10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
6,556 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

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.

2013 Acura RDX lights problems

lights problem

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2013 Acura RDX Owner Comments (Page 1 of 4)

problem #72

Jan 052025

RDX

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My car is undriveable at night due to headlights malfunctioning. They are so dim they barely illuminate a foot in front of the car.

- Hellertown, PA, USA

problem #71

Dec 302024

RDX

  • miles
Front low beam headlights are dangerously dim.

- Naperville, IL, USA

problem #70

Dec 302023

RDX

  • miles
Low beam headlight internal reflectors have degraded and light have become very dim. Dangerous to drive at night or in bad weather. aThe car cannot be operated at night. Dealer replacement is $3,000, making the car value negative. The car otherwise is drivable but this defect makes the car unsuitable for use.

- Lake Oswego, OR, USA

problem #69

Dec 262024

RDX

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

In the headlight assembly the main headlight bowls are deteriorated/defective. The amount of light that the regular low beams or high beams provide at night is insufficient. This makes driving at night with the factory assembly lights highly dangerous.

- Opelousas, LA, USA

problem #68

Nov 242024

RDX

  • miles
Vehicle headlights on my 2013 Acura RDX Base Model have become progressively dimmer over time to the point that the vehicle is becoming unsafe/undriveable at night and in poor weather. Contacted my local dealer. They acknowledged that this was a known issue. Said the only remedy was to replace the entire headlight unit on both driver and passenger sides. Quoted me $913.99 per unit with labor cost of $305 and tax it would come over $2344 for this "fix".

- University Place, WA, USA

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problem #67

Nov 012019

RDX

  • miles
Headlights failed. Replaced light bulbs several times. The ballasts are not fogged but light is all diffracted. Very unsafe to drive. I have been dealing with the issues for years. I took the car to the dealer and their solution was aftermarket lights!

- Katy, TX, USA

problem #66

Nov 192024

RDX

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I purchased the car new and have maintained the vehicle in very condition. What happened is the headlights have gradually become dim as time passed, now they are not effective, creating an unsafe driving condition at night. I spoke with the dealer about this problem and I was informed that this is a common problem for the 2013 Acura RDX. There were no warning lights or maintenance tasks that would prevent this problem. The vehicle is available for inspection.

- Boston, MA, USA

problem #65

Nov 012017

RDX

  • miles
My 2013 Acura RDX headlights are so dim and it is very dangerous for me to drive at night. This is worse when raining or street lights aren't available. It seems to be a known issue that these cars are equipped with unsafe low-beam headlights that gradually dim over time. This is a huge safety risk, even more so for families with young kids. Why were these not raised earlier and why are these cars not recalled for the fix? Please take necessary and immediate action so lives are not lost over this. Thank you very much for your time and consideration of this matter.

- San Ramon, CA, USA

problem #64

Nov 022024

RDX

  • miles
After 10 years, the low beam headlights have become very dim to the point that it-??s difficult and unsafe for myself and other drivers for me to drive this car at night, especially in the fog or rain. Apparently this won-??t be fixed by simply replacing the bulbs and will be a costly repair at no fault of the owners. I agree with many others that this needs to be a recall fix.

- Signal Hill, CA, USA

problem #63

Jan 012020

RDX

  • miles
My headlights are dim and this started happening about 3 years ago when my car 7-years-old. I have to use my brights to drive at night. The Ron Tonkin Acura of Portland, OR told me the projectors are bad and that both headlights need to be placed for $2000. This is luxury vehicle and this situation is ridiculous. This needs to be a recall. Others have complained online about the same issue.

- Tualatin, OR, USA

problem #62

Aug 162024

RDX

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Over the last few years or so, the low beam headlights have provided less and less illumination of the road when driving at night. I have purchased and installed a variety of different new bulbs in attempts to rectify the problem and have tried adjusting the set of the beam, all to no avail. At this point the low beams provide dangerously little illumination on the road in front of the vehicle and the only reasonable way to drive is with the high beams on. I have searched online forums and it seems that the reflector dish in the headlight assembly delaminates over time to the point that it no longer directs the light of the bulb forward in front of the car. I called the Acura dealership in Annapolis, MD and was told that the forums are correct and the headlight housing is failed. The only thing they could do for it was to replace the entire housing at a cost of $2,300 ($1,000 for each headlight and $300 for the labor) with another OEM housing, which has not been modified or upgraded from the original and would therefore have the same problem. Acura would not bear any of the cost of this replacement. The original headlight housings are still in hand and available for inspection upon request. The dealer did not need to inspect the parts, they were already aware of the problem, so yes, it has been reproduced and confirmed by the dealer. There is no warning light or message associated with the problem, just a progressing failure to illuminate the road. The safety of the driver, occupants, and others on the road, is put at risk by the inability to see ahead of the vehicle and the consequent need to drive with the high beams on. The date provided below is the date of the filing of this report, but the failure has been progressive and did not occur on a specific date.

- Lusby, MD, USA

problem #61

Feb 282021

RDX

  • miles
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.

- Roswell, GA, USA

problem #60

May 012024

RDX

  • miles
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

- Tampa, FL, USA

problem #59

Oct 012022

RDX

  • miles
Low beam lighting failures due to the reflective property breakdown

- West Chester, PA, USA

problem #58

May 022024

RDX

  • miles
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.

- Bloomington , MN, USA

problem #57

Apr 042022

RDX

  • miles
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

problem #56

Mar 012024

RDX

  • miles
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!!

- Portland, OR, USA

problem #55

Nov 012023

RDX

  • miles
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.

- Parsippany Troy Hills, NJ, USA

problem #54

Feb 252024

RDX

  • miles
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.

- Lakewood, CO, USA

problem #53

Feb 162024

RDX

  • miles
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)

- Beaverton, OR, USA

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