2020 Acura RDX UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
Parked in a restaurant parking lot, & upon leaving got into the car closed the door and the rear window just shattered. Car hadn’t been started yet & no previous damage had happened to the window. If I had been driving the car and the horrible noise it made I probably would’ve panicked and gone off the road.
The rear windshield glass shattered without warning, due to a design flaw from the manufacturer.
To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally report a recurring and concerning design issue affecting the Acura RDX — specifically, a defect in the sunroof drainage system. Based on both personal experience and widespread consumer reports, it appears that the drainage channels are prone to clogging, which results in water accumulating and eventually leaking into the vehicle’s cabin and trunk areas. In my case, this defect has led to persistent water intrusion that has damaged the interior and raised serious concerns about mold and mildew development. Stagnant water inside a sealed vehicle can pose significant health and safety risks, especially for families and those who rely on their vehicles for daily transportation. Having the drains professionally cleared at the dealership costs approximately $300 per visit. I have been informed that this service will likely be required on a recurring basis, despite the fact that such maintenance is neither expected nor common for vehicle owners. This is especially troubling considering the cost exceeds routine maintenance like oil changes or tire rotations, and it addresses an issue resulting from design flaws — not misuse or neglect. I have contacted both the dealership and Honda/Acura customer service, only to be informed that there is no permanent solution. For a vehicle marketed as a premium product, this is a disappointing and financially unreasonable resolution. I respectfully urge the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to investigate this issue as a possible design defect that compromises vehicle safety and structural integrity. Given the volume of similar complaints found in consumer forums and online reviews, it is evident that this is not an isolated incident, but rather a widespread and systemic concern that warrants further scrutiny and potential corrective action. I also have a video of water gushing inside my car which I cannot upload and it’s unacceptable. Respectfully, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Rear window shattered while sitting parked.
Rear Hatch Window shattered sitting in driveway. This is a known issue and tons of people have reported it. There is many groups on facebook documenting the issue.
When I go to accelerate to pass another vehicle car completely shuts down stops running and all warning lights come on. Car is powerless in middle of making a pass which is very concerning have to coast to side of road putting me a perilous situation hoping I don't get hit head on before I can get off the road. Took car to dealer they said bad turbo so change turbo. Two weeks after repair started to pass another car and it did it again exactly like first time. Car is currently at dealer waiting on diagnosis. I feel like this is big safety issue and I don't feel safe driving car that constantly loses power when passing someone.
1/2020 and 11/2025 rear window spontaneous broke / blew up while turning car on.
This was a spontaneous explosion of the rear lift gate window. The car was not even turned on; I had just gotten into it. There was a sound like a gunshot, followed by glass shattering both into and outside the car. I dropped immediately in the seat, and when I started breathing again, I got out of the car, and saw the window. Thanks to my grandson’s research, I now know this is, and has been, an issue with the Acura RDX. There. was absolutely no warning prior to this occurrence.
Rear window shattered sitting idle in the driveway. Acura told me replacing would be $1,107.00. To my knowledge they are aware of issue but not taking responsibility.
The back window completely shattered, with shards of glass falling both in and out of the car. It is a known defect. It happened completely out of the blue. I don't understand why this isn't a recall. I also don't understand why I had to pay for a know defect. I'm grateful I was not on the highway when it happened. I was on my street but it was in a downpour.
The rear window shattered when bringing it in from the colder weather to a garage. There was no impact, nor was the rear door used. The car was brough to the garage from being outside at 9 pm on 12/1. When we got in the car on 12/2 at 11:30 am, the rear window was shattered. There is no evidence of forced entry, just shattered glass on the inside. The repair is going to cost $627 The car rental is around $80
Shut driver side door and the rear hatch glass shattered.
Driving on the road my back glass windshield randomly blew out. Upon further investigation seems to be a common issue with this make/model/year. Many other owners of this model have shown this to be a problem for them as well. Refer to Facebook group “Acura Shattered”. Local dealer also said they have had several this had happened to. Very unsafe and very concerning that it will happen again
Rear Windshield shattered just sitting in driveway. Did some research and found out Acura knows about this through TSB 22-014.
The rear window has busted out on its own twice with glass everywhere. First time went through insurance second time I went through the dealer ship. I disappointed in Acura telling me there is nothing they can do to prevent this. It’s a defect in the car. It is dangerous and messy at my cost!
There is known issue where the rear glass will just randomly shatter. My car was parked and no one was near it. I came out to leave and I noticed the rear glass was shattered. This issue has been reported by thousands of other RDX owners. It’s absolutely insane that this isn’t recalled and covered by Acura. Additionally, it has been over a year and they still have not contacted me about the part to the fuel pump recall. They claim they don’t have the part in. It’s been over a year that I’ve been waiting.
This is the second time my back windshield has spontaneously crumbled! I’ve never had this to happen to any car I’ve ever owned. What is wrong with g with this vehicle. I’ve seen on you tube and til you that I am not the only owner this has happened.
Back window shattered.. Acura refused to cover the repair
Back window shattered.. Acura refused to cover the repair
REAR WINDOW SHATTERED
Rear window shattered while parked inside garage for no apparent reason
Rear window shattered with out incident. Car was off and in park. Nothing hit it to cause it to break
Rear window shadowed due the defroster. The defroster is making the rear window break. When using the defroster it is making the rear window break into pieces.
Upon opening rear hatch I noticed glass falling into trunk area, when closing hatch the window was shattered with no entry sign of foreign object. No branches, rocks or other foreign objects in parking space or around vehicle. Was parked in private home lot.
The “heads up display” on the windshield that shows the vehicle speed becomes blurry. This is a safety issue because a person can believe he is going a speed that is incorrect. This is particularly troubling when the vehicle is traveling at a much faster speed than appears on the windshield. In the past there was an incident where my vehicle was traveling 10 mph faster than I thought because of the blurred heads up display image. Acura/Honda is aware this is an issue (service bulletin 20-046) but has not taken action to correct the safety issue.
Trend Over Time
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Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2020 Acura RDX has 76 UNKNOWN OR OTHER complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.