2019 RDX here with 40,000km and the latest item is the rear glass shattering and I'm feeling like this is the last straw for us and that it's time to look for a new car but considering how long the list has been I wonder if I'm through the worst of it or not. So far:

- Brakes replaced twice for squealing.
- Rear gate springs replaced
- Blower motor replaced
- Front control arms replaced
- Driver seat bottom replaced
- Excessive brake pedal travel (it still sucks)
- MOST bus failure (haven't had it fixed yet)
- Panoramic roof popping (diagnosed as a $2400 fix)
- Rear glass shattering

And general squeaks and rattles that are entirely unbecoming of a Honda product (much less a "luxury product).

Have I survived the worst of it at this point or am I better off getting rid of this now that I'm out of warranty?

 

The car has too much tech for me to be comfortable owning one out of warranty. You’re one big repair away from regretting holding it. If you can afford it, better to get rid of it unless you are not getting a good price. I got $31k for a car that was 4.5 year/45k. Things may be different now. Still, if you can afford it, it’s always better to have a car under warranty.

I had a leaking rear shock at 45k that was replaced under extended warranty. Plus the infotainment and parking sensors were glitchy. Also rattles. So I decided to replace the car. Had buyers remorse initially but had to remind myself that I did it for the warranty. Probably the biggest plus is a very functional wireless Apple CarPlay.

 

Sounds very much like how the Acura apologists describe the German competition! How ironic!

 

I think it applies to all modern cars, but the probability of a massive expense with German cars is much higher. I would be much more comfortable owning an RDX out of warranty (with a $600 bill to repair a shock) than an X3 (with a $1000+ bill to repair a shock). This is reflected in the price of the extended warranty. BMW’s extended warranty is > 2x the cost of Acura’s for a similar coverage time/mileage.

 

Yeah I laugh at some of the over the top boosters, as my current TSX, while still a joy to drive, was a nightmare experience the first couple of years. I held on to it because so much was replaced that many of the parts are much newer than the car itself.

And look at the current V6 recall and the stop sale on TLX's and MDX's, yikes.

True also, and the more that gets crammed into cars technology-wise the worse it is going to be as the years go by.

 

Dump it! I had a 19 A-Spec I purchased new and had many problems with it. Dealer solved most of them when it was under warranty and some of the infotainment problems came back after being worked on the first time. Got tired of it but the car was mechanically sound. Traded it for a 2019 Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn fully loaded. Best decision I ever made.

 

You have the first year of a VERY new model. New platform, new switchgear, new drivetrain (all previous 10AT models were FWD), new electronics, so many firsts for Acura and Honda in that RDX that I am not surprised you're having all those issues.

Would I tell you to sell it? I honestly don't know. I know that I am looking for a 2020(1)+ model specifically because of threads like this one.

I guess my question to you would be what is the plan if it sells? What model are you looking at?

 

I bought a 2019 RDX Aspec new and have had ZERO issues with it. 42,000 miles and going strong. Excellent car, would buy another without a second thought. Some of you must beat the hell out of cars or have the most incredibly bad luck with them. This is my 3rd RDX and all 3 have been just fine.

 

Conversely maybe you are just incredibly lucky.

 

I would say though that half of the problems I've encountered shouldn't happen regardless of whether it's a new model or not - I didn't have any drivetrain issues (all new) for example. Brakes and blower motors are pretty mundane off the shelf type of items. The rear glass shattering b/c of a bad defroster spec? That just seems lazy of them.

The front runner would be the CX-70 followed by the CX-50 or CR-V Hybrid. My wife has gotten used to the nicer things in the RDX so the CX-70 (PHEV) seems like a good bet. The new Toyota Crown Signia seems promising but might be too big for our tastes. I really like the CR-V Hybrid - I think it drives very nice for what it is and it was peppy enough around the city but the wife didn't like the lack of a pano roof.

 

I usually stay away from 1st year models, but having said that, I did have the first year of the MMC of a 4G TL (2012) that had no issues.

 

MMC is a mid-generation refresh and the changes are not comparable to the first year of a new gen!

 

Sometime one gets a vehicle that needs a ton of repairs. Been there a few times, my old regret is that I held on to them too long and big repair bills. I'd personally polish that RDX up, negotiate the best deal on a new vehicle while trading that in too.

 

Enough with the “you have first year car”, Acura has to do better than that.

 

But it’s true…..most first year new model with all car makers have 1st year issues. I did on my 2019 ASPEC but my 2022 has been solid, even the infotainment setup 🤣

 

I think it's reasonable to have some 1st year issues especially when the product has a lot of all new parts on it but the 2019 RDX had well beyond what's acceptable. I think of Mazda's first Skyactiv products which was a wholesale change in everything and that launched smooth as butter. That's the standard that Honda/Acura didn't meet with the RDX.

 

I agree that it’s reasonable to have some issues with any new product, we are all humans and engineering/production mistakes happen, but the expectation is that those issues are quickly resolved and repairs are made.. The infotainment software issues could have been resolved much sooner, but it took years, and to this date the software issues are not completely resolved, they just gave up supporting it to save money, The limp mode and shattering rear glass took years to acknowledge, and once they realized it’s an issue there is no recall and no warranty extension, people have to argue with dealers that there is no code and that they almost died when power cut out. It was not just a first year, many of the same issues spilled over into 20 and 21. They ignore reported problems and hoping they go away. Corporate greed and bad product support.