Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
22–23 mpgcombined; city 19–20, highway 27–28; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$17,500–$18,290U.S. average; Ohio $16,490–$17,240 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2017 RDX. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 79 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 RDX. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Power train
24
1
0
0
Electrical system
18
0
0
0
Engine
11
0
0
0
Service brakes
11
3
0
4
Unknown or other
8
1
1
0
Vehicle speed control
8
0
0
0
Air bags
4
2
0
2
Forward collision avoidance
4
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
3
0
0
0
Lane departure
3
0
0
0
Structure
3
0
0
0
Electronic stability control (ESC)
2
0
0
0
8 more parts
Seat belts
2
1
0
1
Suspension
2
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
2
0
0
0
Back over prevention
1
0
0
0
Exterior lighting
1
0
0
0
Firerelated
1
1
1
0
Steering
1
0
0
0
Wheels
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2017 RDX over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017 CR-V and Acura RDX vehicles. The Certification Labels on the affected vehicles were printed with ink that may be inadvertently wiped away with an alcohol solvent. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of 49 CFR Part 567, "Certification."
Risk: If the label information can be wiped away, the operator may not be able to refer to the information, possibly resulting in the vehicle being overloaded, which can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Honda and Acura will notify owners, and dealers will replace the Certification Label, free of charge. The recall began June 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KF3 (CR-V)and KF4 (RDX).
Carmakers sent NHTSA 120 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2017 RDX, the latest on Jun 4, 2025. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (30), structure (21), electrical system (14), fuel system (14), gasoline (14).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Engineering analysis EA21002 Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture · covers 37 makes
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2017 RDX.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: small sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 5 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
RDX Front-Wheel Drive
3.5 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Premium Gasoline
20 / 28 / 23
RDX All-Wheel Drive
3.5 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Premium Gasoline
19 / 27 / 22
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data