2017 ACURA RDX Power Train Problems

I was at a stop light, car was stopped, the electronics on the vehicle looked like it went through a reboot, A/C blower fluctuated (turned off then back on), all displays went out and restarted like it does when you start the car. When the traffic light turned green, and I stepped on the gas, the car shuddered and hesitated, like the transmission, ABS and traction control were all going haywire. Then the car drove fine. As long as I do not slow down too much or stop. Once I got home and had to back up into the garage, it went through that haywire cycle again. This was the 3rd time this has happened on this car. But after I shut off the engine, wait a little while and start it again, symptom seems to go away, until it decides to happen again. I have had this car since July of 2024, and since that time, I have had this happen to me 3 times and 2 times to my wife. I have read on the net and one of the possibilities talked about if the ABS control unit, where soldered wires seems to be melting off of the circuit boards and causing intermittent connection, therefore exhibiting erratic behavior. There are even services on eBay where you can send in your whole ABS unit and they will open them up, clean and re-solder the wires. This seems to be scary and concerning from a safety perspective. Please investigate the issue for us who are affected. It is not just my year model car, but it includes Honda branded and different Acura and Honda model cars too. Thank you.

The RDX has been experiencing stalls when trying to accelerate, shaking/vibrations when accelerating uphill or around curves in roads. I received a letter about the Torque Converter having its warrantee extended. The letter stated if you are experiences issues related to the torque converter to contact the dealership. I took my RDX to the Acura dealership in which they stated the car did not show the code to have the Torque Converter replaced but instead I needed a transmission flush. I have stated that I am experiencing problems related to the Torque Converter and after replacing it a transmission flush is part of the process. The dealership is refusing to replace the torque converter but charging me $500 for a transmission flush.

Drive Train labor rear driver cv halfshaft axle could not locate axle part anywhere for repair, sold out and on back order! clear indication that other drivers are having same issue with this part. should be looked into and recalled!

Vehicle has ONLY around 83,000 miles on it and needed a whole new torque converter. The vehicle was displaying problems in delay in shifting so I was planing an inspection. However, before the date reached my a check transmission light displayed on my dash so I had to move the inspection date up. No one was harmed but it was concerning to me when I was driving on the highway and saw my check transmission light was on. The dealership I bought it from (CarMax) is currently repairing it and luckily I had an extended warranty. I know other models of Acura have had problems with torque converters but this one was not reported to have recall.

Vehicle began jerking while in motion, and all error messages the vehicle has ability to display rotated across the screen, including PO848. Transmission was replaced by a dealer. Vehicle would not start two weeks later. Vehicle towed to dealer. Dealer stated battery and starter were bad. Both of those components replaced by Acura dealer. Within one week, alarm was sounding randomly and clicking noise coming from dash. Dealer is now replacing a control module. This is a safety issue because as it was jerking, I lost control of the vehicle. The car alarm going off for a prolonged time at high decibels puts the hearing of bystanders at risk. Seems the car poses a fire risk as well.

The rear brakes squeal as though they are constantly on, brake pads (rear) have not gone down from 4-5 mm in over 10 months whole front pads have been replaced twice and rotors once within the same time period. The constant squealing has shown to overheat the brake system, which in turn overheats the transmission/transfer casing, causing the AT HOT warning light to engage temporarily at high speeds (over 60mph only) as well as minor transmission leaks. Seized calipers have been determined by an Acura dealership service mechanic to be the cause of these issues, and has said it is a common problem. This needs to be recalled if it’s so common.

I am writing to report a concerning issue with my Acura RDX 2017, which I believe poses a significant safety risk and requires immediate attention from your organization. The problem I encountered while driving jeopardizes the safety of both myself and others on the road. About five days ago, while driving at approximately 20 mph, my vehicle began emitting loud, thunderous sounds, accompanied by intense vibrations that shook the entire car. Additionally, it seemed to struggle when shifting gears, particularly into second or third gear. Despite my careful and gradual acceleration, the car exhibited signs of a malfunction within its transmission system. Furthermore, at around 35 mph, the engine suddenly revved to over 3000 rpm, causing the vehicle to accelerate without any input from me. This acceleration occurred even though my foot was not on the gas pedal, making the car difficult to control and putting me at risk of colliding with other vehicles or objects. The unpredictability of these incidents is deeply alarming and could lead to serious accidents if not addressed promptly. I purchased this vehicle in December 2023 and have maintained it according to the manufacturer's recommendations. However, when I inquired about the timing belt at the dealership, I was assured that it had passed inspection. Despite this, the recent malfunctions suggest a more serious underlying issue that needs immediate attention. Crucially, there were no warning lights, messages, or other indications of a problem prior to these incidents, underscoring the sudden and unexpected nature of the issue. I urge the NHTSA to investigate this matter urgently and thoroughly. I request that you initiate a recall of affected vehicles and implement necessary repairs to address the identified defects. Swift action is essential to ensure the safety of all motorists who may be affected by this issue.

Since we have had the car we have had multiple issues with the car jerking and shifting hard after driving in S mode then going to standard mode. Dealership told us the transmission is "sensitive" in our model year and if we go 1 mile overdue for a transmission fluid flush we will have shudder/jerking/ hard shifting. (we have changed the transmission fluid 1-2x since have had the car, which is within range of recommended). Last episode- battery was dead, jumpstarted and car jerking at low speeds to the point I did not drive it and had it told. We were also told their was a short in the circuit board that controlled acuralink and what charged the battery. Jerking transmission related per dealership. lastly the sound for the blind spot monitoring is intermittently not working.

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 freeway unable to restart the car. I believe this is a huge safety issue and too common for this model Acura. This is clearly a critical system component that has failed far before it should. There is no way to turn the vehicle on as this is a keyless entry vehicle.

The car accelerated rapidly when I came to a stop. When I brought it to, the dealership they found 3 problems with the transmission. First, the transmission had overheated, there were problems in the clutch assembly, and I don't know the third.

While driving, the car slips into manual gear shift and is slow to accelerate and it will have a hard shift of gears from 20 - 60 mph. The emissions check and transmission indicator lights are on. I can not drive the car safely because of the jerks of gear shifts or the slow acceleration when driving on roads and highways. The car is being inspected for transmission issues with concerns that there is severe damage requiring a replacement of the transmission.

Transmission slips and shifts hard causing the car to lurch foreward. It also loses power when accelerating.

TOOK OFF FROM STOP VEHICLE MAKES A LOUD THUD AND DOESN'T SHIFT INTO A GEAR. REVS UP BUT WON'T SHIFT. TOOK IT TO PRIME ACURA. THE COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. CHANGED TRANSMISSION, TRANSFER CASE AND REAR DIFFERENTIAL FLUIDS. ONE MONTH LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN. I TURN OFF ENGINE THEN RESTART AND THE PROBLEM IS GONE. NOT SURE IF IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN.

Mileage: 49,869

TURNING IN A FIELD CHAMIN THE ROADS MY AUTO SLIDED. LATER APPAREAD THE "AWD" NOTE.WHAT DOSE IT MEAN?

Mileage: 90

WHEN THE ENGINE DOES NOT RESPOND TO THE THROTTLE, YOU CONTINUE TO DEPRESS THROTTLE, THEN THE ENGINE BEGINES TO JERK AND SLOWLY ACCELERATE. ENGINE APPEARS TO DIE WHEN YOU ARE IN THE SLOW DOWN SITUATION. I HAVE TO PRESS ACCELERATOR TO THE FLOOR TO GET THE CAR GOING. GETTING ON THE HIGHWAY, IS VERY UNSAFE BECAUSE YOU NEED A LOT OF ROOM TO ACCELERATE BECAUSE A V6 ENGINE HESITATED AT THE ACCELERATION AND EVEN YOU ALREADY DRIVING. PASSING CARS IS NOT EVEN AN OPTION, FAILURE TO ACCELERATE QUICKLY IS NOT POSSIBLE . STARTED EXPERIENCING IT AT 800 MILES . VERY UNSAFE, UNPREDICTABLE, AND A BIG DISSAPOINTMENT.

Mileage: 800

1) HARSH TRANSMISSION SHIFTS THE TRANSMISSION'S GEAR SHIFTS (BOTH UP AND DOWN) ARE JERKY, AND IT'S VERY OBVIOUS & UNPLEASANT WHEN COMPARED TO DRIVING OTHER CARS (EVEN TO A 2005 TOYOTA COROLLA). THE SHIFTS SEEM MUCH HARSHER ESPECIALLY WHEN DOWNSHIFTING. WHEN THE CAR SLOWS DOWN, THERE IS A SUDDEN JERK AND A NOTICEABLE DROP IN SPEED. I'VE CONCLUDED THAT IT OCCURS MOST WHEN THE TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTS FROM GEAR 5 TO 4 (AROUND 30-35 MPH) AND 4 TO 3 (AT 20 MPH). IT ALMOST APPEARS THAT WHEN THE CAR IS IN "DRIVE" IT SHIFTS TOO EARLY CAUSING THE CAR TO JERK AND SLOW DOWN AS IF I QUICKLY PRESSED THE BRAKES (I.E. ENGINE BRAKING). I ALSO HAVE NOTICED THAT WHEN THE CAR IS IN "SPORT" MODE, THE HARSH DOWNSHIFT IS NOT AS EVIDENT AND MUCH SMOOTHER/NORMAL. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE AS THE SUDDEN JERK & SLOW-DOWNS ARE UNEXPECTED FOR DRIVERS BEHIND ME, ESPECIALLY SINCE THERE ARE NO VISUAL INDICATORS/WARNINGS (E.G. BRAKE LIGHTS DON'T COME WHEN THIS HAPPENS). PLUS NOT TO MENTION A WASTE OF MY GAS AS I HAVE TO PRESS THE GAS TO GET IT BACK UP THE CRUISING SPEED NEEDED. I BROUGHT THIS UP TO THE SERVICE TEAM AT ACURA MCGRATH IMMEDIATELY AFTER MY PURCHASE AND SO FAR I'VE HEARD THAT "ACURA TRANSMISSIONS ARE QUITE STRANGE AND HAVE THEIR OWN NUANCES COMPARED TO ALL OTHER CAR MAKES AND THIS DOWNSHIFTING THAT I EXPERIENCE IS BY DESIGN". HOWEVER, DURING BOTH OF MY TEST DRIVES AT 2 DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS, I DID NOT FEEL THIS AT ALL. MY FRIENDS WHO HAVE DRIVEN WITH ME HAVE ALSO NOTICED THIS AND MENTIONED IT'S UNPLEASANT AND UNEXPECTED FOR A LUXURY CAR. EVEN AFTER THE MEMORY RESET THAT WE DID A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, THIS IS STILL NOTICEABLE ON BOTH UP & DOWNSHIFTS (AGAIN, HARSHEST SHIFT EXPERIENCED WHEN DOWN SHIFTING WHEN SLOWING DOWN AT 20 MPH).

Mileage: 100

I PURCHASED THE 2017 ACURA RDX, ON MARCH 20, 2017 WITH 20 MILES. I NOTICED THIS PAST SATURDAY, JUNE 24, 2017, THAT IS RUST IN THE EXHAUST AREA, AROUND THE WHEELS AND OTHER AREAS UNDERNEATH THE AUTO.