Problems · NHTSA complaints

2009 Acura RDX problems

Owners filed 15 complaints about the 2009 Acura RDX with NHTSA between Nov 2009 and Feb 2025. The most-cited component is air bags (10).

Complaints
15
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Air bags10
  2. Wheels1
  3. Service brakes1
  4. Visibility1
  5. Power train1
  6. Service brakes, hydraulic1
  7. Vehicle speed control1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20091
20102
20110
20121
20130
20140
20150
20167
20172
20181
20190
20200
20210
20220
20230
20240
20251

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Air bags

10 reports1 crash2 related recalls
“I was involved in an accident and upon impact the airbags didn’t deploy although there was a chemical smell that occurred and the check airbag light comes on intermittently. Also driver seatbelt locked up and does not retract out.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 23, 2025Air bagsCrash reportedODI 11644376

Wheels

1 report
“AN ERROR MESSAGE ALWAYS COMES ON FOR "THE BRAKE SYSTEM" & "TIRE PRESSURE SENSORS". THEY BECOME PROBLEMATIC WHEN THE TEMP OUTSIDE DROPS TO 20 AND BELOW. LIVING IN CONNECTICUT DURING THE WINTER TIME A LOT OF OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS RECOGNIZED THIS ISSUE WITH THEIR ACURA RDX'S AND MDX'S. AS SOON AS YOU TURN THE VEHICLE ON THE ERROR MESSAGES ENGAGE AND THE BRAKE PEDAL FEELS DIFFERENT FROM THE NORMAL. AS SOON AS THE CAR WARMS UP OR THE OUTSIDE TEMP GOES UP HIGHER THAN 30 DEGREES IT GOES AWAY. AND WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE TOOK LONGER TO STOP AND I HAD TO STOMP ON THE BRAKE PEDAL HARD (GOING 20MPH)”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 14, 2018Wheels, Service brakesODI 11062739

Service brakes

1 report

Visibility

1 report
“A DRIVER AND ONE PASSENGER WERE TRAVELING DOWN AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT APPROX. 70 MPH. ALL WINDOWS WERE CLOSED, THE SUNROOF AND SUNROOF SHADE WERE CLOSED. APPROX. OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS 45 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, A SUNNY BUT COLD DAY, AND THE INSIDE VEHICLE TEMPERATURE WAS APPROX. 70 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. OUT OF NOWHERE, A LOUD POP (LIKE A GUNSHOT) WAS HEARD. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING, THERE WAS THE FAINT SOUND OF OUTSIDE AIR COMING FROM THE SUNROOF. THE DRIVER OPENED THE SUNROOF SHADE JUST ENOUGH TO IMMEDIATELY SEE THAT THE ENTIRE SUNROOF GLASS WAS SHATTERED (STILL INTACT, BUT COMPLETELY SHATTERED). WITHIN THREE MINUTES WHEN A SAFE PLACE WAS REACHED, THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO EXAMINE FROM OUTSIDE. DRIVER GOT OUT OF THE CAR, AND SAW THAT THE GLASS SUNROOF WAS BUCKLED UPWARDS (AS THOUGH IT HAD POPPED FROM THE INSIDE). THE GLASS WAS NOT BROKEN IN ANY PATTERN WHICH INDICATED AN OBJECT FROM OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE HAD HIT IT. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE ROOF OF THE VEHICLE OF ANY INCIDENT. IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE GLASS HAD POPPED, POTENTIALLY DUE TO INCORRECT PRESSURE INSIDE THE VEHICLE, FROM THE INSIDE OUT. THESE FACTORS LEAD US TO BELIEVE THE INCIDENT IS A…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 27, 2012VisibilityODI 10482440

Power train

1 report
“VEHICLE FAILS TO SHIFT AND HITS REV LIMITER STOPING ALL FORWARD MOMENTUM. MERGING INTO TRAFFIC, THIS ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THIS VEHICLE IS MARKETED AS AN AUTOMATIC, BUT WHEN THE CAR IS PUT IN "S", YOU HAVE TO USE THE SHIFTERS TO SHIFT, HOWEVER IF YOU ARE IN EVEN A SLIGHT TURN, YOU CANNOT ACCESS THE SHIFTERS AS THEY TURN WITH THE STEERING WHEEL. THERE ARE NO WARNINGS OF THIS HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. ACURA HAS BEEN CONTACTED AN REFUSES TO LOOK AT MY VEHICLE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 22, 2010Power trainODI 10339462

Service brakes, hydraulic

1 report
“EXCESSIVE WEAR OF REAR BRAKE COMPONENTS”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 24, 2010Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10321703
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.