Acura RLX

Where it stands out against its peers

• Steering: more complaints than 99% of 2014 cars — 58% of its 83 complaints, where an ordinary 2014 car has 9%.
• Suspension: more complaints than 96% of 2014 cars — 19% of its 83 complaints, where an ordinary 2014 car has 4%.
• Electronic stability control (esc): more complaints than 98% of 2014 cars — 14% of its 83 complaints, where an ordinary 2014 car has 3%.
• Forward collision avoidance: more complaints than 97% of 2014 cars — 7% of its 83 complaints, where an ordinary 2014 car has 1%.
• Lane departure: more complaints than 98% of 2014 cars — 6% of its 83 complaints, where an ordinary 2014 car has 0%.

Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.

Before you buy one

Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.

• STEERING — 25 owners reported this
• SUSPENSION — 7 owners reported this
• STEERING,SUSPENSION — 6 owners reported this
• ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) — 5 owners reported this
• ENGINE — 3 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 2 owners reported this
• STEERING,LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — 2 owners reported this
• VISIBILITY/WIPER — 2 owners reported this

Crash test

Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.

Specification

Recalls

Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.

74% of 2020 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.

• 13V622000

  Loose rear lower control arm bolts may reduce steering ability, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension lower control arm bolts, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in early January 2014. Customers may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009. Honda's number for this recall is JD0.

• 14V639000

  A seatbelt that does not function increases the risk of injury in a crash.

  Honda has notified owners, and dealers will replace the driver and front passenger seat belts, free of charge. The recall began in November 2014. Owners may contact Acura customer service at 1-800-382-2238. Honda's number for this recall is JK7 for the MKX, and JK8 for the RLX.

• 14V792000

  Delamination of the aluminum film may diminish output of the headlight, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace both of the headlights, free of charge. The recall began February 2, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-310-783-2000. Honda's number for this recall is JN2.

• 15V301000

  If the CMBS unexpectedly applies emergency braking force while driving, there is an increased risk of a crash.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the CMBS software, free of charge. The recall began on July 6, 2015. Owners may contact Acura customer service at 1-800-382-2238. Honda's numbers for this recall is JQ4, JQ5 and JQ6.

• 19V298000

  Teeth separation from the timing belt may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of crash.

  Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle and replace any affected timing belt free of charge. Vehicles receiving a replacement timing belt will also have the engine inspected and any damaged components will be replaced for free. The recall began June 7, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is L4M. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is Z4L.

• 20V314000

  If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Honda will notify owners and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 22, 2020. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.

• 23V858000

  Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.

Regulator investigations

Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.

• Pedestrian alert sounds

  Defect petition, opened January 2023, closed August 2023.

• Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

  Engineering analysis, opened September 2021, still open.

• Electrical overstress

  Engineering analysis, opened April 2019, closed September 2024.

What the maker told its dealers

Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.

Acura filed 14 bulletins about the 2020 RLX.

• Electrical system: 4
• Air bags: 2
• Power train: 2
• Engine: 1
• Engine and engine cooling: 1
• Equipment: 1
• Fuel system, diesel: 1
• Fuel system, gasoline: 1
• Wheels: 1

• Service News - Due to On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) regulation change starting with 2019 vehicles, American Honda’s Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control (VTEC) On-Board Diagnostic monitors… · May 2024
• Owner notification - Our records indicate that a Emissions Recall has not been completed on this vehicle. When the powertrain control module (PCM) detects a malfunction in one of the odd number… · September 2022
• American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2016-2020 MDXs, RLXs & TLXs with a client complaint of the Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL) on with the DTC P030X (Cylinder Misfire… · June 2022
• Special Tool Loan Program: Under TOOLS AVAILABLE FOR LOAN, the list has been updated. · May 2022
• ServiceNews Article - There are several possible causes for the SRS DTC U3000-49 (Internal Failure of the SRS Unit) to be stored. If you can duplicate the DTC, the troubleshooting will take you… · November 2021
• ServiceNews Article - There are several possible causes for the SRS DTC U3000-49 (Internal Failure of the SRS Unit) to be stored. If you can duplicate the DTC, the troubleshooting will take you… · October 2021
• Owner Notification Letter - When the powertrain control module (PCM) detects a malfunction in one of the odd number transmission gears, it will set one of four diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs). Due to… · November 2020
• Dealer Message - Today, September 15, 2020, Acura is announcing a stop sale and emissions recall for certain 2017-2020 MDX Sport Hybrid and 2014, 2016-2020 RLX Sport Hybrid vehicles that may not… · September 2020

6 more.

Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.