2015 Acura RDX Exterior Lighting

The low-beam reflector itself oxidizes, is not reflective at all, and no amount of brighter bulbs or clean outside lenses will help with a reflector that doesn’t reflect. (It’s also not related to the cloudy inner-lens. It’s the reflector.) Replacing the entire headlight assembly is the only solution which is about 1,000.00 many people are complaing of this. This should be a recall from Acura. On this model car, the low beams get so dangerously dim, that (my case for example), I literally could not tell if the low beam headlights were on or off if I were driving on a street where any street lights (even just residential neighborhood street lights) were anywhere within eyesight. The only time I could make out that they were on would be if I were on a pitch black section of a street, in which case I could see a very faint glow that only extended maybe four-feet out.

Very low light output from low beams, I have researched others, here is the same situation I have The low-beam reflector itself oxidizes, is not reflective at all, and no amount of brighter bulbs or clean outside lenses will help with a reflector that doesn’t reflect. (It’s also not related to the cloudy inner-lens. It’s the reflector.) Replacing the entire headlight assembly seems to be the only solution ($300-450 for the lights and 2-3 hours of labor) People who mean well and arent familiar with the specifics of the Acura RDX 2013 to 2015 problem will give you conventional advice (clean the outside lenses and buy the brand bulbs they like), but they are incorrect. There is a widespread and extreme problem and defect with this specific generation of the Acura RDX. On my car the low beams are so dangerously dim, that (my case for example), I literally could not tell if the low beam headlights were on or off if I were driving on a street where any street lights (even just residential neighborhood street lights) were anywhere within eyesight. The only time I could make out that they were on would be if I were on a pitch black section of a street, in which case I could see a very faint glow that only extended maybe four-feet out. And when I parked facing the garage door at night, just about three feet from the garage door, both the running lights and the flashers were far (not just a little) brighter than the low beams.

Both headlight are dim, even change the headlight bulbs still dim. Night time driver can't see well is very danger!

Reflective film backing material inside both headlights has delaminated to the point where it's too dim to drive safely at night.

Have tried changing the bulbs and cleaning the outside exterior bulbs to see if the lights shine brighter cannot drive safely at night because the lights are dim regardless seems to be an ongoing issue for multiple Acura owners have to drive illegally using high beams versus low beams

The reflective material inside the headlight fixtures in this vehicle have degraded so severely the low beams don't illuminate the road well enough to drive it at night. This is a manufacturer defect that has been confirmed by the Acura dealership we took it to for repair. They told us the cost to replace both fixtures is ~$2,500, which we could not afford. This is a huge safety issue, one that prevents us from driving it at night unless absolutely necessary, in which case we have to use the high beams. The 2014 Acura RDX was recalled for this defect and I frankly don't understand why the 2015s haven't -- it's exactly the same issue. We contacted our auto insurance company about submitting a claim, but they do not cover manufacturer defects. Reaching out to the NHTSA for any assistance or advice you can provide.

My 2015 Acura RDX has such dim headlights, that I feel that it is not safe to drive at night. The headlights have gotten so dim that I can't even tell if they are on, unless I drive by a building and see the lights in the reflection. The only way I can drive safely is to have my high beam headlights on, which is not safe for other drivers. Not to mention illegal in most areas. As I understand it, the 2015 Acura RLX has had recalls for a very similar headlight issue. Why hasn't this recall been extended to the 2015 RDX, which appears to be built off the same platform, and is having the same issue?

Low beam head lights get increasingly dim while driving despite changing the bulbs multiple times. The headlights caused the lens to get a film which I removed with a lens restoration kit just for the lens to get back the same way within days. The bulbs are getting entirely too hot. Despite the lens the bulbs are so dim on a road without street lights or another cars headlights you CAN NOT SEE ANYTHING. you might as well be driving with your lights off entirely. The fact is it’s dangerous and not safe to drive because of. No lights or warnings have appeared alerting me of any mechanical issues.

I recently bought this vehicle used with a current safety inspection. All fine till I drove it for the first time at night. The low beams put out very little light. I thought perhaps they were not on the road was so dark. The high beams worked fine. The lens are clear. Both low beams bulbs are illuminated . I have read that multiple owners have reported this problem. The problem is not solved by replacing the bulbs but only solved by replacing the whole headlight assembly. A very expensive repair. This car as is is not safe to drive at night unless I keep the high beams on. I suspect a defect in the reflectors inside the unit

Can’t see to drive at night with low beams on. Miss turns at night.

After purchasing this used vehicle from a dealership we began driving home and it got dark. It was then we noticed the headlights on the vehicle are significantly dimmer than other vehicles. I was driving in front of them and noticed this once we got out of the city and onto the freeway. Once we got home I confirmed with the person driving the vehicle that in the dark and rain it was very difficult to see and they felt unsafe. I checked to ensure the lights were turned on properly, which they were. I was hoping that replacing the bulbs would fix the issue but when I went to research this I discovered that many people online experienced the same issue and that replacing the bulbs would not fix the issue. I confirmed in the paperwork and online that the vehicle was up to dates on recall work but that this known issue was not part of any as of yet. I would like to ask that this safety issue be resolved via recall as until doing so I will not be driving in the rain or night as we believe it a potential safety hazard and likely to cause accident or injury to someone.

The headlights have dimmed so much that I can’t even drive the car at night. We spent $80 to replace the bulbs and that didn’t help. The headlights are extremely unsafe.

The headlamp assemblies literally failed from the inside. The headlamp light output decreased dramatically as time went on. I read online that many Acura owners were having the same issue and that replacing the bulbs did nothing to remedy the issue as the reflective coating inside the headlamp was failing; only fix is to replace complete assemblies, which I did. I do not have the removed assemblies for inspection. The dealer admitted a problem with Acura headlamps but stated it "was not an issue significant enough for a recall." No inspections by insurance, police. No warning lamps or messages. Assemblies were replaced Feb. 2021 with noted dimming starting about 1 year prior.

Headlights have been too dim to see at night for many years - I was pulled over by a police office because of this. I want to sell my vehicle but cannot in my right mind do this until there has been a recall to fix the situation that will not cost me a ton of money.

Low beam headlights have become so dim that they are unsafe at night and provide insufficient lighting. Bulbs have been replaced but am now told by the dealership this is a potential defect with this model where the reflective housing deteriorates and requires a full replacement of the headlight assembly.

The headlights have become exceptionally dim in my 2015 RDX and they no longer illuminate the roadway at night time. The condition is even worse and more dangerous when the roadway is wet and/or there is an oncoming car. Note: the bulbs work and replacing them with new bulbs make NO difference in the light being projected from the assemblies. There is something wrong with the headlight assemblies themselves. This is very unsafe. I see recalls for other Acura models / years with similarly designed headlights.

My headlights are EXTREMELY DIM. I contacted the dealership 4 days after I purchased my Acura RDX to only be told my warranty doesn't cover the headlights and I would have to pay out of pocket to get them fixed. My headlights are so dim it looks like I'm driving with my running lights on. I have to drive with my high beams at night because I have almost hit a pedestrian and run into a ditch not being able to see 2 feet in front of me. I have video of how bad they are. Acura needs to take responsibility and fix this issue ASAP! I will not stop until they do. I don't want anyone to get hit or even killed because Acura wants to turn a blind eye regarding this major issue we are ALL having!

The low beams on this vehicle have been consistently getting worse even with cleaning of the outside components and changing the bulbs. This makes it dangerous for night driving.

Over the past several years, the headlights have dimmed to the point where it is difficult to see. We have tried changing bulbs several times to no avail. In searching the internet, this is a known issue. The only remedy is to purchase and install new headlight assemblies as the original equipment goes bad.

The reflector in the headlight assembly failed and the headlights are so dim it's unsafe to drive after dark.

Headlights are too dim for safe driving. I have replacement bulbs and the housing. Honda estimate for repair for a condition that is the result of using manufacturing materials (as I understand it) that degrade over time and lead to dimming is cost prohibitive.

The low front light is so dim that we need to turn on the high light to see at night. Having to use high lights also creates a glare problem for other motorists, but we need the high light as the low light is so dim that it creates a safety hazard for driving at night in urban areas with low lights. We changed the front low halogen bulb lights for LED lights but it was not enough. People suggest to change the front light house or case, but the problem persist as the reflective materials inside the OEM case becomes defective after using the lights for some time.

The headlights in this model of the RDX are extremely dim making driving at night impossible. The headlights do not illuminate the roadway in front of the vehicle. I had 1% lux reading as measured by an automotive illumination engineer. After further research into this issue I learned that the low-beam reflector itself oxidizes, is not reflective at all, and no amount of brighter bulbs or clean outside lenses will help with a reflector that doesn’t reflect. This has been an ongoing problem for the 2013-2015 Acura RDX models. Acura did a recall on the RLX of the same years for the exact issue and the manufacturer of the headlights for the RLX subsequently manufactured the same headlights for the RDX. Phone calls to Acura from many RDX owners have proved unsuccessful with Acura stating they would only issue a recall if they were forced to do so by NHTSA.

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.

The headlights have gone very dim do to the reflective coating degrading in the headlight housing. This makes the vehicle unsafe to drive at night.