2020 Acura RDX: What to check before buying

Rear window glass breaks apart on its own. It can happen seconds after the rear defroster or remote start comes on, when the driver door closes, or while driving. When it fails, glass falls into the cargo area or onto the road. Reports range from nearly new cars to about 64,000 miles. Owners say dealers acknowledge a bulletin but refuse to cover the repair. Some describe replacement glass being unavailable and leftover shards stuck inside the tailgate. A smaller group reports wipers stuck on that will not turn off.

Rear window glass shatters with no impact. It happens while parked and off, at startup, while warming up, or as the driver door closes. Reports run from about 19,000 to 102,000 miles, and some windows break again after replacement. Dealers often do not diagnose it. Some blame thermal shock or say no defect can be proven, and send owners to their insurer. Some owners were told their vehicle is not covered by bulletin 22-014. Two reports describe the moonroof exploding at highway speeds of 60 to 65 mph.

Sudden loss of power under hard acceleration is the main pattern. The check engine light flashes and the SUV goes into limp mode, sometimes unable to go faster than 25 or 30 mph on a highway. Most reports involve rain or humid weather while merging or passing, and restarting the engine clears the problem. Dealers often cannot reproduce it. One owner says an intercooler replacement under bulletin 20-053 did not stop it. Reports begin as early as 1,840 miles. A few higher-mileage filings describe head gasket failures.

Rear liftgate glass shatters while the car is parked or as a door is closed, and one owner was cut while cleaning up the glass. Repeat breaks happen, some in cold weather after the rear defroster was used. Leftover glass can rattle inside the liftgate after replacement, and one body shop said the whole liftgate needed replacing. A separate complaint is loud popping from the power liftgate as it opens, first reported at 4,454 miles. Owners also report popping noises from the sunroof.

Power drops out at highway speed, usually under hard acceleration in rain or humid weather. The check engine light flashes, the transmission stops shifting normally, and only a restart restores power. One crash with 2 injuries describes the vehicle slowing, then speeding up on its own to about 100 mph before hitting 3 vehicles. Other reports include unexpected shifts into sport mode with a transmission warning, a transmission failure with metal shavings at 41,345 miles, and a stalled engine that left the shifter stuck in park.

Front brakes grind, squeal, or scrape on new cars, mostly between about 1,000 and 2,679 miles. Dealers replace pads and rotors, sometimes several times, but the noise comes back within a few hundred miles. Owners say Acura called it a known issue with no fix and not a safety concern. Cold or wet weather makes it worse. A smaller group reports the brakes applying on their own, including an abrupt stop at 45 mph and a brake warning light that comes and goes.

One fire report describes smoke coming from the air vents and flames behind the infotainment screen after more than 15 dealer visits for dash harness problems. Other filings include limp mode with a flashing check engine light, stalling at a stop, hard starts, a blank infotainment screen, and speakers that pop even with the radio off. Water leaking through clogged sunroof drains or a leaking sunroof caused electrical faults, including lights that stayed on until the battery died. One owner reports the car starting itself in a closed garage.

Most of these filings are about a delayed repair, not a breakdown. Owners say they received a fuel system recall notice, campaign 23V858000, but dealers cannot get the part. One owner was told the parts were no longer available. Most of these owners report no failure while they wait. A few describe symptoms: occasional hard starting, a stall at 20 mph at about 58,000 miles, and a fuel pump that a dealer confirmed had failed at about 53,000 miles.

The Passenger Air Bag OFF light stays on while an adult sits in the front seat, so the passenger airbag may not be armed. Owners mention passengers weighing 113 to 125 lbs. Restarting the car sometimes clears the light, but not always. Dealers usually cannot reproduce it, find no codes, or say the system works as designed. One crash report describes the car veering and speeding up while the brakes, steering, and shifter did not respond, and the air bags did not deploy.