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Executive Vehicle Verdict

The 2021 Acura RDX is associated with 111 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 3 safety recall campaigns in the federal safety database.

The most frequently reported component area is Other / Uncategorized, accounting for 21 reports (19% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 4 certified vehicle configurations spanning 2l 4-cyl powertrain configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 23 to 24 MPG combined.

Official Federal Record Profile
  • • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 111 consumer reports filed
  • • Safety Recall Campaigns: 3 official campaigns
  • • Primary Defect Domain: Other / Uncategorized (21 / 19%)
  • • Field Incident Signals: 3 crash / 0 fire / 1 injury reports
  • • NCAP Crash Safety: 5 / 5 Stars Overall Laboratory Score
  • • EPA Certified Range: 23–24 MPG across 4 powertrain trims
Directly compiled from official NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA NCAP, and EPA FuelEconomy.gov databases.

What is the fuel economy and range of the 2021 Acura RDX?

Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by certified vehicle variant

Variant Engine Drivetrain Transmission City Highway Combined EV Range Est. Annual Fuel Cost
RDX FWD 2L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S10) 22 MPG 28 MPG 24 MPG — $3,150 / yr
RDX FWD A-SPEC 2L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S10) 22 MPG 27 MPG 24 MPG — $3,150 / yr
RDX AWD 2L 4-Cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic (S10) 21 MPG 27 MPG 23 MPG — $3,300 / yr
RDX AWD A-SPEC 2L 4-Cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic (S10) 21 MPG 26 MPG 23 MPG — $3,300 / yr
Data Boundary Note: EPA specifications are shown by certified vehicle configuration. NHTSA complaints and recall totals are recorded at the model-year level across all configurations.

What are the crash test safety ratings for the 2021 Acura RDX?

Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant Overall Rating Frontal Crash Side Crash Rollover Rating Rollover Risk
SUV FWD 16.5%
SUV AWD 15%
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as Standard and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as Standard in official NHTSA records for tested 2021 Acura RDX models.
View complete 2021 Acura RDX crash test & safety breakdown →

What defect complaints are reported for the 2021 Acura RDX?

Summary of 111 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
111
Crash Reports
3
Fire Reports
0
Complaints w/ Injury
1
Total Injuries
1

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

Service Brakes 8 complaints
Visibility & Wipers 8 complaints
Powertrain 7 complaints
Air Bags 6 complaints
Engine 5 complaints

Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.

View all 2021 Acura RDX problems & component breakdown (39 categories) →

Are there open safety recalls on the 2021 Acura RDX?

Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA

NHTSA Campaign #26V332000 Active Recall
Affected Component: AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER

Defect Summary: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
NHTSA Campaign #24V064000 Active Recall
Affected Component: AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER

Defect Summary: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.
NHTSA Campaign #21V939000 Active Recall
Affected Component: POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

Defect Summary: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021 Acura RDX and 2022 CR-V Hybrid vehicles. A component in the right or left front driveshaft may have been improperly heat-treated, which could result in driveshaft failure.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: Dealers will replace the right or left front driveshaft as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 24, 2022. Owners may contact Honda customer service 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BBY, NBW, and OBX.
View all 2021 Acura RDX recalls & campaign history (3 campaigns) →
Search Intelligence

Quick Answers: Key Questions Drivers Ask About the 2021 Acura RDX

Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2021 Acura RDX

How many safety recalls does the 2021 Acura RDX have?

The 2021 Acura RDX is associated with 3 official NHTSA safety recall campaigns in AutoUtility's current federal records.

If your individual vehicle is affected by an open safety recall, NHTSA advises owners to contact an authorized franchised dealership for the recall remedy at no charge. Because recall campaigns apply to specific production runs and equipment batches, vehicle owners should verify their 17-digit VIN at NHTSA.gov.

View all 3 recall campaigns & remedy details →
Source: NHTSA Safety Recalls Database (49 U.S.C. 30118)

What are the most common problems reported for the 2021 Acura RDX?

NHTSA records list 111 consumer defect complaints for the 2021 Acura RDX. The most frequently referenced vehicle system is Other / Uncategorized, appearing in 21 filings (19% of submissions).

Consumer complaints represent unverified owner submissions filed under federal reporting guidelines and describe reported component behavior rather than audited failure rates.

Explore full 2021 Acura RDX defect complaint breakdown →
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

What is the NHTSA safety rating for the 2021 Acura RDX?

Under the NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), the 2021 Acura RDX earned an Overall Safety Rating of 5 out of 5 stars across 2 tested configuration(s).

Laboratory evaluations include a 35 mph frontal barrier crash, side barrier and pole impact tests, and static rollover resistance assessments.

View detailed crash test laboratory breakdown →
Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP)

What fuel economy (MPG) does the 2021 Acura RDX get?

Official EPA laboratory estimates for the 2021 Acura RDX range from 23 to 24 MPG combined (55% city / 45% highway weighted) depending on engine, transmission, and drivetrain configuration.

Using AutoUtility's standardized operating cost model (15,000 miles/year, $3.50/gal gas, $0.16/kWh electricity), annual energy expenditures range across certified configurations based on official EPA laboratory test baselines.

Compare MPG ratings across all certified trims →
Source: EPA FuelEconomy.gov Certified Database
Official US Government Data Provenance

The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.