AI Damage2021 Acura RDX: common problems
Owners of the 2021 Acura RDX filed 117 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and service brakes. The maker issued 193 service bulletins for this year. We found 1 repair videos on YouTube. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 117
- involving a crash
- 3
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 193
- YouTube repair videos
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 20% of all complaints
- 2 Service brakes 14% of all complaints
- 3 Visibility 13% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 9% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 9% of all complaints
- 7 Structure 9% of all complaints
- 8 Vehicle speed control 6% of all complaints
- Engine: 23 complaints (20% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 1.
- Service brakes: 16 complaints (14% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 16.
- Visibility: 15 complaints (13% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 72.
- Powertrain: 13 complaints (11% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 5.
- Air bags: 11 complaints (9% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 1.
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, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 117 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 23 | 2 | 1 |
| Service brakes | 16 | 2 | 16 |
| Visibility | 15 | 0 | 72 |
| Powertrain | 13 | 0 | 5 |
| Air bags | 11 | 0 | 1 |
| Electrical system | 10 | 1 | 51 |
| Structure | 10 | 0 | 48 |
| Vehicle speed control | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| Seats | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 2 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Two low-speed sudden unintended acceleration events while parking a 2021 Acura RDX. Incident 1 (July 2026): While parking at low speed, the car unexpectedly surged forward. Flew up the curb and hit a restaurant window, causing massive undercarriage damage.
Drove into parking lot and as I was pulling into the parking spot next to the building, the vehicle started to surge forward as if I had my foot on the gas instead of the brake. The sudden surge caused the vehicle to plow into a brick building causing about $10K damage to the vehicle and $5K to the building.
The contact stated that the front passenger’s side seat belt retractor failed to retract as needed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was inspected and repaired. The failure mileage was 42,000
2021 Acura RDX has cold start, uses coolant and will stumble, limp mode approaching 2000 RPM. Vehicle will flash check engine light and then will go away when vehicle is restarted.
09/21/26 new engine replacement done in December 25, has now blown cylinder head gasket seal in under 12,000 Miles. Causing coolant to leak into cylinders 2 and 3.
Fuel Pump is having to be replaced. I have had issues accelerating and my car also stalled once on the freeway. It put me in a dangerous situation and I almost got in an accident because my speed quickly decreased. The same part was recalled on the previous year’s model.
Drivers may not expect the loss of power to the rear wheels, which could increase the risk of skidding, loss of stability, or being unable to safely accelerate into traffic or avoid a hazard.
A transmission fluid leak has been identified emanating from the passenger side output shaft seal, located between the transmission and the transfer case. This issue pertains to 2019–2023 Acura RDX and TLX models equipped with SH-AWD, specifically at the interface where the transmission connects to the front transfer…
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 512 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 24% most complained about).
On average one model year of the RDX has 109 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 117, about average.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- 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.
- Owner Notification Letter - 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 - A coaxial cable terminal was not manufactured to proper specifications
An improperly manufactured terminal may lead to poor communication in the media-oriented system transport (MOST) bus network which can potentially affect the audio sound quality.
- Dealer Message - A coaxial cable terminal was not manufactured to proper specifications
An improperly manufactured terminal may lead to poor communication in the Media Oriented System Transport (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.
NHTSA lists 193 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 2021 Acura RDX?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, service brakes, visibility. Total complaints: 117. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: windows, sunroof (24%), loss of power / limp mode (13%), warning lights, check engine (12%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2021 Acura RDX?
NHTSA lists 193 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 2021 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 2021 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.