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2018 Acura RDX

Gas Compact SUV

20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Specs & fuel economyRecallsComplaintsCrash ratings
A
Safety Signal
92 / 100
ASafety Signal · 92 / 100
1Recalls · NHTSA campaigns
77Complaints · owner reports
5★Crash rating · NHTSA overall
23 mpgFuel economy · best combined

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 fuel/propulsion system. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy (EPA)

ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
RDX FWDGasFWD3.5L 6-cyl202823$3,350
RDX AWDGasAWD3.5L 6-cyl192722$3,500

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.

Out of factory warranty soon?

The 2018 Acura RDX is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (1)

Fuel System, Gasoline

high
2,490,460 vehicles

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.

NHTSA campaign 23V858000 · reported Dec 18, 2023 · Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

Owner complaints

77 complaints filed

5 involved a crash, 0 a fire, 3 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.

Filed by 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 — 17
  • Fuel System, Gasoline — 17
  • Power Train — 12
  • Engine — 11
  • Electrical System — 8
“A WESTBOUND DISTRACTED DRIVER SWERVED INTO MY LANE AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED AND MY AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM SLOWED ME TO THE POINT THAT I COULD NOT GET OUT OF THE WAY OF THE ONCOMING VEHICLE CAUSING MY VEHICLE TO ROLL OVER FOLLOWING IMPACT (SEE ATTACHED HSMV CRASH REPORT NUMBER 87263383).”Feb 7, 2019 · Service Brakes · NHTSA owner report
“HAVE HAD THIS CAR A YEAR. WITHING 6 MONTHS SHIFTER WOULD NOT SHIFT BACK TO PARK AND COULDNT TURN CAR OFF. DEALER FOUND ACORNS JAMMED IN TRANSMISSION SOMEWHERE FELT TO BE DUE TO SQUIRRELS OR OTHER RODENTS. THIS MONTH EMISSONS LIGHT CAME ON. FOUND FUEL LINE LEAKING DUE TO ANIMALS CHEWING ON IT. NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY…”Jan 21, 2019 · Structure · NHTSA owner report
“TODAY (12/30/18) OUR BRAND NEW 2018 ACURA RDX'S SUNROOF EXPLODED WHILE DRIVING ( STRAIGHT ROAD, NORMAL HIGHWAY SPEED, EXCELLENT WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LIGHT TO NO SUNDAY MORNING TRAFFIC). THE SOUND WAS A LOUD AND INTENSE POP OVERHEAD......THE GLASS SUNROOF WAS COMPLETELY SHATTERED. WE IMMEDIATELY CLOSED THE HEADLINER R…”Dec 30, 2018 · Structure · NHTSA owner report

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.

Crash ratings

ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆16%
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆16%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Other RDX model years

A

2026 RDX

0 recalls · 1 complaints

A

2025 RDX

1 recalls · 30 complaints

B

2024 RDX

2 recalls · 11 complaints

B

2023 RDX

2 recalls · 21 complaints

B

2022 RDX

2 recalls · 31 complaints

C

2021 RDX

3 recalls · 111 complaints

D

2020 RDX

5 recalls · 344 complaints

D

2019 RDX

5 recalls · 436 complaints

A

2017 RDX

1 recalls · 75 complaints

B

2016 RDX

2 recalls · 40 complaints

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). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 38766, 38767). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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