2021 Acura RDX: What to check before buying

The rear tailgate glass shatters without warning, often right after the driver door closes and sometimes with the engine off. Glass fills the cargo area, and the car sits until the window is replaced. Dealers tell some owners this happens a lot. Wipers also stop working for hours or days at a time. One washer system failed because of clogged nozzles that were on back order. One owner reports adaptive cruise braking hard by itself during a lane change at 65 mph.

The rear windshield shatters or cracks with no impact. It usually happens while the car is parked, and one broke as the trunk was being opened. Most failures fall between 60,000 and 75,000 miles, but one came at 5,539. Dealers say it is not covered under warranty, and one owner was told the model year falls outside a rear-glass service bulletin. In another case, the panoramic roof glass shattered while driving at about 56,000 miles, a day after a gunshot-like bang.

Rear brakes squeal loudly, worst in reverse and at low speed. Some cars squeal within weeks of new, and dealers have no fix. Others report front brake judder at moderate and higher speeds that gets worse over time. One electronic parking brake seized at 63,270 miles and needed a new motor and switch. One crash: Brake Hold released without warning in stopped traffic, and the car lurched into the vehicle ahead. Scattered reports also describe the car creeping forward with the brake pressed and brakes that feel like they slip.

Most of these reports are about a recall repair, not a failure. Owners received recall notices but could not get the work done because parts were unavailable. Some have waited more than a year, and dealers confirm the shortage. None of these owners report an air bag failure. Separately, the front passenger seat sensor does not detect a very light adult. The dash shows the passenger air bag as OFF, and the dealer says nothing can be done.

The panoramic sunroof pops or knocks when the body twists over driveways, curbs, and ramps. Owners link the noise to service bulletin 23-004 on how the sunroof is mounted. Several report that the roof glass later shattered. In one case it burst while merging onto a highway and cut the driver, the one injury in this group. The rear window also shatters on its own while parked. One owner reports a broken hood latch or cable that kept the hood from opening.

The engine suddenly loses power at highway speed with a flashing check engine light. It usually happens during hard acceleration to pass, often in rain. The car shakes or feels down a cylinder. Restarting clears the problem, and dealers cannot duplicate it. One new car lost power at 128 miles with transmission warnings and had to be towed. SH-AWD owners report oil leaking between the transmission and transfer case, with one repair quoted at $5533. One shifter jumps back into park after the driver selects drive.

The car drops into limp mode during hard acceleration at 65 to 70 mph, usually while merging or passing in rain. The check engine light flashes, the gas pedal stops responding, and speed falls to about 40 mph with trucks closing from behind. A restart clears it, and dealers find no code. One owner cites a service bulletin by VIN range. One crash: the car surged forward while parking and hit a building, and the owner reports earlier surges.

AcuraLink remote start fails when the owner sends the command, then starts the car hours later inside a closed garage. That creates a carbon monoxide risk. The infotainment screen sometimes goes blank while driving. One car lost engine, transmission, power steering, and driver aids at a stoplight in rain and went into limp mode. The front passenger seat weight sensor sometimes misses a petite passenger and leaves the air bag off. Phone hands-free calling works only intermittently.

Power drops suddenly when the driver accelerates to pass on the highway, usually in rain. The check engine light blinks, the car runs rough, and it limps along near 40 mph. Drivers describe near misses with semis and following cars while they work toward the shoulder. Shutting the car off for a few minutes and restarting clears the fault. One case came at 7322 miles on a new A-Spec.