spinedoc777

I often feel like it's a POS, but it's really not, but those complaints are well justified. The transmission is jerky, and there is the huge issue of the hesitation when braking and then quickly accelerating which is dangerous in some situations. Don't even get me started on the humongous steaming pile of crap the infotainment system is. Engine automatic shut off hasn't been an issue for me other than the major annoyance that I'm forced to live with it, but I run in Sport+ 99% of the time so it doesn't really affect me. Otherwise I just don't find it really much of a "luxury" vehicle, it's more of a top of the line Honda if anything. This is the first Acura (never had a Honda either) in my life, and will most likely be my last. With these kinds of issues I would be concerned with longevity.

Meto

I will never even consider a Honda/Acura ever again in my life... I have major regrets that I was so taken advantage of by this company. As many cases as I opened and never heard a word unless I did the follow-up.

Opened a case last Friday with Hyundai asking about widescreen support for Android Auto and if it was coming soon. Received a message about two hours later that a software release is imminent to address that. The thing is I actually believe them unlike Acura

JB in AZ

I've stayed quiet about your Hyundai purchase, up to this point. Congrats on the new SUV! It certainly seems to fit your needs better than the RDX.
Let me say upfront, that I am not a fan boy of any manufacturer, and have owned multiple vehicles of many brands, except Hyundai.

I had the exact opposite experience with the '17 Hyundai Tucson Limited that I bought new. Many, many visits to the dealer to attempt to repair issues that started the day after purchase. Lies, lies, lies and repeated total incompetence from ALL the dealer personnel. And communication from Hyundai itself was no better. Unless a new dealer comes to my town, I will never even consider another Hyundai/Kia/Genesis (or sadly) Mazda product. (Combined one owner Hyundai/Kia/Mazda dealer). It's a shame, as I believe the Koreans have made huge advances and are now near or at the top of the class of mainstream manufacturers, and have the ability to easily reach that with the Genesis brand (pending their own dealership network)

With all this said, the Palisade/Telluride twins are bigger vehicles than I have any need for, and I hope your new car truly fulfills your desires, needs and expectations.

With this said, the only issue I have had with my RDX is the soft brake pedal, (fixed by TSB, with an updated TSB to be installed this week) and an occasional slow loading of the infotainment system. I may have found a work-around for this....It seems worse when the main display shows the Sirius XM...when I have it showing the map, and the XM on the small screen, it seems to be fine. More experience needed, but so far promising. I've had no issues when using a USB flash drive. Hoping for AA soon, but if not, oh well. I knew that car didn't have it when I bought it.

spinedoc777

My previous lease was a Genesis, great car. Hyundai gets what "luxury" means and they didn't just upscale Hyundai vehicles and slap a luxury brand name on them. Even my wife's Sonata was nicer than this, and her Android Auto and Apple Carplay work perfectly. If I could offload my lease I'd do it in a second.

spinedoc777

Dealers can be hit or miss, certainly the Hyundai dealer near me kind of sucks and I don't give them my business. But some of these RDX issues are not constrained to dealers, they are across Acura as a brand. Certainly the infotainment issues and the fact that this has not been fixed yet has to be a huge embarrassment to them, but it seems more likely that they don't really care that much. I'd definitely also consider the ratings of Hyundai/Genesis as a company versus Honda/Acura these days.

Stew4HD

The class action lawsuit against Acura and Honda over these issues should make them step up.. eventually

SebringSilver

I don’t have an opinion on JD Powers but my 2019 RDX certainly has had some quality control issues.

Upon Delivery:

- rear hatch wasn’t aligned properly (adjusted by dealership)
- two dents in the body work (sent to a body shop for repair)
- deep gash in leather on the bottom of steering wheel (replaced)
- wobbly front passenger seat (seat rails replaced and seat reinstalled)

After several months:

- rear hatch started to moan and groan every time it was opened or closed (rear hatch struts replaced)
- gas tank door would not open and emergency release cable didn’t work either (door latch replaced plus free tank of gas!)

Aside from the gas tank door, the other issues I’ve had were not reliability problems, per se. But Acura really needs better quality control.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

Yea I mean all car models have issues, it's really come down to your luck sometimes. I haven't had any issue out of my 4 late model Honda's other than a wire harness recall for the CTR. Long may this continue!

Blu2

I’m not doubting that some 2019 have acceleration after braking issues, infotainment issues, and limp mode. However, it may be a vocal minority or early production issue that makes it appear worse than it is. So far I have no issues over 8000km on my 2020 plat elite. This includes 5000km travelling to (and within) 3 US and 3 Canadian national parks over a variety of road conditions and weather conditions. My only complaint is it seems the headlights are aimed slightly too high which is most noticeable during hilly terrain. I’ll mention it and have it calibrated/checked during my first oil change.

No limp mode, transmission is responsive when accelerating after braking, and my infotainment is served with CarPlay which works bug-free (except for an occasional music skipping which may be Apple Music related). Honestly, I love everything about the car, coming from a fairly bombproof but sluggish-feeling 2015 Toyota Venza v6 XLE. The tuning of the engine, tech and creature comfort makes me look forward to driving it everyday. Also, as a guy with larger quads, the thigh room itself makes the seats best-in-class.. I gladly give up some console space for that lol! Would definitely consider a RDX type-s if it is ever made.. although I am not impressed with how Acura is communicating in regard to problems.

Tony Pac

Serious buyers should be careful: don’t be fool by just a few messages and garbage and power lol

Do yourself a favour! Check the sales numbers of Acura against its German and Japanese rivals. You will get your answer

The new RDX stand in top 3 competing and even beating Q5 and GLC some months. Impressive!

zroger73

Don't be fooled by sales numbers, either. Walmart sells more Vizio TV's than Best Buy sells Sony TV's, but that doesn't make Vizio more reliable. Most consumers gravitate toward lots of features at low prices while reliability and actual performance take a back seat.

mathnerd88

Yeah, that’s true. Volume does not always equal quality and reliability. Sadly, in this case it is true. I had my first freak out CarPlay infotainment issue in just over two months of ownership. My screens were flickering on and off and so was the screen in between the tachometer. I didn’t realize it was because of CarPlay and spent a long time on the side of the road figuring out the problem. Restarting the car never fixed the issue but issue resolved right after I unplugged my iPhone XS Max. Shortly afterwards I got the drive mode unavailable issue which resolved after waiting a bit and restarting the vehicle. Spent two hours trying to fix the problem on the side of the road. It became very dangerous.

The three button restart never fixed the issue either. I actually haven’t read this problem where both screens would flicker on and off on the forums and never experienced it before.

I still love the RDX because I still haven’t found a suitable replacement vehicle that could match the driving dynamics as well as the features and cost, but I’m definitely considering other luxury brands such as Lexus or BMW or Mercedes in the future.

Tony Pac

That's very true. Don't forget that I was able to buy a 65 inch Vizio tv for my office for $650 CDN and we bought a 65 inch Samsung TV for the boardroom with same specs for $2,200 CDN. Whereas a GLC or Q5 do not cost 3 times more than an RDX

Over 60K units were sold in the US and that cannot be a fluke. It's very easy to look at 200 negative reviews but look at the other 58K happy customers as well. This is not just about Acura RDX but in general. I cannot avoid a resto that got 5,000 reviews with 4.8 ratings because a few unhappy customers who gave a one-star review. Let's be rational and do some analysis before making conclusions.


Also, What's Infiniti QX50's JD power rating? I assume good or execellent...wht it doesn't sell? It's 2-3K more expensive than RDX?

Tony Pac

100% volume doesn't equal quality and reliability. But at the same time, thousands of customers do not have any issue and their car runs smooth.

mathnerd88

My issues as I suspect mirror most of the other owners. Mechanically the car is fine. The infotainment system is definitely buggy and intermittent.

cbstsx09

I guess I am going to take the win and fell lucky that I got a great one off the line that does what it is supposed to do and everything works. I have had much less issue with this car than my BMW before this one.

Tony Pac

From June 2018-July 2019, Acura sold more than 60-70K units of 2019 model. And I can assure you the majority of buyers share the same experience as you. I feel terrible when I see some of the buyers are experiencing major issues. I know they spent 40-50K and it's unfair. But I know it could happen with any car or brand.
When I bought my 2016 Mazda CX5 over CRV and Rav 4. I was criticized by my friends. They all told me that Mazdas are bad and I should have bought a RAV 4 or CRV. Exactly 3 years and not a single issue and one of my friend who purchased a RAV4 2 months after me. He is getting rid off it. He literally visited the dealer 3 times for tailgate, 2 times for suspensions and 1-2 times for his turn signals. Now he is thinking to get Mazda CX 5 or even a Sante Fe.

mathnerd88

I have a 2015 Rav 4. No issues whatsoever and has 55k miles. It's a solid workhorse and feels a lot more reliable than my RDX, only because it doesn't have as much complicated electronics or things to fail. Every now and then on rare occasions I get a flashing Brake signal when there is nothing in front of me on my RDX. I understand that the RDX issues are mainly just software related, so I'm not too worried about the reliability of the RDX. My friend has a Mazda and had issues with it, but all mostly electrical. One time he needed to replace his amp/radio which cost him roughly $800 on his Mazda 3.

Given there are actually class action lawsuits against Acura for infotainment issues, I would NOT disregard it as a "rare occurrence" and that majority of the buyers aren't experiencing issues.

RDX10

Hey, for what it's worth, I've had a vizio flat screen in my room for like 7 years now and it's absolutely bullet proof!

Tony Pac

I believe you and you see we experienced two opposite scenarios.

That’s why we can just make a decision based on a few cases here and there. The sales volume shows the success of any product.

fiatlux

I would argue sales volume is a trailing indicator with regards to reliability. It represents the success of the previous product, because nobody knows how the current one will perform.

EXCALIBUR1

I drove my 2002 Acura MDX with pride for sixteen years. I was looking to downsize to a smaller CUV. The 1G and 2G RDX had not interested me. The 3G RDX did the trick. I'm very happy with mine.

PAPI007

We bought all Vizio TV's for the All 5 bedrooms and they have also been bulletproof. One of them we have had for 10 years.

mathnerd88

I agree with you. Sales volume does equal success in terms of profits. However, it doesn't equal reliability. There are plenty of infotainment system complaints if you search online, and again there are class action lawsuits currently happening now. Even many review websites already comment on the unreliable infotainment system.

https://www.consumerreports.org/car-...bility-issues/

If anything, it seems to be an issue to a significant number of buyers. The RDX lost its recommendation on CR over reliability issues with the infotainment system. I believe that the RDX is reliable mechanically, but needs to really step up with software glitches.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

If you google "infotainment system freezing", you will see many other cars have the same issue.

Chevy Bolt
https://www.chevybolt.org/threads/in...reezing.14354/

Mazda (lol they even have an article teaching people how to reboot the system if it freezes up):
https://www.mazdaofgermantown.com/bl...em-has-frozen/

Chrysler:
https://www.chryslerminivan.net/thre...-again.148697/

GM:
https://www.gminsidenews.com/forums/...pdates-252081/

Subaru:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Subaru_Outb...hen_bluetooth/

Volvo:
https://www.volvov40club.com/threads...booting.19594/

Jaguar:
https://www.ftypeforums.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=2281

Camaro:
https://www.camaro6.com/forums/showthread.php?t=556196

CX-3:
https://www.cx3forum.com/forum/gener...g-restart.html

Hyundai:
https://www.hyundai-forums.com/threa...tartup.630513/

Mini:
https://www.minif56.com/threads/info...reezing.82378/

VW:
https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2644

Lexus:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...tem-froze.html

You just pray that your system doesn't freeze up haha.

Midnight Mystery

That just proved modern cars have too much electronic stuff in them.

If Honda is able to refine the system until it's working correctly, then it shall be wonderful. Wishful thinking?

Tony Pac

Great points! The infotainment is causing issues but it’s a software thing.

The issue is technology. Now cars are like video games unfortunately. I know we all get excited for digital dash and etc but in 5 years, we will face many other issues that will reduce the long term reliability of a car.

iforyou

iTrader: (1)

Yea, for the RDX, they also have to work hard with Google to fix all the glitches. And I don't know, it being an Android system may make it Apple Car Play less reliable..haha.

Joke aside, the fact that it's a brand new infotainment system means that it's very likely to have more glitches that people would want. For me I guess I have been lucky that my infotainment system hasn't acted up. I actually quite like it.

anoop

The RDX infotainment system contains several firsts and is essentially leading the way for the rest of the Acura lineup. First year for a completely new system means bugs are a given. If you look at other manufacturers they have all faced similar issues when they did a major overhaul of their systems. For example, look at Volvo's S90 infotainment issues or Alfa's Giulia issues.

Madd Dog

You need to do more time at the range.

anoop

Acura got dinged by CR, with RDX being Acura's least reliable model.
https://www.parsintl.com/eprints/69594-1.pdf

PWMDMD

I'd argue sales has NOTHING to do with actual reliability of a particular model and it's entirely based on general public's perception of the brand and non-reliability-related characteristics of the vehicle.

The RDX sells well because:

1. Honda/Acura still has better than deserved reliability in the public's mind because of reliability ratings it earned 10-20 years ago.

2. It is a wonderfully packaged vehicle that is immediately engaging to drive, looks good, it's the right size for many and relatively inexpensive.

The fact is the vast majority of people buying any vehicle has no good way and/or desire to really vet a vehicle's reliability prior to purchase. All forums have complainers so unless you really take the time to read between the lines they are not helpful. There is a general sentiment that all reliability surveys are inaccurate and/or paid advertising by manufactures. Car magazines/websites don't seem to focus on reliability and/or don't keep cars long enough to really know long-term reliability. Lastly, most people make these purchases based on excitement and emotion and not based on objective reasoning. The more exciting the vehicle, within reason as far as price, features, and size, the more it sells. The RDX is an exciting vehicle.

All that said, in the end, sales are never an endorsement for reliability. Lots of unreliable cars sell well.....

Tony Pac

Moral of story, a successful car is successful, regardless of any internal or external factors. Thanks for clarifying

At the moment, as you described, RDX is well packaged and just killing it. Let’s wait for the next Acura car, Type S. It will be another beasts!

In Canadian market, RDX and QX50 were released within days apart. The good news is that the RDX sells 3 times more than the QX50. Not too bad, right?

mathnerd88

The reason why QX50 isn't doing as well is because of that horrid CVT transmission that Nissan/Infiniti keeps trying to peddle onto their product line as well as an outdated interior design using the same navigation software as cars in 2014. Honda is starting to do the same and adding CVT transmissions to their product line. Once they start introducing CVT transmissions to Acura, I won't be buying another one. Also, the QX50 is actually more expensive than the Acura RDX while having less features, which also contributed to it selling way less.

Also, reviews online do not recommend the QX50 which also contributed to it not doing so well. Acura RDX was recommended by many reviewers initially, but now many reviewers are starting to withdraw their recommendation. Acura RDX's success may be shortlived. Time will tell. If Acura doesn't fix their infotainment system soon then this too will flop.

mathnerd88

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony Pac

Moral of story, a successful car is successful, regardless of any internal or external factors. Thanks for clarifying

Also, success of a product doesn't equal sales numbers to me. It equals profit the manufacturer makes from its sales. Apple can sell way less iPhones than Samsung but yet is way more profitable. That's success to me because it means that a company can sell a product that costs less to make while public perception of the product is of higher quality so they continue to pay higher prices for it. It also means that the company has more money to pour into R&D so that product can be continuously updated and have very little/no software issues like iOS as supposed to Android. You can see that even iPhones that are more than 4 years old still running the latest version of iOS without stability issues while Samsung will only support two years of updates of Android on their phones. Most of all, customer satisfaction with Apple is higher than that of Android. The only thing I hear complaints of on Apple is mostly that it's more expensive than Samsung. Also, if there were issues with the iPhones, and this is the key here, that Apple will issue a fix very quickly to resolve them.

Acura definitely fails in this regard with R&D into their software and electronics.

If Infiniti makes more profit with less sales than Acura, then Infiniti is more successful. Your definition of success, at least IMHO, is flawed.

Tony Pac

Loved your analysis. Very logical And accurate. Thanks

Guys, wait for the QX50, the sales will jump 300-400% in the next few months and all reviewers will recommend it 🤣 14 months was a fluke for RDX.
Merci - bonne journée