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2018 Acura RDX

Gas

Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

92 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 1

Complaints5 crash · 3 injured reported 77

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 23 mpg

2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2018 Acura RDX is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the RDX FWD, is EPA-rated at 23 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 77 complaints, most often about the fuel/propulsion system. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Acura RDX — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Acura RDX · Photo: Kevauto · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
RDX FWD	Gas	FWD	3.5L 6-cyl	20	28	23	$3,550
RDX AWD	Gas	AWD	3.5L 6-cyl	19	27	22	$3,750

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 38766, 38767.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
RDX AWD, RDX FWD	3 / 10	California LEV-II ULEV / Federal Tier 3 Bin 125	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Sport Utility Vehicle [SUV]/Multipurpose Vehicle [MPV]
Doors	5
GVWR class	Class 1C: 4,001 - 5,000 lb (1,814 - 2,268 kg)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	6
Displacement	3.5 L
Engine configuration	V-Shaped

Engine Output

Horsepower

279 hp

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Seating

Seat rows	2
Seating capacity	5 seats

Transmission

Drivetrain	4x2
Transmission	Automatic
Transmission speeds	6

Driver assistance

Standard: Adaptive cruise control, Anti-lock brakes, Automatic emergency braking, Backup camera, Blind-spot monitoring, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning, Lane keeping assist

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: Advance Package, Base/Acura Watch Plus Package, Tech Package/Tech with Acura Watch Plus Package). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	183.5 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	73.6 in
Height	66.5 in
Wheelbase	105.5 in
Track, front	63.0 in
Track, rear	63.4 in
Curb weight	3,856 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	59/41

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here one configuration: 4-door SUV AWD. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

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Recalls (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Fuel System, Gasoline

KGC, KGD

2,490,460 vehicles 79% reported repaired

Problem Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail. Risk Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 23V858000 reported Dec 18, 2023 Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

Whether any of this applies to one specific RDX

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2018 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Acura publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Acura’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2018 Acura RDX, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

77complaints filed

5 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 3 injuries · 0 deaths reported

17 per 10,000 built · Acura reported 44,654 RDX built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2018: 10 · 2019: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2022: 6 · 2023: 7 · 2024: 28 · 2025: 8 · 2026: 10

Most-cited components

Fuel/Propulsion System 34

Power Train 12

Engine 11

Electrical System 8

Vehicle Speed Control 7

Unspecified 7

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

This is a history of getting work done on my car, the transmission hesitates and shifts very hard into the next gear, a software update was done to correct the issues and after 1100 miles it was back.

Power Train Feb 28, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11509600

When I am stopped the vehicle routinely lurches as I touch the gas. I’ve complained to the dealer about it and they can’t reproduce the problem. It does lurch for my husband also. It hasn’t caused any injuries or damage, so far

Fuel/Propulsion System Feb 10, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11506678

The car kept stalling while I was trying to accelerate on the highway. I pulled over and turned it off and the problem resolved itself

Vehicle Speed Control Apr 15, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11460877

The headlight assemblies are poorly designed and accumulate moisture. The water condenses on the inside of the headlight housing reducing lighting output. In sub zero temperatures the condensation freezes, further reducing light output. The reduced light output reduces the amount of usable light illuminating the roadway.

Exterior Lighting Jan 28, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11449278

1. I suffered a seatback failure in my 2018 Acura RDX when I was rear-ended at a high speed. The car is currently with my insurance company but I'm sure it's available for inspection. 2. The seatback failure made a big enough gap between my seat and seatbelt for me to slip completely under my seatbelt.

Seats Jun 15, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11420981

My vehicle was parked, running and unoccupied on the street. My wife entered from the passenger side reaching in to retrieve something from the center console. She pressed the start/stop engine button to shut off the vehicle. The car started rolling backwards down a hill, knocking my wife to the ground causing injury.

Structure at 23,000 miles Apr 27, 2020 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11322456

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by Acura itself: 24 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 29 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 54 per 100,000 built. Every RDX model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

When owners reported it

Reported at 6k

miles, typically

Half the 18 owner reports with an odometer reading on file fall between 3,000 and 25,000 miles. That is when problems get reported, which is not the same as when they start — and not a failure rate, because nobody knows how many of these cars never had a problem at all.

Too few readings for a curve — the 18 on file: 11 under 10k, 1 10k–20k, 2 20k–30k, 1 30k–40k, 2 80k–90k, 1 100k–150k.

Odometer readings as filed by owners with NHTSA. Readings under 100 or over 400,000 miles are dropped as data entry rather than history, and a component needs at least 12 readings before a median is shown for it.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
SUV AWD	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★☆	16%
SUV FWD	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★☆	16%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Extended coverage on file 2 filings by the manufacturer with NHTSA naming this model year

Term not in NHTSA’s summary · Acura bulletin B23-029The lock-up clutch cannot provide adequate holding force due to pressure bleeding down through a crack in the lock up piston.
Term not in NHTSA’s summary · Acura bulletin BBOM08312023901Dealer Message - Torque converters may not have been manufactured to proper specifications.

The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every Honda warranty extension (66) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 56

Most recentmanufacturer date 2025-06-04

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 53 service bulletins, 3 others

Most often about: Fuel/Propulsion System, Engine, Service Brakes, Electrical System, Steering.

ONL6T806032025 Acura Form Other
2025-06-04 · Power Train
Owner Notification Letter - Under certain circumstances, the torque converter lock-up clutch cannot provide adequate holding force due to pressure bleeding down through a crack in the lock-up piston. The reduced lock-up clutch capacity results in the transmission indicator flashing “D” and sets DTC P0741 Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Performance or Stuck Off.
ONL6T806032025 Acura Lett Other
2025-06-03 · Power Train
Owner Notification Letter - Under certain circumstances, the torque converter lock-up clutch cannot provide adequate holding force due to pressure bleeding down through a crack in the lock-up piston. The reduced lock-up clutch capacity results in the transmission indicator flashing “D” and sets DTC P0741 Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Performance or Stuck Off.
B23-029 Service bulletin
2025-04-18 · Engine
Service Bulletin - The lock-up clutch cannot provide adequate holding force due to pressure bleeding down through a crack in the lock up piston. The reduced lock-up clutch capacity results in the transmission indicator flashing “D” and set DTC P0741 Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Performance or Stuck OFF.
BEBM04182025901 Other
2025-04-18 · Engine
Dealer Message - Torque converters may not have been manufactured to proper specifications. As a result, the torque converter lock-up clutch cannot provide adequate holding force due to pressure bleeding down through a crack in the lock-up piston. The reduced lock-up clutch capacity results in the MIL not illuminating. “D” flashes and “Transmission Overheat” message appears setting DTC P0741 Torqu
B23-029 Service bulletin
2024-02-26 · Power Train — Automatic Transmission — Torque Converter
Service Bulletin - The lock-up clutch cannot provide adequate holding force due to pressure bleeding down through a crack in the lock up piston. The reduced lock-up clutch capacity results in the transmission indicator flashing “D” and set DTC P0741 Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Performance or Stuck OFF.
B23-035 Service bulletin
2024-01-10 · Engine And Engine Cooling
Service Bulletin - The MIL comes on during vehicle operation due to variations in the purge control solenoid valve spring, the valve wears unevenly and intermittently sticks. This may result in setting DTC P0441 (Evaporative Emission (EVAP) System Purge Flow Malfunction).
B23-035 Service bulletin
2023-12-15 · Fuel System, Gasoline
Service Bulletin - Due to variations in the purge control solenoid valve spring, the valve wears unevenly and intermittently sticks. This may result in setting DTC P0441 (Evaporative Emission (EVAP) System Purge Flow Malfunction).
B23-029 Service bulletin
2023-11-17 · Engine And Engine Cooling
Service Bulletin - The lock-up clutch cannot provide adequate holding force due to pressure bleeding down through a crack in the lock up piston. The reduced lock-up clutch capacity results in the transmission indicator flashing “D” and set DTC P0741 Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Performance or Stuck OFF.

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
P0171 P0171 on Acura →	The engine is running lean on bank 1: too much air, or not enough fuel, for the mixture the computer wants.	Fuel/Propulsion System · Mass air flow sensor →	15 bulletins
P0174 P0174 on Acura →	The engine is running lean on bank 2.	Fuel/Propulsion System · Mass air flow sensor →	15 bulletins
P219A P219A on Acura →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Fuel/Propulsion System · Fuel pump →	15 bulletins
P0741	The torque converter clutch is not locking up when commanded.	Power Train	8 bulletins · 2 owner reports
P0441 P0441 on Acura →	The evaporative purge is not flowing the way it should.	Fuel/Propulsion System · EVAP purge valve →	2 bulletins

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 2.3%

failed emissions

2,212 initial inspections of 2,168 vehicles.

Measure	The 2018 RDX	Every 2018 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	2.3%	3.0%	2,211
Failed the safety inspection	1.3%	1.9%	2,212
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0.32%	0.22%	2,212
Miles driven a year	9,343	10,002	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	77,362	82,833	odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2018 vehicle” is every 2018 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

RDX by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2026 A 0 1 23 mpg 2025 A 1 30 23 mpg 2024 B 2 12 23 mpg 2023 B 2 24 24 mpg 2022 B 2 31 24 mpg 2021 C 3 117 24 mpg 2020 C 5 348 24 mpg 2019 C 5 440 24 mpg 2018 this page A 1 77 23 mpg 2017 A 1 80 23 mpg 2016 C 2 41 23 mpg

Common questions about the 2018 RDX

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2018 Acura RDX have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 1 recall campaign for the 2018 Acura RDX. The most serious on file is 23V858000, covering Fuel System, Gasoline. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2018 Acura RDX?

NHTSA gave the 2018 Acura RDX 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 5-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it A (92/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2018 Acura RDX?

Across the 2 EPA-rated configurations of the 2018 Acura RDX, the best EPA combined figure is 23 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2018 Acura RDX?

Transport Canada measured it at 183.5 in long, 73.6 in wide (body, without mirrors), 66.5 in tall, on a 105.5 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,856 lb. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2018 Acura RDX?

Owners have filed 77 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Acura RDX, most often about fuel/propulsion system, power train, engine. Of those, 5 involved a crash, 3 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2018 Acura RDX?

The EPA smog rating for the 2018 Acura RDX is 3 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-II ULEV, Federal Tier 3 Bin 125 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2018 Acura RDX?

The manufacturer has filed 56 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2018 Acura RDX, most often covering fuel/propulsion system, engine, service brakes. The most recent is dated 2025-06-04. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2018 Acura RDX do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2018 Acura RDX failed the emissions check on 2.3% of first inspections — lower than the 3.0% for every 2018 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.3% (every 2018 vehicle: 1.9%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	2 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	2 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	1	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	77	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	2 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	56	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	none	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	No defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	13 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions	7 fields	Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications	Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

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