- The problem
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The affected vehicles received a replacement driver air bag inflator as part of a previous Takata inflator recall remedy or a replacement driver air bag module containing the same inflator type as a service part. Due to a manufacturing error, in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, these inflators may explode.
- The risk
- An explosion of an inflator within the driver frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver, front seat passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- The fix
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is O41. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is U40.
Vehicle safety record
2012 Acura RDX Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 15 complaints about the 2012 Acura RDX with NHTSA, most often about the airbags (6) and the electrical system (2). It is covered by 2 recalls, the latest in March 2019 for the inflator module. For comparison, the 2011 has 16 and the 2013 has 163.
NHTSA data checked
AFar fewer problems than a typical RDX year, for its age
#187 most complained-about 2012 vehicle
- Complaints
- 15
- Recalls
- 2
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2012 Acura RDX problems
Share of all 15 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2012 Acura RDX recalls 2
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Honda CR-V, 2011-2015 CR-Z, 2010-2014 FCX, and Insight, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013-2014 Fit EV, 2007-2014 Ridgeline, 2013-2016 Acura ILX, 2013-2014 Acura ILX Hybrid, 2007-2016 RDX, 2005-2012 Acura RL, 2009-2014 Acura TL, and 2010-2013 Acura ZDX vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.
- The risk
- In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- The fix
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are JY0, JY1, and JY2.
What owners say
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15 complaints about the 2012 Acura RDX
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Acura RDX. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 148,000. However, following an oil change service, it was later discovered that the actual vehicle mileage was 248,553.
Ambos focos delanteros se obedecen, las fechas exactas cuando lo llev al dealer para garanta de los focos no la recuerdo, pero fui en varias ocasiones. Me informaron que la especificacin del fabricante eran focos al aire, y que por eso se humedecian y no tenan garanta, que todos los de ese ao vinieron as. Me confirm y no regres para ese problema., Aunque no tiene lgica, se compra un auto para que funcione todo normal y este no es el caso de ambos focos. Al pasar el tiempo el problema se ha agravado porque se...
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humedecen mas y afecta la visibilidad. Llam nuevamente al dealer pero me informaron lo mismo, les inform que fui en el periodo de de garanta y no los reemplazaron y ahora es peor y que ni es cierto que todos los de mi ao estn as porque los que he visto que estn bien. Agradecer puedan v verificar mi solicitud en el dealer y resolver el inconveniente. Gracias
Vehicle will completely shut down while driving causing the brakes to lock and causing a major safety concern for others and the person driving the car. Once the vehicle shuts down the car will need to be put in park, turned off and completely restarted again. This incident has happened to my vehicle several times ranging in speeds from 0mph to 70mph while driving on the express way. This always happens when the vehicle is in motion and stationary as well. It has happened at a stop light as well as on the highway.
Takata recall. The driver air bag was recalled and replaced. When I questioned why the front passenger side air bag was not being replaced also. The dealership said it was not being recalled. I asked if it was a takata air bag. Dealership would not answer. Only saying it was not being recalled. My complaint is: I do not know if my front passenger air bag is safe for the riders in my car.
I noticed vibration while driving in town as if I had flat tires, and especially when I was accelerating. After a week I had my suv checked at the garage. They had to replace the right and left line axle assemblies which was quite expensive. The mechanics told me that it was completely finished and found it highly unusual for a 2012 acura rdx.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 acura rdx. The contact stated that the recall notice for nhtsa campaign number: 16v061000 (air bags) was issued in february of 2016. After contacting the dealer and the manufacturer on multiple occasions, the contact was informed that the parts needed to repair the vehicle were still not available and no estimated time for receiving the parts could be given. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2012 acura rdx. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v061000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2012 acura rdx. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v061000 (air bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available....Updated 10/11/16 *bf *cn
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2012 acura rdx. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v061000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Takata recall I received a letter dated march 2016 notifying me of the recall, and when I contacted my dealer, this was his response: kristen, I understand your situation. Many people are going through the same situation. Unfortunately there is not a remedy. You have options. Acura is allowing us to take these cars in on trade in for another vehicle if you don't feel safe. Would be happy to help you with that process. Besides that drive it as little as possible. I know that not what you want to hear. There is...
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nothing that can be done at this time. Thanks, not only is this completely unacceptable, but also outrageous! You're telling me my vehicle could unexpectedly kill me and my passengers, but nothing is to be done for several months - unless, of course, I want to buy a new car from you?! Please inform me of what my recourse can be, so I can keep my family safe.
Within the first 2 years an independent mechanic noticed my rack and pinion was leaking. The acura dealer replaced the rack and pinion under warranty 28,782.00 Mmi may 16, 2014. I was experiencing vibration especially at speeds of 60-65. It kept getting worse I thought it was the road, tires out of balance, wheels out of balance? I got new tires, balanced. It continued. I read about complaints with the axle and similar symptoms in other acura sedan models, not the rdx. I took it to the dealer and the axle did...
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need to replaced at 46,306.00 Miles 11/30/15. It was on back order for over a month. I was driving in a parking lot february 8, 2016 and heard a terrible loud grinding noise turning the wheel. I put it in park and it stopped then I proceeded again and it happened after moving a few yards. I tried to pull to a safe out of the way spot and the noise came again and this time just when putting it in drive the terrible loud grinding type noise came. I thought the engine was going to fail. I stopped where I was and called aaa for a tow. It was towed to the dealer. The axle had broken inside on a piece on the left side. There was no damage to the vehicle ie, I did not hit anything etc... The service manager said maybe the part was defective, he did not see any damage. He had one in stock and was able to replace it right away. There is still a creaking noise when I turn the wheel especially to the right or when I step on the breaks the front end makes noise seems like it needs lubrication or something. I do not feel safe driving this car. The acura corporation will not admit the part was defective they want me to take it to a dealer to have it evaluated. (Did that) tony the district case manager said they can only take care of things that are under warranty and they will not buy back this car so that I can purchase a safe car. I will be seeking arbitration.
My vehicle has only 50k miles. While driving on the highway I noticed a sound when moving the steering wheel. When I exited the road the wheel was more difficult to turn and the sound increased. My vehicle was towed to a garage and I was told that I needed a costly replacement of th rack-n-pinion.
Dec. 23 2014: My husband and I were traveling down highway ga400 at approx. 60 Mph. All windows were closed, the sunroof & sunroof shade were closed. Approx. Outside temp was 45f, cloudy day, inside vehicle temp was approx. 70F. There were no cars or objects directly in front of the vehicle on the highway. Suddenly, we heard a loud pop that seemed to come from the roof of the car. Since we did not see anything make contact with the roof of the car, we didn't investigate further. Jan. 4, 2015: Again traveling on...
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the highway about 70mph, we heard a noise from the sunroof. Apparently pieces of glass flying off the top of the roof. After, we heard the faint sound of outside air coming from sunroof. The passenger opened the sunroof shade just enough to immediately see that the entire sunroof glass was shattered (partially intact, but completely shattered). Within three minutes when a safe place was reached, the vehicle was pulled over to examine from outside. Driver got out of the car, and saw that the glass sunroof was buckled upwards (as though it had popped from the inside), with a hole in the center approximately 6 inches in diameter. The glass was not broken in any pattern which indicated an object from outside the vehicle had hit it. There was no evidence anywhere else on the roof of the vehicle of any incident. It was clear that the glass had popped, potentially due to incorrect pressure inside the vehicle, from the inside out. These factors lead us to believe the incident is a vehicle safety issue, at the fault of the manufacturer. We contacted acura corporate to file a report jan 8, 2015.
While coming to a stop at a busy intersection, the engine suddenly accelerated up to 5,000 to 6,000 rpm with my foot on the brake and the transmission in drive. The brake was not holding and I started moving closer to the car stopped for the red light in front of me. I then put the transmission in neutral while the engine was still at 5,000 rpm and getting faster. Finally, the engine came down to about 1,000 rpm and I continued through the intersection on the green light after placing the car in drive. I drove to...
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work and called the acura dealer that I purchased this "certified used car" from and they came to my work and hauled the acura rdx to the dealer location. They informed me that a "special acura investigating team" will come and look at the car on tuesday, april 1, 2014. This is my wife's car I don't even know what would have happened if she was driving. This instant acceleration, without placing the car in neutral, would have pushed the car in front of me and myself directly into a busy intersection without stopping until the engine quit! This failure could result in a very tragic accident. I and especially my wife are very very concerned with what caused this problem and we are awaiting word from the acura dealer specific to what they found during their investigation. My wife does not want to drive this car if they indicate they can not find out what caused the car to suddenly accelerate. This could happen to anyone driving this car and needs to be investigated asap so no one will suffer. We were very lucky this time.
1. Noticed vehicle leaking oil at front of engine block. Dealer inspected and after several attempts identified a casting/manufacturing defect in right front top of engine block (notch) that was causing oil leak. 2. Several days later on may 21st for no apparent reason, moonroof imploded. *Tt
Acura RDX: every year compared
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 41 | 2 | B |
| 2015 | 420 | 3 | F |
| 2014 | 245 | 3 | F |
| 2013 | 163 | 3 | D |
| 2012 | 15 | 2 | A |
| 2011 | 16 | 2 | A |
| 2010 | 22 | 2 | A |
| 2009 | 15 | 2 | A |
| 2008 | 33 | 3 | A |
2012 Acura RDX vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Acura RDX | 15 | 2 | A | |
| 2012 Acura MDX | 76 | 1 | A | Compare |
| 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Sport | 52 | 1 | C | Compare |
| 2012 Land Rover Range Rover | 45 | 4 | D | Compare |
| 2012 Audi Q5 | 0 | 6 | B | Compare |
| 2012 Audi Q7 | 0 | 4 | A | Compare |
| 2012 BMW X3 | 0 | 2 | A | Compare |
| 2012 BMW X5 | 0 | 10 | C | Compare |
| 2012 Volvo XC60 | 0 | 3 | B | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2012 Acura RDX
Does the 2012 Acura RDX have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2012 Acura RDX: inflator module (March 2019); inflator module (February 2016). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Acura RDX?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the airbags (6), electrical system (2), engine & cooling (2).
How many complaints has the 2012 Acura RDX had?
15 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on May 22, 2012 and the latest on November 3, 2025. Of these, 0 describe a crash and 0 a fire, and together they report 0 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2012 Acura RDX a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 91 out of 100 (grade A: far fewer problems than a typical Acura RDX year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Acura RDX years have the most complaints?
2019 (441), 2015 (420), 2020 (352). See every Acura RDX year compared.
What should I do if my 2012 Acura RDX has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data