The Lemon Index

All cars · Acura RDX · 2021

2021 Acura RDX. Advanced data.

The raw numbers: engines, recall campaign numbers, failure mileage and manufacturer communications.

Lemon Index116100 = average car
Complaints64NHTSA, first 3 years
Sold57,013U.S. model year
Per 100K sold112complaints
Year rank#8 of 10#1 = fewest complaints

Engines and drivetrains 2

EngineTransmissionDriveCity / hwy / combinedFuelFuel cost/yr
2.0L 4-cyl turboAuto (S10)FWD22 / 28 / 24Premium$3,200
2.0L 4-cyl turboAuto (S10)AWD21 / 27 / 23Premium$3,350

EPA test versions for this model year. Fuel cost is the EPA's current estimate, not the price in that year.

Failure mileage by system

Half of owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 1,700 and 60,000 miles. Median 22,500, from 12 complaints with a mileage.

SystemMedianMiddle halfComplaints
Visibility60,00030,800–67,5005

Mileage owners typed into their NHTSA complaint, all complaints for this model year. People report some problems late, so read it as a range.

Complaints by system

SystemShare of complaints
Engine22%
Brakes12%
Transmission & drivetrain11%
Airbags11%
Automatic emergency braking9%

One complaint can name more than one system, so shares can add to more than 100%.

Severity, all complaints

TotalCrashesFiresInjuriesDeathsTows
11630103

As reported by owners to NHTSA. Not verified.

Recall campaigns 3

  • 26V332000 May 2026 Air Bags / Sensor / Occupant Classification / Front Passenger

    Defect. 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.

    Risk. Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.

    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) involve

  • 24V064000 Feb 2024 Air Bags / Sensor / Occupant Classification / Front Passenger

    Defect. 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.

    Risk. An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.

    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.

  • 21V939000 Dec 2021 Power Train / Driveline / Driveshaft

    Defect. 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.

    Risk. Driveshaft failure can cause a sudden loss of drive power, or cause the vehicle to roll away when parked if the parking brake is not applied. Either condition can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

    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.

Manufacturer communications 194

Acura filed 194 service communications for this car with NHTSA.

  • Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc

Crash ratings by version

VersionOverallFrontSideRollover
Acura RDX SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆
Acura RDX SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆

Safety equipment

Electronic stabilityForward collision warningLane departure warning
StandardStandardStandard

Nearby model years

YearLemon IndexComplaintsSoldTop system
2018281863,580Transmission & drivetrain
201927417662,876Engine
202028714352,785Engine
20211166457,013Engine
2022632724,749Wipers & visibility
2023522439,228Electrical
2024–1242,988Wipers & visibility

Sources: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications; EPA fuel economy data; YouTube video titles. Complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.

Updated

Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com). Get the data