2019 Acura RDX Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
VEHICLE LOST ALL ENGINE POWER WHEN ACCELERATING TO PASS FROM APPROX 60 MPH. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, PULLED TO THE SHOULDER AND POWER WAS STILL NOT PRESENT UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED. HAS HAPPENED ON A FEW OTHER OCCASIONS, VERY DANGEROUS IF PASSING ON A 2 LANE HIGHWAY.
WHEN DRIVING ABOVE 65 MPH AND PASSING, MY ENGINE HAS STALLED ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. ONCE AT 1200 MILES AND THE OTHER TWICE IN ONE DAY AT 4,000 MILES. THE CAR OBVIOUSLY LOSES ALL POWER CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO MERGE RIGHT IN TRAFFIC TO THE SHOULDER TO RESTART THE CAR. EACH TIME IS WAS UNDER FULL ACCELERATION AND IN HIGH TRAFFIC CONDITIONS.
I JUST BROUGHT A NEW 2019 RDX,IT ONLY HAS 315 MILES (IT HAS BEEN ONLY TWO AND HALF WEEKS).I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY ON MY WAY TO WORK. I LOST ACCELERATION ON MY VEHICLE. I TRIED PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR NO REPONSE. ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON ,THE ENGINE LIGHT,AWD, BRAKE SYSTEM, POWER STEERING, STABILITY AND TRACTION. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO GET ON TO THE SHOULDER. AS I AM READING SIMILAR COMPLAINTS I NOTICE THAT SOME PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO SHUT OFF AND TURNING ON BACK THE VEHICLE , RESETTING THE CAR AND RESOLVING THE ISSUES. UNFORTUNATELY FOR THAT DID NOT WORK. I HAD TO BE TOWED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP.
ON OCTOBER 6, 2019 I WAS TRAVELING WEST ON INTERSTATE 80 IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA AT ABOUT 70 MPH. ACCELERATED IN THE LEFT LANE TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER.. PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER AS MAXIMUM SPEED DROPPED TO 40, THEN 20, THEN ABOUT 10. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS BLINKING AN ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH. HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALER. IT IS CURRENTLY BEING EVALUATED.
A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, ONAPRIL 19TH, MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING THROUGHCOLUMBUS, GA. IT WAS AROUND 7:00 AM AND RAINING. WE HAD BEEN DRIVING ABOUT 1 1/2 HOURS ANDWE WERE ONLY GOING AROUND30 MPH WHEN I ACCELERATED TO PASS A DUMP TRUCK. THE 2019 RDX (6000 MILES) STARTED ACCELERATING AND THEN LOST ALL POWER. I WAS ABLE TO LIMP OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT GETTING RUN OVER BY THE DUMP TRUCK BUT IT A WAS VERY SCARY COUPLE OF MINUTES. ITURNED THE RDX OFF FOR A MINUTE, RESTATED AND THEN CONTINUED OUR TRIP. I TOOK THE RDX TO THE ACURA DEALER IN MACON THE FOLLOWING DAY AND EVEN THOUGH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON NO CODES WERE STORED. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT DID A HARD RESET OF THE SYSTEM HOPING TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY SEEM TO THINK THAT ACURA IS COMING OUT WITH A SOFTWARE FIX SOON BUT THAT ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE THE STANDARD ANSWER. I'M NOW AFRAID TO LET MY WIFE DRIVE THE RDX. ACURA NEEDS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM ASAP BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED.
I AM SUBMITTING THIS TICKET TO DOCUMENT A HAZARDOUS SCENARIO THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED TWO TIMES SINCE PURCHASING MY BRAND NEW 2019 ACURA RDX. INCIDENTS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING IN OHIO AND PENNSYLVANIA ON COOL DAYS (AMBIENT TEMPERATURES BETWEEN 30 AND 50 DEG FAHRENHEIT), WITH AND WITHOUT RAINFALL. THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS WERE TRUE FOR BOTH OCCURRENCES. WHILE DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WITH ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL [WITH LOW SPEED FOLLOW] AND LANE-KEEPING SYSTEMS ENABLED, I DECIDE TO OVERTAKE A SLOWER VEHICLE AHEAD OF ME. I DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WITHOUT DISABLING THE CRUISE CONTROL FUNCTIONS AND CHANGE LANES TO THE FASTER LANE. JUST AS I EXECUTE THIS MANEUVER, THE ENGINE SIMULTANEOUSLY GOES INTO LIMP MODE -- THE MAXIMUM POWER OUTPUT DECREASES DRAMATICALLY AND THE MALFUNCTION INDICATION LAMP (CEL) IS BLINKING. AT THIS POINT I HAVE TO GET ACROSS ALL LANES OF THE HIGHWAY TO PULL ONTO THE SHOULDER, AND I HAVE TO DO THIS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS SLOWING DOWN. REFERENCING MY OWNER'S GUIDE, I SEE THAT THE BLINKING CEL INDICATES A MISFIRE IN THE ENGINE'S CYLINDERS IS DETECTED, AND AS INSTRUCTED I TURN OFF THE ENGINE IN A "SAFE" PLACE AND WAIT FOR THE ENGINE TO COOL DOWN. WHEN I RESTART THE ENGINE, THE CEL IS CLEARED AND THE VEHICLE RESUMES NORMAL FUNCTION. I TOOK MY VEHICLE IN FOR ITS FIRST SERVICE APPOINTMENT YESTERDAY. I PROVIDED THIS ANECDOTE TO MY SERVICE ADVISOR, AND ASKED THAT WE CHECK ERROR CODE LOGS AND INSPECT COMPONENT SYSTEMS FOR DAMAGE. I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE NO ERROR CODES LOGGED, AND THAT THERE SHOULD BE SUCH A LOG IF, IN FACT, THE CEL WAS INDICATING. ALL COMPONENT SYSTEMS PASSED INSPECTION/DIAGNOSIS. I AM ATTACHING A PDF CONTAINING THE FULL DESCRIPTION TEXT OF THE TICKET SUBMISSION THAT I HAVE MADE TO ACURA CLIENT SERVICES.
TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, HIT THE GAS TO GET PAST ANOTHER CAR, AND CAR LOST POWER AND THE ENGINE LIGHT STARTED BLINKING. PULLED OVER TO SHOULDER, SHUT IT DOWN, RESTARTED, AND IT WAS FINE AFTER THAT. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE VERY HUMID. FORTUNATELY WAS NOT REAR-ENDED BUT WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. TOOK CAR TO DEALER, NO CODES WERE FOUND. OTHER OWNERS HAVE REPORTED SIMILAR EXPERIENCE WITH THIS VEHICLE AT SIMILAR SPEEDS AND WEATHER CONDITIONS.
AFTER LEAVING WORK ON MAY 16, 2019, I ACCELERATED FROM A STOP LIGHT ONTO HIGHWAY 1 IN SAN LUIS OBISPO. IMMEDIATELY, THE CAR STALLED, LOST ALL POWER, AND A WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED STATING "AWD MALFUNCTION, AWD NOT AVAILABLE." I PULLED OFF THE ROAD, TURNED THE CAR OFF. I RE STARTED A COUPLE MINUTES LATER, AND MADE IT HOME. HOWEVER, THE CAR APPEARED TO BE OPERATING ON ABOUT 50% POWER, AS IT STRUGGLED TO MAINTAIN HIGHWAY SPEEDS.
ON OCTOBER 30, 2019, I WAS PASSING A DUMP TRUCK ON RT. 539 IN NEW JERSEY, I HAD JUST ACCELERATED TO COMPLETE THE PASS. AS I WAS COMPLETING THE PASS, THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND THE ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT BEGAN BLINKING, I'VE BEEN TOLD THE VEHICLE WENT INTO LIMP MODE. THE CAR DECELERATED AND WOULD NOT GO OVER 20 MPH. I WAS QUICKLY ABLE TO PULL ONTO THE SHOULDER TO AVOID BEING HIT BY THE TRUCK I JUST PASSED. ONCE IN THE SHOULDER, I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF. WHEN I TURNED THE VEHICLE BACK ON, THE ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT WAS NO LONGER FLASHING AND THE CAR RESUMED NORMAL OPERATIONS. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL ACURA DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP KEPT THE VEHICLE FROM OCTOBER 30 UNTIL NOVEMBER 1, I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE NO STORED CODES ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TEST DRIVEN FOR 60 MILES, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO ME, I WAS INFORMED IF THE ISSUE OCCURS AGAIN TO BRING IT BACK. THIS VEHICLE HAD APPROXIMATELY 10,500 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM, I NARROWLY AVOIDED BEING IN A CAR ACCIDENT.
WHILE DRIVING ON A 2 LANE HIGHWAY ON MAY 25, 2019, I ATTEMPTED TO PASS A SLOWER MOVING VEHICLE BY FLOORING THE GAS TO OVERTAKE THEM, AND CROSSING THE HASHED HIGHWAY LINE. I WAS DRIVING IN AN AREA WHERE THE ROAD UNDULATED, SO PASSING WAS ONLY LEGAL IN STRETCHES WHERE THE ROAD WAS FLAT WITH DISTANT VISIBILITY. AS I MOVED OVER AND FLOORED IT TO PASS, THE CAR HESITATED AND LOST PROPULSION, AND THE ENGINE LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING. I WAS FORCED TO TRANSITION FROM AN AGGRESSIVE, BUT LEGAL, PASSING MANEUVER, TO SWINGING BACK INTO POSITION BEHIND THE VEHICLE I WAS ATTEMPTING PASS, AND IN FRONT OF ANOTHER VEHICLE TAILING ME, BUT NOW I WAS LOSING SPEED. THE CAR BEHIND ME WAS FORCED TO BRAKE HARD, AND MY MECHANICAL FAILURE PUT THEM AND ME AT RISK. AS I SLOWED DUE TO LOST POWER WHILE IN LIMP MODE, I MOVED TO THE SHOULDER, SHUT OFF MY CAR, AND WAITED A FEW MINUTES. I RESTARTED AND EXPERIENCED NO CONTINUING ISSUE. THIS ISSUE IS SO FAR ISOLATED IN MY EXPERIENCE, HOWEVER I HAVE RESEARCHED IT ON THE FOLLOWING SITE AND SEE MULTIPLE REPORTS OF THE SAME ISSUE: HTTPS://ACURAZINE.COM/FORUMS/3G-RDX-PROBLEMS-FIXES-458/LIMP-MODE-2019-SPEC-971802/PAGE3/.
MY RDX WENT INTO 'LIMP MODE' (30 MPH MAX) WHILE ON I-75 SOUTHBOUND IN MODERATE TRAFFIC NEAR MACON GA AT 10 AM TRYING TO ACCELERATE TO SPEED LIMIT (70 MPH) FROM 50 MPH AFTER BEING CUT OFF BY AN INATTENTIVE DRIVER. ENGINE MALFUNCTION LIGHT WAS BLINKING. GOT TO RIGHT SHOULDER SAFELY AND TURNED ENGINE OFF. RESTARTED ENGINE AND COMPLETED ANOTHER 400 MILES AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS WITHOUT INCIDENT. ACURA DEALERSHIP COULD NOT REPLICATE PROBLEM, NOR WERE ANY CODES STORED ON OBD. I WAS TOLD BY ACURA SERVICE WRITER TO MONITOR ENGINE PERFORMANCE AND REPORT ANY REOCCURRENCES. SEVERAL ACURA RDX OWNERS ARE REPORTING SAME PROBLEM ON A POPULAR ACURA ONLINE FORUM. ONE MEMBER STATED THE HONDA CIVIC TYPE R IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS ENGINE AND/OR ENGINE MANAGEMENT DESIGN PROBLEM NECESSITATING AN IMMEDIATE INVESTIGATION AND RECALL, IN MY OPINION. RIGHT NOW I FEEL MY RDX IS UNSAFE AT ANY SPEED WITH THE POTENTIAL OF CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.
AFTER DRIVING FOR AN HOUR ON THE HIGHWAY ABOUT 65 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. I HAD TO PULL OVER ON THE HIGHWAY, AND SHUT MY CAR OFF AND TURN THE CAR BACK ON. THE CAR WENT INTO "LIMP MODE"
AFTER DRIVING 100 MILES BETWEEN 70 AND 75 MILES AN HOUR IN LEFT LANE OF 3 LANE FREEWAY, THE ENGINE QUITS AND GOES INTO LIMP MODE PRODUCING ALMOST NO ENGINE POWER. IN LIMP MODE THE ENGINE RAN, BUT ONLY PRODUCED ENOUGH POWER TO FOR CAR TO DO 20 MPH. TURNED OF ENGINE, CHECKED OIL AND COOLANT, BOTH FINE. RE-STARTED CAR, RAN NORMALLY, DROVE REMAINING 60 MILES HOME AT 60 MPH WITH NO FURTHER ISSUES. DEALER HAD SUV 19 DAYS AND CANNOT FIND A PROBLEM. VERY LUCKY NOT TO HAVE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AS HAD TO CUT ACROSS 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC TO GET TO SHOULDER WITH NO ENGINE POWER.
I WAS ACCELERATING HARD ONTO A HIGHWAY ON RAMP WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNED ON AND THE CAR WENT INTO "LIMP" MODE. I DROVE AT 40 MILES PER HOUR TO THE NEXT EXIT AND TURNED OFF THE CAR AS INSTRUCTED ON THE MANUAL. THE CAR RETURNED TO NORMAL OPERATION AFTERWARDS ALTHOUGH SPECIAL CARE WAS TAKEN TO MINIMIZE STRONG ACCELERATION.
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Quick Summary
The 2019 Acura RDX has 39 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.