2011 Acura RDX Problems & Owner Complaints
Age-normalised, this year draws ~1.0 complaints per year on the road — ranking 15 of 15 Acura RDX years we track (1 = most complaints per year).
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What owners report
Air Bags is the most-reported problem area on the 2011 Acura RDX, cited in 10 of 16 filed complaints (62%).
Electrical System is next (3 complaints, 19%), followed by Exterior Lighting (3), Power Train (2), Engine And Engine Cooling (1).
Across all complaints, 1 report a crash.
The most safety-critical cluster is Air Bags: 1 crash report(s).
Complaints by vehicle system
Owner complaints filed with the U.S. NHTSA for the 2011 Acura RDX, grouped by the vehicle system each cites. A single complaint can name more than one system, so the group totals can add up to more than 16.
Air Bags 10 1 crash
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 ACURA RDX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE MAKING A TURN AT AN EXTREMELY LOW SPEED WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT DROVE OVER A CURB AND CRASHED INTO AN EMBANKMENT AS THE VEHICLE TILTED TO THE RIGHT SIDE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO REVV AFTER IT WAS SHIFTED INTO THE PARK AND NEUTRAL POSITION. THE VEHICLE STOPPED REVVING AFTER THE IT WAS SHUT OFF. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. NO POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS T…”
NHTSA complaint #10946965, 2017 · crash
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 ACURA RDX. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V061000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED A LOCAL DEALER (HONDA OF BAY COUNTY LOCATED AT 3601 E 15TH ST PANAMA CITY, FL 32404) WHO STATED THAT AUTHORIZATION WAS NEEDED TO PERFORM THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND OPENED CASE NUMBER: 05970305. NO ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CONTAC…”
NHTSA complaint #11006175, 2017
“TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 ACURA RDX. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V061000 (AIR BAGS). THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED NUMEROUS TIMES TO SCHEDULE THE RECALL REPAIR, BUT THEY WERE UNRESPONSIVE. THE DEALER FAILED TO RESPOND IN A REASONABLE TIMEFRAME. THE MANUFACTURER COULD NOT PROVIDE AN ESTIMATED DATE FOR WHEN THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WOULD RECEIVE THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT WAS NOT EXPERIENCING A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.”
NHTSA complaint #10981574, 2017
Electrical System 3
“CONDENSATION FORMS INSIDE THE HEADLIGHTS CAUSING THE LIGHTS NOT TO WORK.”
NHTSA complaint #11361238, 2020
“TL* THE CONTACT CONTACT OWNS A 2011 ACURA RDX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR SHIFTER LEVER FAILED TO SHIFT OUT OF GEARS AND THE KEY FAILED TO RELEASE FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH. NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SHIFTER CABLE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OF THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 79,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11306973, 2020
“PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT FLICKERS GOES ON FOR SOME TIME, THEN TURNS OFF BY ITSELF AFTER TURN LIGHT BACK OFF AND TURNING BACK ON THEY DO THE SAME THING OVER AGAIN SAFETY ISSUE AT NIGHT STATIONARY AND IN MOTION”
NHTSA complaint #10787544, 2015
Exterior Lighting 3
“CONDENSATION FORMS INSIDE THE HEADLIGHTS CAUSING THE LIGHTS NOT TO WORK.”
NHTSA complaint #11361238, 2020
“PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT FLICKERS GOES ON FOR SOME TIME, THEN TURNS OFF BY ITSELF AFTER TURN LIGHT BACK OFF AND TURNING BACK ON THEY DO THE SAME THING OVER AGAIN SAFETY ISSUE AT NIGHT STATIONARY AND IN MOTION”
NHTSA complaint #10787544, 2015
Power Train 2
“TL* THE CONTACT CONTACT OWNS A 2011 ACURA RDX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR SHIFTER LEVER FAILED TO SHIFT OUT OF GEARS AND THE KEY FAILED TO RELEASE FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH. NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SHIFTER CABLE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OF THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 79,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11306973, 2020
“LOW GROWL, OR VIBRATION/SHUDDER STARTING AROUND 40-50 MPH AND CONTINUES IF YOU GO FASTER OR ACCELERATE QUICKLY. ALREADY CHANGED 2 AXLES AND HAD MOUNTS CHECK AND MULTIPLE ALLIGNMENTS. ALL OPEN SOURCE AND FORUM RESEARCH POINT VERY HEAVILY TO TORQUE CONVERTER AND POWERPOINT CONTROL MODULE.”
NHTSA complaint #10946857, 2016
Engine And Engine Cooling 1
“Turbo went out at 109230 miles. No warning lamps or anything prior. Unknown on other questions. Just know mil had a turbo go out and ended up being apart of recall”
NHTSA complaint #11482327, 2022
Service Brakes 1 1 crash
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 ACURA RDX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE MAKING A TURN AT AN EXTREMELY LOW SPEED WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT DROVE OVER A CURB AND CRASHED INTO AN EMBANKMENT AS THE VEHICLE TILTED TO THE RIGHT SIDE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO REVV AFTER IT WAS SHIFTED INTO THE PARK AND NEUTRAL POSITION. THE VEHICLE STOPPED REVVING AFTER THE IT WAS SHUT OFF. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. NO POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS T…”
NHTSA complaint #10946965, 2017 · crash
Vehicle Speed Control 1 1 crash
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 ACURA RDX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE MAKING A TURN AT AN EXTREMELY LOW SPEED WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT DROVE OVER A CURB AND CRASHED INTO AN EMBANKMENT AS THE VEHICLE TILTED TO THE RIGHT SIDE. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO REVV AFTER IT WAS SHIFTED INTO THE PARK AND NEUTRAL POSITION. THE VEHICLE STOPPED REVVING AFTER THE IT WAS SHUT OFF. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. NO POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS T…”
NHTSA complaint #10946965, 2017 · crash
How we read this (methodology)
How to read this: raw complaint totals are not a clean reliability score — a model year with more cars sold, or simply more years on the road, accumulates more complaints regardless of how good it is. So this page leans on two signals that are not distorted by sales volume: the share of complaints falling on each vehicle system (the breakdown above) and NHTSA's own crash / fire / injury / death flags. When we compare model years of the same model, we normalise by years on the road (complaints ÷ vehicle age) rather than comparing raw totals. Age-normalised, the 2011 Acura RDX draws about 1.0 complaints per year on the road, ranking 15 of 15 among the Acura RDX model years we have ingested (1 = most complaints per year on road).
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Related
Data source: U.S. NHTSA (nhtsa.gov). SaveVIN surfaces public recall data and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NHTSA.