec 302018

RDX

  • 1,500 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

After driving 100 miles between 70 and 75 miles an hour in left lane of 3 lane freeway, the engine quits and goes into limp mode producing almost no engine power. In limp mode the engine ran, but only produced enough power to for car to do 20 mph. Turned of engine, checked oil and coolant, both fine. Re-started car, ran normally, drove remaining 60 miles home at 60 mph with no further issues. Dealer had SUV 19 days and cannot find a problem. Very lucky not to have a serious accident as had to cut across 3 lanes of traffic to get to shoulder with no engine power.

- Apple Valley, MN, USA

problem #2

Jan 022019

RDX

  • 6,906 miles
My Rdx went into 'limp mode' (30 mph max) while on I-75 southbound in moderate traffic near macon ga at 10 am trying to accelerate to speed limit (70 mph) from 50 mph after being cut off by an inattentive driver. Engine malfunction light was blinking. Got to right shoulder safely and turned engine off. Restarted engine and completed another 400 miles at interstate speeds without incident. Acura dealership could not replicate problem, nor were any codes stored on obd. I was told by Acura service writer to monitor engine performance and report any reoccurrences. Several Acura Rdx owners are reporting same problem on a popular Acura online forum. One member stated the Honda civic type R is experiencing the same problem. This is a very serious engine and/or engine management design problem necessitating an immediate investigation and recall, in my opinion. Right now I feel my Rdx is unsafe at any speed with the potential of causing serious injury or death.

- Windermere, FL, USA

problem #1

Sep 062018

RDX

  • 1,600 miles
The engine shut down in the middle of an intersection in traffic, while in motion. The car refused to start up again, indicating a transmission failure. The car also refused to shut down, and the electronics are confused. This is the third incident that I had with this vehicle.

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

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