Exterior Lighting Problems of Acura RDX - part 1

I have experienced the following situations while driving: •at night, drivers approaching from the opposite direction signal me to turn on my headlights, even though my headlights are already on. •in rainy conditions, I often have to pull over because I cannot adequately see the road markings. •recently, while driving on neighborhood streets lined with mature trees, I failed to see a curb and struck it because of the limited visibility. My vehicle's history shows that an Acura dealership replaced the headlight bulbs in 2020, at approximately 77,000 miles, slightly beyond the basic warranty period. Since then, I have replaced both low-beam bulbs again in 2026. My exterior headlight lenses are clear, and replacing both bulbs has not resolved the problem. In October 2026, Acura dealership inspected my vehicle. The dealership documented that both headlight bulbs were operating properly and that the electrical output was proper at 12v. The dealership recommended replacing both headlight assemblies due to cloudiness inside the headlight lenses resulting from moisture/oxidation. The dealership also documented that it could not perform photometric output testing because it lacked the appropriate equipment. The dealership quoted $4,652 for the replacement of headlight assemblies. A vehicle should not develop severely inadequate headlight illumination to the point that it becomes dangerous to drive at night simply because of its age or mileage. As a family vehicle, I regularly drive with my child as a passenger. At this point, this is a severe safety hazard to my family and other people on the road.

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The low beam headlights are very dim at night time. An extreme safety issue. I had to occasionally use the high beam headlamps for proper visibility. I had the bulbs replaced and the brightness did not improve at all. I spoke with the service department at the dealership where I purchased the vehicle and was advised that the headlamp assemblies need replacing. I replaced them at a significant cost.

The contact owns a 2014 Acura Rdx. The contact stated that the headlights were extremely dim at night. The passenger inquired to the contact if the headlights were turned on. The contact used the high beam headlights while driving at night. The manufacturer was contacted through the customer complaint line. An independent mechanic confirmed that the low beam headlights were extremely dim. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

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The deteriorating chrome in the headlight projector is impossible to see. I just miss head on collision. And weeks before. I have purchased all and every headlight bulb and nothing works. Either I’m going to die in a wreck or kill somebody. Due to this ongoing problem with the projector. Please recall 2015 Acura Rdx projectors so know one gets hurt.

My low beam headlights have not been giving off enough light to see at night. Upon further investigation, I found several complaints regarding the same problem with the year and make of my car. I went yesterday, 9/21/26 and had the bulbs replaced with led for $190 and the problem still exists. I have to use my high beam headlights to see at night, which is unsafe and illegal. Acura should be held accountable for faulty equipment and not their loyal customers.

The component that failed is the low-beam headlight system, specifically the internal projector lens housings of both the driver and passenger side headlight assemblies. The reflective chrome coating inside the projector bowls has degraded, delaminated, and burned away due to heat from halogen lightbulbs. This failure severely compromises nighttime driving safety. Because the reflective backing inside the headlights has deteriorated, the low-beam bulbs cannot project light onto the road ahead. This creates a critical lack of forward visibility, preventing the driver from seeing pedestrians, debris, road signs, or upcoming turns in the dark. The problem was physically inspected and confirmed by an Acura dealership certified technician. The technician verified that the halogen bulbs themselves were functioning at full power, but determined that the light output was blocked due to the ruined internal chrome housing. Because of this, the vehicle did not pass the safety inspection and they stated that the only remedy was a complete replacement of both headlight assemblies, with the likelihood that this same issue will occur again. There were no electronic warning lights, dashboard messages, or sudden failures prior to the condition.

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.

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.

Headlight reflector assemblies have delaminated causing headlight output to be very dim to the point that driving at night is not safe.

The factory-installed led daytime running light (drl) system on my 2019 Acura Rdx has failed. The passenger-side drl is completely inoperative, and an authorized Acura dealership documented that the driver's-side drl is beginning to fail as well. The affected components are available for inspection upon request dealership has declined to provide further documents and american Honda moto daytime running lights are a safety-related exterior lighting system designed to improve vehicle visibility to other motorists. The failure of one drl and the developing failure of the second drl may reduce vehicle visibility and create a potential safety concern. On July 3, 2026, cerritos Acura inspected the vehicle and confirmed the condition. The dealership's written diagnosis states: "recommend passenger headlight assembly due to daytime running light out. Recommend driver's headlight assembly due to daytime running light going out as well. " the dealership recommended replacement of both headlight assemblies. The dealership found no evidence of collision damage, misuse, unauthorized modifications, or water intrusion. The drl is an internal led component that is not serviceable separately and requires replacement of the entire headlight assembly. The vehicle has been inspected by cerritos Acura, an authorized Acura dealership. To my knowledge, the vehicle has not been inspected by police, insurance representatives, or any government agency there is no record of any only with the dealership. There were no warning lights, warning messages, dashboard indicators, or other symptoms before the failure occurred. The drl failure happened without warning and was later confirmed by dealership inspection. I am concerned that the failure of both factory-installed led drl assemblies may indicate a defect in the lighting system rather than normal wear and tear. The condition was confirmed by an authorized Acura dealership and was not attributed to accident damage or other external causes.

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The headlight housings on this generation of 2013 Acura mdxs completely fail due to a design flaw that causes the housing to overheat and dim the lights to a dangerous level. At night, you would be safer if you were driving with flashlights taped to the hood of the vehicle. I’m sure this has caused numerous wrecks for 2013-2015 mdx owners as it is a widely reported issue that needs to be fixed ASAP before more people perish. Please do something about this as it is not just a select few lemons but it is nearly every 2013 Acura mdx out there with the same oem housings. Lives could depend on fixing this issue. Please hear this out.

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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.

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.

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.

Low beam halogen headlights are dangerously dim. It is not possible to see in darkness without the high beams on. New factory bulbs have been replaced. Lens cleaning restoration has been performed. This widely known flaw will cause accidents if it hasn't already. Hundreds of complains have been filed with the NHTSA. There are dozens of forums highlighting this important design flaw. The issue lies with the headlight assembly reflector becoming oxidized in a relatively short period of time. Based on research, the degradation of light emittance takes about 5-6 years to reach a dangerous visibility issue. Owners are not interested in spending $1,600 every ~6 years just to have minimum visibility while driving. This is dangerous. This is serious. This is consistent across all 2013-2015 Rdx models. Sadly, my father's 1999 Ford f150 with 250k miles has original headlights which shine about 10 times brighter than this "current day" Acura. I attached a . Pdf with comments from a certified Acura technician who also owns one of these vehicles. I own (2) Rdx vehicles that my daughters both drive. I am considering not allowing them to drive at night in the rain because there is literally zero visibility. Turning the lights to the off position or on position while driving at night makes zero difference in visibility. The brights are fantastic and have no issue.

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.

Headlights are so dim and cannot operate at night driving thru the mountains. It seems like a repetitive issue that affects many owners.

Low beam headlights degrading. Car is unsafe to drive at night! tried changing light bulbs but does not improve light quality. Dealer said it was an Acura issue. The problem has been getting progressively worse.

Bought this used on February 5th 2026 low beam headlights so dim barely illuminating driving surface.

My 2015 Acura Rdx technology package has been having very dim headlights. I have replaced the bulbs in the car which provided no remedy. I then had the bulbs replaced with led lights which are more bright than the original lights with no remedy. The danger is to me and the occupants of the vehicle as you can not see more than 5-10 feet in front of the car. In addition, other cars or pedestrians on the road, I can not see them because of these issues will pose a serious safety risk to not my occupants but to others on the road. I have had the car inspected by my mechanic and we tried the different lights to improve the vision of the lights. The car has not provided any errors on the dashboard, or "engine warning light". I would like to lodge this complaint against Honda, parent company of Acura, to see if there is a resolution to the problem. This is currently still happening on my vehicle.

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.

Headlights are dangerously dim, even with original equipment replacement bulbs.

2013 Acura Rdx. Head lights have dimmed where its not safe to drive. Had the whole head light assemblies replaced by the dealership 11 months ago for $4,000. Still have same problem with new ones.

Low beam headlights degrading from reflector delamination. Car is unsafe to drive at night. Changing lightbulbs does not improve light quality. Issue has been getting progressively worst each year to a point where the car is not drivable at night.

I purchased this 2014 Acura Rdx in 2016, a certified pre-owned with original 28,000 miles, from price Acura in dover, DE. VIN # [xxx] . The car is very well maintained; garage kept and consistently follows the regular maintenance schedule. The current mileage is 143,968. I have voiced my concern to the price Acura dealership regarding the ongoing issue with the headlights. The combination of heavy oxidation, internal condensation, and water seepage has gotten worse over time, causing very dim, unsafe low beams even after bulb/lens restoration. This issue is not normal wear and tear but is a defective seal or manufacturing issue. I’ve had to use my high beams to see while driving at night, but with oncoming traffic having to turn them off and on, not to impact other drivers, it is not safe. This issue has worsened, has negatively impacted my safety driving at night, most recent the driver side low beam headlight burnt out while I was traveling along back roads at night. After researching this issue, I learned this is a widespread problem and replacing the low beam headlight bulb is not the answer, and that the entire headlight assembly needs to be replaced, which I found is very costly. I am a loyal Acura customer with over 10 years of ownership. Given this widespread problem and my loyalty, I’m hoping for some manufacturer assistance, perhaps a covered repair, partial credit, or guidance getting help to cover this costly defect. Would you please advise of any cost effective service or potential solutions to resolve this known problem. As it stands, this issue has limited me to daylight driving only until this issue is properly fixed. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The headlights are unsafe with dim low beam projectors even after trying a couple sets of new bulbs. Here are the part numbers for reference 33100-tx4-a12 33150-tx4-a12 there is a significant safety issue requiring replacement of components that should not need replacing.

The low beam headlights lights on my 2013 Acura Rdx are very dim, and replacing the bulbs does not make any difference. I have read multiple reports that this is a common problem where the reflective material inside the projector style housing breaks down over time, and that the only fix is to replace the entire headlight assembly on both sides. Due to the poor lighting, I have had several near misses with other cars and obstacles that have been hard to see. Compared to other vehicles I have driven over by lifetime, this car really does has a significant safety problem. Headlight assemblies should not degrade this quickly, and replacing them is an expensive repair. I believe that NHTSA should investigate this issue for a potential recall, as not being able to see at night is a major safety issue.

The low beam headlight projector lens has degraded to the point of being extremely unsafe and therefore unable to drive at night. Repair for the defective headlight is costly and should be addressed by Honda/Acura as it is a huge safety concern. Acura recalled/replaced the defective lens on the 2014-2015 rlx model but has chose not to do so on the Rdx with the exact same problem.

Low beam headlight projector reflectors deteriorate making the low beam headlights unusable for safe driving. Entire assembly has to be replaced to remedy. Extremely common in this generation of Acura Rdx based on internet searches.

I believe that my car's infotainment center has been hacked and some functionalities are remotely controlled. Sx include: applying of brakes without manual assistance, sluggish car due to the drive gear switching too early (d6 when driving 30 mph for example), dooes auto unlocking after I leave the vicinity, car making th sound of auto locking but the locks do not actually lock, dashboard and lights will turn on when the car is supposedly off, I can also hear clicking as if someone is accessing the infotainment center remotely when the car should be off. Blind spot notification doesnt alert. I do not have a hot spot setting in connections and it does not show to be connected but behaves as if it is. The networks used to update the vehicle are locked in and I cannot remove them. When I go into the section for lgal disclaimers it shows a bunch of open source licenses the first being "fake packages". The fact that the doors do not stay locked allows anyone to access it in public locations. The issue has not been confirmed by the dealer, they tell me nothing is wrong and would not look at the video I had showing what it was doing with regards to the gear changes making it sluggish. Also the fact that this is a remote access thing the hacker may just not do this when others are around. The dealer did do an update to the firmware but this did not resolve any of the issues I was experiencing. Also to note there was a time when I was not able to do the update on my own because the update network was locked to my neighbors network (I can no longer see this in settings). I tried to get the dealer to inspect but there was no reproduction of the issue. I do not believe they inspected the brakes. The symptoms had no warning lights, I didnt report this earlier because I wanted confirmation of the issue but now its to the point where the symptoms are constant each time I drive the car and has gotten worse over time.

See all problems of the 2024 Acura RDX 🔎.

My 2015 Acura Rdx has such dim headlights, that I feel that it is not safe to drive at night. The headlights have gotten so dim that I can't even tell if they are on, unless I drive by a building and see the lights in the reflection. The only way I can drive safely is to have my high beam headlights on, which is not safe for other drivers. Not to mention illegal in most areas. As I understand it, the 2015 Acura rlx has had recalls for a very similar headlight issue. Why hasn't this recall been extended to the 2015 Rdx, which appears to be built off the same platform, and is having the same issue?.

Can’t see to drive at night with low beams on. Miss turns at night.

The low beam is very dim at night regardless what bulb I've installed. The reflective material inside the projector housing is no longer working.

Base model halogen headlights project unsafe low light after defects in the projection reflector assembly delaminate. Light output at night is completely unsafe to drive. Acura knows it’s a defective part and will not offer fix other than full replacement of entire headlight assemblies at a cost of approximately $3,000. Major safety issue making a car unsafe to drive at night, all due to a poor design and defective reflective coating used on projector part of headlights.

Purchased car with ~96k miles. Drove at night and had extremely low road visibility due to lighting. Replaced the bulbs to a high lumen led, did not increase lighting/visibility. My research finds this to be a known issue with a refractor found behind the headlight lens within the headlamp housing.