2015 Acura RDX Complaint Log

The silver reflectors on the low beam headlights are very oxidized to the point night driving is very dangerous. I’m not referring to the clear plastic headlamp that often gets cloudy after many miles, but the actual low beam reflectors. Replacing the bulb is ineffective as it’s the reflector at fault. Cost to replace is $1,600. The is a well known reported problem 2013-2015 RDXs.

The headlights are so dim you can not tell if you have them on at all. I have spent $400 on new bulbs. With all the complaints about the headlights, why hasn’t this been addressed. I almost ran over a pedestrian two nights ago. It is so dangerous that I can not drive my car at night.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? I drive a 2015 Acura RDX. I was driving on I-5 south with no overpass above me at the time and my sunroof suddenly imploded. It sounded like a gun or bomb going off and I looked above to a hole in my sunroof and glass everywhere. It is available for inspection at Acura Bellevue. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Yes, the sudden noise and glass breaking going 60 miles per hour on the freeway would have easily caused an accident. It was raining and nighttime as well. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Insurance hasn't sent a rep out yet, but via pictures and research they are investigating. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No, they will not take responsibility although there are multiple accounts of this happening on Hondas and Acuras, there is currently class action suit in court. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? None. Not a single sign.

Main head lights are not giving enough brightness to see the road. Visibility while driving during night is very hard and can’t see clearly an object which is at 5 to 6 feet distance also. It’s a 2015 Acura RDX AWD base and there are many complaints online in different forums also about head light visibility issue. I gone to Acura dealer but their suggestion is to cleanup external plastic headlight cover and change lights which is not resolving the issue. Head light brightness is detoriating day by day. Please take action appropriately as there are many 2015 Acura RDX with the same issue and without proper head light brightness leads to improper driving which leads to accidents and it’s a safety related issue.

My low beam headlights barely put out any light.

I have been having issues with the external low beams for the past 9months-1 year. They have progressively been getting more dim to now I can't even drive my car at night without using my high beams. I have replaced the bulbs and done headlight restoration without any improvement. There have been no warning lamps or messages on my car at all.

The headlights on this vehicle are so dim it is unsafe to drive at night. Was told by the dealership that it’s a common problem with this vehicle where the inner film oxidizes and degrades the coating. This issue happened on another model and was recalled and fixed. It is terrifying to drive at night, especially with my child in the car. I live in an area with deer and the lights are so dim you cannot even see in front of you. Someone is going to die due to this issue. If you Google this issue EVERYONE is complaining about it. According to Acura it would require me to pay approx $2500 for them to fix this issue. Again, not having working headlights is an extreme safety issue. This not only affects the one driving, but others can’t even see me on the road. Especially now that street lights are not really common anymore, it is impossible to see at night. Please issue a recall for the headlights to be replaced before someone gets hurt. Especially children who ride in this vehicle. This issue makes this vehicle dangerous, unsafe, and impossible to drive at night.

The backup camera has failed. This is a safety problem.

The HID low beam headlights on this car failed. The reflector is defective, per the Acura service manager. The only fix is to replace the entire headlight assembly. $2,300. Acura refuses to issue a recall, even though they have recalled another model in the past for headlight issues. This is a true safety issue that makes driving the car at night treacherous. Someone is going to get hurt or killed.

The headlights on the vehicle are incredibly dim. I have tried replacing the bulbs; however, it does not fix the problem. When I ask Acura about it, they say, "you're just going to have to live with it." It is incredible dangerous driving when it is dark outside because you cannot see anything unless you utilize your high beams.

Both of head lights are too dim for the 2015 RDX. Not enough lights to safely drive in the night. Commonly known for headlight reflector deterioration; plenty of others have experienced same issue (link below) and it's costly to fix the defect by Comsumer; please ask the car maker to recall and repair the defect https://community.cartalk.com/t/acura-rdx-2015-dim-headlights/180589/15 Similar recall were issued for 2015 Acura RLX: 2014-2015 Acura RLX Recalled To Fix Headlight Flaw https://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1096066_2014-2015-acura-rlx-recalled-to-fix-headlight-flaw

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Low beam headlights are dim. Available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? I cannot properly see during night time driving. I almost crashed into a highway retainer wall. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No.

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 safety issue that the manufacturer (Acura) should be addressing. My car is available for inspections, if needed. I have not been to the dealer yet, but I can get them to verify it, if needed. My vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance or others. There is no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms. The lights have been gradually dimming over the past several years.

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!

The low-beams have deteriorated in brightness rapidly over the last 8 months as the vehicle reaches 75,000 miles. The bulbs remain lit, but the reflector inside appears to not be adequately dispersing light, producing a very dim low-beam. The high-beams are not affected, indicating no electrical issues. The lack of a sufficiently bright headlight's risk is self evident: but includes the inability to see obstacles or vehicles until too late, inability of other vehicles and pedestrians to react to an approaching vehicle, etc. A dealer confirms this is a recurrent issue in this generation vehicle, and that since the reflector assembly appears to be at fault, changing bulbs is an inadequate solution. There are no warning lights to be noted, as corroborated online by others dealing with this issue.

Low beam headlamps very dim and no longer provide visualization of the road. Per online forums, this is a known issue.

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 issue affecting nightime driving for the driver as well as oncoming vehicles. Online research finds there are numerous complaints regarding this issue among owner/operators of this vehicle.

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 with the assembly and not the bulb itself.

The car's Low Beams do not illuminate the road to a safe degree. I have replaced the low beam lights (done by an auto body shop) with a higher grade bulb but the replacement did not increase the light output. The whole headlight assembly will need to be replaced for it to be safe to drive at night. This seems to be a common problem with the Acura RDX and will be extremely costly to repair in order to make the vehicle safe to drive at night.

Headlights are too dim. This poses a safety risk while driving at night. I contacted the dealer, only requesting a price of replacing the bulb (before I researched it is more than just the bulb). I was informed that this is a known issue. No one inspected it. There are no warning lights. I would like to file a complaint so a recall can be issued and owners do not have to pay out of pocket expenses for a known issue.

Low Beam headlights have degraded to the point of being unable to see the road and have to use high beams to drive at night.I have replaced the low beam bulbs with no improvement .The problem seems to be the low beam bulb capsules that the bulbs are in that have some type of reflective coating that has deteriorated.I see Acura has recalled the 2015 model RLX for this same problem. I have searched online and there are many posts about this headlight problem with the 2015 RDX .There has to be a recall on the RDX also as these vehicles are unsafe !

The low-beam headlight system has deteriorated, and the reflective component makes the low beams unusable at night. This component poses a safety hazard. The dim headlights make nighttime driving extremely hazardous, forcing me to rely on high beams, creating visibility risks for other drivers. Reduced visibility has endangered my safety and the safety of others, particularly on unlit or busy roads where clear vision is essential. The Acura dealership has confirmed the issue. Their only solution is replacing each headlight assembly, which would cost over $2,000. Low Beam Bulbs have been replaced multiple times with different brands, but the issue remains. The headlighting dimming issue can not be remedied by replacing the low beam bulbs; the real issue is the reflective film issue. This issue is a serious safety concern, and it is disappointing that Honda/Acura is not willing to fix this component. There were no warning lamps or error messages to indicate the dimming issue. This issue persists, with no alternative solution except the expensive complete assembly replacement advised by Acura.

The headlights have gradually become so dim you can’t even see at night time. It is extremely dangerous.

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.

Low beam headlights unacceptably dim/dangerous. Despite a significant amount of discussions about this issue on the internet, I spoke with service department McGrath Acura in Morton Grove Illinois and they denied being aware of the issue. Have just ordered aftermarket replacement headlight assemblies for approximately $710.

The headlights on my car are very dim, impeding my ability to see the road at night. I sometimes resort to using my high beams when there is no oncoming traffic. I am afraid I will not see an obstacle in the road. I noticed this problem several years ago and told the service department at the dealership about it. They suggested that they clean a film off of the headlights, which they did and it temporarily brighten the lights. Over time the lights returned to their normal dimness. I also had a blown bulb replaced in the headlight and mentioned to the mechanic about my dim lights. After looking at the vehicle he said the entire pair of headlight assemblies would have to be replaced to adequately fix the problem. No warning lights in the car signified this problem, but it was obvious that the headlights were dim while driving at night.

The headlights are extremely dim resulting in poor visibility while driving at night.

Headlights remain dim even with new bulbs and cleaning the lens covers. They are so dim, it is a safety issue.

The headlight bulb was recently replaced and the driver side headlight it still dim. My mechanic thinks there is an issue with the lense in front of the bulb. I see online that some 2015 Acuras have been recalled for headlight issues. This recall needs to be expanded.

The low beam headlights on both sides are too dim to drive on at night. I’ve had blubs replaced to the highest quality bulbs, but the issue is with the reflective coating on the headlight assembly. This was confirmed by the dealership. If a saftey inspector ever saw my car at night they’d never pass it. I have been pulled over by a cop telling me my lights are not on, but they were ( he let me go, I do not have documentation). The dealer recommended complete replacement of both light assemblies. Dim lighting first appeared around 50k but has gotten progressively worse. The dealer report and quote attached was at 76k. Their determination and quote for new lights is on page 6. My concern is that even with full assemblies replacement, the replacements will result in bad light. Other posts only show where people have replaced the assemblies only to find the same bad lighting. I have no problem spending the money if I knew it would fix the issue. The assemblies themselves seem built or designed defective. I’m at a loss for what to do.

My wife and i have noticed the low beams on my RDX are extremely low, they barely light up the road. we are concerned this could be a safety hazard. i took the car to the dealership today and they confirmed "the bulbs do not project light properly. Headlight assemblies will need to be replaced" They charged me $74.50 to tell me this, and quoted me $2500 to replace the headlight assemblies. i have noticed a lot of other RDX owners concerned about this issue on the internet.

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 is obvious that the low beams are so dim that they are truly a hazard at night. I checked and it is a known issue with this model but no recall was ever issued.

Low beam light is extremely dim. Dealership replaced the bulb but there is no improvement. I was explained that reflector is defective- burned out due to original Acura design using halogen bulb which caused reflector oxidation. It is a major safety issue as driving at night within required light is hazardous

headlights are so dim after almost 100k miles. I replaced headlights and they’re still dim. so dim i can’t drive my car at night. went to the dealership and they said others have complained w this issue but no recalls yet. they have to change the entire bulb which would be over $2000.

The low beam headlights are not bright enough to see under normal night driving need to use high beams which is not safe

The low beams are nearly impossible to see with while driving at night. Have heard countless other people complaining of same issue.

The contact owns a 2015 Acura RDX. The contact stated that while driving at night, the headlights were failing to illuminate properly. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that he replaced both headlight bulbs; however, the failure recurred, and the driver’s side headlight was unable to illuminate more than 50 feet ahead of the vehicle. The contact stated that the hi-beam headlights were used while driving at night. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the front headlight assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V792000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.

The headlights grew very dim over the last couple years. I replaced the bulbs and it made no difference. Finally, this winter, they got so dim that I couldn't drive it at night, anymore. I took it to repair shop to see if something was wrong with electric system, and they found no problems, just little light coming from the headlights. I went on line and found lots of people having same problem with the 2013-2015 base model RDXs. My repair shop looked into ordering them but OEM lights were on backorder - vendor said they are in heavy demand because of dimming problems. The bulbs are fine, just the chroming/reflective surface inside headlight assembly oxidized and lost reflectivity. $2000 for dealer to replace. $1300 just for the assemblies! That's 10% of the car's value. It is obviously a manufacturing problem and the results in a very dangerous situation at night when the lights appear to be working but are giving off little light. I have talked to other RDX owners I have come across and they had or are having the same problem - and are faced with same $2000 bill for what is an acknowledged problem and should have been justification for a recall. Dangerous situation from know manufacturing defect. I read that the 2013's were recalled or being fixed for free with enough complaining but nothing for 2014&2015s. I called dealer and they said all that could be done was to replace the entire assemblies and Acura isn't covering the cost or even offering a discount. No warnings - but i thought it was just my eyes going bad, but people seeing my car approaching told me my low beams were very dim. Even after putting in the brightest bulbs I could buy - bought 2 replacement sets for no improvement.

Gradually the low beam headlights on my 2015 Acura RDX became ineffective despite replacing the bulbs many times and cleaning the housings. I've taken the car to three different mechanics and none have been able to fix the problem. I can no longer drive at night with these headlights and will have replace the housings at significant cost. This seems like a manufacturer defect that should be recalled and replaced at their expense.

The contact owns a 2015 Acura RDX. The contact stated that the headlights failed to produce adequate lighting while driving at night. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to the local dealer, who replaced the bulbs however, the failure persisted. The dealer stated that the headlight assemblies needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 79,990.

Low Beam headlight are very dim at night and very unsafe to drive. I have to drive with high beams so I can see which makes it unsafe for other cars. I replaced bulb with no improvement. I read many cases of this online. Acura needs to have this recalled to replace headlight assembly.

The contact owns a 2015 Acura RDX. The contact stated that after purchasing the vehicle, it was discovered that the front low beam headlights failed to adequately illuminate the roadway while driving at night, causing a visibility hazard for the driver. The low beam headlights eventually became inoperable, and only the high beam headlights were operational. Later, the high beam headlights became inoperable. The contact stated that the headlights no longer operated as needed, and the vehicle could not be driven at night. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the headlight assemblies needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 109,573.

My headlights are dim to the point of unsafe driving at night. I often cannot tell that my headlights are even on. I cannot see the side of the road, or what is in front of me, especially when other cars are approaching -- I have almost hit a person/pedestrian - it was a frightening experience. The problem has been confirmed only by my mechanic. I have contacted Acura The vehicle has only been inspected by my mechanic so far I received no warnings, and the lights progressively worsened over the last 4 months.

Headlights malfunctioned - they would turn on but lighting was very dim. The headlights were so dim while driving that driving in the evening became dangerous because they did not sufficiently illuminate the road so I could not see well. There was almost no difference in terms of improving visibility at night while driving between having the headlights on or off. That’s obviously a hazard for me and other drivers. When I brought the car to the dealership for inspection and repair, the Acura dealership mechanic ran diagnostics but prior to running them said he knew the problem was most likely due to deterioration of the reflective coating not an electrical issue. He said he sees many Acuras like mine coming in after 5 years with the same headlight problem and advised us to have the headlights replaced elsewhere to save money because the dealership charges $4,000 minimum for this repair. Diagnostics were fine, mechanic’s assessment was correct that the problem was premature deterioration of the silver reflective coating used in the headlights. This defect doesn’t cause warning lights to come on, the car can’t tell if the reflective coating in it’s headlights wears out. I noticed for a short while that the headlights were a bit dim and thought the exterior of the lights needed cleaning, but then it suddenly seemed like they weren’t working at all one evening. I actually got out of the car in my driveway one night to check if the lights had turned on - standing outside the car they appeared on but when I tried to drive that night it was so dark I had great difficulty.

Low beam headlights are extremely dim. Have replaced the bulbs, trying different brands and still very dim. This is a very dangerous car to drive at night. We drive with the high beams on in order to see the road. Started about 2 years ago with around 60K miles.

Low beams very dim due to headlight housing defect

Projector headlight failure. Replaced bulbs and cleaned lens and low beam is still almost non existent The reflector in the back of both projectors are disintegrated and will not reflect enough to pass inspection. New headlight assembly are in backorder which means this a reoccurring problem with the 2013, 2014, and 2015 model with the halogen bulbs.

Around 80,000 miles my headlights seemed to have become quite dim. I have changed out the head lightbulbs twice, 2nd time to the brightess bulbs available to buy. No change in brightness. I bought a kit to clean the outer surface lens still no change in brightness . They headlights are so dangerously dim it doesn’t look like I have headlights on. Also anyone who gets in the car with me always says “you need to turn your headlights on” & I say “ they are on! “ Basically I have to drive around with my brights on in order to see at night and my brights look like everybody else’s regular headlights when I’m next to other cars . I took my car to the Gillman Acura dealership in Houston where I purchased my car to have them look at the lights and they told me that the lens cover is degraded and cloudy over the lightbulbs and the whole headlamp would need to be replaced. I was told the light lens has degraded and become cloudy because of the sun light reflecting into my headlights and also because of sun reflecting off of buildings into my headlights where I park for long periods of time, to which I replied” I park in the garage and where I work, there’s no reflection coming off of the building! I’ve had many cars throughout my life and this is has never happened before ….they told me it would cost $2200 to replace both of them ! I recently decided to look online to see if other people were having this problem and I read where many people have complained of the same problem with their 2015 RDX ! Also, I found out that there was a previous recall on the 2014-2015 RLX because of the same issue! Which states HID is getting around 100,000 miles because of the reflector or Fresnel lens degrading because of aluminum film glued to headlight inner reflector. I hope there is a recall issued for my model of car too to it sounds like the same exact problem and & $2,200 to fix them is more than I can afford currently! Thank You

The vehicle headlights are dangerously low for night driving regardless of how new the bulbs are.

1. On dash flashing air bag system off 2. Upon acceleration and getting up to speed it missing like bad gas but its not. I use required premium. 3. Not shifting properly upon acceleration of speed properly.