My wife noticed today that while in our driveway, our RDX started to roll backward when she took her foot off of the brake while she was in Drive. Our driveway is inclined. It rolled all the way back into the street and only stopped because she put her foot on the brake. It's an automatic and not supposed to be able to roll backward while in gear, right?

 

Mine does the same thing.

 

It will roll back. Mine does the same thing. All the auto's I've had have done that. The only one that hasn't is my Audi which is a DSG. It will roll back for a second then will move forward.

 

I don't recall any of my other cars doing that. When I confirmed that the RDX does roll back in drive, I was surprised so I think my impression is that that didn't happen in any other automatic tranny car I've had. And I'm not talking about being on a hill, taking your foot off the gas and the car rolling back a couple of inches. I'm talking about the car rolling until you actually stop it with the brake. I'm completely off my rocker?

 

Well if it's on a relatively flat road with a very slight incline and it rolls back something might be wrong. Mine will move forward with my foot off the brake on a flat road. I thought you were referring to an inclined road.

 

It depends on how the torque converter is set up and how much "slippage" there is. In my Acuras there is no rolling back except on VERY steep hills.

 

I am still talking about on an incline. I just don't recall it happening on any car I've owned before. The RDX rolls backward (on an incline) while in drive like it was a stick shift and I just took my foot of the brake and the clutch was in.

So if Ken is correct and my RDX is set up like everyone else's, they should all freely roll backwards while on an incline while in Drive. Anyone's RDX not do this?

 

on an incline if the force produced by the engine idle doesnt overcome the force (gravity) pushing you down the incline, well the car will roll back. this is normal, and happens on every auto car i've owned if the incline is steep enough, some require steeper inclines than other, for example my corvette hardly ever rolls back (was passed down from my step-father i never bought an auto corvette)

 

When I'm on an incline my RDX will roll back a little but I've experienced this with all automatics that I've driven. I don't see it being out of the norm.

 

How steep is the incline? Our drive way is inclined as well but usually letting off the brake while in Drive just keeps the car still (I guess mine isn't as steep as yours).

My other car which is an auto as well does roll back if it's steep enough.

 

All auto cars I've owned will roll back on an incline. Completely normal.

 

As others have established, this is completely normal.

I'd be more concerned about the wife not realizing she was in a moving vehicle until it rolled all the way down your driveway and into the street!

 

It's normal!

 

the SH-AWD TL w/ hill assist wont roll back - foot on brake - release - brake holds

 

Yea, I heard that the new TL has some hill assist. It will hold car so it wont roll back for 3-5 seconds, so it gives enough time to reach to the gas pedal.
BTW, my RDX does that too.

 

Acura RDX add-on accessory can be purchased for $200 that stops the tires from rolling back. It's a very nice, well cut 2x4 bearing an embossed Acura symbol on both sides.

 

No she told me about it and I'm the one who let it roll to see how far it would go. I still don't recall any of my other cars doing this. Maybe I had torque converters that were adjusted differently. Weird when something happens and you have to think back and ask if it's ever happened before when you've done it hundreds of times and can't really recall if it ever did!