2015 Acura RLX

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

Fuel economy
23 mpgcombined; city 20, highway 30; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$17,500U.S. average; Ohio $16,490 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 overall safety rating
5 starslowest across the versions NHTSA tested
Recall campaigns
3over its history; check a VIN for open ones
Owner complaints
11filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Trims

NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2015 RLX. 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.

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 11 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 RLX. 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
PartComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuries
Steering7000
Suspension2000
Electrical system1000
Electronic stability control (ESC)1000
Engine1000
Exterior lighting1000
Structure1000

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.

  1. 201485
  2. 201511
  3. 20168
  4. 20173
  5. 20189
  6. 20190
  7. 20203

Every RLX year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2015 RLX 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.

Fuel system, gasoline: delivery

NHTSA campaign 23V858000 · reported Dec 18, 2023 · 2,490,460 vehicles potentially affected

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.

NHTSA's record and documents

Forward collision avoidance: crash imminent braking

NHTSA campaign 15V301000 · reported May 20, 2015 · 19,502 vehicles potentially affected

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Acura MDX 2WD and AWD, RLX and 2014 Acura RLX Hybrid vehicles. In certain driving conditions, the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) may incorrectly interpret certain roadside objects such as metal fences or metal guardrails as obstacles and unexpectedly apply the brakes.

Risk: If the CMBS unexpectedly applies emergency braking force while driving, there is an increased risk of a crash.

Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the CMBS software, free of charge. The recall began on July 6, 2015. Owners may contact Acura customer service at 1-800-382-2238. Honda's numbers for this recall is JQ4, JQ5 and JQ6.

NHTSA's record and documents

Exterior lighting: headlights

NHTSA campaign 14V792000 · reported Dec 16, 2014 · 9,751 vehicles potentially affected

American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2014 Acura RLX vehicles manufactured November 22, 2012, to January 30, 2014, 2015 Acura RLX vehicles manufactured June 4, 2014, to November 18, 2014, and 2014 Acura RLX Hybrid vehicles manufactured November 5, 2013, to July 25, 2014. An aluminum film applied to the inner reflector of the headlight may experience adhesion issues causing the film to delaminate. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, "Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."

Risk: Delamination of the aluminum film may diminish output of the headlight, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace both of the headlights, free of charge. The recall began February 2, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-310-783-2000. Honda's number for this recall is JN2.

NHTSA's record and documents

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 162 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2015 RLX, the latest on Sep 4, 2024. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: tires (32), equipment (29), electrical system (23), steering (14), engine and engine cooling (13).

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.

InvestigationPartOpenedStatus
Defect petition DP22005
Pedestrian alert sounds · covers 43 makes
Electrical systemJan 27, 2023Closed Aug 7, 2023
Petition withdrawn
NHTSA's record and documents
Engineering analysis EA21002
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture · covers 37 makes
Air bagsSep 17, 2021Open
NHTSA's record and documents
Engineering analysis EA19001
Electrical overstress · covers 11 makes
Air bagsApr 19, 2019Closed Sep 19, 2024
NHTSA's summary names recall 16V668000, 18E043000, 18V137000, 18V363000, 20V024000
NHTSA's record and documents

Maintenance

Oil

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 2015 RLX.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Specs

EPA class: midsize cars. EPA greenhouse gas score: 6 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
RLX
Front-Wheel Drive
3.5 L, 6 cylAutomatic (S6)Premium Gasoline20 / 30 / 23

Sources and dates

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