Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (headlights, tail lights, turn signals, interior lights).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2015 Acura RDX owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My 16 year old son was at a church function until after dark because daylight savings time means it is dark earlier. When he began to drive home he could not see the roadway because the low beam headlights provided close to zero illumination. He lost visibility and drove off the road into someone's yard. There were children outside and they could have been killed. Only minor damage to the grass and yard occurred and fortunately no damage to the vehicle. He called me and I instructed him to engage the high beams and drive home which caused several oncoming vehicles to swerve and react menacingly because he didn't dim his lights. The oxidation of the reflective coating is a known defect that was recalled in the Acura ILX and I expect that they should be required to take the same corrective action for the base model RDXs. Please take action
The contact owns a 2015 Acura RDX. The contact stated that while driving at night, the headlights were failing to illuminate properly. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that he replaced both headlight bulbs; however, the failure recurred, and the driver's side headlight was unable to illuminate more than 50 feet ahead of the vehicle. The contact stated that the hi-beam headlights were used while driving at night. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the front headlight assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V792000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Acura RDX. The contact stated that after purchasing the vehicle, it was discovered that the front low beam headlights failed to adequately illuminate the roadway while driving at night, causing a visibility hazard for the driver. The low beam headlights eventually became inoperable, and only the high beam headlights were operational. Later, the high beam headlights became inoperable. The contact stated that the headlights no longer operated as needed, and the vehicle could not be driven at night. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the headlight assemblies needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 109,573.
The contact owns a 2015 Acura RDX. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the low beam headlights were significantly dim, preventing the contact from properly seeing the roadway ahead. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that several passenger's in the vehicle had inquired whether the low beam headlights were on while the contact was driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the bulbs were replaced several times; however, the failure persisted. The dealer informed the contact that it was a known failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Acura RDX. The contact stated that while driving at night, the low-beam headlights were dim. The contact had to utilize the high-beam headlights while driving. The contact called the local dealer but, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the reflectors inside the headlight housings were defective and that the headlight assemblies needed to be replaced. The contact stated he was concerned about driving the vehicle. The contact researched the failure and located several forums with similar complaints. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Acura RDX. The contact stated that while driving at night at an undisclosed speed, the low-beam headlights failed to illuminate as needed. The contact had to use the high-beam headlight for safe driving. The dealer and Acura of Peabody (233 Andover St, Peabody, MA 01960) were made aware of the failure, and informed the contact that the headlight assemblies needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer informed the contact that he would need to pay out of pocket for the headlight replacement. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Acura RDX. The contact stated while driving various speeds, the low-beam headlights were significantly dim. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had worsened, causing her to drive with the high-beam headlights activated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the headlights needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that she had to pay out-of-pocket for the repair because the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
The headlights are horrible. I am unable to drive safely without using my bright lights. When I dim my headlights before approaching an oncoming car it is dangerous. On October 28, 2023 I did just that and missed seeing a deer due to the lack of visibility due to the defective headlights and hit the deer damaging my vehicle's right headlights. Prior to the accident, I invested in installing fog lights to remedy the situation, but it still did not help. I am holding Acura responsible for my accident which was due to defective headlights.
The contact owns a 2015 Acura RDX. The contact stated that while driving at night, the headlights were very dim making it difficult to see the roadway. The contact mentioned that the hi-beam headlights needed to be activated to clearly see the roadway. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that each headlight housing needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 82,300.
The contact owns a 2015 Acura RDX. The contact stated while driving at night the driver's side and passenger's side headlights lo-beam was too dim while driving. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer who inspected the vehicle and attempted to replace the headlight bulbs to fix issue however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.
Headlight complaints in other RDX years
Frequently asked questions
How common are headlight problems on the 2015 Acura RDX?
NHTSA has 343 complaints about the lights of the 2015 Acura RDX, 83% of the model year's 415 complaints. The component named most often is headlights (11 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2015 Acura RDX headlight problems?
No. NHTSA lists no lights recall for the 2015 Acura RDX, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2015 Acura RDX headlight problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 75,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to lights problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.