Problems · by component

2014 Acura RDX exterior lighting problems

163 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2014 Acura RDX cite exterior lighting, 67% of all 245 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
163
67% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
2
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the exterior lighting

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“The contact owns a 2014 Acura RDX. The contact stated that the headlights were extremely dim at night. The passenger inquired to the contact if the headlights were turned on. The contact used the high beam headlights while driving at night. The manufacturer was contacted through the customer complaint line. An independent mechanic confirmed that the low beam headlights were extremely dim. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 28, 2026Exterior lightingODI 11767498
“Head lights are so dim that I had to pull off side of road to see if they were even on. They were on, but absolutely úseles on dark road way because they are so dim thus making driving at night very dangerous. . Problem started about 85,000 miles. I cannot safely drive at night in this vehicle.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 1, 2026Exterior lightingODI 11761250
“The contact owns a 2014 Acura RDX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver’s and passenger’s side headlights were very dim. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the headlight bulbs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 4, 2026Exterior lightingODI 11754763
“The low beam headlight projector lens has degraded to the point of being extremely unsafe and therefore unable to drive at night. Repair for the defective headlight is costly and should be addressed by Honda/Acura as it is a HUGE safety concern. Acura recalled/replaced the defective lens on the 2014-2015 RLX model but has chose not to do so on the RDX with the exact same problem.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 6, 2026Exterior lightingODI 11748435
“My main headlights became DIM after 7 years of ownership. I have gone to the Dealership and had BOTH bulbs Replaced with No Visible Improvement in the Brightness. Given the age of my car, I've also had the Lenses Polished to ensure there's no significant Film on the Outside. Again... No Improvement in the Brightness of the lights. I asked the techs at the Shop about the problem and they said they haven't seen any systemic problems. I'm concerned as this is a Safety Issue and my work does have me driving at night on occasion.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 12, 2026Exterior lightingODI 11723739
“The low beam headlights on my 2014 Acura RDX are too dim to allow safe night driving. An independent service provider confirmed the headlight coating is causing a "cataract" type effect on the inside of the lamp. The bulbs were switched to brighter LED lights, but there is no significant improvement. It seems the next step is to replace the entire headlight assembly which would be an out of pocket expense of at least $1000.00. This is a failure of the low beam head light manufacturing which has made my vehicle impossible to drive at night unless the high beams are used.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 23, 2026Exterior lightingODI 11720027

Showing 6 of 163 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 12, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

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

Other 2014 RDX problem areas