2015 Acura RDX · symptom sheet
Headlights too dim or fail
- 335owner reports
- 80,000median miles
- $2,000median quote
- 3involved a crash
Newest report Sep 27, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
340 of the 410 complaints on this car are about the exterior lighting. 335 of those describe headlights, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2015 RDX.
Tick what matches of 335 reports
Headlights on other RDX years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2019, 2020, 2021.
What this problem usually is
Headlight complaints fall into two camps. In one, a headlight goes out, often more than once, or fills with moisture behind the lens. In the other, the lights work exactly as built and the owner still can't see the road at night because the beam is too dim or too short. Owners in that second camp often report a dealer telling them it's normal.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the headlight assembly (300 reports) and the bulb (165 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the exterior lighting covers the 2015 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
What owners paid
94 of the 335 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $1,000 to $2,300.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 60,000 and 100,000 miles, from the 64 reports that gave a mileage.
What owners wrote
“The low beam headlights are dangerously low. Even after you replace the bulbs, the lights remain dim. The reflective coating in the assembly has degraded to the point where almost no light is visible while driving. I read where a recall was made for RDXs made during a specific timeframe in 2014, but mine was not one of them. I have ~97k miles on the 2015 RDX.”
Filed Dec 23, 2025 · 97,000 miles
“Purchased car with ~96k miles. Drove at night and had extremely low road visibility due to lighting. Replaced the bulbs to a high lumen LED, did not increase lighting/visibility. My research finds this to be a known issue with a refractor found behind the headlight lens within the headlamp housing.”
Filed Aug 19, 2025 · 96,000 miles
“Vehicle has 80k miles. Low beam headlights are VERY dim, making it dangerous to drive at night. I haven't taken it anywhere to be inspected. Based on some searches on the Internet this is a very common issue for RDX Base models from years 2013 - 2015.”
Filed Jan 25, 2024 · 80,000 miles
“Ballast/Reflector in headlightz started dimming at 80,000 miles, now unable to produce light at all. This is a known factory defect that acura has been too cheap to recall. I can only see with my highbeams at night and even they barely produce light.”
Filed Jan 2, 2024 · 80,000 miles
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 3 of 335 reports involved a crash and 1 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Taking it to a shop? How to describe this problem so it gets found
Other problems on this car
- Airbag warning light or recall 33 reports