Consumer Safety Complaints
Search 2,245,377 safety complaints filed by vehicle owners with NHTSA, including 140,173 crashes, 56,794 fires, and 8,580 deaths.
What is a NHTSA consumer complaint?
A consumer complaint is a free-form report filed by a vehicle owner directly to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) describing a safety concern about their vehicle. NHTSA collects these reports through its Vehicle Owner Defect Report (VOQ) system and publishes them publicly. Each complaint includes the affected component, the date and circumstances of the incident, whether the failure caused a crash or fire, and any reported injuries or deaths. The owner's full narrative description is included verbatim, NHTSA does not edit or moderate the descriptions.
The database below contains over 2,245,377 individual complaints. NHTSA's investigators monitor it for clusters of similar reports, when enough owners describe the same failure mode on the same vehicle, NHTSA may open a Preliminary Evaluation that can lead to a recall. Many of the largest recalls in U.S. history, including the Takata airbag recall and the Hyundai/Kia engine fire recalls, started as patterns visible in this complaint database years before they became formal recalls.
How to interpret what you read
A few principles for reading consumer complaints usefully:
- One complaint is anecdote; a hundred similar complaints is data. NHTSA does not investigate the truthfulness of any individual report, that's the job of the Office of Defects Investigation, which looks at the full pattern. When evaluating a vehicle, look for whether multiple owners describe the same chain of events.
- Crash, fire, injury, and death flags are owner-set. They are not verified by NHTSA. They are still useful as a filter, because owners who tick those boxes are typically reporting more serious incidents than those who don't.
- Component categories are NHTSA-assigned, not owner-assigned. NHTSA standardizes the component field so that complaints can be aggregated. The owner narrative often goes into more detail than the component category captures.
- Complaint volume scales with sales volume. A best-selling model will accumulate more raw complaints than a niche model even at the same defect rate. To compare across vehicles, look at complaints per 100,000 units sold, not raw counts.
If you've experienced a defect
File a complaint. NHTSA's investigators rely on this database to detect emerging defects, and useful complaints, specific, concrete, with dates and mileage and clear descriptions of what happened, feed directly into the agency's pattern detection. The form takes about 10 minutes and is at nhtsa.gov/recalls under "Report a Safety Problem." Your complaint becomes part of the same public record that this page is built from. Owners filing detailed VOQs are how recalls get triggered.
Read more from our blog
Showing 17,413 complaints for ACURA
ACURA
MDX SPORT HYBRID
(2019) - VISIBILITY/WIPER
Dec 19, 2022
Incident date: Jun 1, 2020
At night the camera on the rear hatch produces a blurry picture. During the day it is clear. It always happens. I’ve taken it to two dealerships and they could not reproduce the issue because it needs to be dark around the car. I’ve brought in photographs. And they still can’t find an issue. On line there are many complaints about this issue. I can’t see if someone walks behind my vehicle... Read more
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
Low beam headlights became very dim. Both, left and right (more left than right). When there is some street light, it is hard to notice if the lights are on at all. They don't project enough light to see at night, and the little that they project is not reaching far enough. I can only see a few feet away from the car. It has become dangerous to drive in the dark. Replacing light bulbs did no... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2022
The headlights have become very dim to the point of not being safe on this vehicle. I have tried replacing the headlights with the brightest replacement that does not change the architecture of the lighting (OEM was halogen bulb, replaced with halogen bulb) and it does not make the lighting any brighter. There are multiple other websites that talk about the same issue and it seems to be an issue... Read more
Incident date: Dec 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2019 Acura RDX. The contact stated that after she exited the vehicle, her husband closed the front passenger’s side door, and she heard a crack. The contact stated that the rear window had shattered. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the glass could be ordered; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the fa... Read more
Incident date: Jun 1, 2018
Headlights are so dim my car cannot be driven at night. The reflective coating inside the light housing has deteriorated and no longer reflects the light. Replacements cost $800 or more. VERY DANGEROUS!!!
Incident date: Dec 2, 2022
Vehicle low beam headlights have grown dimmer over time. I've polished the headlight lens and replaced the low beam bulbs in an attempt to increase night driving visibility to no avail. I contacted the dealer's service department who offered no solution to the problem. Now driving at night with high beams activated as only means to provide adequate roadway lighting. This is definately a safety ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2022
Vehicle low beam headlights have grown dimmer over time. I've polished the headlight lens and replaced the low beam bulbs in an attempt to increase night driving visibility to no avail. I contacted the dealer's service department who offered no solution to the problem. Now driving at night with high beams activated as only means to provide adequate roadway lighting. This is definately a safety ... Read more
Incident date: Oct 14, 2022
Degrading headlight housing materials (reflector?) have made the car undrivable at night without use of high beams. It happened gradually over time so that it was not immediately noticeable until a road trip that required several hours of night driving. City driving at night it wasn't really noticeable until I realized how bad it had become when driving on a long rural interstate at night. Now it ... Read more
Incident date: Apr 21, 2022
In April 2022, Acura of Ellicott City diagnosed that my 2013 Acura RDX needed a new Tire Pressure Monitor Sensor, but has been unable to fix due to the part being on back ordered. And today Acura of Naples, Florida also diagnosed same issue (but different part) and same back order. Please investigate since lack of sensor affects safety of the vehicle. Thanks. ---------------------- PARTS Diagnos... Read more
Incident date: Dec 13, 2022
Rear windshield shattered as driver shut the driver door after entering the car. There was no sign of anything hitting the glass. There was an Acura TSB for this exact problem but my dealer refuse to acknowledge.
Incident date: Dec 14, 2022
Every time I took my car in for State emissions test computer at facility said car could came back saying “not ready”. Took it 5 times and it always said same result. Took it to dealer and they said they’ve seen this before but don’t know what caused it. They said the only was to resolve it was for Acura mechanic to take car to testing facility while his laptop was hooked up to cat compute... Read more
Incident date: Dec 14, 2022
2019 Acura RDX Advance - Upon entering driver side and closing driver door, rear hatch glass shattered. Vehicle was stationary in my closed garage in Upstate NY after being parked overnight and was then remote started to warm up. Approx. overnight temps were in the teens. There was no evidence of any prior damage to the glass. Damage to the window is more in the lower center above the rear wiper m... Read more
Incident date: Dec 7, 2022
Headlights are so dim it is unsafe to drive at night. Seems many others complaints of this online and due to reflective film backing material inside the headlights could delaminate The reflective coating on the headlight housing has disintegrated resulting in virtually no low-beam headlight illumination on the roadway Acura changed headlight design in 2015 but no formal recalls on earlier veh... Read more
Incident date: Oct 17, 2022
On acceleration. the car would shudder and there was a loud grinding coming from the front of the car. After inspection by the dealer the front 2 axles had to be replaced. The car has only been driven 70K miles. This posed dangerous driving and control issues on the Interstate. Cost of repair was $3600.
Incident date: Dec 10, 2022
Alarm system goes off randomly. Alarm does not “beep” when you press the key fob. Hood latch sensor is the problem.
Incident date: Dec 1, 2021
At approximately 65-68K miles, my low beam headlights started becoming very dim. My car now has approximately 78K miles and I cannot drive at night without using my high beams. The low beams are so dim that unless I am on a lighted street or another car is riding beside me, I simply cannot see. I've replaced the bulbs and had the headlight housing cleaned to no avail. The local Acura dealer ma... Read more
Incident date: Dec 9, 2022
Noticed my 2021 Acura TLX A-SPEC SH-AWD has fluid leaking from the rear differential where the driveshaft connects. The vehicle has 16,531 miles on the odometer. Honda is releasing a recall for leaking rear differential on the Honda CRV as well Accords. Honda may want to include the Acura TLX's as well in the recall as they are reporting the drivesshaft may cause serious damage at high speeds if t... Read more
Incident date: Dec 11, 2022
The low beam headlights are dimming and the bulb replacements or headlight cleaning aren't helping at all. It's dim to the point where the road lines are barely visible in the dark with the headlights on. I've read online that RDX 2013-2015 models have similar low beam headlight issues due to the defect in the headlight housing's reflectors. I believe this is the case for my car and this is a s... Read more
Incident date: Dec 8, 2022
Low beam headlights very dim/unusable. My wife came very close to having what could have been a fatal accident on Dec. 8, 2022. We have replaced bulbs with original and higher intensity LED with no improvement. There are hundreds of people complaining about this same issue, one only needs to do a google search or visit one of the multiple Acura forums to validate the need for a recall!
Incident date: Dec 8, 2022
Low beam headlights very dim/unusable. My wife came very close to having what could have been a fatal accident on Dec. 8, 2022. We have replaced bulbs with original and higher intensity LED with no improvement. There are hundreds of people complaining about this same issue, one only needs to do a google search or visit one of the multiple Acura forums to validate the need for a recall!
Incident date: Oct 26, 2022
Keyless entry system failed at under 50k miles. When this Keyless Access Unit fails, you cannot start the car and the powertrain. The only way to resolve is to have the car towed to the dealership and have the part orders and installed at over $800. In a worst case scenario, the driver could be stranded in unsafe conditions -- weather extremes (heat or cold) or parking at the side of the freew... Read more
Incident date: Oct 26, 2022
Keyless entry system failed at under 50k miles. When this Keyless Access Unit fails, you cannot start the car and the powertrain. The only way to resolve is to have the car towed to the dealership and have the part orders and installed at over $800. In a worst case scenario, the driver could be stranded in unsafe conditions -- weather extremes (heat or cold) or parking at the side of the freew... Read more
Incident date: Dec 1, 2022
Exterior Lighting. Low beam headlights are too dim. Due to the flawed design the reflective film backing material inside the low beam headlights delaminates. The vehicle no longer conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108. Please investigate.
Incident date: Dec 4, 2022
We have replaced the front windshield twice now as it is very easy to crack on small road debris. I have other cars that do not experience this and it feels like the windshield was not designed well.
Incident date: Dec 5, 2019
The contact owns a 2019 Acura MDX. The contact stated that on numerous occasions while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the engine revved however, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode for 10 seconds and then operated normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the failure could not be duplicated. No warning lights were illuminated... Read more
Incident date: Nov 2, 2020
The headlights for 2014 Acura RDX dimmed so that they were ineffective. Lightbulbs were replaced. No difference. Premium lightbulbs put in. No difference. Dealer said they saw no problem. Headlights continued to dim more. Google search revealed other 2014 Acura RDX owners had the same problem. Appears to start after 80,000 miles. I asked the dealer who offered to replace entire headlight ... Read more
Incident date: Dec 3, 2022
Low beam headlamps very dim and no longer provide visualization of the road. Per online forums, this is a known issue.
Incident date: Nov 11, 2022
The contact owns a 2022 Acura RDX. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated to 30 MPH and failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact exited the highway and parked in a nearby park... Read more
Incident date: Oct 4, 2022
The low beam headlights are not bright enough to see under normal night driving need to use high beams which is not safe
Incident date: Dec 2, 2022
Driving my 2011 Acura TL on I95 South in NC from VA to SC at about 2p on 12/2/22, It is a clear sunny day. It is 62 degrees out, there were no vehicles around and no debris flying or dropping and no overpasses or anything around. Heard a loud explosion. Sounded like a shovel with a ton of rocks being dropped on the roof. Opened the slider for moonroof (which is a original manufactured item) and re... Read more
Incident date: Dec 2, 2022
Driving my 2011 Acura TL on I95 South in NC from VA to SC at about 2p on 12/2/22, It is a clear sunny day. It is 62 degrees out, there were no vehicles around and no debris flying or dropping and no overpasses or anything around. Heard a loud explosion. Sounded like a shovel with a ton of rocks being dropped on the roof. Opened the slider for moonroof (which is a original manufactured item) and re... Read more
Incident date: Nov 24, 2022
I was driving down the freeway, heard a large boom & my sunroof shattered. There was no impact. Nothing thrown. It did this on its own.
Incident date: Jan 1, 2000
Headlights are too dim to drive safely at night.
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
Forward Looking Camera failed at 62k miles, it won't communicate with the computer according to dealership diagnosis on 11-18-2022. Replacement cameras are on backorder, with no availability date. Vehicle is available for inspection. The issue directly affects Forward Collision, Lane Departure and Cruise Control. It no longer warns me if approaching something too quickly. It no longer tells m... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
Forward Looking Camera failed at 62k miles, it won't communicate with the computer according to dealership diagnosis on 11-18-2022. Replacement cameras are on backorder, with no availability date. Vehicle is available for inspection. The issue directly affects Forward Collision, Lane Departure and Cruise Control. It no longer warns me if approaching something too quickly. It no longer tells m... Read more
Incident date: Jul 1, 2022
Forward Looking Camera failed at 62k miles, it won't communicate with the computer according to dealership diagnosis on 11-18-2022. Replacement cameras are on backorder, with no availability date. Vehicle is available for inspection. The issue directly affects Forward Collision, Lane Departure and Cruise Control. It no longer warns me if approaching something too quickly. It no longer tells m... Read more
Incident date: Jun 8, 2021
Stopped at a red light, I was waiting for the opportunity to make a right turn. When the right lane was free of traffic I began to turn into that lane, but an approaching car made a lane change as it neared the intersection, and I let my foot off the accelerator for a split second before I realized I was too far into the lane. I tried to accelerate quickly to avoid getting rear-ended, but my Acura... Read more
Incident date: Nov 29, 2022
The headlights have gradually become so dim you can’t even see at night time. It is extremely dangerous.
Incident date: Nov 1, 2022
Hearing a knocking noise when driving at slow speed over a bumpy road. Having it checked soon but read several complaints on this same issue. Owners have repaired vehicle but still have same issues. Is there going to be a recall soon?
Incident date: Nov 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2005 Acura TL. The contact stated that she had parked her vehicle and went inside a store as her children waited inside the vehicle. Her son then texted her from inside the vehicle that the alarm had gone off. Soon after the alarm went off, her daughter noticed that both white and black colored smoke began to emit from the vehicle. Her children exited the vehicle as the front en... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Nov 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2005 Acura TL. The contact stated that she had parked her vehicle and went inside a store as her children waited inside the vehicle. Her son then texted her from inside the vehicle that the alarm had gone off. Soon after the alarm went off, her daughter noticed that both white and black colored smoke began to emit from the vehicle. Her children exited the vehicle as the front en... Read more
Fire
Incident date: Oct 30, 2022
I have a 2021 RDX. Was on the interstate moving at about 70 MPH coming back from Missouri. Raining. Lots of semis creating huge following misty, hard to see rain. Decided to accelerate to pass a couple. Car nearly stalled and acted like it had lost a cylinder's worth of power. Turned on hazards, slowed, pulled over and lifted the hood hearing all kinds of unusual noises. Shut the car off and resta... Read more
Incident date: Oct 30, 2022
I have a 2021 RDX. Was on the interstate moving at about 70 MPH coming back from Missouri. Raining. Lots of semis creating huge following misty, hard to see rain. Decided to accelerate to pass a couple. Car nearly stalled and acted like it had lost a cylinder's worth of power. Turned on hazards, slowed, pulled over and lifted the hood hearing all kinds of unusual noises. Shut the car off and resta... Read more
Incident date: Oct 30, 2022
I have a 2021 RDX. Was on the interstate moving at about 70 MPH coming back from Missouri. Raining. Lots of semis creating huge following misty, hard to see rain. Decided to accelerate to pass a couple. Car nearly stalled and acted like it had lost a cylinder's worth of power. Turned on hazards, slowed, pulled over and lifted the hood hearing all kinds of unusual noises. Shut the car off and resta... Read more
Incident date: Oct 11, 2022
The car does not restart after it has turned off during an idle stop. This is part of the start/stop system. The stop/start feature will leave you stranded at stoplights due to a failure to restart the car. To restart, you must put the car in Park mode and hit the start/stop button at least twice to turn it off, then turn on the car. This causes some panic when you get into the situation, as it is... Read more
Incident date: May 21, 2022
The contact owns a 2013 Acura RDX. The contact stated while driving at various speeds at night, the low beam headlights were significantly dim, affecting the visibility of the roadway and the side of the roadway. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed but no issues were found. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mile... Read more
Incident date: Nov 21, 2022
Low beam lights lost their brightness, lenses have been polished even though that wasn’t the reason the lights are dim. Dealer looked at the problem and offered to replace the head light assembly for $2,000 plus. It’s very difficult to see the road ahead at night.
Incident date: Jun 10, 2022
uneven tire wear, cupping/feathering, diagnosed by dealer in June 2022, tires rotated to reduce noise, did not help, thumping getting worse, tire size p 235 / 55 R 19, uneven wear makes it dangerous to drive affecting both me and my passengers, no warning lights just noticeable road noise
Incident date: Oct 21, 2022
Transmission shifted to neutral limiting controllable forward movement. This occurred without any warning while in traffic. This created a VERY HIGH SAFETY RISK. This issue occurred three times creating a need to have it towed into a repair dealer, diagnostics, and resetting of the electrical circuit. The diagnosis code was P0973.
Incident date: Oct 21, 2022
Transmission shifted to neutral limiting controllable forward movement. This occurred without any warning while in traffic. This created a VERY HIGH SAFETY RISK. This issue occurred three times creating a need to have it towed into a repair dealer, diagnostics, and resetting of the electrical circuit. The diagnosis code was P0973.