Reliable Auto DB

2018 Acura RDX reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2018 Acura RDX has 77 complaints with NHTSA after 9 years, or 5 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most RDX years here — under the median of the other years, which is 7. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Fuel pump.

2012 Acura RDX
Photo by IFCAR, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons Public domain
Complaints

77

Per year

5

Recalls

1

Years on the road

9

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Fuel and propulsion system (17 of 77), then Fuel system, gasoline (17) and Powertrain (12). Those filings include 5 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 RDX has 76 complaints, 8 per year, and the 2019 has 437 complaints, 48 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2018 Acura RDX. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (1)

Recall Fuel pump 2023-12-18 · NHTSA campaign 23V858000
Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Remedy Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.

Complaints by component (77 total)

Fuel and propulsion system
17
Fuel system, gasoline
17
Powertrain
12
Engine
11
Electrical system
8
Speed control
7
Forward collision avoidance
4
Service brakes
4
Air bags
3
Lane departure
3
Structure
3
Exterior lighting
2
Seats
2
Steering
2
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
Seat belts
1
Suspension
1
Show 9 more Show less
Crash-flagged

5

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

3

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

102018320192202032021620227202328202482025102026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The light comes on due to an emission system warning, shaking, and a lack of power; the engine is severely misfiring. This is the second time I have complained about this to the NHTSA"
    Engine, Fuel and propulsion system, Lane departure · filed 2026-08-18
  • "The contact owns a 2018 Acura RDX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light was intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and…"
    Air bags · filed 2026-07-15
  • "Vehicle Information: 2018 Acura RDX AWDAffected System: Power Train / Automatic Transmission / Torque ConverterAssociated Code/Bulletin: DTC P0741 / Acura TSB B23-029Complaint Description:The vehicle is experiencing a…"
    Powertrain, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2026-06-26
  • "The transmission went into limp mode one day after coming to a stop. When I safely got home, I turned the car off. Upon restarting, the issue was gone, but this has now happened several times. Each time, putting the car…"
    Powertrain, Electrical system · filed 2026-06-23
  • "Was driving down the hwy with the sunroof open tucked inside the headliner when a loud sound startled me and when I shut the sunroof glass rained down All over me"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-06-01

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2018 Acura RDX SUV AWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2018 Acura RDX SUV FWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
RDX all-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 19 27 22 MPG $3650
RDX front-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 20 28 23 MPG $3450

Specs and fitment

3rd generation (TC1/TC2), 2016–2021
Body styles SUV
Oil 0W-20 (2.0L turbo) , 4.6 qt capacity
Tire size 235/55R19
Towing capacity 1,500 lbs

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA safety recall 21V215000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Acura MDX, MDX Sport Hybrid, RDX, TLX, Honda Accord, Civic Hatchback, Insight, 2019 Acura ILX, Honda Accord Hybrid, Civic Coupe, Civic Coupe Si, Civic Sedan, Civic Sedan Si, Civic Type R, Fit, HR-V, Odyssey, Passport, Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 CR-V vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail. Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed May 18, 2021. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-314.

Compare

Previous year 2017 Acura RDX Next year 2019 Acura RDX See every Acura RDX model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Acura RDX reliable?

The 2018 Acura RDX has 77 complaints with NHTSA after 9 years, or 5 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most RDX years here — under the median of the other years, which is 7. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Fuel pump.

What are common problems with a 2018 Acura RDX?

The complaints owners file most often name Fuel and propulsion system (17 of 77), then Fuel system, gasoline (17) and Powertrain (12). Those filings include 5 that report a crash and 3 that report an injury.

Is the 2018 Acura RDX more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 RDX has 76 complaints, 8 per year, and the 2019 has 437 complaints, 48 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 Acura RDX been recalled?

The 2018 Acura RDX has 1 recall on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Acura RDX?

Owners have filed 77 complaints about the 2018 Acura RDX with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Acura RDX get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Acura RDX is 22.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a Acura RDX use?

US RDX manuals specify 0W-20 for recent turbo four-cylinder engines.

What generation is the 2018 Acura RDX?

3rd generation / TC1-TC2 (2016-2021).

What tire size does a recent Acura RDX use?

Many 2016-on US RDX pages list 235/55R19; earlier second-gen rows list 235/60R18.