2013 ACURA RDX Recalls, Complaints & Safety

On 3/26/2026 a symbol of an engine appeared on my dash. Then several minutes later the car began running very rough and numerous warnings signs came on including Check Engine, Check AWD System, Check Power Steering System, Check Uphill Assist system and others. I took the car to my mechanic this morning and after checking various systems he determined the Cylinder Deactivation system was not performing properly. He replaced the spark plug for cylinder 3 and confirmed the ignition coil is functioning properly. He was not able to correct the problem and said I should contact the dealer as he thought Honda had issued an extended recall on the Acura 2013 RDXs because of this problem. He said this malfunction has caused my AWD system to be disabled. I called the dealer and they said there was no recall for this issue. I have an appointment on 3/31 to have them check it out. My car only has 83,635 miles on it.

The headlights do not produce enough light to see the road. Every time the car is driven at night it is extremely dangerous.

Headlights are very dim due to degradation of the reflective projection surface. Internet searches indicate this is a common problem for the 2013-2015 Acura RDXs. The only solution is to replace the entire headlight assembly.

Low beam headlight projector reflectors deteriorate making the low beam headlights unusable for safe driving. Entire assembly has to be replaced to remedy. Extremely common in this generation of Acura RDX based on internet searches.

Crash

2013 ACURA RDX. HEAD LIGHTS HAVE DIMMED WHERE ITS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. HAD THE WHOLE HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLIES REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP 11 months ago FOR $4,000. Still have same problem with new ones

The low beam headlights lights on my 2013 Acura RDX are very dim, and replacing the bulbs does not make any difference. I have read multiple reports that this is a common problem where the reflective material inside the projector style housing breaks down over time, and that the only fix is to replace the entire headlight assembly on both sides. Due to the poor lighting, I have had several near misses with other cars and obstacles that have been hard to see. Compared to other vehicles I have driven over by lifetime, this car really does has a significant safety problem. Headlight assemblies should not degrade this quickly, and replacing them is an expensive repair. I believe that NHTSA should investigate this issue for a potential recall, as not being able to see at night is a major safety issue.

My low beam headlights have diminished in their effectiveness / intensity over time such that I fear driving at night due to possible danger of an accident. If I do have to drive at night, I have to use my high beams...which is also totally unacceptable, and illegal in post places. I have taken the car to the Acura dealership to explain the problem and determine the proper fix. I felt like this should be covered under warranty, since this is a safety issue, no different than safety belts, air bags, etc. The Acura dealership tested the lights and acknowledged the problem, but stated there was no warranty coverage for the issue. The determined fix was to replace both headlight assemblies for a cost of approximately $2500. This is totally unacceptable in my opinion, given this a definite safety issue.

The contact owns a 2013 Acura RDX. While the contact's daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the headlights failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the headlights were dim, causing the visibility to become impaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with failed delaminated headlight housings. The contact was informed that the headlight housings needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostic testing. In addition, the contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.

Have replaced low beam headlight bulbs multiple times within weeks/months of each time for months now. Low beam is so dim that vehicle is unsafe to drive at night without turning on high beams. Something is more wrong than just the bulb. Taken to repair shop each time. Changing bulbs works for a few days then no light happens again. What do I do???

Low beam headlights have begun to dim so much that they are unsafe and ineffective at night. I understand that there may be a reflector problem with the headlights.

Headlights have grown dim. The bulbs have been replaced multiple times to find a bright enough bulb, to no avail. Approximate visual distance at night in unlit areas is less than 25'. This is a safety hazard because this does not allow enough time to avoid impacts.

Low beam headlights are dangerously dim due to the oem headlightbulbs burning the reflector bowls in the projector headlights this is a problem that's been complained about by many many people.

The headlights have gotten progressively and dangerously dimmer over time and it is a known issue according to a local dealer. It's dangerous to drive at night but cost-prohibitive to fix.

Three different times, when accelerating, my car looses all power, will not accelerate, looses power steering, and different warning lights flash, such as check AVS system, check ABS system, and check charging system. I navigate to the side of the road and turn it off and on again and

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

Front low beam headlights are dangerously dim.

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.

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.

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".

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

See attached document for complaint

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 it

Low beam lighting failures due to the reflective property breakdown

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.

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)

Crash

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 projection paint has worn off from halogen bulb resulting in dangerously low and dim lighting for low beams.

Headlights are dimming

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.