2009 Acura RDX Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Feb 23, 2025 · 15 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other RDX years
Far fewer complaints than other years 17th of 20 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 15 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Acura RDX. That ranks 17th out of 20 RDX model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (10 complaints, 67%). Complaints mention 1 crash. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.

Acura RDX
Photographed in College Point (Queens), New York. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2009 Acura RDX problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Air Bags10
Power Train1 · ~50 mi
Service Brakes1 · ~79,000 mi
Service Brakes, Hydraulic1 · ~11,623 mi
Vehicle Speed Control1
Visibility1 · ~56,175 mi
Wheels1 · ~79,000 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Air Bags1067%———
Power Train17%50——
Service Brakes17%79,000——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic17%11,623——
Vehicle Speed Control17%———
Visibility17%56,175——
Wheels17%79,000——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2016, with 7 complaints
2009: 1200912010: 2201022012: 1201212016: 7201672017: 2201722018: 1201812025: 120251

n = 15 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2009 Acura RDX recalls (2)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator moduleMar 6, 2019 · NHTSA campaign 19V182000 · 1,101,534 vehicles

Problem: 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, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The affected vehicles received a replacement driver air bag inflator as part of a previous Takata inflator recall remedy or a replacement driver air bag module containing the same inflator type as a service part. Due to a manufacturing error, in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, these inflators may explode.

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 death.

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 service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is O41. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is U40.

Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator moduleFeb 3, 2016 · NHTSA campaign 16V061000 · 2,232,187 vehicles

Problem: 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 2010-2013 Acura ZDX vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.

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 death.

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 recall are JY0, JY1, and JY2.

To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

I was involved in an accident and upon impact the airbags didn’t deploy although there was a chemical smell that occurred and the check airbag light comes on intermittently. Also driver seatbelt locked up and does not retract out.

Air Bags · received Feb 23, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11644376

An error message always comes on for "the brake system" & "tire pressure sensors". They become problematic when the temp outside drops to 20 and below. Living in connecticut during the winter time a lot of our friends and family members recognized this issue with their acura rdx's and mdx's. As…

Service Brakes · received Jan 14, 2018 · NHTSA complaint 11062739

Takata recall

Air Bags · received Mar 22, 2017 · NHTSA complaint 10967824

Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2009 acura rdx. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 16v061000 (air bags). The part needed for the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The…

Air Bags · received Feb 13, 2017 · NHTSA complaint 10954186

"takata recall" nothing has happened and that is the problem. I got the recall notice in february 2016 and i just checked and the fix is still not available. I am patient but 9 months seems like too long to have to wait to have a dangerous airbag corrected.

Air Bags · received Oct 18, 2016 · NHTSA complaint 10916775

Other Acura RDX years

← 2008 RDX · 2010 RDX →

See all Acura RDX problems by year, every Acura model, or the Acura VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2009 Acura RDX?

Owners most often report air bags, power train, service brakes problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 10 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2009 Acura RDX?

Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2009 Acura RDX a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other RDX model years, the 2009 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.