2019 Acura RDX VISIBILITY/WIPER
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
Rear window spontaneously shattered on a day I didn't operate the vehicle at all. The previous week was abnormally cold in Maryland, but the day of the incident it was mild in the 40s. The window shattered midmorning as the sun was shining on the rear of the car.
November 2022, my rear window shattered while parked in my parents driveway. Did not know what happened so I called my insurance company (State Farm) they came out a few days later to replace it. I reported it to my dealership and they said they have never heard of that happening before. December 2024, my rear window shattered again while sitting in my garage, this time I called American Honda. I made a complaint with them and told them this has happened before and they need to correct it. They told me they have never heard of this happening and I needed to report it to my dealership. Again, I reported to the dealership and they told me the same thing. My insurance covered the cost of the repair twice. I'm following other Acura RDX owners who are having this same issue on Facebook. Honda needs to recall these cars because this is a safety issue that needs to be correct. There is also a class action lawsuit against American Honda.
Rear windshield spontaneously shattered while parked.
Want this documented as it was not previously back in 2022 when the glass shattered the first time. A very cold January day in 2022. Used auto start and defroster. Came out of work whole back window was shattered. Got in vehicle shut door glass fell in and went everywhere. Drove home with giant whole in back window about 8 miles and immediately put vehicle in garage. Called Acura Customer Relations was informed they have never heard of this happening received a case#. Heard nothing after and NEVER was notified of any TSB’s. Both times vehicle was under warranty/extended warranty.
Rear window in lift gate shattered upon normal door closure. Glass shards in the door.
I went out to my car to leave work for lunch and discovered that my rear windshield had shattered between my arrival and leaving for lunch. I found out by closing my drivers' door and having a significant portion of the rear windshield fall into the back of the car, scattering glass everywhere. The entire rear glass was shattered and fell out of place with any movement of the car. There were no apparent cracks in the glass prior to shattering. The weather was unusually cold for this region, ranging between 16-22 degrees F when it shattered, and the car was parked in a parking deck, covered but exposed to the weather. Sky was clear and no rain/snow. I was on the 3rd level of the parking deck and backed into my space, facing the exterior of the deck, so no opportunity for a projectile to shatter the window.
Opened front driver side door and closed door. At that time, rear window shattered with no warning or reason.
Upon entering the vehicle while it was turned off, the rear window shattered unexpectedly when I closed the door, scattering pieces everywhere. If this had occurred while I was driving, the loud noise from the window breaking could have led to a serious accident. It startled me to the point where I ducked, as the sound was akin to a gunshot. This issue is reportedly common with the RDX, particularly the 2019 models. Unfortunately, the dealership informed me that it is not covered under warranty and there is no active recall. Due to the increased cost associated with my deductible, I opted for an aftermarket window installation. I am aware that a class action lawsuit is currently in progress regarding this matter, as well as Technical Service Bulletin 22-014, yet the dealership has declined to accept any responsibility.
Myself and family members were getting into my vehicle. The drivers side door was closed and the rear windshield spontaneously shattered. There were no cracks or defects in the windshield prior to this occurring. I see that there is currently a class action lawsuit against Honda as other drivers have experienced similar issues with spontaneous shattering of the rear windshield. Fortunately, nobody was injured as the incident occurred while stationary, but this could have the potential to be very dangerous as it caused quite a startle. If we were in motion, I could see how it could pose potential for accidents. The shattered glass also fell on my child’s stroller which has required careful inspection and cleaning to ensure no glass remained for our child to be exposed to.
Back glass shattered for the second time. Closed back driver side door and the back glass popped.
2019 Acura RDX. purchased in March 2019. In September 2021, the rear windshield/glass exploded on its own while parked in our driveway. My wife started the vehicle and turned on the front and back defrosters. While waiting for all glass to be visibly clear, the rear windhshield exploded without being struck by anything. Windshield was repaired, however, small pieces of broken glass still remain inside the tailgate panel, and both dealership and glass replacment facility reprensetatives indicated that the way the rear tailgate is desiged, it is impossible to get every piece of glass out. Since September 2021 till now, you can hear pieces of glass moving around inside the rear tailgate, as if they were Maracas playing in a Latin band. On 12/22/24, this time while driving the vehicle, we heard a very loud 'gunshot' sound coming from the rear of the car. The noise was so startling that my wife's natural reaction (she was operating the vehicle at the time) was to duck, and in so doing, she pulled the steering wheel to the right (in the direction that my wife leaned). Thankfully there were no pedestrians, vehicles, or any object. Quickly after regaining control, she pulled over only to realize the rear windshield glass had shattered, yet again. In calling the dealership, I'm told the vehicle is out of warranty, and there is nothing that can be done. In 2021, while the vehicle was under manufacturer's warranty, they still did nothing, hence the reason why it was repaired at a facility in the secondary market. This repair will now cost me $623.
Rear windshield shattered on its own.
Car was parked at the church parking lot. After the mass I remote start the car 3 mins later soon as my family and I got in the car we hard the rear windshield shattered. After doing lots of researched and being in the group of Acura RDX owner on facebook ive seen cases with rear glass shattering.
Rear window while car was parked and off in the garage seemed to explode. Had it replaced.
Rear glass on liftgate spontaneously shattered while driving
Rear windshield spontaneously shattered while parked. This happened a second time while waiting at a stop light. First incident December 2021, second incident December 2023. Both times had Safelight replace the glass.
The rear glass has shattered twice for no reason
The contact owns a 2019 Acura RDX. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH during a rainstorm, the windshield wipers failed to operate as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. Despite the failure, the contact was able to continue driving at slower speeds. The contact had called two dealers (Columbia Acura and Jeff Wyler Acura of Fairfield (5555 Dixie Hwy, Fairfield, OH 45014) who both provided the contact with an estimate for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was out of warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Tailgate window shattered spontaneously while parked in our driveway. There was no force or impact to the glass causing this condition. An insurance claim was filed, and the glass was replaced. However, due to the design of the tailgate, we were informed by Safelite, the glass repair company that many of the pieces of glass that fell into the body of the tailgate could not be removed without full removal of the tailgate which is not covered by insurance. The resulting condition is the sound of moving broken glass every time the tailgate opens and closes as well as the tailgate closing button located on the tailgate no longer working. Additionally, at times when closing the tailgate via remote, the tailgate does not fully close.
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) [XXX] Vehicle Mileage 65,000 Involved (Honda/Acura) dealership Leith Acura - 2300 Capital Summit Ct Details of your (complaint/comment/inquiry)?The first time (approximate date) you noticed this issue. On [XXX] at 17:03, the rear windshield randomly imploded while the car was in the driveway (reference attached video of the event). The National Highway Safety Administration has issued a TSB regarding this issue #: 22-014 (also attached). I called Leith Acura on 11Dec2023 at 07:53. I explained the event to the Service Technician and they reviewed it with their manager. Since my vehicle is outside of the manufacturer's warranty, this is not covered for repair. Acura is viewed as a luxury brand but seems to not be standing behind their vehicles. This is a known and recognized issue by Acura and leaving the repairs, costs, time, and energy of this event with the end user is not what I expected when I purchased a vehicle manufactured by Acura. The first time (approximate date) you visited the dealer for this concern. N/A. I was told that they would not cover this event and directed me to go through my insurance for repair. Never offered to inspect the vehicle or event. The last time (approximate date) you visited the dealer for this concern. See comment above How often does this issue happen within a time frame (e.g., once a month)? First event The name & title of the person(s) assisting you at the dealer. N/A. Was told that they would not cover this event and directed me to go through my insurance for repair. Never offered to inspect the vehicle or event. The reason/explanation provided by the dealer, as to what caused this issue. When I called, I explained the event, stated I had video evidence of no other factors, and brought up the TSB for this issue. What repairs/services have been completed (if any)? Zero What repairs/services have been suggested? Leith Acura advised me to go through my personal insurance INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The rear window shattered without any warning or symptoms. This made it dangerous to drive without worrying about glass pieces injuring us or others. This is a known problem, confirmed by both the dealer and collision and glass shops.
After leaving work at 5pm on 1/22/24, I entered my car which had been parked since 8am. After I entered the vehicle and closed the driver's side door, the Rear Window shattered. A large whole presented and left shards of glass in the rear cargo area of the vehicle. Thankfully, the car was parked otherwise someone could have been injured if traveling on the roadway. There were no warning lights, the car was not moving, etc. I droved the vehicle approximately a half mile to the Acura dealership and I was told they could not help me, that this is a known issue to Acura and is caused by a faulty rear-window defroster. I was informed that I was the second car that same day to show up with a shattered rear window. The service technician advised me take my car to a repair shop and to contact Acura about this known issue. I notified Acura of the issue and they have been playing cat/mouse to take responsibility and to reimburse me for the repair work. I have photo's of the shattered window which I can provide. I had the rear-window replaced at my own expense.
Defective rear defroster causes rear tailgate to shatter spontaneously leaving glass inside the tailgate.
The rear window on our 2019 Acura RDX suddenly shattered as the vehicle was parked in our driveway. When my wife sat in the drivers seat after starting the vehicle she heard a loud pop and the entire rear window had shattered. The vehicle was not moving, and nothing had struck the widow, it shattered on its own.
I got in my car and shut the door and as I put the car in reverse, before I could move, I heard a popping sound and then the sound of glass shattering. Immediately put the car back in park and looked back and saw the glass was broken. I learned that Acura/Honda actually has a TSB for this and knows that it's a problem. I contacted them but because my vehicle is 10,000 mi over the warranty they would not do anything. TSB 22-014. If this had happened when I was driving it could have caused a serious accident. I also now have to pay out of pocket to have the windshield replaced.
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Quick Summary
The 2019 Acura RDX has 72 VISIBILITY/WIPER complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.