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2009 Acura RDXProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 15 owner complaints about the 2009 Acura RDX, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 2 safety recalls, and for recall 19V-182 the manufacturer reports only 49% of affected cars repaired.

2009 Acura RDX
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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls2Lowest repair rate 49%Owner complaints151 with a crash, fire or injuryTop problem10Air bags

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through February 23, 2025. Updated daily. Photo: Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2009 Acura RDX has problems

15 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Air bags101
Power train10
Service brakes10
Service brakes, hydraulic10
Vehicle speed control10
Visibility10
Wheels10

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

2 recalls

2009 Acura RDX recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

49%repaired · 2020 Q3

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 19V-182 · Mar 6, 2019 · 1,101,534 vehicles · 541,670 repaired

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…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

82%repaired · 2018 Q2

Driver side: inflator module

Recall 16V-061 · Feb 3, 2016 · 2,232,187 vehicles · 1,828,033 repaired

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…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Acura.

Best & worst years

2009 vs. every other RDX year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the RDX median. How we score

'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2009 Acura RDX safety ratings

2009 Acura RDX 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2009 Acura RDX frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
2009 Acura RDX side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrierNot rated
  • Rollover: 4 stars (15.5% risk)
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
In owners' words

What RDX owners report

Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

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.
Complaint 11644376 · Feb 23, 2025
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…
Complaint 10954186 · Feb 13, 2017
"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.
Complaint 10916775 · Oct 18, 2016

Own a 2009 RDX?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.