Universal Traveler

I just had to replace my rear shocks on my brand new 2012 rdx. with 6,000 miles The dealer indicated that the '13 models have been having bad shock problems. Just a heads up to you all.

Universal Traveler

I mean 2013 rdx.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

good lookin out

Dorsey

Search for posts by handfiler. He pretty much has it figured out.

Steven Jeffries

I have the same problem. Took it to the dealer and they said they couldn't recreate the problem. But that was BS because together we took the car for a test drive and recreated the problem once. They just chose not to do anything about it. The the rear shocks have "bottomed out" several times on speed bumps and pot holes. It's very dramatic when it happens. That along with the low beam headlight problem makes me an UNHAPPY Acura ( 2nd Acura) customer.

CoachRick

Interesting...4500 miles and no trouble with rear shocks. We have plenty of deepish stormwater 'dips' at our central Texas intersections; making for many opportunities to test out the shock performance.

I wonder if this is an insidious failure or a result of one instance of 'trauma'.

It will be worth noting if there are certain shock model or lot #s involved or if it likely will involve all '13 RDXs eventually. I'll be in for the first service in a few weeks. Perhaps, more will be known by then.

hand-filer

It would be nice if people would add their user location in settings. That would provide us with some insight as to whether or not this is a temperature related issue.

hand-filer

They seem to handle dips and bumps without issue. It's sunken manhole type road surface irregularities that they don't react well to.

CoachRick

I see. We don't have too much snow/ice down here, so most of the roads are pretty good. My Spidey-sense keeps me away from most pot-holes(Developed that Spidey-sense initially with a Triumph TR-6 and fine-tuned it while driving an early Miata ). Still, I do engage the occasional hole-in-the-road; but so far, so good. I wonder if it takes just one good 'smack' to bust things up and result in the failure...or were the shocks just miserable to start with???

hand-filer

Our roads are shite up here as a result of the weather extremes. My mustang has the optional Brembo brake/handling (stiff) package so I try and avoid the pot holes and such as well.
My RDX made the sound right out of the gate but I bought it in early December and we were already experiencing below freezing temps.
Lately we have been experiencing -20 to -30F temps and the thumping banging sounds reappear, albeit much less pronounced, when the temperature goes past -25.
This would indicate that my shock replacement fix is masking the actual cause of the noise.
Something in the back is loose and or resonating and it takes the right combination to set things off.
I'm sure it will get resolved eventually.

CoachRick

Dang! And I thought it was a little too chilly HERE!
http://www.weather.com/weather/5-day...+TX+78717:4:US

weather

^^^ I am so envious of your weather! I am so tired of winter and the mess that it brings. I am in a position where I can now think about spending 3-4 months a year away from work and in a warmer climate. I am thinking that my winters in Canada are coming to an end...I just now need a spot to rent/buy down south and find the ideal place....Nice problem to have Oh and decide which vehicles to take with me....*lol*

Dorsey

Weather - Come on down! Lots of houses for sale here in central Florida at good prices. We even let you turn right on red lights and have real left turn arrows (instead of blinking the amber light).

CoachRick

The parents of our next-door neighbors come straight down I-35 each year for 4+ months. Some years, they stay until the very end of the allowed 'visitation' period. They got stuck one year and actually had a bit of trouble getting back into Canada. I think they 'build in' a few extra days, now . I imagine it's tough to leave weather in the 70s if you know there's 3 feet of snow on the ground 'back home'.

Actually, it's an unwritten weather 'rule' that we will have two days in February when the temps hit 90...THAT'S a little strange, but it's happened 4 out of 5 years for us.

weather

*lol* That sounds like an offer I can't resist! I know the housing market in the US is a bit hurting at the moment and although I would hate to take advantage of the vulnerability of the folks in the US, if I can afford one without any problem, why not take advantage of it right?! My biggest problem is to find someone who would accept looking after the property while I am away, or someone who want to live there for virtually nothing.



I am not sure I would want to risk staying longer than I am authorized to stay but as you stated, leaving temps in the 70-80's to come back in the snow but in March, the weather is getting nicer and nicer

dalmeida

Yeah but don't you have bugs as big as cats and Alligators that like to cross roads?

Dorsey

The feral pythons eat the bugs and the alligators eat the pythons. We make shoes out of the alligators so it all works out.

danmangto

My rear shocks on my 2013 RDX Tech, are totally ok.. no issues. The car does ride a little hard-stiff, but this is a characteristic of the vehicle. My 2011 Touring Oddy does the same thing. It doesn't have the floaty, 1970's mushy ride of say a Toyota-Lexus product. Kind of funny, Lexus has made the ride on their newest generation cars more stiff-Honda Like and some customers are now complaining... go figure?

Universal Traveler

The service dept told me that they had a problem with the first lot #'s for the '13 rdx and they have built new ones. So they replaced mine with the new lot #'s. I bought the car in Salt Lake City where the roads were pretty good. I started hearing a rattling noise from the rear at about 1000 miles. Took it in for them to look into it and they said they found no problems. I then moved to Wisconsin around 4500 miles on the car. Thats when I started having problems with the car bottoming out over potholes and bumps in the road. I suspected the early rattling was associated with the now bottoming out. I'm glad I took it back as the problem is now resolved, hopefully.

Spirited Driver

Can you please provide the name and location of the dealership that replaced the shocks and told you that there was a problem with the first lot #'s on the shocks?

The ILX is experiencing the same. They both have the newly designed multi damper struts/shocks.

Thanks.

denizen77

That's absolutely right. I believe both the ILX and the RDX are using the new "amplitude reactive dampers", probably coming from the same source too.

musty hustla

...the trash heap

They are horrible on bumpy roads.

mindanalyzer

Universal Traveler

It was Zimbrick Acura in Middleton Wisconsin.

Patels1995

Same issue here, I live in Appleton wi and my rear shocks have already been replaced once, but I still had the issue, so I brought it to the dealership again! The dealership said nothing is wrong, so I went on and I heard the noise again. I brought my car in again and the dealership is like come back again and we will test drive your car. So the fourth time I went and I took a technician with me and he realized this was abnormal. Now he is saying let me test drive another acura rdx and then we will talk. ACURA ARE YOU SERIOUS???? I DIDN'T PAY 40K FOR YOUR LAME SERVICE AND MALFUNCTIONING CAR!!!!!!!!

Spirited Driver

That's what I'm saying. We are experiencing the same with the ILX's

Please keep up posted. Thanks.

Busy Livin'

Yes, a car making a noise is malfunctioning. Acura did it on purpose when they rolled out this redesigned model...they are out to get you. You should have known better and paid the $50K for one of the European companies' similar offerings that don't make noises and are known for their overall reliability and low cost of ownership.

weather

^^ Insert sarcasm here *lmao*

Patels1995

On all serious matterS what can I do?? Client services they can't do anything because the technician said it makes the odd noise in the other car. I wish I could trade my car for an x3 or a q5but it would cost way too much. I reported it to bbb.org. Do you have any other rational ideas?

Patels1995

So the technician drove a new car and said the rdx is like that it is suppose to make that noise yea I'm pulling the bs card out on that

hand-filer

Yes it makes this noise when new so that when the car is worn out it will still have that new car feel!

weather

^^ LMAO.....Now that is clever and witty! They should use that as their "Smart Luxury" slogan

hand-filer

If I can crack someone up, it's been a good day for me.

weather

^^ I am excatly the same. I love humour and I love to see people happy and laughing around me. Life is already complicated and stressful enough....I don't want to grow old and bitter....Its bad enough being ugly

hand-filer

I just got off the phone with Acura Canada. It looks like there have been enough complaints for this to warrant their attention. They were short on specifics but Honda engineering is working on a repair that is not too far off from being released.

weather

AWSOME!!! That should mitigate one of the biggest and most consistent complaint associated with the RDX! Thanks for the update!!

hand-filer

It gets even better. They are also working on the vibration issue. They are revising the programming of the VCM system.
This was confirmed by someone that I know that works for Honda.

Spirited Driver

Any mention with the ILX since we are experiencing the same?

hand-filer

No. The conversation related to the RDX and these people are pretty much limited to whatever script they're handed.
I'm pretty sure the ILX issues will be resolved too.

weather

OMG...The news keeps getting better and better! I'd give you a hug right now but given my past jokes about the blond wig and the part of the car that makes you shift from gear to gear (won't name it), it is probably better that I don't offer *lol* Although its all done in good joke, I keep forgetting that sometime, my humor could be deemed offensive even though anyone that knows me would say that I am the biggest pussy cat!