2020 Acura RDX Speed Control & Cruise Problems

While accelerating on the highway the vehicle lost power. Pressing the gas did nothing. Engine light blinked

On September 6, 2022, at 7:45 AM I was traveling from my home to work in my 2020 Acura RDX. As I was merging on to an interstate in heavy, high-speed traffic, my RDX suddenly lost power and started to decelerate with absolutely no warning at all as high-speed traffic was approaching from behind. My vehicle decelerated to a speed of about 20mph on an interstate in the midst of heavy, high-speed traffic. The malfunction indication light began flashing in the instrument panel. I was able to drive at slow speed of about 15-20 mph, with 4-way lights flashing, until I could exit the interstate. I turned the car off for a few minutes and then was able to proceed. This created an extremely dangerous situation.

Last week I was driving the 2020 Acura RDX on the Massachusetts Turnpike during very wet weather. Three hours into a planned four hour drive, while accelerating up a hill, the car power cut out. Engine was running, but no oomph. Check engine light, and other lights, flashing on dashboard. Car kept slowing, and there was no place to pull over at that point on the pike (mile 68). Finally, car made it to crest of hill (at that point going 15 miles an hour in the right hand lane and still slowing), and a pull out spot appeared. Pulled over, but a very harrowing experience. Had the car towed to the closest Acura dealer (this was clearly an issue that would be covered by warranty...). They checked out car, and said that they had seen the same problem before, and that fix was to replace the "intercooler kit", which required a part that was on a long back order. Researching other threads, I find that this has happened to others... and that a "fix" can be to turn off the car, and restart after a few minutes. Car seems to drive fine again... In any case, I later moved the car to the dealer where we bought it, and they had the part in stock. Apparently, when it is very wet and a driver accelerates hard, the old part lets some water enter the turbo charger, at which point the car goes into "limp" mode. Apparently, Acura has an outstanding service bulletin on this issue. The reason for my filing... I think that this a recall issue. I love the car, and am glad that it is fixed (at least, I hope it is!), but this is a very bad problem and should not happen. Any questions, please let me know. But I would encourage Acura to do a formal recall...

FAILURE DATE 4/15/21. CLIENT DRIVING A 2020 ACURA RDX AT 75MPH AT NIGHT WITH LIGHT RAIN RETURNING HOME ON US281, SOUTH TEXAS. VEHICLE SUDDENLY BEGAN DECELERATING TO ABOUT 45MPH, WITH NO RESPONSE THROUGH THE GAS PEDAL TO MAINTAIN SPEED. VEHICLE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WAS FLASHING. VEHICLE PULLED OVER TO OFF RAMP AND IDLED TO A GAS STATION THAT WAS NEAR.. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER THE NEXT DAY. DEALER INITIAL RESPONSE WAS THAT NO ISSUE WAS FOUND AND ATTRIBUTED IT TO "BAD GAS". VEHICLE OWNER DID NOT ACCEPT THIS ANSWER AND ASKED DEALER TO SEARCH SERVICE BULLETINS. THE NEXT DAY, IT WAS FOUND THAT THERE HAD BEEN SEVERAL INCIDENTS REPORTED ON THIS FAILURE MODE, AND THE REPAIR/REPLACEMENT OF PN# 19710-6B2-A01 WHICH INCLUDES AN INTAKE INTERCOOLER KIT PN# 06198-5YF-305, AND LUBRICANT PN# 08734 WAS THE FIX OF THIS ISSUE. THE FIX PREVENTS MOISTURE FROM ENTERING THE INTAKE INTERCOOLER ASM AND CAUSING THE VEHICLE ENGINE TO DECELERATE INTO "LIMP MODE". NOTE: ALSO, VEHICLE PGM SOFTWARE WAS UPDATED. .

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 ACURA RDX. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH IN THE RAIN, THE VEHICLE LOSS MOTIVE POWER AND DECELERATED WITH THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT GUIDED THE VEHICLE OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROADWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES AND SLOWLY DRIVEN TO GAS STATION PARKING LOT. THE CONTACT CALLED ACURA OF COLUMBUS (6549 WHITTLESEY BLVD, COLUMBUS, GA 31909, (706) 576-6700) WHO DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE OVER THE PHONE, STATING THAT THE TURBO CHARGER INTER COOLER SYSTEM HAD ALLOWED MOISTURE INTO THE SYSTEM WHILE IT WAS RAINING AND CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SHUTDOWN. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO SLOWLY DRIVE THE VEHICLE AROUND THE PARKING LOT ONCE IT STOPPED RAINING FOR THE MOISTURE TO DISSIPATE FROM THE SYSTEM. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE WOULD RESET ONCE THE INTER COOLER WAS CLEAR OF MOISTURE. THE CONTACT FOLLOWED THE ADVICE AND WAS THEN ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ACURA COLUMBUS (4340 W. DUBLIN GRANVILLE RD, DUBLIN, OH 43017) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE INTER COOLER KIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,300.

NOVEMBER 22, 2020 10:15 PM ROUTE 287 (IN ROUTE TO EDISON RTE 1 EXIT). 2020 ACURA RDX A-SPEC - A FEW MINUTES AFTER ACCELERATING SAFELY ONTO A MERGING LANE (WITH TRUCKS) THE ENGINE PERFORMANCE LIGHT STARTS BLINKING AND CAR STARTED TO SLOW DOWN ALMOST TO A ROLL. AS THE TRUCK'S HEADLIGHTS GOT CLOSER, IT MANAGED ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER CARS TO SWITCH LANES AS I TURNED HAZARD LIGHTS ON AND STEERED THE CAR INTO THE SHOULDER. I TURNED THE CAR OFF (HAZARD LIGHTS STILL ON) WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND WHEN I TURNED IT BACK ON THE ENGINE PERFORMANCE LIGHT WAS OFF AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME. ACURA NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS BEFORE SOMETHING TRAGIC HAPPENS. CAR WAS PURCHASED IN JUNE AND WAS UNDER 6700 MILES WHEN THIS HAPPENED. IT WAS ALSO SERVICED WITH MAINTENANCE B A WEEK PRIOR TO MY TRIP.

CAR LOST ALL ACCELERATION AND WENT INTO LIMP MODE ATTEMPTING TO OVERTAKE SOMEONE ON THE FREEWAY, ACCELERATING FROM 60 TO 70 MPH (IN A 70). I HAD TO NAVIGATE FROM LEFT LANE TO RIGHT SHOULDER ACROSS 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC. TERRIFYING. CAR WAS REMEDIED AFTER TURNING OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES. OF NOTE, THIS WAS A LONG (3+ HOUR) TRIP IN THE RAIN. A QUICK SEARCH REVEALED A TON OF OTHER ACURA OWNERS WITH A SIMILAR ISSUE' NOTING SPECIFICALLY THAT IT DOESN'T GENERATE AN ERROR CODE THATS STORED THAT HONDA/ACURA CAN USE TO TROUBLESHOOT. MY CAR WAS CPO, UNDER A WEEK SINCE PURCHASE, 6,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. CRAZY THERE ISN'T A RECALL. VERY DANGEROUS

- 2020 ACURA RDX ASPEC PURCHASED APR2020 NEW - ~2,800 MILES WHEN INCIDENT OCCURRED ON SAT, 4JUL2020 - WAS TRAVELING ON I-10 WEST AT ~70 TO 75 MPH - ATTEMPTED TO PASS A VEHICLE (ON THE LEFT) WHEN CAR LOST ALL ABILITY TO ACCELERATE AND ORANGE ENGINE LIGHT BEGAN TO BLINK IN LOWER LEFT CORNER OF DASHBOARD - I WAS PUSHING ACCELERATOR TO THE FLOOR BUT NO ACCELERATION, NO ENGINE REVVING - VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN TO ~20 MPH BY THE TIME I WAS ABLE WAS ABLE TO GET OVER TO SHOULDER SAFELY - TURNED CAR OFF WAITED ~30 SECONDS TURNED CAR BACK ON AND CAR APPEARED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY - I REPORTED ISSUE TO ACURA DEALERSHIP - SERVICE REP ADVISED THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE, BUT SERVICE MANAGER SAID HE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THIS ISSUE - I RESEARCHED ISSUE AND DISCOVERED THAT MY VEHICLE APPEARS TO HAVE EXPERIENCED "LIMP MODE" - AS HAVE MANY OTHER 2019 AND 2020 ACURA RDX MODELS - AT TIME OF INCIDENT WAS USING ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL WITH ONE BAR SPACING BETWEEN VEHICLES, START/STOP WAS ON, COMFORT MODE, ALWAYS USE PREMIUM (93) FUEL, GAS TANK WAS ~1/2 FULL, WEATHER WAS CLEAR ~90 DEGREES - AFTER RESTARTING CAR REALIZED THAT HAD CHANGED TO SPORT+ MODE - AT THIS POINT, I NO LONGER TRUST THE SAFETY OF THIS VEHICLE - THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT HAD THERE BEEN A FAST MOVING VEHICLE (E.G. 18 WHEELER) BEHIND ME - UP TO AND INCLUDING DEATH - VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT DEALERSHIP FOR ANALYSIS

FROM THE DAY I TOOK DELIVERY OF MY 2020 RDX ADVANCE IN AUGUST, I'VE BEEN COMPLETELY CRAZY ABOUT IT. NOW, HOWEVER, I'M FEELING SAD AND DISILLUSIONED, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I DON'T FEEL 100% SAFE DRIVING IT. RECENTLY, AFTER SPENDING A FEW WEEKS IN GEORGIA, WE WERE DRIVING BACK HOME TO NORTHERN VIRGINIA ON I-85N IN NORTH CAROLINA. IT WAS AND HAD BEEN RAINING STEADILY THE ENTIRE TRIP. THERE WAS MODERATE/HEAVY TRAFFIC MOVING AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 60-75/80 MPH. SOMEWHERE JUST SOUTH OF CHARLOTTE, THE CAR SUDDENLY STARTED SLOWING DOWN, EVEN THOUGH I WAS PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR! IT WAS BARELY MOVING IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS BLINKING AND THE ENGINE WAS RATTLING AND SPUTTERING. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED ON THE HAZARDS AND STARTED CROSSING THE TWO FAR RIGHT LANES TO GET OVER TO THE NARROW SHOULDER. TERRIFYING. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE ONLY ABOUT A 1/4 MILE FROM AN EXIT. WE SLOWLY MADE IT ON THE SHOULDER TO ONE OF GAS STATIONS THERE. AFTER CHECKING THE SUPPORT SECTION IN THE APP AND CALLING A TECH AT MY HOME DEALERSHIP, I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND LET IT SIT FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES. IT STARTED AND WE WERE ABLE TO FINISH THE TRIP WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. WE MADE IT HOME SAFELY, BUT THE REMAINING SIX HOURS OF THE TRIP WERE MENTALLY EXCRUCIATING. WE DROVE AS SLOWLY AS SAFELY POSSIBLE IN THE RIGHT LANE. I COULDN'T GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD THAT IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN AT ANY MOMENT. AND, I CAN'T SAY IT HASN'T CROSSED MY MIND THAT I WON'T BE ABLE TO GET OVER THAT EXTENDED FEELING OF UNCERTAINTY WHILE DRIVING IT. AT LEAST, NOT FOR NOW. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER ON 11/25/19. THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE ISSUE, AND THAT THERE WERE NEITHER ERROR NOR FAULT CODES STORED. I HAD BEEN HOPING THEY WOULD GIVE ME SOME EXPLANATION AND REASSURANCE THAT EVERYTHING IS FINE. I WANTED TO FEEL 100% THAT THE CAR IS STILL SAFE TO DRIVE, BUT I'M NOT FEELING THAT NOW.