Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: a solid ownership case with specific caveats below.
Owners have filed 162 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Acura RDX, and it carries 3 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior lighting | 86 | 53% |
| Air bags | 35 | 22% |
| Suspension | 5 | 3% |
| Unknown or other | 4 | 2% |
| Power train | 4 | 2% |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 2% |
| Electrical system | 3 | 2% |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 1% |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 1% |
| Electrical system | 1 | 1% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
NHTSA Safety Complaint – Acura RDX Driver-Side Airbag Module Availability Vehicle: 2013 Acura RDX VIN: [XXX] Component: Driver-Side Airbag Module Part Number: 77810-TX4-A40ZA-MOD My 2013 Acura RDX was vandalized in Jan
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
The headlight housings on this generation of 2013 Acura MDXs completely fail due to a design flaw that causes the housing to overheat and dim the lights to a dangerous level. At night, you would be safer if you were driv
NHTSA complaint: Exterior lighting
I have a code on my Acura regarding the driver side airbag. The code is 11-10, covered under service bulletin: 18-020, noting defects in the driver side air bag module. I brought my vehicle in to Hall Acura in November 2
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
On 3/26/2026 a symbol of an engine appeared on my dash. Then several minutes later the car began running very rough and numerous warnings signs came on including Check Engine, Check AWD System, Check Power Steering Syste
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
The headlights do not produce enough light to see the road. Every time the car is driven at night it is extremely dangerous.
NHTSA complaint: Exterior lighting
Headlights are very dim due to degradation of the reflective projection surface. Internet searches indicate this is a common problem for the 2013-2015 Acura RDXs. The only solution is to replace the entire headlight asse
NHTSA complaint: Exterior lighting
Low beam headlight projector reflectors deteriorate making the low beam headlights unusable for safe driving. Entire assembly has to be replaced to remedy. Extremely common in this generation of Acura RDX based on intern
NHTSA complaint: Exterior lighting
2013 ACURA RDX. HEAD LIGHTS HAVE DIMMED WHERE ITS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. HAD THE WHOLE HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLIES REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP 11 months ago FOR $4,000. Still have same problem with new ones
NHTSA complaint: Exterior lighting
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2013 Acura RDX. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV
Risk: An explosion of an inflator within the driver frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver, front seat passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or dea
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer servic
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Honda CR-V, 2011-2015 CR-Z, 2010-2014 FCX, and Insight, 2009-2013 Fit, 2013-2014 Fit EV, 2007-2014 Ridgeline, 2013-2016 Acura ILX, 2013-2014 Acura ILX Hybrid, 2007-2016 RDX, 2005-2012 Acura RL, 2009-2014 Acura TL, and 2010-20
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this re
Honda is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 CR-V, Odyssey, and model year 2013 Acura RDX vehicles. During sub-freezing temperatures, the brake-shift interlock blocking mechanism may become slow and allow the gear selector to be moved from the Park position without pressing the brake pedal. As
Risk: If the gear selector is moved from the park position without pressing the brake pedal it can allow the vehicle to roll away, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Honda will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicle to a Honda or Acura dealer. The dealer will install an updated brake shift interlock blocking mechanism free of charge. The recall be
| Reliability raw | 69 | good |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 76 | good |
| Maintenance | 84 | excellent |
| Depreciation | 67 | good |
| Performance | 67 | good |
| Efficiency | 39 | below average |
Percentile ranks against other SUVs in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 162 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and exterior lighting is the most reported area with 86 of them (53%). There are 3 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 69/100 (good) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 76/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2013 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: worth a look, because a solid ownership case with specific caveats below. Its overall ownership score is 70/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.