This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Low beam headlights gradually became dim to the point of not illuminating the road. Replacement halogen bulbs made no difference. The reflective coating inside the low beam projector housing delaminates to the point that no light illuminates the road. You literally have to drive with high beams on as those are in another housing. Acura dealer said only solution was to replace the entire headlight unit. I spent about $500 on replacement headlight housing from eBay and paid a body shop to install them. Acura refuses to recall the 2013-2014-2015 RDX that all have this same issue.
My car headlights are very dim and can't see road well at night-other cars have trouble seeing me. This has slowly happened over time. My mechanic replaced headlight bulbs still a problem and he says the reflectors are bad so I have ordered new headlights. I went online and found this has been a problem for many Acura RDX owners, Acura is aware but hasn't sought a recall to fix situation. However, Acura had same problem on another model (TLX I believe) and did recall and fix problem. This is a safety hazard and almost had head on collision multiple times in the last few years so try not to drive at night which is unrealistic. Other issues are had to replace side passenger mirror which spontaneously melted and cracked, car is garage kept. Similar melting of plastic back side area of car on drivers side, others online report similar problems for my year and color car, Acura won't do anything about
There hasn't been a specific incident at this point. I am reporting what appears to be a manufacturing defect with the headlamps on my 2013 Acura RDX. I have owned this car for approximately 9 years and recently (past 6-12 months) noticed having difficulty seeing the road at night. Even worse seeing the road at night when raining. I took this vehicle to my personal mechanic and he suggested that the reflective coating inside the light seems to have dulled or has become corroded. He suggested this should not happen and wondered if Acura was aware of it. I did a brief google search and quickly found I was not the only one who had experienced this issue. I called Acura and opened a case file to see if they were aware or if there was something they could do. Then took to a Acura dealer to have them investigate. The dealer has agreed the reflective coating inside the light was no longer working as intended and may be the cause of the dim lights. They contacted Acura about this and Acura said they would only pay for half because the car was 11 yrs old. I suggested this didn't seem equitable since this definitely a safety issue that is not related to normal maintenance and there was literally nothing I could have done to prevent this. So in my opinion they acknowledged there is a manufacturing defect and refuse to own the problem. I don't believe it's reasonable to expect to have to replace the entire light assembly of a vehicle during the life of that vehicle to keep the lights working properly. Certainly not on a car that is just over 10 years old.
A few years ago I began to notice the lack of visibility when I would drive at night. I had my headlight bulbs replaced thinking it was a simple maintenance issue. After spending the money the lights did not get any better. They have only gotten worse over the year and now its so bad when i drive its a hazard. In speaking to Acura they have stated that this is a known issue and its the entire head light component that must be replaced not just the bulbs. That cost would be upwards of $2,000 just for the parts! I can not afford to purchase this and I dont think this falls under normal wear and tear maintenance. I am a very responsible car owner and have always kept records of my car service that I will attach for documentation.
- Newtown, PA, USA
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The low beam headlights are so dim I cannot see the road driving at night. I tried replacing the light bulbs with new lights and it still does not improve the visibility. I contacted Acura and it is a known issue with the headlight housing and assembly but they don't want to pay for it. The headlight assembly replacement cost for both sides will be about $3,000. Acura should be responsible for continuing to let drivers drive at night in such dangerous condition that poses significant threat to the driver themselves as well as other drivers and people on the road at night. NHTSA, I hope you can please help us!!
The low beam headlights have dimmed. It is unsafe to drive this vehicle at night and especially if it is raining. The problem is that the low-beam reflector oxidizes over time, and it is not reflecting the light from the bulb. Brighter bulbs or cleaning the lenses is not going to solve the issue. I talked to a dealer and he mentioned it is a known issue, but Acura is not covering any expenses for the fix, which is replacing the entire headlight assembly. That is the only solution. The repair cost is upwards of a thousand dollars. Also worthy of note - a law firm is considering filing a class action lawsuit related to this issue.
Just purchased vehicle not too long ago and noticed light was dim. From researching online, many people have the same issue. Headlight projector is ruined from halogen. Low beam is very dim and hard to see at night.
Exterior Lighting. Low beam headlights/assy. are too dim. Due to the flawed design the reflective film backing material inside the projector lens for the low beam, the headlights delaminates. This is in the projector/reflective and has nothing to do with the bulbs, which have been replaced multiple times. It is so dim that I did run off of the road into a ditch, but due to the low speed, there was no injury or damage. People flash me that the lights are not on, but they are and I have to drive with the high beams on to be able to see the road. Acura may have skated out of recalling this vehicle with the same headlamp assy, but when I get into an accident due to these dim headlights, I will first sue Acura as this is a cut and dry case of not wanting to pay to replace an obvious safety risk. Reminds me of that movie about the gas tanks exploding. The vehicle no longer conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108. Please investigate. The same headlamp assy. was recalled on another vehicle series, and I do not understand why Acura would make a customer pay over 2K for replacements, plus installation fees. The RDX model should have been included in this recall. [XXX] There are now 47 complaints with mine. 46 Complaint(s) February 10, 2024 NHTSA ID NUMBER: 11571216 Components: EXTERIOR LIGHTING January 6, 2024 NHTSA ID NUMBER: 11563964 Components: EXTERIOR LIGHTING December 26, 2023 NHTSA ID NUMBER: 11561892 Components: EXTERIOR LIGHTING November 14, 2023 NHTSA ID NUMBER: 11555054 Components: EXTERIOR LIGHTING November 13, 2023 NHTSA ID NUMBER: 11554972 Components: EXTERIOR LIGHTING October 15, 2023 NHTSA ID NUMBER: 11550036 Components: EXTERIOR LIGHTING September 26, 2023 NHTSA ID NUMBER: 11546625 Components: EXTERIOR LIGHTING September 25, 2023 NHTSA ID NUMBER: 11546298 Components: EXTERIOR LIGHTING September 21, 2023 NHTSA ID NUMBER: 11545835 Component INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The headlights have become too dim to drive safely at night. While researching the problem on-line, I see this is a known problem caused by the reflective material inside the headlamp assembly delaminating or discoloring. Although a known safety problem, Acura has not issued a needed recall to correct the problem.
The headlights are dim. I believe the projector has been burned by the halogen bulb. It is a common issue with the halogen-equipped RDX. It is a safety issue at night. Replacing the bulb does not fix the issue.
At approximately 76k I started noticing that my low beam headlights were very dim at night and was having a hard time seeing the street/lines and signs while driving. The distance I should have been able to see was declining. It continued to decline over time, and now at 80k literally the only light my vehicle is projecting at night is the front running lights, so I cannot see barely more that 5 feet in front of me while driving. I have changed bulbs 3 times, each time to progressively brighter bulbs, most recently to LED, and it has not improved. I've researched this issue, and apparently I am not the only one who has this issue, and it appears the projector housing coating has burned out. This was an issue on the MDX as well, and they had a recall. Why has this not been addressed for the RDX?
The HID headlights on this car degrade and fail to produce sufficient light. The reflectors lose their coating. This is a widely known issue [XXX] I have discussed this with my mechanic. The headlights are so dim as to be unsafe. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The headlights begin to dim in December 2020. I finally had to replace headlamp unit: replace both leadlight assemblies on 12 March 2021 due to reflective chrome paint has worn/burnt away. Repairs costed $3,546.20. It is 15 October 2023 and the headlights are beginning to dim-out again. The Acura Dealership inspected my vehicle on 14 October 2023 and indicated that the headlamp unit need replacing, again.
HEADLIGHTS ARE VERY DIM. At night, it is very hard to see the road unless I put the high beamers on. I've inquired about this with the dealership and shared my concerned on how this is a safety issue and front lights arent bright enough. the response "we are aware, it is common in that year and model but nothing we can do." then proceeded to state it would cost $2k to replace. This clearly is a manufacturing issue with Acura and should have been addressed during quality control or something. At this point, I dont feel comfortable driving my car in the evening and it is unfair. It is a risk and safety concern for me, as the driver, and others on the road. If Acura is aware, why arent they fixing the issue? Definitely not a consumer problem.
The headlights are soo dim that you cannot see anything at all at nighttime unless you drive with the brights on. The headlight bulbs blow out super fast, within a few months, and need to constantly be replaced over and over again. Even brand new headlights you cannot see at night.
I, along with many others according to the internet, am experiencing very low, unsafe visibility at night due to poor low beam performance. New bulbs make no difference and most of the time the vehicle must be operated using the high beams, which is a safety issue for other drivers.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Roswell, GA, USA