2015 Acura RDX: problems, recalls and reliability
3 recalls and 409 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is exterior lighting (81% of complaints); the 2013 and 2014 and 2016 and 2017 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · 4 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall Jun 2019
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 409 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“The HID low beam headlamps are not putting out enough light to drive the vehicle at night. This is dangerous, and I drive home from work at night. The inner low beam lens has degraded and become hazy. This would require the entire headlight housing to be replaced, which are very expensive - about $1,700. I believe this is the same problem that 2015 Acura RLX are experiencing, and recall JN2 was created. I don't understand why the 2015 Acura RDX models weren't included in that recall.”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Jul 2026
“There is a defect in my headlights, too dim to drive at night, have to engage high beams to see. This is a safety hazard. I believe this should be repaired by the manufacturer”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Jul 2026
“Headlight reflector assemblies have delaminated causing headlight output to be very dim to the point that driving at night is not safe.”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Jul 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
“Low beam headlights are very dim after installing new bulbs. It appears the reflective capsule is not working properly. My car headlights have not been damaged in the past.”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · May 2026
“Low beam headlights are very dim and nighttime driving visibility is very low. Both headlights appear to have degraded over time and fail to produce adequate light for driving. This vehicle has been brought to the dealer for repair to address this issue, and has had two related repairs that did not solve the problem. The bulbs have been replaced with new low-beam lamps. The headlight lens has also been restored by the dealer to reduce haze on the headlight cover. These repairs have not fixed the dim lights and the problem seems to be internal to the light. The high-beams are rarely used and do not appear to be affected by the same dim output.”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Apr 2026
“Exterior lighting - HID low beams have become extremely dim and very difficult to see at night. Reading other complaints, seems like this is a very common problem with this vehicle. The manufacturer should address as this is a safety issue.”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Apr 2026
“The contact owns a 2015 Acura RDX. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the sunroof unexpectedly shattered. There was no impact on the sunroof to cause it to shatter. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 74,000.”Owner report · Visibility · Apr 2026
“The low beam headlights are very dim and this causes reduced / no visibility while driving at night. While driving in the dark, it is impossible to see anything on the road ahead”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Mar 2026
“Headlights are so dim and cannot operate at night driving thru the mountains. It seems like a repetitive issue that affects many owners.”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Mar 2026
“The low beam headlights have degraded over time and are now barely providing any light, making driving at night unsafe. This appears to be due to the degradation of the low beam assembly reflector. Replacing the low beam headlights with higher quality lights did not make any noticeable difference. This issue has been reported in numerous online chats for the 2015 Acura RDX.”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Feb 2026
When filing, owners marked a crash in 7 of these complaints and injuries in 4 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 3 campaigns
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The affected vehicles received a replacement driver air bag inflator as part of a previous Takata inflator recall remedy or a replacement driver air bag module containing the same inflator type as a service part. Due to a manufacturing error, in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, these inflators may explode.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is O41. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is U40.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013 Acura ILX, 2015 RDX, 2005-2010 and 2012 RL, 2009-2014 TL, 2010 and 2012 ZDX, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2011-2013 and 2015 CR-Z, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013 Fit EV, 2010-2011 and 2013 Insight and 2007-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with driver frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are S5B and W59.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Honda CR-V, 2011-2015 CR-Z, 2010-2014 FCX, and Insight, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013-2014 Fit EV, 2007-2014 Ridgeline, 2013-2016 Acura ILX, 2013-2014 Acura ILX Hybrid, 2007-2016 RDX, 2005-2012 Acura RL, 2009-2014 Acura TL, and 2010-2013 Acura ZDX vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are JY0, JY1, and JY2.
How other years compare
Check your exact RDX by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2015 Acura RDX reliable?
NHTSA has 409 owner complaints and 3 recall campaigns on record for the 2015 Acura RDX. The most complained-about area is exterior lighting (81% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2015 Acura RDX problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 60,617 miles or less.
Does the 2015 Acura RDX have open recalls?
3 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.