AI Damage2019 Acura RDX: common problems
Owners of the 2019 Acura RDX filed 439 complaints with NHTSA, most often about visibility and engine. The maker issued 153 service bulletins for this year. We found 2 repair videos on YouTube. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 439
- involving a crash
- 3
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 153
- YouTube repair videos
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Visibility 26% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 21% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 9% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 8% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel/propulsion system 7% of all complaints
- 6 Structure 5% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 5% of all complaints
- 8 Vehicle speed control 4% of all complaints
- Visibility: 114 complaints (26% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 34.
- Engine: 90 complaints (21% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 3.
- Electrical system: 39 complaints (9% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 55.
- Powertrain: 37 complaints (8% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 8.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 31 complaints (7% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl
- automatic, 10-speed
Drive: FWD, 4WD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 439 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility | 114 | 0 | 34 |
| Engine | 90 | 0 | 3 |
| Electrical system | 39 | 0 | 55 |
| Powertrain | 37 | 0 | 8 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 31 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 23 | 0 | 17 |
| Service brakes | 23 | 0 | 8 |
| Vehicle speed control | 17 | 0 | 2 |
| Fuel system | 12 | 0 | 18 |
| Air bags | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 5 | 0 | 16 |
| Electronic stability control | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 4 | 0 | 7 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
While driving on a congested highway, my steering wheel lost power making it impossible to control the truck's steering. The truck spun around multiple times before crossing lanes of traffic and hitting a guardrail head on. Thankfully, others avoided hitting my vehicle which would have caused more serious injuries.
I was driving about 20 mph, on a city street, and I felt the car veering to the right. The next thing I knew I was side swiping a parked car and realized that I had no control over the steering. When I finally came to a stop and out of the way of traffic, several witnesses came over to make sure I was okay.
After looking closely, my rearview window was shattered and it was pieces of the rearview glass window that was broken and was falling down. I had driven the car an hour prior and there was no windshield damage nor did anything hit my car (ie: an airborne rock).
Before I discovered the water, the interior windows repeatedly fogged while the vehicle was parked and unoccupied, indicating excessive moisture trapped inside the cabin. The water may have been present for several days.
The dealership's written diagnosis states: "Recommend passenger headlight assembly due to daytime running light out. Recommend driver's headlight assembly due to daytime running light going out as well." The dealership recommended replacement of both headlight assemblies.
The center infotainment display went completely black, with only the backup camera feed still functioning. There was no audio output at all (radio, navigation prompts, or Bluetooth).
Premature valve cover gasket oil leak and rear shock absorber oil leak at 43,818 miles At 43,818 miles on 04/25/2026, Acura dealer documented on RO XXX: "Valve cover gasket leaking - Recommend replacement $500+Tax" and "Rear Shock/Strut starting to leak oil residue $435.64". This is premature failure.
I took the car in to get new tires. Both rear coil springs are broke. The driver side is broke in 2 places.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 126 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 6% most complained about).
On average one model year of the RDX has 109 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 439, above average.
What to check before buying
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- Over The Air Update - Vehicles equipped with the System Updates application are capable of downloading and…
Over The Air Update - Vehicles equipped with the System Updates application are capable of downloading and installing Over the Air System Updates. System Updates contain upgrades that fix a variety of operational…
- "Service Bulletin - A pop noise can occur from the rear roof area when turning into driveways, bumps, or…
"Service Bulletin - A pop noise can occur from the rear roof area when turning into driveways, bumps, or on an incline due to, in some cases, the panoramic roof frame mounting bolts are unable to maintain the necessary…
- Service Bulletin - Oil leak at the cam chain tensioner inspection cover due to and insufficient sealant…
Service Bulletin - Oil leak at the cam chain tensioner inspection cover due to and insufficient sealant adhesion on the inspection cover.
- Service Bulletin - The front and/or rear brakes make a high-pitched squeal when the brakes are lightly…
Service Bulletin - The front and/or rear brakes make a high-pitched squeal when the brakes are lightly applied at 24 km/h (15 mph) or less, with ambient temperatures below 10°C (50°F).
- Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc
(AHM) is searching for certain 2019-2025 RDXs and 2022-2025 MDXs with a client complaint of a pop noise in the rear sunroof area. Clients may describe a single pop noise heard while driving over a bump or turning in…
- Service Bulletin - A coaxial cable terminal was not manufactured to proper specifications
An improperly manufactured terminal may lead to poor communication in the media-oriented system (MOST) bus network which can potentially affect the audio sound quality.
- Service Bulletin - The front and/or rear brakes make a high-pitched squeal when the brakes are lightly…
Service Bulletin - The front and/or rear brakes make a high-pitched squeal when the brakes are lightly applied at 15 mph or less, with ambient temperatures below 50° F.
- Service Bulletin- The front and/or rear brakes make a high-pitched squeal when lightly applied at 15 mph…
Service Bulletin- The front and/or rear brakes make a high-pitched squeal when lightly applied at 15 mph or less. The front brakes stop squealing when they are warmed up.For the front brakes, the brake damping force of…
- Service Bulletin - During engine start in cold conditions, a miscalculation in the PCM causes the air-fuel…
Service Bulletin - During engine start in cold conditions, a miscalculation in the PCM causes the air-fuel ratio to exceed DTC rich criteria.
- Service Bulletin - The MIL is flashing with a loss of power
This is most common in hot, humid regions, or after a period of rainfall. Humid air within the intake passage may condense and accumulate moisture during steady driving which enters the engine and may cause a misfire…
- Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc
(AHM) is searching for certain 2019 RDXs with a client complaint of moisture/condensation in the headlights. To better understand the cause of this condition, AHM would like to inspect the vehicle prior to you…
- Service Bulletin - The front and/or rear brakes make a high-pitched squeal when lightly applied at 15 mph…
Service Bulletin - The front and/or rear brakes make a high-pitched squeal when lightly applied at 15 mph or less due to the front brake discs being too stiff and not enough dampening between the rear brake pads and…
NHTSA lists 153 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Repair videos
We do not copy videos: these are YouTube links credited to their authors. Amounts are as stated by the author and not verified by us.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2019 Acura RDX?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: visibility, engine, electrical system. Total complaints: 439. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: windows, sunroof (27%), warning lights, check engine (14%), loss of power / limp mode (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2019 Acura RDX?
NHTSA lists 153 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2019 Acura RDX from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2019 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.