Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2019 Acura RDX owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2019 Acura RDX. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and coming to a stop, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to operate as intended. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the instrument panel failed to display properly which caused the battery to drain quickly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing however, the result was not disclosed. The contact stated that the unknown wiring was replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The contact was concerned about the safety of the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 49,000.
The breaks did not work while in a parking lot right after switching into drive. No major risk of any injury where this occurred. Not reported to the dealer, not inspected. No injury, no property damage. I left my wife in the vehicle with the car in park and went into the store. I came out 15 minutes later, car was running. I got in, put my foot on the break, and switch to drive? The car started rolling forward on its own. I repeatedly tried the breaks, but no response. I had steering. I gave it a little gas, and the engine reved like it was in neutral. I looked down and that point the car indicated it was in neutral. My wife said that none of the drive indicators were on while I had the issue. At some point the breaks started working, after I gave it a little gas? I got the car into drive, and tested it before moving on to verify it was behaving correctly. …
I've had this happen 4 times now with my 2019 RDX. The latest Is on 12/10/23. Low speed braking and the tac revels to over 5000. Vehicle lurches forward with both feet on the brake peddle nearly hit a car broadside that was moving perpendicular to me., Three times under warranty to the dealer who could find anything. They even had the factory rep , in who after keeping the car for 5 days replaced an abs sensor. Now that the warranty is up they want 120.00 an hour to diagnose the problem that they couldn't before .. But this is a dangerous vehicle that.I'm scared to drive. After reviewing several forums this appears to be a know problem Acura won't address.
The brake pedal in my car was soft. pressed it and did not stop the car until its almost to the floor. Called acura and they told me there was a tsb as other have had this problem Honda TSB 19-022. the car needed to be reprogramed and fixed the issue. they charged 87.78 for the reprograming. i filled a complaint with honda to get reimbursed case number 12954925. This is a saftey issue and should become a recall before it kills people with the brakes not responding. the rep at honda said thats its a maintenance issue.
Brake hold disengages and the car starts to move forward often. The manual states it should stay engaged for 10 minutes. Car pulls away at stop lights and towards pedestrians and bikers while brake hold is engaged. https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-rdx-problems-fixes-458/brake-hold-issue-977762/
From March 2019 to present: when driving at speeds above 55mph, the vehicle slams on it's brakes automatically and comes to a complete stop. I then have to put the RDX in park, then back into drive before I can accelerate again. This happens when no other cars are around the front of the vehicle. This has happened a total of 10 times. A couple of the times it has happened, other cars have had to swerve around me to miss rear ending me. There is no warning lights or noises before the car slams on the brakes. I have previously had pain from the seat belt locking up so quickly in my shoulder and chest areas. This has been reported to both Acura corporate, Acura customer service, white bear lake Acura, and jay wolff Acura. This has been in the shop a total of 5 different times within 2 different states with each time the service department saying "couldn't duplicate the issue". …
Issue with break hold feature. When brake hold button is on car will keep the brake on even when driver releases the petal. In addition the vehicle is defaulted so the engine automatically will shut off when brake petal is pressed all the way down. But often when the HVAC system needs to run it will start the engine while stopped. When this happens the auto brake releases and car starts moving forward. This has happened many times. Vehicle is stationary, brake hold is on, engine auto off is on and sitting at a traffic light. Engine is off but car is turned on. Ac starts which makes engine start, engine starting causes brake to release. The vehicle moves forward. It could crash into another car or run someone over. It happens a lot. Do I need to report each time it happens?
Brakes intermittently make squealing noise (since new) that sound like the built in wear indicators that alert you there is a problem with the brakes. My safety concerns is that I have had to accepted the noises as normal and if there were a problem with the brakes I most likely will ignore the wear indicator noise, like the story of the little boy that cried wolf. People riding in the car, hearing the noises that I no longer notice have made comments that I need to have the brakes check.the car has been taken several times to the Acura dealer who says that it is a common issue but can not do anything till Acura issue a fix. I have talk to Acura customer relations several times but they have not offered any solutions.please help.
When using auto brake hold when stopped in traffic and if engine auto start stop is engaged, if the auto start stop turns the engine back on there are times when the auto brake hold releases by itself and car starts moving forward. This could be a safety issue in case there is a pedestrian in the cross walk or if the driver does not hit the brake pedal immediately could hit the vehicle in front. I do not see Acura having any recall to fix this. A forum link of other people reporting the same issue: https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-RDX-problems-fixes-458/brake-hold-issue-977762/
2019 new RDX! The car brakes sound horrible everyday! I have been promised over 9 months its being worked on. I've had them changed 3 time by the dealer and still squeaks every time I stop. I'm fearing for my safety because they cannot fix the problem and I feel they will fail soon. It's a very well known problem if you google 2019 and 2020 RDX brake problems they gave me a $300 visa card for my inconvenience!!! I don't know who to turn to anymore because the company doesn't care to fix this 2 year old model's problem
Brake complaints in other RDX years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2019 Acura RDX?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the brakes of the 2019 Acura RDX, 5% of the model year's 440 complaints. The component named most often is software/programming (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2019 Acura RDX brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2019 Acura RDX, though it has 5 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 2019 Acura RDX brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 17,000 miles, and 83% before 25,000 miles.
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.