Vince D

Hey everyone,

Just hit the 50,000 mile mark this week; purchased in August 2020 at the height of the pandemic. Such a weird memory sitting in the showroom with everyone wearing masks carrying small bottles of Purex. Anyway, just thought I'd give you all the highlights and lowlights of what I've experienced so far in my RDX journey. Overall, I still find the driving experience very enjoyable. No major mechanical issues. No accidents, well, except for a head-on collision with a barn owl early on which crushed the grill, but it was an easy fix with insurance.

All-time MPG: 26.6
Always 92 octane
80% Comfort 10% Snow 10% Sport Mode. Since I'm retired, the 80% is mostly freeway driving between Washington and Oregon down I-5. Have taken many trips to Oregon wine country and the Cascade Range areas of Washington, so it's been a lot of long-haul trips.

All servicing by Acura dealer:
7,500 miles: A Service - December 20th, 2020: First oil change. Tire rotation. Multi-point inspection...cost $90 (No tax in Oregon!)
16,500 miles: B Service - July 31, 2021: Oil change. Differential Fluid Replacement. Cost $356 + tax. (Washington tax)
25,738 miles: A Service - April 1st, 2022: Oil change. Tire rotation. Replace engine air filter and cabin dust/pollen filter. (I know...probably could have done this myself, but they only charged me $12.50) Cost of service $203.
34,800 miles: B Service - Sept 20th, 2022: Oil change. Brake fluid. Cost: $370. Dealer also recommended that as an "additional service recommendation" a Part Top End Carbon Cleaning Service With Tank Additive be done at a cost of $170. Did not do this. Not even sure what this was, but I figured since I have always used 92 octane as recommended I should be in good shape. It was also at this point I mentioned the squeak in the rear axle area as I went over bumps. Didn't happen every time, though so it has been difficult to pinpoint where this is occurring. They could not hear any squeaks. Of course a week later I hear the squeaks, so I'm tabling this issue for now.
46,500 miles: A Service - June 21, 2023: Oil change. Code 3 Transmission Fluid Service and rear differential fluid replacement. I knew this was gonna cost me a pretty penny. Cost $720

Total cost of (dealer) service at 3 years and 50,000 miles with no major issues: $1739.

Distractions and nuisances:
The roof "popping" started at around 30,000 miles. I know many of you have had to deal with this nuisance. I've just sort of let it go, and expect it to pop when I'm going backing out of my driveway or driving diagonally over a speed bump.
Right around the same time, 35,000 miles, I'm starting to hear noises in the front driver side dash area. I just assume it's normal wear and tear.
CarPlay and speaker "Zap". I was hearing the "zap" in the speakers for quite some time as I plugged in my iPhone to start playing music. However, since upgrading my phone last year to 14 Pro, it has pretty much gone away. Not sure if it's due to a newer phone, or updates but it does not happen as frequently anymore.
At around 30,000 miles I noticed that my black wheel lugs were taking a beating. Fairly scratched up from wrenching and a couple of seasonal tire exchanges. So while they looked pretty for a time, by this point it's sort of a minor distraction. Having knowing what I know now, I would not have purchased the black lug nuts.

Other:
I'm still driving with the original Conti's in Spring/Summer/Fall and Michelin X-Ice in Winter, although last year I kept the snows on for longer than I expected last year. Currently the Conti's are at 7/32nd and hitting the yellow. Snows are at 8/32nd.

Overall, as mentioned, the car is still a pleasure to drive. I don't know about any of you, but I have not even used the paddle shifters. I've completely forgotten about them.
I haven't even really popped the hood; maybe once or twice in three years? I still enjoy watching the blue chevrons as I accelerate and hitting corners. I think I've counted 12 at the highest a couple of years ago.
In stop-and-go freeway traffic and while sitting at a stop light on an 18% grade Seattle hill, the Brake Hold is a godsend.
The music system is still giving me joy, those 16 speakers still hit the highest highs and each note still sounds perfect.
I'm probably gonna keep this car until it falls apart, so my next review will be at 100,000 miles

OK that's it for now. Hopefully I've included some information one or two of you can use. I haven't posted on this forum for quite a while, but I do check in and read many of your posts and will continue to chime in from time to time.

Madrvr

Thank you for sharing!

ross7777

Front driver side dash noise. Just stared hearing this in my 2022 at 16k miles. It's almost a slight buzzing. Very minor but since it's driver side I notice it.

Texasrdx21

Great write up. Thats very reliable in my book. Just add some fuel injector cleaner to a full tank of gas, that will help keep the system clean! Guess the transmission fluid is a costly maintenance item. Like you, have not had one issue in my 36 month/22k mile ownership. The RDX is a rock solid, reliable SUV.

anoop

What trim is it? A-Spec or Advance?

Vince D

Hey anoop - it's an Advance.

Vince D

Thanks for the fuel injector cleaner tip. I'm sort of a sucker for dealer-added recommendations, but $170 at a dealership was way over the line. "A man's got to know his limitations."

Yeah, I think I've just been fortunate; I mean, I do have it garaged most of the time and I pamper it like I treat all of my Acura's. My 2004 TSX finally died and it had 398,000 miles on it so I like to protect my investments.

Vince D

Yup. Mine is mostly creaks and squeaks. Like yours, minor issue most people wouldn't eve give it a second thought, but I know it's there and figure that's just the way it goes with an aging vehicle.

anoop

Back in the day I had a 2003 325i that I bought new and drove to 211k miles. There no rattles or creaks or squeaks till at least 150k miles. I owned a couple of recent BMWs and they were no where near as solid in build quality. RDX is well below that. My 2019 had lots of rattles after around 10k miles. The 2023 seems a bit better but I still only have 8k miles. But RDX is a better value and I think more fun to drive than recent BMWs.

Jason60121

Do you still have the suspension noise? I just started hearing it on my new to me 2020 aspec. I mainly hear it in bumpy parking lots at slow speed. My warranty expires this February so I’m probably going to take it in. So annoying.

russianDude

thats lower control arms. There is an updated part per TSB, you will have hard time getting it covered outside the warranty.

Jason60121

I already had this TSB done. Now since it’s been cold I hear noise and it sounds like it’s coming from the rear.

anoop

I had a situation where I’d get squeaking from the rear when going over speed bumps in the cold. It turned out to be a leaking rear shock. The cost to replace was $650 but I had a zero deductible acura care warranty that covered it.

Twism86

Good to hear all that!

I have a '21 A-Spec and I have the sun roof popping and I head a little left rear squeak from time to time, started now that its colder outside. I have just under 2 years left on my bumper to bumper (with the CPO extension) and im due for a free oil change soon. I was going to put off the sunroof but I figure its always better to bring up issues sooner than later to get it fixed. I have a bunch of bumpy level crossings I go over every day to and from work so I always hear it.

Jason60121

Not to hijack this thread but this info is helpful to see if I have a legitimate reason to bring it in to dealer.

Vince D

Yep. From the the rear axle-area on the driver's side It's there and although the noise has not increased, I can still hear it from time to time. It's weird but it's not occurring on every single bump; sometimes it will happen on a rough patch of road or backing out of my driveway over the curb. Dealer inspected all the safety areas of where the problem could be and found nothing, so at least from a safety standpoint that hurdle has been cleared.

What is also frustrating is that they test drove it and did not hear anything. I found that hard to believe, so when I drove it out after the service appointment I did not hear anything either!

russianDude

Dealers have tendency not to hear any noises or acknowledge issues when car under warranty.

Vince D

Jason60121

That’s why I always ask to ride with the tech!

jdorio

I had my 2021 Advance sunroof popping fixed under warranty. The popping was annoying and ruined the driving experience. Sometimes it was so loud, I thought the glass was going to shatter. It took all day to fix and it was a 2k repair if I had to pay out of pocket but it was definitely worth it to fix IMHO especially while your warranty is still active.

Jfkmk

I’m at just over 50k miles and my experience has been a little different. I perform all maintenance myself, with the exception of transmission fluid change, so I won’t comment on cost to maintain.

While driving the RDX is “ok”, I’m not that thrilled by a vehicle that is supposed to be a “premium” brand. It’s not particularly quiet or smooth riding, nor is it particularly peppy. I absolutely hate the fake (and fake sounding) engine noise, and have unplugged the module that produces that sound.

Here’s a list of things that have gone wrong with the vehicle, all of them fixed under warrantee.

Brakes replaced due to squealing.
Sunroof frame re-torqued due to popping. It’s starting again, though not as bad.
Intercooler replaced under tsb. That one almost got me killed.
Control arms replaced under TSB. When this work was done, the tech failed to properly torque front end parts. When I picked the vehicle up, it sounded like the front end was falling out.
Had a vicious rattle in the drivers side a pillar.

Now I’m starting to get the crackling sound coming from the front speaker that’s covered under the extended warrantee. Ok, it’s covered, but is this really a premium brand?? I think not.

Add to this the horrible hesitation when landing on the throttle, as well as terrible fuel mileage. The SH-AWD is, in my opinion, the only saving grace about this car.

Vince D

Hey Jfkmk,

Sounds like you've had a piss poor experience with your RDX. Sorry to hear that. I have a serious Q, though. You've driven the vehicle for 50,000 miles which is a fair amount of mileage, and it's obviously a vehicle that has not mechanically performed to your (and Acura) standards as well as a premium vehicle is expected to. What's keeping you or what has kept you from simply packing it in and getting rid of it? Just curious! Thanks,

Jason60121

What year is yours?

Jfkmk

A fair question, and one I’ve been asking myself. There’s several reasons for this.

With the exception of the intercooler issue, covered by the TSB, none of the issues left me stranded on the side of the road. Even when the RDX went into limp mode, I just shut it off for a few minutes, re-started, and it was ok. So, while being a pain in the neck, I would classify the issues as nuisances, though in my opinion, not issues a “premium” brand should be having.

Trading in a vehicle with only 50,000 miles on it just goes against my general nature. I do enjoy driving a nice vehicle, and prefer one that has some performance. But I know that, while I’d love to have a barn full of fun-to-drive cars, they are one of the worst investments you can make. And while I can certainly afford to get a new vehicle, not buying a new car every few years has allowed us to buy other toys that we really like.

The RDX does fit a need. I also have a pickup, which rides great, gets within a few mpg’s of the RDX and can haul anything I need it to. But, it’s a little too big when we want to go to any urban type of area. My wife drives a nice little coupe (my preferred vehicle type), but is a little impractical when we go somewhere with other people. So a small CUV it is! I’ve looked around at other CUVs asking myself which one I’d get to replace the RDX and I just can’t come up with a good answer.

For Jason60121, it is a 2020. I bought it in 2019, and we were in the middle of Covid and the chip shortage when a lot of these issues started happening. So, there weren’t too many cars to choose from, and what were available demanded a premium.

And while I do complain about it, the SH-AWD is absolutely amazing, no matter what the weather conditions. Put it in sport+ and the mileage suffers, but it really takes off!

ELIN

We all have to make tough choices and decide what's right for us! I had a TLX for 2 years and had to get rid of it because I didn't trust it with my life. It was worth the cost and time to get rid of it for something that hasn't given me any issues in 1+ years. The overpriced used car market in 2022 also helped make the decision easier!

Texasrdx21

Agree - been there before with a vehicle that was not reliable or safe. Sometimes you get a bad one, so punting is best IMO. Did that with a Jeep Grand Cherokee - only regret was I was slow to pull the trigger to trade her in.

My 3 years/22k miles with the 2021 RDX Aspec Shawd has been flawless. A beast of a road tripper, loves ripping in snow and super cold weather and just plain Honda/Acura reliable. Not to many other vehicles to consider to trade it for - but next time will be either a Hybrid CUV or something along the line of a 2024 X1/X2 M35i - that has the utility and significant performance over the RDX.

Early 2022 car market prices are gone as fast as a shooting star - today with 20-30K repo's daily, tons of used inventory and dealers sitting on lot of new inventory (especially EV's) - there are lots of choices for a savvy buyer with $$$$.

markAZ

Our 2021 Advance has about 19000 mi on it and has been trouble free altho I think it's developing the sunroof popping issue. Like Tex our next car will probably be a hybrid CUV, maybe about the time the warranty on the RDX runs out late next year. We've had good luck with Acura...our daughter's 2014, formerly ours, just turned over 70K and just now needed brakes but otherwise hasn't had any issues, just normal maintenance...but we'll probably look elsewhere if Acura doesn't offer a hybrid RDX. We'll see...

Vince D

Understood.

Like you, I purchased mine during covid in August 2020, and back then we joked that we got the "Covid 2.5% APR Special" and I'm not sure about rates now, but I don't think I'd be wanting to trade in mine for a new one at a much higher % rate. Just like when we bought our home at 2.4% we're not even thinking about buying another home at current 7% + rates.

Completely agree about SH-AWD performance in adverse conditions. I have complete peace of mind driving in snowy weather and Seattle torrential downpours...