Power Train Problems of Acura RDX - part 1

The contact owns a 2017 Acura Rdx. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly sputtered, and the transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and dtc: p0741 was retrieved. The mechanic determined that the torque converter clutch had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer, where the same diagnostic results were provided. The contact was informed that the torque converter clutch had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 138,477.

See all problems of the 2017 Acura RDX 🔎.

I was at a stop light, car was stopped, the electronics on the vehicle looked like it went through a reboot, a/c blower fluctuated (turned off then back on), all displays went out and restarted like it does when you start the car. When the traffic light turned green, and I stepped on the gas, the car shuddered and hesitated, like the transmission, abs and traction control were all going haywire. Then the car drove fine. As long as I do not slow down too much or stop. Once I got home and had to back up into the garage, it went through that haywire cycle again. This was the 3rd time this has happened on this car. But after I shut off the engine, wait a little while and start it again, symptom seems to go away, until it decides to happen again. I have had this car since July of 2024, and since that time, I have had this happen to me 3 times and 2 times to my wife. I have read on the net and one of the possibilities talked about if the abs control unit, where soldered wires seems to be melting off of the circuit boards and causing intermittent connection, therefore exhibiting erratic behavior. There are even services on ebay where you can send in your whole abs unit and they will open them up, clean and re-solder the wires. This seems to be scary and concerning from a safety perspective. Please investigate the issue for us who are affected. Occurrences are getting more frequent (almost every other day) and it just happened again today 3/3/26.

Three weeks ago when new york had the two big snow storm and the road condition was really bad, my Acura Rdx unexpectedly pop up warning message that says disabling of awd (switching to fwd). This happened every time when it snow and will disappear when the weather is good.

See all problems of the 2019 Acura RDX 🔎.

The vehicle has developed a serious transmission defect involving harsh shifting, delayed engagement, and repeated slipping into neutral while driving. Since picking the vehicle up from key Acura after an inspection, the condition has worsened significantly. The “check engine” light, the flashing “d” indicator, and the transmission warning light are now consistently illuminated. Prior to the dealer visit, these warning lights were intermittent; they are now on at all times. The vehicle can unexpectedly lose propulsion or fail to accelerate, which creates a safety risk during normal driving, especially when merging, crossing intersections, or turning. The symptoms are consistent with the known torque converter and transmission issues documented in Acura service bulletin 23?029, which applies to 2017–2018 Rdx models. The dealer inspected the vehicle but did not perform repairs, and the drivability and safety concerns have become more severe since the visit. Acura/Honda client relations has been contacted and a case is open, but no resolution has been provided. This defect poses a significant safety concern due to the sudden loss of power while the vehicle is in motion.

See all problems of the 2018 Acura RDX 🔎.

The transfer case began leaking between the transmission and transfer case. Upon taking it to a mechanic I’ve been told the entire transfer case needs replacement because it has prematurely failed. The repair cost is $5533. 00. Through research I’ve seen there are many failing transfer cases on Acuras with the sh all wheel drive systems. I believe Acura has a design flaw in the system and should be responsible for the repair.

See all problems of the 2021 Acura RDX 🔎.

We have owned our 2019 Acura Rdx for about 4 years. Roughly 2 years ago my wife called me panicked that the car had lost power and the check engine light was on as she was exiting the freeway. It was a rainy day, she had our kids in the car on the way to a soccer game. I called off work with an emergency, drove an hour to where she was and scanned the car. No codes popped up on my scanner, I started the vehicle and it seemed to run like normal, no check engine light. I had it towed to Honda of gresham, or and after a week or so they called and said they couldn't find anything wrong with our vehicle. I paid for a oil change, a tow and a dealer diagnostics and was told they could not find anything. $500 later no answers. Fast forward 2 years oct 26th 2025 I was driving the Rdx this time, in the rain on the freeway. Wife and kids in the car. Went to accelerate past a slow driver and the car went into limp mode. Check engine light flashing and limited to 40 mph or so, I put the hazards on as I was on a single lane bridge with traffic behind me. I pulled over after the bridge and turned the vehicle off. After 5 minutes or so I started the car again and everything seems fine, no check engine lights nothing seems off. I continued on down the freeway without any more incident. I started researching what is going on and find many many reports of this same thing. Acura has a TSB for a front mount intercooler as the fix, but when I took ours in for the stated problem they couldn't find a problem. This car looks beautiful, but it's a safety hazard on the freeway when moisture is present, we live in the pnw and it rains 7 months out of the year. I have owned 10-12 hondas in my lifetime and this 2019 Acura Rdx is the worst. Absolutely a safety hazard to my family. Disappointed this will be the last Honda we buy.

On July 12, 2025 my husband, the driver, and myself, owner of the vehicle and passenger this day, were driving on the freeway at approximately 7:00am in the middle lanes of the freeway. Without any codes or warnings beforehand, we heard the car make alarming beeps and automatically loss all power to the engine while traveling at highway speeds. This situation put my husband and my lives at risk and in a dangerous situation as there was traffic on a busy freeway and lost all power to the vehicle and made even maneuvering off the freeway a dangerous action as we had no warning beforehand there was something wrong. My husband was able to get us safely out of harms way. After being diagnosed at a mechanic, it turns out this problem happened due to a cracked cylinder head and had no previous warnings of an issue and no warning lights on the vehicle alerting to a problem, I will have the cylinder head in my possession and the mechanic I took my vehicle stated it cannot be ruled out this could be a manufacturer’s or casting defect. I tried contacting Acura corporation about this situation but was told that since I did not take it to a dealership and have a certified tech look at my vehicle, there will be no case and no type of remedy or reimbursement for this situation.

Transfer case is defective and Acura is refusing to fix it under warranty. Says it’s’normal’ for the awd system to leak causing destruction.

See all problems of the 2023 Acura RDX 🔎.

The Rdx has been experiencing stalls when trying to accelerate, shaking/vibrations when accelerating uphill or around curves in roads. I received a letter about the torque converter having its warrantee extended. The letter stated if you are experiences issues related to the torque converter to contact the dealership. I took my Rdx to the Acura dealership in which they stated the car did not show the code to have the torque converter replaced but instead I needed a transmission flush. I have stated that I am experiencing problems related to the torque converter and after replacing it a transmission flush is part of the process. The dealership is refusing to replace the torque converter but charging me $500 for a transmission flush.

I am submitting this complaint regarding a serious transmission defect on my 2018 Acura Rdx that materially worsened after an Acura-authorized warranty repair addressing a known torque converter defect. Acura issued a warranty extension / service campaign for the torque converter on certain 2017–2018 Rdx vehicles. Prior to this repair, my vehicle did not exhibit any severe jerking, slipping, or unsafe shifting behavior. After the Acura dealer replaced the torque converter under this program, the vehicle immediately began experiencing violent and unpredictable jerking during gear changes, worsening over time. These behaviors create an unsafe driving condition, particularly in stop-and-go traffic, intersections, and merging situations. I returned the vehicle to the dealer multiple times after the repair. As the problem worsened, I provided video documentation clearly showing the abnormal transmission behavior. After further evaluation, the dealer acknowledged the issue and determined that the transmission requires replacement. Acura corporate declined coverage, stating the vehicle was no longer under standard warranty, despite: -the issue beginning immediately after Acura’s warranty repair -the torque converter being an integral component of the transmission system -the vehicle being in a worse and unsafe condition after Acura’s work I am requesting that NHTSA: -review whether Acura’s torque converter warranty extension repair fails to adequately address associated transmission damage -determine whether Acura vehicles repaired under this program are being returned to consumers in an unsafe operating condition -assess whether Acura is improperly denying responsibility for post-repair transmission failures directly related to related to the covered defect.

Drive train labor rear driver cv halfshaft axle could not locate axle part anywhere for repair, sold out and on back order! clear indication that other drivers are having same issue with this part. Should be looked into and recalled!.

I was at a stop light, car was stopped, the electronics on the vehicle looked like it went through a reboot, a/c blower fluctuated (turned off then back on), all displays went out and restarted like it does when you start the car. When the traffic light turned green, and I stepped on the gas, the car shuddered and hesitated, like the transmission, abs and traction control were all going haywire. Then the car drove fine. As long as I do not slow down too much or stop. Once I got home and had to back up into the garage, it went through that haywire cycle again. This was the 3rd time this has happened on this car. But after I shut off the engine, wait a little while and start it again, symptom seems to go away, until it decides to happen again. I have had this car since July of 2024, and since that time, I have had this happen to me 3 times and 2 times to my wife. I have read on the net and one of the possibilities talked about if the abs control unit, where soldered wires seems to be melting off of the circuit boards and causing intermittent connection, therefore exhibiting erratic behavior. There are even services on ebay where you can send in your whole abs unit and they will open them up, clean and re-solder the wires. This seems to be scary and concerning from a safety perspective. Please investigate the issue for us who are affected. It is not just my year model car, but it includes Honda branded and different Acura and Honda model cars too. Thank you.

Under full throttle acceleration while merging onto highway the car would not deliver power and the check engine started flashing. Pressing the accelerator did not make the car go. I had to pull over and stop the car. I turned it off and turned it back on and was able to drive away. Both times, the weather was very humid and I was merging on a ramp that had an uphill incline. This happened twice within a few days. The first time was on 3-may-2025 and the second time was on 5-may-2025.

See all problems of the 2020 Acura RDX 🔎.

As I was turning a corner, my steering wheel completely locked up on me. I was stuck in the middle of the street trying to get my car to turn into our driveway. Thankfully, I was able to alert incoming traffic through my horn that I was there and stuck. This could’ve been a near death experience and I am uncomfortable driving any Acuras at this time.

See all problems of the 2025 Acura RDX 🔎.

All maintenance performed at Acura. 6 weeks after the transmission aged out of warranty dealer found metal shavings in transmission oil. Car had only 60k miles. $13000 maintenance bill to fix.

Vehicle has only around 83,000 miles on it and needed a whole new torque converter. The vehicle was displaying problems in delay in shifting so I was planing an inspection. However, before the date reached my a check transmission light displayed on my dash so I had to move the inspection date up. No one was harmed but it was concerning to me when I was driving on the highway and saw my check transmission light was on. The dealership I bought it from (carmax) is currently repairing it and luckily I had an extended warranty. I know other models of Acura have had problems with torque converters but this one was not reported to have recall.

A judder from the torque converter is felt when driving between 20 and 60 mph.

See all problems of the 2016 Acura RDX 🔎.

My 2018 Rdx has started to jerk when I stop and then restart. I have noticed some hesitation and a bit of jerky driving but today it was very noticeable. I could barely go above 40 miles an hour after I started driving after a stop light and the car was very jerky. It seems to be either a fuel pump or transmission issue. I am going to check with the Rdx dealership where I bought the car in 2018 but I wanted to report the issue. I also looked up the VIN on my car for a recall and the system said my car had not been recalled. Not sure why my 2018 Rdx is different from other 2018 Rdx models that were recalled.

The breaks did not work while in a parking lot right after switching into drive. No major risk of any injury where this occurred. Not reported to the dealer, not inspected. No injury, no property damage. I left my wife in the vehicle with the car in park and went into the store. I came out 15 minutes later, car was running. I got in, put my foot on the break, and switch to drive? the car started rolling forward on its own. I repeatedly tried the breaks, but no response. I had steering. I gave it a little gas, and the engine reved like it was in neutral. I looked down and that point the car indicated it was in neutral. My wife said that none of the drive indicators were on while I had the issue. At some point the breaks started working, after I gave it a little gas? I got the car into drive, and tested it before moving on to verify it was behaving correctly. The forward motion of the vehicle was probably due to the slope it was parked on, rather than the car's idle power. This also matches the car then reporting it was in neutral. The biggest issue was no breaks at the point it started rolling forward. My comment was that was weird, but it scared my wife, so I am reporting it. I was operating the vehicle.

Driving 55mph at night on highway . Went to accelerate around slower vehicle to 70mph speed limit when vehicle lost engine power and yellow check engine light began flashing on left side of instrument panel. Vehicle began slowing forcing move to right shoulder from left lane in moderate traffic. Vehicle would not accelerate past 20 mph on shoulder to nearest exit. Once at a safe location vehicle was shut off. Restarted vehicle approximately 30 seconds after shut down and vehicle began running normal.

Vehicle began jerking while in motion, and all error messages the vehicle has ability to display rotated across the screen, including po848. Transmission was replaced by a dealer. Vehicle would not start two weeks later. Vehicle towed to dealer. Dealer stated battery and starter were bad. Both of those components replaced by Acura dealer. Within one week, alarm was sounding randomly and clicking noise coming from dash. Dealer is now replacing a control module. This is a safety issue because as it was jerking, I lost control of the vehicle. The car alarm going off for a prolonged time at high decibels puts the hearing of bystanders at risk. Seems the car poses a fire risk as well.

While driving on a freeway for about 15 minutes at 65 mph, the mil indicator started blinking. The vehicle began to rapidly shake, while the engine power decreased significantly. The engine dramatically went from 65 mph to 35 mph causing a safety hazard while driving on the freeway as we attempted to exit and pull over safely. The vehicle is a 2021 Acura Rdx and is driven approximately 10,000 miles per year. All maintenance has been performed in accordance with the manufacturer's schedule. It has not been involved in any collisions or other user risk other than normal driving in accordance with the approved use of the vehicles. Upon trying to restart the vehicle, the vehicle continues to violently shake while in park. Notification lights indicating brake failure, awd failure, check emissions system, etc. There were no other indicators that there was an issue with the vehicle prior to this instance on 4/20/2024. In fact, the vehicle was viewed by cerritos Acura for its regularly schedule service on 4/10/2024 and no issues were identified by the dealer. As far as safety, we were traveling with two young children and the location of the freeway did not have a safe place to pull over. The sudden reduction in speed also put us in risk with surrounding vehicles. This appears to be related to TSB 20-053, however, no communication have been identified or communicated by the dealers to the the owner/operator of the vehicle.

I am writing to report a concerning issue with my Acura Rdx 2017, which I believe poses a significant safety risk and requires immediate attention from your organization. The problem I encountered while driving jeopardizes the safety of both myself and others on the road. About five days ago, while driving at approximately 20 mph, my vehicle began emitting loud, thunderous sounds, accompanied by intense vibrations that shook the entire car. Additionally, it seemed to struggle when shifting gears, particularly into second or third gear. Despite my careful and gradual acceleration, the car exhibited signs of a malfunction within its transmission system. Furthermore, at around 35 mph, the engine suddenly revved to over 3000 rpm, causing the vehicle to accelerate without any input from me. This acceleration occurred even though my foot was not on the gas pedal, making the car difficult to control and putting me at risk of colliding with other vehicles or objects. The unpredictability of these incidents is deeply alarming and could lead to serious accidents if not addressed promptly. I purchased this vehicle in December 2023 and have maintained it according to the manufacturer's recommendations. However, when I inquired about the timing belt at the dealership, I was assured that it had passed inspection. Despite this, the recent malfunctions suggest a more serious underlying issue that needs immediate attention. Crucially, there were no warning lights, messages, or other indications of a problem prior to these incidents, underscoring the sudden and unexpected nature of the issue. I urge the NHTSA to investigate this matter urgently and thoroughly. I request that you initiate a recall of affected vehicles and implement necessary repairs to address the identified defects. Swift action is essential to ensure the safety of all motorists who may be affected by this issue.

The rear brakes squeal as though they are constantly on, brake pads (rear) have not gone down from 4-5 mm in over 10 months whole front pads have been replaced twice and rotors once within the same time period. The constant squealing has shown to overheat the brake system, which in turn overheats the transmission/transfer casing, causing the at hot warning light to engage temporarily at high speeds (over 60mph only) as well as minor transmission leaks. Seized calipers have been determined by an Acura dealership service mechanic to be the cause of these issues, and has said it is a common problem. This needs to be recalled if it’s so common.

This is my second complaint to NHTSA. I purchased my certified pre owned Acura on 01/06/2024 after I added my Acura to my car insurance. They notified me and told me that there is an open recall associated with my VIN number. That recall is for a (seat weight sensor) recall # 24v-064000 recall date 02/01/24 -- remedy not available. I filed a complaint with NHTSA id# 11572570. After I filed my first complaint I found another unrepaired recall for my VIN number recall date 02/12/2021 NHTSA # 21v93900 for the power train drive shaft I'm not sure exactly what happened with this specific recall. I also wanted to add to my complaint that since my vehicle is a certified pre owend. I never received a complete inspection report indicating all the components inspected prior to selling me the vehicle. Now that I'm searching through all my paperwork. I also am hesitant with the interest rate. I put $20000 down on the vehicle. And I have excellent credit and my interest rate is 8. 99% I also had to pay for the warranty.

I’ve had this happen 4 times now with my 2019 Rdx. The latest is on 12/10/23. Low speed braking and the tac revels to over 5000. Vehicle lurches forward with both feet on the brake peddle nearly hit a car broadside that was moving perpendicular to me. , three times under warranty to the dealer who could find anything. They even had the factory rep , in who after keeping the car for 5 days replaced an abs sensor. Now that the warranty is up they want 120. 00 an hour to diagnose the problem that they couldn’t before . . But this is a dangerous vehicle that. I’m scared to drive. After reviewing several forums this appears to be a know problem Acura won’t address.

The contact owns a 2021 Acura Rdx. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the driveway, he entered and started the vehicle; the contact then shifted from park(p) to drive(d) and the gear shifter independently shifted back into park(p). The contact stated that the failure had occurred three times within several months. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated the vehicle had been taken to two Acura dealers however, the failure could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000. The VIN was unavailable.

While driving in the left of i20 east's two lanes on a descending hill with 5 cars ahead and an unknown number of cars behind at 70+ mph and all cars packed in close to the car ahead, I saw the lane had no real shoulder before a drop-off and the right lane had a narrow shoulder before it dropped off into woods and brush. The right lane was packed with 18-wheelers. In order to avoid constantly breaking the full length of the hill, I shifted into manual mode and a lower gear, but the car ahead began to brake suddenly and hard. Just a second before that car broke, I unlocked the shifter and was moving it forward to drive. As the car ahead was drastically slowing, I had to hit the brakes hard to avoid rear-ending him, and the momentum of sudden braking threw my hand and the shifter all the way forward into park. The transmission immediately produced a harsh grinding sound, I no longer could disengage the transmission from park, and the only controls I now had were brakes and steering. Alarmed I knew I had to get to the right shoulder but I couldn't look back to see how close trucks were behind the one to my immediate right, but by braking that truck slowly moved ahead of me, providing a brief opening behind him in the right lane. As I cautiously moved into that opening, I could see an 18 wheeler approaching but still a short distance back. I continued slowly drifting into the right lane with blinkers on, when suddenly the approaching truck behind veered partially into the right shoulder in anticipation of passing me in the narrow shoulder lane. In the split second of his veering, I slowly continued into the shoulder lane causing him to veer back into the right lane, his rig full of new cars jerking back left. As I gradually slowed to a stop, the truck was approaching so fast that in my rearview mirror it looked like he might not miss me. As he shot by, he cleared me by not much more than a foot, his draft shaking my car. An automatic transmission going into park @ 70mph.

My car has been shaking on acceleration but no engine light or any warning popped up. When I called an Acura dealership, they said they would have trouble diagnosing the problem without a light on. A few days later, while accelerating on the highway, my car started shaking violently and lost power. The engine light started flashing. I could have gotten into an accident because I could no longer accelerate on the highway. I had to slowly pull off to a safe stop. This could have been a dangerous and life-threatening situation. Someone could have crashed into me behind me and I could not quickly get into a safe area. I brought it to an Acura dealership and they could not find anything. The engine light had turned off. Though, when I took the car again, the car was still shaking on acceleration. I was afraid to drive at normal speeds since it is extremely safe. I took it to another personal mechanic and he was able to reproduce the problem. He saw there is a service bulletin out for just this problem. The possible cause is “humid air within the intake tract may condense and accumulate excessive moisture during steady driving. ” I would have to replace the intercooler system and get the pgm-FL software updated. This is a safety issue, and Acura has not released any recalls on this. The dealerships are also saying it will not be covered by warranty for me.

On a new Acura Rdx with 10,771 miles my wife was charged $315 dollars by the local Acura dealer for "differential service" because "sub code 6" was on the maintenance minder. I believe this is a scam or any differential service should be under warranty. I pursued the complaint with Honda extensively on the phone and just now was called back by Honda and told that is regular maintenance and is not covered by the new car warranty. No car that I have ever owned needed differential service after 5 months - this is a scam.

My car transmission light came on. . . Check engine. Then said blind spot warning not working. See dealer. My car transmission warning message appears every time I accelerate to 60mph. It switches to sport mode on its on and I am unable to switch it back. My cameras malfunction for blind spots. The car sound is louder and usually it's quiet. I take my car in regularly for servid3 with the dealer. This is very strange. I am scared to go past 60mph.

Acura Rdx Acura says that the filter in the transmission is none serviceable but now my car is in a shop to replace the converter and they said the filter should be replaced which is why the torque converter went bad in the first place but they say it’s not to be serviced and now the shop would have to split the transmission to replace this filter which I can’t do being it would cost more then I paid for the car I think it’s definitely a safety issue if it locks the transmission up on the road I think something should be done about this filter issue which the shop said they put it inside the transmission for a reason so you’d have to spend money thanks.

See all problems of the 2008 Acura RDX 🔎.

This is a history of getting work done on my car, the transmission hesitates and shifts very hard into the next gear, a software update was done to correct the issues and after 1100 miles it was back. 6,812 11/15/2018 oil and filter, inspection $41. 00 14,035 6/18/2019 b service rotate tries, oil and filter and other inspected items $169. 53 21,635 1/8/2020 inspection, oil and filter, inspect other items, rotate and balance tries, replace rear differential and transfer case fluid, rear wiper, engine air filter $287. 24 26,823 12/15/2020 inspection, b service, oil and filter, inspected items, rotate and balance tries, minder #2 replace cabin air filter, minder #3 trans fluid replaced, $578. 87 34,364 09/07/2021 oil and filter and rotate tries $74. 15 09/13/2021 updated maps $104 09/26/2021 all new wiper blades 10/2/2021 new battery in my remote 37,651 12/16/2021 inspection, emissions, brake fluid change and replace rear differential fluid $334. 46 41,783 6/16/2022 oil and filter and new tries, tires 235/60r18 michelin primacy mxm4 ($1,161. 44 tries), all wheel alignment, since trans was acting up they did 10qt fluid and software update to the trans $2,116. 23 42,290 7/5/2022 transmission acted up, I shut the car off and back on and no issues 12/3/2022 transmission acted up, I shut the car off and back on and no issues 12/13/2021 new battery in nancy’s remote 48,090 12/13/2022 new wipers front and back 48,096 12/14/2022 coolant changed, tires rotated, cabin filter, air filter, and inspection $462. 04 48,160 12/17/2022 emission system failure, disconnected battery also trans acted up again 49,409 2/26/2023 trans going into second hesitated then shifted very hard into second, then the emission system failure, blind side failure and transmission failure’s, I turned off the car and restated, the emission system failure still showed, the other were gone and the transmission was ok for the rest of the drive.

The contact owns a 2020 Acura Rdx. The contact stated while driving 70 mph and changing lanes, the vehicle decelerated with an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact attempted to accelerate; however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that after several minutes the vehicle started to operate as designed. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 280,093.

See attached document for complaint.

See all problems of the 2013 Acura RDX 🔎.