Two low-speed sudden unintended acceleration events while parking a 2021 Acura RDX. Incident 1 (July 2026): While parking at low speed, the car unexpectedly surged forward. Flew up the curb and hit a restaurant window, causing massive undercarriage damage. Active braking did not help and seemed to make acceleration worse. It only stopped when it wanted to. Incident 2 (August 2026): Two weeks after getting the car back from repairs, under identical low-speed parking conditions, a second sudden acceleration event occurred. Slamming on the brakes did nothing. It stopped after scraping a car wash vacuum pole, destroying the entire passenger side. Prior to these, the car exhibited erratic safety software behavior, including multiple phantom braking incidents where it slammed on its brakes violently with no obstacles present. I bought the car Certified Pre-Owned two years ago. The dealership repaired a known "popping sound" from the panoramic sunroof frame three times. This required extensive cabin/pillar teardown work, which may have disturbed internal wiring harnesses or grounding points linked to the electronic throttle control system. In both events, it felt like an uncontrolled amusement park ride—the engine loudly revving and taking over with zero driver control. I initially assumed pedal confusion during the first crash, but since it happened again under identical circumstances, there is clearly a systemic electronic/software defect in the Throttle Actuator or Powertrain Control Module. The vehicle is at an insurance network body shop awaiting forensic evaluation of the throttle system, pedal sensors, and a Bosch EDR black box download.
Acura RDX sudden acceleration problems
17 of the 2,191 owner complaints about the Acura RDX describe sudden unintended acceleration, most of them for the 2018 model year.
- owner complaints
- 17
- worst model year
- 2018
- typical mileage
- 29,000
By model year
- 20213
- 20202
- 20186
- 20131
- 20121
- 20111
- 20081
- 20072
Often reported together
What owners say
Unintended acceleration while braking on more than 1 occassion
I have been experiencing unintended acceleration when I press on my brakes. Fortunately, there hasn't been any accidents yet but it's a very dangerous situation.
After dealer (worldwide motors Ltd also call (Paragon Acura) 33-40 57th street, Woodside, NY 11377)replaced front and rear brake pads and rotors, my vehicle experienced unintended acceleration while stopped. While idling at a red light with my foot firmly on the brake pedal, the vehicle suddenly moved forward approximately 10 feet on its own. This was a serious safety concern and nearly caused a collision or pedestrian injury. I immediately returned the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer stated they could not duplicate the issue and said the vehicle was operating normally. No warning lights were present. The incident occurred immediately after brake service. I am concerned this may involve the braking system, brake booster, brake switch, or electronic throttle interaction. This behavior is not normal and poses a safety risk.
Drove into parking lot and as I was pulling into the parking spot next to the building, the vehicle started to surge forward as if I had my foot on the gas instead of the brake. The sudden surge caused the vehicle to plow into a brick building causing about $10K damage to the vehicle and $5K to the building. This was not the first time this sudden surging occurred. It happened at least 3 times previously, and one time since. Fortunately, the other occurrences did not lead to any damages, but just some anxious moments. I took the vehicle to the dealership to get checked out after the last occurrence, but they said they couldn't duplicate it. I thought it might be some sort of "unknown" problem, until I started reading on Facebook and other internet websites of other people having the same scary "surging" engine issues. I believe there's more to it now, and an investigation is warranted.
The contact owns a 2018 Acura RDX. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not yet available. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was jerking, stalling, and accelerated without warning. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
On April 18, 2023 driving thru shopping center parking lot, WITHOUT WARNING car suddenly jerked right, accelerated, while brakes, steering wheel, gears locked. Ended crashing thru the wall of a structure. Airbags did NOT deploy but seat belts tightened firmly keeping us from going thru windshield. Episode of "UNINTENDED ACCELERATION" was reported to Honda Motors whose agent, Jason, checked the car 8/1/23 and found no defect. We had driven the car for almost 49,000 miles without incident yet, their agent drove it for LESS than 10 miles and concluded NOTHING WRONG with the car. Twelve days later while stopped at a red light, dashboard lights suddenly flashed and engine came to a complete STOP. DEAD. Conclusion was damaged sensor to gas tank since husband had run over tanker truck tire debris on fwy earlier in the day. Point is, this 2020 Acura RDX with <50K miles has had TWO MAJOR INCIDENTS : UNINTENDED ACCELERATION and UNINTENDED DECELERATION. Feel betrayed by Honda Motors Corp at conducting a superficial, inadequate inspection for the defects mentioned and fear for our safety and those of others we share on the road. There's a class action lawsuit in Florida for similar complaints but we live in California and have been unable to procure legal representation.....apparently, not cost effective. My driving record is clean.
Unintended acceleration, hesitation, and transmission issues. When accelerating from first gear to second gear, hesitates and then suddenly lurching forward.
The contact owned a 2020 Acura RDX. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle inadvertently slowed down and without warning a strange noise came from the engine compartment and a sudden jerk to the wheel when the vehicle accelerated without warning up to approximately 100 mph. The contact was able to exit the highway where the vehicle made another strange noise from the engine compartment and the wheel jerked when the vehicle accelerated without warning again which resulted in the contact crashing into a group of 3 vehicles. There were 2 confirmed injuries which were the occupants of the contact's vehicle the driver and front seat passenger. The contact sustained a broken sternum, internal bleeding, decompression of lower back, and swollen right side foot. The contact's son sustained a lumbar fracture and a contusion. The contact does not know if anyone in the other vehicles were injured. A police report was taken and the vehicle was towed to an insurance lot. The vehicle was then towed to a salvaged lot and deemed a total loss. The contact stated she does not know if warning lights were illuminated. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and told the contact that they were unable to assist. The failure mileage was approximately 5,040.
The contact owns a 2018 Acura RDX. The contact stated that the vehicle intermittently hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The failure also recurred while switching lanes or passing other vehicles. The contact also stated that the vehicle would lunge forward soon after hesitation without warning. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where they were unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 34,700.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Acura RDX sudden acceleration
Which Acura RDX years have sudden unintended acceleration problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2018 (6 complaints), 2021 (3 complaints) and 2007 (2 complaints).
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used Acura RDX?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history