What 40 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Acura RDX

On May 25, 2026, while driving my 2016 Acura RDX AWD on the interstate at highway speed, it suddenly began running rough and felt as if I was driving over low, spaced-out speed bumps. The check engine light started flashing, and multiple safety-system warnings appeared, including AWD System Problem, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) Problem, Hill Start Assist Problem, Electric Power Steering (EPS) Problem, and lane-keeping warnings. The vehicle lost normal performance, and I was concerned about safely continuing in interstate traffic. The interstate shoulder was narrow, and the shoulder was ending where traffic was merging onto another busy interstate. I pulled over as soon as I could safely do so. The vehicle was then towed to the dealership for diagnosis. The Acura dealership diagnosed internal engine damage, cylinder misfires, and broken piston rings and advised that the engine required replacement. The vehicle had approximately 170,526 miles at the time of failure. Prior to this incident, the vehicle was operating normally, had been regularly maintained, and had not been involved in any collision. There was no indication that an engine failure was imminent. After researching the issue, I learned that Acura and Honda have issued technical service bulletins and warranty extensions involving certain J35 V6 engines equipped with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM), addressing conditions including excessive oil consumption, piston ring problems, spark plug fouling, and cylinder misfires. I am submitting this complaint because a sudden engine failure while operating at highway speed presents a potential safety risk. The failure also caused multiple vehicle systems and warning messages to activate simultaneously. The vehicle is currently available for inspection.

NHTSA ODI 11744363

On several occasions, the car alarm starts randomly sounding. When my son went to the vehicle, the lights on the dash board were flashing on and off and there was a clicking sound. We replaced the batteries in the key fobs. The battery was low so we had that recharged but the problem continued. We replaced the car battery and that appeared to solve the problem for about 6 months. The same problem occurred again. The only way to stop the alarm from going off is to disconnect the battery. Leaving the door unlocked does not stop this from happening. When we searched online, it is clear this is a common problem with this car, but there have been no recalls or TSB issued. This is a safety issue because we need to disconnect the battery and leave the car unlocked when we leave the vehicle. This has not been inspected by any service center. Based on our research, Acura will recommend replacing the smart power control unit at a cost of up to $1500 or more. We are hoping that others have reported this as well.

NHTSA ODI 11737153

The driver side airbag. And yes, it can be inspected. I was involved in a low impact accident, where I struck a minor curb. The airbag deployed in my face, causing a loss of consciousness and ongoing concussion. No warning signs at all. Not yet, the vehicle is being looked at on Monday. The vehicle was inspected by the police.

NHTSA ODI 11688510

The contact owns a 2016 Acura RDX. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle while turning to the left or the right. The contact stated that the steering wheel failed to function as intended. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the steering gear and suspension had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11663715

The contact owns a 2016 Acura RDX. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 25 MPH, there was a loud clicking sound coming from underneath the vehicle on the front passenger side of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact’s wife took the vehicle to the local independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the front passenger’s side axle was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 55,495.

NHTSA ODI 11636287

A judder from the torque converter is felt when driving between 20 and 60 mph

NHTSA ODI 11635085

Please see attached photos regarding unsafe issue with our Britax 1 for life clicktight carseat purchased 2021 and utilized from the end of 2021 to Dec. 2024. The harness strap would not tighten with ease, so I tugged with light force and the bolts that held the button to loosen the harness popped out. The harness then would not tighten at all. We threw the seat away but wanted to report the issue to you out of concern for others who are still utilizing this seat.

NHTSA ODI 11632077

The contact owns a 2016 Acura RDX. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH a deer had jumped in front of his vehicle. The contact stated that he depressed the brake pedal with force, however, the pedal did not respond and depressed to the floorboard with no resistance. The contact stated that he was pumping the brake pedal when he crashed into the deer. The contact stated that the vehicle continued forward for several hundred yards before he was able to stop the vehicle. The contact stated that he was able to drive the vehicle to a dealer, it was an out-of-state dealer since he had been traveling when he crashed into the deer. The contact stated that the damage was to the front bumper and to the hood of the vehicle which had been deformed due to the crash with the deer. The contact stated that the out-of-state dealer repaired the crash damage and replaced the brakes with new pads and rotors. The contact observed that the vehicle was having a failure of the tire pressure monitoring system light which was constantly illuminated, the windshield wiper motor was failing intermittently and the brakes continued to feel "mushy." The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer who determined that the vehicle failures described by the contact were not duplicated following a diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11556426

While driving in the left of I20 East's two lanes on a descending hill with 5 cars ahead and an unknown number of cars behind at 70+ mph and all cars packed in close to the car ahead, I saw the lane had no real shoulder before a drop-off and the right lane had a narrow shoulder before it dropped off into woods and brush. The right lane was packed with 18-wheelers. In order to avoid constantly breaking the full length of the hill, I shifted into manual mode and a lower gear, but the car ahead began to brake suddenly and hard. Just a second before that car broke, I unlocked the shifter and was moving it forward to Drive. As the car ahead was drastically slowing, I had to hit the brakes hard to avoid rear-ending him, and the momentum of sudden braking threw my hand and the shifter all the way forward into Park. The transmission immediately produced a harsh grinding sound, I no longer could disengage the transmission from Park, and the only controls I now had were brakes and steering. Alarmed I knew I had to get to the right shoulder but I couldn't look back to see how close trucks were behind the one to my immediate right, but by braking that truck slowly moved ahead of me, providing a brief opening behind him in the right lane. As I cautiously moved into that opening, I could see an 18 wheeler approaching but still a short distance back. I continued slowly drifting into the right lane with blinkers on, when suddenly the approaching truck behind veered partially into the right shoulder in anticipation of passing me in the narrow shoulder lane. In the split second of his veering, I slowly continued into the shoulder lane causing him to veer back into the right lane, his rig full of new cars jerking back left. As I gradually slowed to a stop, the truck was approaching so fast that in my rearview mirror it looked like he might not miss me. As he shot by, he cleared me by not much more than a foot, his draft shaking my car. AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION GOING INTO PARK @ 70MPH

NHTSA ODI 11533433

The transmission is Jerky and has a rough up and down shift. Vehicle has stalled and shut off without warning. My wife says the vehicle acts as though its about to die when ac compressor/blower kicks on.

NHTSA ODI 11533499

From the time purchased there has been a hesitation/sputtering during acceleration. I took the car in during the warranty period and they said nothing could be found. It has continued for 6 years. I have read of similar problems with this model and year.

NHTSA ODI 11472142

After getting my tires rotated, the Check emission sensor, check transmission light, and check blind spot system all came on at once and my transmission began jerking.

NHTSA ODI 11438737

Vehicle constantly surges during acceleration, seems as if the transmission is bad however, it also feels as if the fuel filter is clogged. This sputter occurs at various speed. Vehicle has less than 64,000 miles. Is there a fix to this issue?

NHTSA ODI 11428505

THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 ACURA RDX. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE MOON ROOF SHATTERED WITHOUT IMPACT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET REPAIRED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30,000.

NHTSA ODI 11417657

WHILE ACCELERATING THE CAR STARTED STUTTERING AND LOST POWER. IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. AT THE LIGHT I SHIFTED TO PARK AND BACK TO DRIVE AND THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. I WAS ONLY 2 BLOCKS FROM HOME SO I CHECKED ALL FLUID LEVELS AND THEY ARE ALL OK. I DROVE THE CAR AROUND THE BLOCK SEVERAL TIMES AND THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY.

NHTSA ODI 11412945

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH I TRAVELED OVER A 50 TOOT, 2 LANE BRIDGE THE FCW AND BRAKE WARNING ENGAGED. THERE WAS NO OTHER CARS IN FRONT OF ME. THIS OCCURS EACH TIME I TRAVEL OVER THIS BRIDGE (APPROXIMATELY 20 TIMES). IT HAS ALSO HAPPENED WHEN TRAVELLING OVER SIMILAR BRIDGES. THE FIRST TIME WAS JUNE 2016. MOST RECENTLY, NOVEMBER 2020.

NHTSA ODI 11384903

HAPPENED TWICE. PRESS ACCELERATOR AND ENGINE BOGS WAY DOWN, WARNING LIGHTS SEEM TO CYCLE THROUGH NUMEROUS ISSUES. DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. SOMEONE SAID THAT INTERNALLY THE ELECTRONICS SWITCHED IT TO HIGHWAY MODE WHERE THE ENGINE SWITCHES FROM 6 CYLINDERS TO 3 CYLINDERS IN ORDER TO PROVIDE BETTER MILEAGE. FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED I WAS 6 MILES FROM HOME SO I CAREFULLY DROVE IT SLOWLY HOME, CALLED THE DEALER, AND THEY HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. SECOND TIME I WAS 100+ MILES FROM HOME. KNOWING I WAS NOW DRIVING A 3 CYLINDER INSTEAD OF 6, I GAVE MYSELF PLENTY OF ROOM TO GET UP TO HIGHWAY SPEED SINCE ALL OF THE DRIVING WAS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS EXCEPT FOR TWO STOP SIGNS. I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT I WAS NOT DRIVING IN A SITUATION WHERE I NEEDED TO ACCELERATE RAPIDLY. THIS TIME I DROVE IT CAREFULLY TO THE DEALERSHIP AND AGAIN THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. SUSPECT THAT THEY RESET IT BY DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY TO RESET THE ENTIRE SYSTEM WHICH IS WHAT I WILL TRY WHEN IT HAPPENS NEXT TIME. (DO NOT WANT TO DRIVE A HUNDRED MILES AGAIN LIKE THAT. WOULD RATHER GET MY HANDS DIRTY AND RESET IT IN ORDER TO DRIVE SAFELY THAT FAR.) FIRST TIME AROUND 40,000 MILES. SECOND TIME AROUND 50,000. BOTH TIMES SPEED WAS AROUND 20-40 MPH, SLIGHT ACCELERATION, THEN IT BOGGED DOWN.

NHTSA ODI 11383481

DEFECTIVE KNOCK SENSOR AFTER 40,000 MI.....4 YEARS

NHTSA ODI 11339420

2016 ACURA RDX WITH APPROX 31,000 MILES. AFTER APPROX 1.5 MILE TRIP PARKED IT AT A SHOPPING CENTER, TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND LOCKED THE CAR. WITHIN 3 MIN THE ENGINE SPONTANEOUSLY CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED THE ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT BEFORE THE FIRE DEPT PUT IT OUT. CONTACTED HONDA AND TOLD THEM THEY SHOULD LOOK AT IT TO SEE IF IT WAS AN INHERANT SAFETY PROBLEM. HONDA SAID THEY WERE NOT INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT THE CAR AND TO LET MY INSURANCE HANDLE IT. TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED AFTER BEING TOLD BY THEM THAT THEY WOULD LOOK INTO IT AS IT STILL HAD A POWER TRAIN WARRANTY. DEALERSHIP FAILED TO PROVIDE AN INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE AND WAS TOLD BY HONDA NOT TO HONOR THE WARRANTY AND LET INSURANCE HANDLE IT. VEHICLE IS TOTALED AND IF THE INSURANCE CO SELLS IT AT AN AUCTION THERE WILL BE NO EVIDENCE LEFT OF WHAT CAUSED THE SPONTANEOUS FIRE TO ERUPT ON SUCH A LOW MILE ENGINE.

NHTSA ODI 11269262

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 ACURA RDX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, A BANGING NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM UNDER THE SUBFRAME OF THE VEHICLE AND THE AIR CONDITIONING WOULD NO LONGER BLOW COOL AIR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BRADSHAW ACURA (2450 LAURENS RD, GREENVILLE, SC) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM BOLT HAD ERRONEOUSLY DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000. THE VIN WAS INVALID.

NHTSA ODI 11218870

HANDS FREE LINK CAUSES BATTERY TO DRAIN AND THIS ISSUE IS WITH LOTS OF HONDA AND ACURA DIFFERENT MODELS AND HONDA KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND STILL CHOOSE TO IGNORE IT.CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FILED IN CALIFORNIA ABOUT THIS ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 11209152

THE TALE LIGHTS, PARK LIGHTS HAVE DISCONTINUE TO WORK, THE BRAKE LIGHT ABOVE TRUCK DOOR IS NOT WORKING. THERE IS NOT BLOWN FUSE OR BULB. DID NOT REALIZE UNTIL MARCH 9TH, WHEN MY DAUGHTER PULLED ME OVER TO TURN ON MY LIGHTS AT NIGHT. I HAD HEAD LIGHTS BUT NO REAR LIGHTS AT ALL.

NHTSA ODI 11206211

I WAS DRIVING MY 2016 ACURA RDX DOWN A LOCAL CITY ROAD MIDDAY. THERE WERE NO CARS IN THE VICINITY. WHILE DRIVING (ABOUT 35 MPH), I SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING HEARD A LOUD NOISE OF GLASS SHATTERING. THERE WAS NO PRIOR SOUND OF ANY ANIMAL OR OBJECT HITTING THE CAR. I TURNED AROUND TO SEE MY REAR DRIVER SIDE WINDOW HAD SHATTERED IN ITS ENTIRETY INTO THE CAR. I STOPPED THE CAR TO ASSESS THE SITUATION. I DID NOT SEE ANY ANIMAL OR ROCK/DEBRIS - JUST THE GLASS SHATTERED ONTO THE REAR PASSENGER SEAT AND FLOOR.

NHTSA ODI 11154137

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 ACURA RDX. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE SHOOK VIOLENTLY, STALLED, AND VARIOUS WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (CURRY ACURA, 685 CENTRAL PARK AVE, SCARSDALE, NY 10583) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SPOOL VALVE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,592. **TR CONSUMER STATED THIRD ATTEMPT TO REPAIR THE CAR. UPDATED 11/19/18*JB

NHTSA ODI 11110588

I WAS T-BONED ON THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR BY A FORD TAURUS SEDAN THAT RAN A RED LIGHT AT A RELATIVELY HIGH RATE OF SPEED (I WAS TAKING A LEFT HAND TURN BUT THE CAR WAS STOPPED AND I WAS YIELDING TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC THAT WAS GOING STRAIGHT). THE TAURUS HIT THE BACK-END OF A HONDA CRV AND THEN HIT ME. THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR COLLAPSED ONTO ME AND THE METAL FROM THE DOOR GOUGED MY BACK. THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW SHATTERED AND CUT ME WITH GLASS. THE SIDE AIR BAG CURTAIN AND THE DOOR AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. THE EMERGENCY PERSONNEL WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THIS AND LOOKED AT THE ISSUE AND TRYING TO DEPLOY THE BAGS, WHICH STILL DID NOT DEPLOY. THE AIRBAGS IN THE OTHER CARS DEPLOYED. I SAVED THE PIECES FOR ACURA FOR INVESTIGATE BUT THEY HAVE DECLINED. THEY WILL RUN A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK FOR ME ONCE THE CAR IS FULLY REPAIRED. ACURA HAS CONFIRMED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS AND THERE WERE NO INDICATOR LIGHTS ON IN THE CAR TO INDICATE AN ISSUE. I HAVE MY CAR SERVICED AT ACRURA AND HAVE NOT BEEN INFORMED OF ANY AIRBAG REPAIRS.

NHTSA ODI 11061221