2021 Acura RDX reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2021 Acura RDX has 112 complaints with NHTSA after 6 years, or 14 per year. That is more complaints per year than most RDX years here — over the median of the other years, which is 6. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Front passenger seat weight sensor and Driveshaft.

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

Complaints

112

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (21 of 112), then Service brakes (15) and Powertrain (13). Those filings include 3 that report a crash and 1 that reports an injury.

Next to 2020 and 2022

The 2020 RDX has 345 complaints, 37 per year, and the 2022 has 31 complaints, 6 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2022.

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 2021 Acura RDX. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (3)

Recall Front passenger seat weight sensor 2026-05-21 · NHTSA campaign 26V332000

Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.

Remedy Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.

Recall Front passenger seat weight sensor 2024-02-01 · NHTSA campaign 24V064000

Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.

Remedy Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.

Recall Driveshaft 2021-12-02 · NHTSA campaign 21V939000

Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021 Acura RDX and 2022 CR-V Hybrid vehicles. A component in the right or left front driveshaft may have been improperly heat-treated, which could result in driveshaft failure.

Remedy Dealers will replace the right or left front driveshaft as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 24, 2022. Owners may contact Honda customer service 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BBY, NBW, and OBX.

Complaints by component (112 total)

Engine

Service brakes

Powertrain

Air bags

Electrical system

Structure

Visibility and wipers

Speed control

Forward collision avoidance

Seats

Visibility

Fuel and propulsion system

Seat belts

Exterior lighting

Steering

Suspension

Air brakes

Back-over prevention

Lane departure

Wheels

Show 12 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"Head Gasket blown known problem with Honda and Acura 2.0T I didn’t know of this issue until it occurred to Loi Me in 2025 My Acura dealership told me it’s a huge problem with the Acura RDXand it should be a warranty…"
Engine · filed 2026-09-23
"Two low-speed sudden unintended acceleration events while parking a 2021 Acura RDX. Incident 1 (July 2026): While parking at low speed, the car unexpectedly surged forward. Flew up the curb and hit a restaurant window,…"
Electrical system, Unknown or other, Service brakes · filed 2026-08-22
"Fuel Pump is having to be replaced. I have had issues accelerating and my car also stalled once on the freeway. It put me in a dangerous situation and I almost got in an accident because my speed quickly decreased. The…"
Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-08-20
"I own an Acura RDX that experienced a sudden failure of the transfer case. Prior to the failure, there was little or no warning that a major drivetrain component was about to fail. When the transfer case failed, the…"
Powertrain · filed 2026-07-30
"I own an Acura RDX that experienced a sudden failure of the transfer case. Prior to the failure, there was little or no warning that a major drivetrain component was about to fail. When the transfer case failed, the…"
Powertrain · filed 2026-07-30

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2021 Acura RDX SUV AWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2021 Acura RDX SUV FWD	5 stars	4 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	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (10-speed)	All-wheel drive	21	27	23 MPG	$3450
RDX all-wheel drive A-SPEC	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (10-speed)	All-wheel drive	21	26	23 MPG	$3450
RDX front-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (10-speed)	Front-wheel drive	22	28	24 MPG	$3300
RDX front-wheel drive A-SPEC	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (10-speed)	Front-wheel drive	22	27	24 MPG	$3300

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 2020 Acura RDX Next year 2022 Acura RDX See every Acura RDX model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Acura RDX reliable?

What are common problems with a 2021 Acura RDX?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (21 of 112), then Service brakes (15) and Powertrain (13). Those filings include 3 that report a crash and 1 that reports an injury.

Is the 2021 Acura RDX more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2020 RDX has 345 complaints, 37 per year, and the 2022 has 31 complaints, 6 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2022.

Has the 2021 Acura RDX been recalled?

The 2021 Acura RDX has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2021 Acura RDX?

Owners have filed 112 complaints about the 2021 Acura RDX with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2021 Acura RDX get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2021 Acura RDX is 23.5 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.