2013 Acura RDX problems
The 2013 Acura RDX has 180 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (49%) concerns lighting. Next are air bags (20%) and wipers, windshield & visibility (6%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 180 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Lighting 49% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 6 and 6
- Injuries and deaths
- 4 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 33,000 miles 50 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 21 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 4 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 7 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 10 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 1 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 2 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 3 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 2 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Of the 50 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 33,000 miles.
Safety-related details: 6 complaints mention a crash; 6 complaints mention a fire; 4 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2013 ranks 6th most-complained-about out of 15 model years of the Acura RDX with enough data (80 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 3 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Our parking pawl maybe defective. We always engage our emergency brake when parking in our driveway; today was no different, but when I attempted to re-enter my car it started rolling back by itself even with the emergency brake engaged. I tried to stop the car from rolling back out of my driveway in fear for my 2 young children still in the car. In that attempt, I ended up breaking my hand and had to go the the er. Events: 1. Pulled up into driveway and stopped completely 2. Engaged emergency brake 3.
Takata recall. Airbags did not deploy after a front end collision by hitting a concrete block light post which occurred on a city street while the vehicle was in motion. Resulting in severe damage to vehicle
My new 2013 rdx caught on fire at my garage in the day after hurricane sandy. Acura and auto insurance company(progressive) insists that the car caught on fire by flooding. However, car battery and engine are fine. Only front seat, dashboard, and navigation system were burned and the fire damaged my garage too. Furthermore it does not make sense that flooding caused fire at all. I showed my rdx to acura technicians, but silent. Isn't it a defect of new model?
Acura rdx tech vehicle violently upshifts while accelerating from a stop. It started intermittently (twice before but not as violent).on inclines (live in southern california). Yesterday, while going up an incline to park vehicle, car violently shifted and hit a building resulting in crashing into a building, deployment of airbag and soft tissue injury of driver's chest. Vehicle is with ball acura and is being investigated. Car is only 1 month old and was purchased brand new (80 miles).
Michelin primacy mxm4 p235/60r18 tires with a little over 13000 miles that came new on 2013 acura rdx. Would not stop on a slight down hill road that was damp. Starting stopping at a safe distance but all they would do was slide and skid. Stopped finally with front of car slightly in oncoming lane. Just as I got stopped a dump truck went across in that lane right in front of me. Not the first time I have had traction problems but the first time I almost got in serious trouble.