I apologize in advance for the following statement if it bothers anyone

To me the RDX has a tremendous engine, great comfortable seats, tremendous AWD system, terrific looks and fantastic cargo space for its class. In my situation, I just cannot ignore the brakes, adaptive cruise issues, navigation/hud synchronization, infotainment system, Auto High beams blinding people and the lack of cargo space for my family and I. Yes, I have been negative about these issues, but backed them up with facts. I can also tell you my first car was a 1971 Monte Carlo SS that I personally worked on, but cost me a mountain of money to keep on the road. I have owned Chevrolet, Ford, Buick, Chrysler, Dodge, Mazda, Honda, Hyundai and Acura in my life time and have personally worked on many of these vehicles myself. As an american citizen I can only say that I expected much more out of the American Car makers, but every one of them had a lot of issues. I bought my first Mazda 3 in 2005 and then a 2010 Mazda CX-9 and both cars were absolutely rock solid with no problems during full ownership. Mazda was not adding "luxury" features to the CX-9 like the other foreign manufacturers, so I looked at Volvo first, but I felt the XC60 was out of my price range. I went with the RDX as I found I could get the features of the Volvo at a lower price and I heard the reliability of the Honda/Acura models was solid. I have a 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid that my son drives and has had no problem with it and even though the Acura dealer was an hour from my house, I took the plunge.

Well, nearly 14 months later, I have changed my mind as I was never more frustrated with a vehicle in over 40 years of driving and numerous vehicles. Not only with the issues that passed QA, but the inability of Acura to address these issues in a timely manner and a staff at Acura Care who open cases and then forget about you. I had hopes that the 2020 would show fixes to the car and then basically state that it was a "first year model" problem, but nothing was changed. The issues are still happening, multiple lawsuits have been filed and I don't have the patience and time to continue playing phone tag with Acura and driving back and forth to a dealership who shrugs every time I show up. My time is way too valuable for that and so is everyone else's that follow this forum.

Having said that, the Acura dealer has agreed to purchase my car back and I will come out ahead on the deal. I ordered a brand new 2020 Hyundai Palisade Limited with AWD for less than what I purchased my RDX for and it has everything I want and more with the cargo space I need. I sincerely hope that everyone on this forum gets the support and fixes that they deserve for the RDX and I will continue to follow this forum for some time in hopes that those things are resolved. I wish nothing but happiness for those of us that are car owners, but when you have to take time out of your busy lives to consistently and constantly contact a company to please fix your car, then it is not worth it anymore. Especially at this price point and many consumer advocates and others are taking notice.

At least my Hyundai dealer is 10 minutes from my house and in 4 years of Sonata ownership, I have never had to call them. In fact, they call me to check up on how the car is doing for me... EVEN 4 years later..

Now that's service and some people may not believe the hype, but it is real and Hyundai is not messing around.

Good Luck to you all and the most important thing I can say is document and video your issues, present them to your dealer and if not satisfied, request a meeting with the District Service Manager. Based on that meeting, I received a large amount to compensate for the issues until they were "fixed". Well a year after that payment, nothing has been addressed. It helped me come out ahead on this sell back to the dealer and provided a nice down payment on my new Palisade.

 

Thanks for sharing your story. I am actually headed to the dealer today. Not sure how much good it will do. I am just getting tired of all the BS and broken promises for over a year now.

 

Good luck to you. I understand your frustration. I told myself I'd never buy another Acura after the TLX debacle I went through but decided to give them another chance.. fooled me twice, shame on me.

 

Sounds like you got burned by an American automaker yet again. I consider Acura more American than Japanese since the design, engineering, and manufacturing largely takes place in the US.

 

Good point... (slaps self)

 

Completely understand your reasons for departing Acura. Hyundai and Kia's twin large SUVs are game changers and are really worth considering. It would be sweet if Hyundai/Kia would offered the twin turbo 3.3L as an engine option down the road.

I've kept my 06 TSX, 08 RDX, and 11 MDX longer because I wasn't too excited about the new models that superseded that gen. The MDX sport hybrid was the only model that seemed to check all the boxes for me. The 3rd Gen MDX technology/styling is older and info-tainment is outdated: but, (so far) very reliable. I will wait until the 3rd Gen RDX MMC or 4th Gen MDX MMC before deciding to jump ship or keep loyal to the brand (looking for Type-S or Sport Hybrid in either model to replace the 11 MDX).

 

Absolutely, not only are they designed, engineered and manufactured in USA, majority of their buyers are also in America.

 

As someone who was an ASE master certified technician for 12 year and worked for two Acura dealerships, I understand you completely. In my heart the 3rd gen TL is the best Acura had built and I will not be buying another Acura. I've experienced many different things in my life from manufacture A to Z. I wouldn't say my TL didn't have it's fair share of issues but after my generation, Acura just kept going down hill. From all the crap we kept seeing rolling through the doors. It kept getting worse and worse. That's something that a majority of people will never see. Customer buys a brand new vehicle for example at the time it was a new 2014 MDX, we had taken the entire interior apart to trouble shoot an electrical issue. Ended up needing a whole new floor harness from the dashboard back. When the new RLX came out, my god, we were killed with all sorts of electrical issues. The TLX had a ton of transmission issues and other things. The sad part, these were all brand new cars with 1000 miles or less. Nobody should be brand loyal today. There's nothing wrong with buying Korean, and honestly speaking, Hyundai and KIA are owning up to manufacturing defects and taking care of it under recall. Acura won't and never will own up to their mistakes. Congratulations on your new vehicle. May you have many trouble free miles and memories.

 

I was expecting this to end with you saying you were buying a CX9. Just wondering why you chose the Palisade over the Telluride?

Come back and post pics when you get it! We love pics here, even of non-Acura cars.

I was under the impression that you really liked your RDX. Sad to see you're having issues too.

 

The more little issues that I keep having, the less I like it. Mostly, I am not happy with buggy infotainment system and transmission.. I was doing my best to give them time and benefit of doubt to fix things. After a year into it, nothing has really changed other than a few minor bugs.

 

Good luck with your new vehicle and congrats!
Enjoy the new ride.

 

I will definitely post pictures and show video of how a USB Audio system should work

I chose the Palisade over the Telluride as I felt the ride was a little better in the Palisade as the self leveling suspension is standard in the Palisade, but you have to buy the towing package to get that feature in the Telluride. Plus it had the power folding seats for the cargo area, two extra speakers for the HK Surround system and I think it looks more upscale as well, but that is just me. I have seen a few Telluride's on the road and no doubt it is a nice looking vehicle.

 

That’s why all the problems. I had a first gen CL and then Tl. Both were 100% Japanese and never had an issue. The people at the dealership in the late 90’s were all top notch. Today, we’re we live now they could care less, do not even know the products, play stupid with known issues and have the personality of a turnip. That’s what’s frustrating besides all the vehicle issues.

 

Yeah, nothing worse than going into a dealership and schooling the salesperson on their own product. This is Acura, you have a total of FIVE cars to know about.

 

Meto - You tried as best you could to get things corrected. Enjoy your new ride.

Billy

 

I gotcha. I'm the same, I have a tolerance level for automotive gremlins. Overtime the little things start wearing on me though and at some point I just decide I've had enough.

Haha please do! Hyundai and Kia have the BEST infotainment system in the industry IMO so no surprise there.

I like how they managed to take 2 vehicles and build them on the same platform with the same drivetrain but managed to make them completely different flavors. I definitely prefer the Telluride styling, but the Palisade is definitely more upscale and from the couple reviews I've seen, also of a higher quality materials wise. It's historically been that way though, Kia is sporty while Hyundai is more comfortable and luxurious.

What color combo did you go with? Also I'm pretty sure the limited has heated/cooled second row seats and heated third row seats as well! Talk about premium!

 

Im in the same boat but I am just having infotainment issues. I told myself 60 days starting 8-1-19 and if nothing is resolved after my multiple dealer visits then I am buying the Telluride. It's an awesome vehicle with a great warranty.

 

I'm not sure Hyundai Palisades are rock solid either.
https://www.palisadeforum.com/thread...t-problem.111/

Original article reported in Korean.
https://coderlife.tistory.com/649

That sounds more scary than just a silly infotainment issue. It sounds pretty serious especially if it causes health problems. If this is true, I would hesitate before buying ANY first gen product. Hyundai isn't immune either. No offense. I would expect Hyundai Palisades to also suffer issues as it is the first gen product on its first year of release.

The biggest issues with the RDX are just infotainment and brakes squealing. None of which would directly contribute to health issues. I understand if it is frustrating, as I also sometimes experience these issues. However, none to the degree where it gets super frustrating and distracting. Most of the issues have been resolved since the last update, and I expect future updates to help it become more stable. My biggest annoyance is the brake squeal during braking. My infotainment issues are almost non-existent. Sometimes, I get the audio popping noise when I use Apple CarPlay, but once I restart the system, it resolves. Other than that, sometimes the infotainment system is kind of slow to respond, but that is pretty much it.

It sounds like the OP actually wanted a car that had more space with 3 row seating, which makes the RDX not the vehicle he was looking for in the first place. Coupled with the other issues he's had, and that he's owned the car before all the updates came out and had to deal with the issues beforehand, I can understand. If I were the OP, I would go for a product that's more mature, perhaps the Acura MDX, or the Mazda CX-9, or even the Lexus RX 350 L.

 

The new update did absolutely nothing for my infotainment. It still works like a piece of crap and freezes on the disclaimer page at least twice of month.

 

Maybe for you, but my infotainment has never froze on the disclaimer page once since I bought it. Again, I'm only basing it off my experience. My infotainment issues pale in comparison to some other people on here. Maybe I'm one of the luckier ones? My car was CPO from the dealer as it was a loaner. Maybe it has seen more updates in the service department since it basically lives there? I'm not sure.

I also use the infotainment system a lot while I am driving. I've only experienced slow-downs, but never completely frozen.

 

.

 

No offense to the OP, but if he's learned anything from this experience, he should NOT be buying a first gen product OR a first year product release (which Palisade is both) regardless of brand. Hyundai Palisade/Kia Telluride looks great on paper, but it hasn't been on the market long enough to really know if it will have any issues.

To me, like I've reiterated before, he was just wanting a bigger car with 3 row seating, and was finding any reason to get rid of the RDX for another first gen product that may or may not have more issues than even the RDX. His arguments would have more validity if he was going for a direct competitor to the RDX, like the Lexus NX, or BMW X3.

I'm not downplaying the issues RDX has, and I know the infotainment system issue is the biggest complaint out of everyone here, but I'm not sure it warrants a replacement of the whole vehicle, especially when we know there will be updates in the future that could fix this. If anything, these issues will just deter me from buying another first year release Acura product in the future.

 

Actually the Telluride is a first gen vehicle as the Palisade has been out for almost 2 full years in Korea and I have been patient enough waiting for these "issues" to be fixed. There has been zero response from Acura on these issues and nothing but empty promises. As I explained before, my time is too valuable to deal with a company that doesn't care about their customers.

 

I agree, however, do your issues constitute the car being undrivable? As in, the car can't get you from point A to point B safely and reliably? It seems like what bothers you the most is just infotainment, which will eventually get fixed, however long that may be. Your other issue is that the car is too small for you, as you wanted a 3 row SUV. That's technically the only thing you're complaining about that the RDX can't do for you and will never do for you. Everything else is just miscellaneous and quirky tech issues that will eventually get fixed which do not contribute significantly to the driving experience. Nobody should be relying on adaptive cruise control anyways. They're just tools to help you drive, but not in any way a substitute. The high beam assist is again, another feature that's nice to have, but won't bother me too much as I can turn that feature off.

I don't know, but I guess my priority is that the car actually drives nice, and the sound system works, and that I don't have to worry about being stranded in a random spot. I don't need the other fancy features to work, although they're nice to have.

I know Acura being slow to put out updates is getting on everyone's nerves.

 

Everyone’s experience is different. I’m on month 11 and just hit 15,000 trouble-free miles. Infotainment screen doesn’t freeze; sometimes my channels don’t change from the steering wheel which is frustrating but that’s about it. Sorry to hear others are having problems.

 

Also, I'm impressed that Acura was able to buy his car back and the OP came out ahead. That's honestly unheard of. If anything, I don't think I've heard ANY other manufacturer do that before. It makes Acura sound like a great company. I doubt Hyundai/Kia would do that for the OP if he were facing the same issues.

I've had my fair share of cars before. In my experience, the less tech the car has, the less distracting and less problems it will have.

 

I think you also missed the issues with the A/C, the reverse shifting engagement delay, the navigation issues and the sudden braking issues I have had (not related to Adaptive Cruise). I just took it on a 4000 mile trip through Colorado, Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota and the navigation stopped working numerous times and could not find many places including Old Faithful... Seriously? It could not find Wrigley Field when I drove it to Chicago. I drive a lot and I deserve a vehicle that will not cough up hairballs every hour... Although the ride was decent, the other issues effected our vacation in a negative manner. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and the fact that yes, my wife and I decided that after a vacation and the fact that we have a grandchild on the way effected our decision. As far as "quirky issues", NO ONE should have to wait this long to address these "quirky" issues... period... I spent over 3 months of time WITHOUT my vehicle as they tried to resolve the issues. Instead of fixing the issues, Acura paid me a substantial amount to wait 6 months for fixes. Well, it has been 9 months since then and nothing.. Not one issue has been addressed even after numerous inquiries and yes, I have the District Service Manager on speed-dial.

I know you are a fan of Acura and by the sound of it, you work for them or are overly sub servant to them, but don't call my issues "quirky" when I spent my hard earned money on a vehicle that should pass QA testing before being released to the consumer. This isn't one or two issues and my time and money deserve to go into a product I know will be supported with great customer service and a solid reputation. In fact, I just bought my son a 2019 Elantra Sport as well that will be replacing his Honda...

I apologize to everyone else for this rant, but many of you have read my stories and followed my list of issues since purchasing the vehicle and I will just not sit back and hear that my defective RDX is "quirky"

(Rant Over)

 

This isn't an issue with the dealer and the dealership is treating me fairly by buying it back due to promises made by Acura and not kept... It is an Acura issue..

I swear you must work for them

 

I don't. I work in the healthcare system, and I need a reliable vehicle after finishing those long hours in the hospital. This is my first Acura vehicle. I've owned several Lexus and Infiniti luxury sedans, and now I'm on my first Acura SUV. I've been most impressed with this one because of the sheer amount of tech on this vehicle. I don't expect everything to work seamlessly, because I don't have crazy expectations for a vehicle that costs $10k less than other comparable vehicles. Overall, I've been happy. It still drives extremely well, has plenty of power, and most of all, it drives like a sports car with its SH-AWD. This is my first SUV. I also own a Mercedes 2015 E350, and even then the Acura is still a far more pleasant vehicle to drive than the Mercedes.

Also, all this tech that we've been complaining about is actually pretty new, and only existed for the past couple of years and has not matured yet. OTA updates for a vehicle is also very new, as well as a system designed using Android and not iOS. I don't expect all of these to be perfect right out of the box.

Honestly, I just think you just bought a car that wasn't suited for you in the first place, which is fine. Not everyone will like the RDX.

 

No need to apologize here. This happens all the time on any forums. People really take offense or likes to be dismissive about issues as if it's their own child....

The fact remains that first year product always takes a hit in reliability. Nothing new here and no manufacturer is immuned. however, it's really frustrating to see Acura not stepping up to the plate to address them. Instead, we hear news about Amazon delivery... What a joke.

 

My point exactly.. I may have kept the car if I felt they were going to address the problems, but my patience has just run out. Once again, no ill will to those of you who love your RDX and have had no issues. I wish I had been one of them, but unfortunately, as a Director of Information technology and a programmer myself, I cannot grasp why they cannot fix the issues when they definitely know about them. The lack of communication from them is troubling to me... Unfortunately, this was my first and last Acura

 

You must own an A-Spec, so you have no idea the problems the people with the Advance model are having

 

I'm sure Acura will address these problems. There's a current class action lawsuit going on right now. They can't ignore it now.

I hope you find what you're looking for. I hope your Palisade doesn't give you as big of a headache as the RDX did. I wonder if that white dust issue on the Palisade is real or not, but it has been reported on the forums and that it can cause cancer and Alzheimer's...

 

As you can see in my sig, I own the same exact Acura Advance model with almost the same exact accessories (splash guards, running boards, body side mouldings) as you. I just don't have the roof rails and hitch in the back. I also have the same exact exterior color except my interior color is ebony also.

I believe I might have experienced the HUD issue only once where it didn't project the same information as the navigation display did. A simple cancel route and restart fixed that problem.

I guess maybe my expectations for an SUV is that it is reliable mechanically, can get me from point A to point B safely and reliably, low maintenance cost and upkeep, amazing sound system, and is a fun vehicle to drive. The tech in the car is just extra stuff to wow my passengers or wow people who I let drive the car. If there are some quirks, so be it, but they will eventually get fixed. If not, the class action lawsuit will get the ball rolling and hopefully, we might even see some monetary compensation. Otherwise, I'm pretty happy with the car even with its quirky infotainment system.

 

Hyundai and the FCA UConnect systems are probably the best out right now. Crazy how the 'lower end' companies seem to have mastered this newfangled technology that is so complicated for Acura to figure out...lol

 

It's all rumor and there are no facts to back that up. Someone is trolling that forum and it is obvious... 58,000 advanced orders are in the queue for the Palisade, so I have zero worries about it. Eighteen months of production and consumers driving them in Korea and no reports period.. I drove one for 2 days before purchasing and never saw any of this stuff on the black seats or floor

 

Did you check out the link I posted above? There were pictures of the white dust in the interior of the car. I doubt someone would be trolling about white dust coming through the AC vent. That is a pretty weird complaint to put on a forum...

 

They better not check their anti-perspirant or the sacrificial anode in their water heater if they are scared about Aluminum...lol

I think some people are scared that they will get cancer from the VOCs and new car smell.

 

I give up...

Google Translate is your friend...

 

I guess maybe it isn't a big deal.

I'm just waiting out for the next OTA update that Acura will be releasing for the RDX. Perhaps it will solve most of everyone's problems. Since it seems like they invested heavily into these systems in their future vehicles, we should see a fix in the coming months. I'm giving Acura the benefit of the doubt here. If 2-3 years pass and nothing happens, then I might tend to agree with meto, but complaining about infotainment and software issues 14 months after release is a little premature, IMHO. Especially when Acura has fixed a lot of the problems in its last infotainment OTA update and the system doesn't seem to have glaring issues, at least to me.

I've already given my thoughts on the matter, and again, it looks like meto's priorities are that he wants a 3 row SUV, which means the RDX shouldn't have been on his buy list in the first place. The RDX was designed to cater to those who want an SUV that drives like a sports car, and the RDX definitely nailed that aspect. The Hyundai Palisade has a completely different driving dynamics than the RDX. It just sounds to me that the OP was not really the type of buyer Acura RDX was designed for in the first place.