My New Acura SUV with a Gear Shifting Jerk

posted on : May 9, 2016

To read the most recent posting on my Acura RDX problems, click here. (April 2018)

Scroll down to the bottom of the post for updates (7/28/17 and 9/6/2017)

Have you ever purchased a brand new car only to have a problem with it? I bought a 2016 Acura RDX last year and it seems to jerk or lurch forward every now and then. Definitely not something I’d expect from a luxury SUV.

About nine months ago, I finally said goodbye to my ‘Mom minivan.’ Despite having a wonderful experience with my 2005 Honda Odyssey and having no major issues, its age was catching up and repairs were on the horizon. Since I’m not a commuter, I barely put over 100,000 miles on it.

Being brand loyal when it comes to cars, we looked into getting a new SUV, preferably another Honda. However, the CR-V didn’t seem to have enough for us. So we looked into Honda’s luxury brand, Acura. A few weeks later, we drove home in our new 2016 Acura RDX SUV.

acura suv rdx jerk transmission problems

As time went by, I seemed to notice that the car was a little jumpy on cold mornings, but only at the nearest stoplight to my house. I’d stop at the stoplight and wait. When it was time to go, the car seemed to jerk forward a bit, making a hesitant switch from first gear into second. My husband and I attributed it to the cold Chicago winter and just got used to the slight lurch in movement at that same stoplight all winter. After all, it was only a slight irritation since it only happened on a cold start (after sitting overnight) and only at that one stoplight.

When the weather warmed up and the hesitation into second gear was still present, my husband and I decided to take it in to be looked at. The service team at our Acura dealership said that they couldn’t find anything wrong with the car. No red flags or warning lights were found upon inspection. Their only suggestion was to leave the car overnight so they could drive it on a cold start. At this time, we weren’t able to do that, so my husband left irritated and confused.

However, when getting a ride to and from work by a courtesy driver at the dealership, the driver said that he experienced the same jerking motion every morning when driving customers in the Acura SUVs. My husband was shocked and surprised that the courtesy driver knew exactly what he was talking about, but the service technicians didn’t know about this. Hours of searching on the internet left me with no information with this specific issue for this specific model of Acura. I did find, however, that the TLX model has had problems with jerking motions and gear shifting. A class action lawsuit has been filed in California alleging that the 2015 Acura TLX cars are made with defective transmissions and that Honda/Acura hid this information from customers.

Seriously? Did Honda know about this? Is this a common issue with Acuras? If it is, why haven’t they fixed it?

It’s been a frustrating few months, having a brand new car that makes this unnatural lurching motion at times. Being that it’s a brand new model, I guess I’ll have to sit back and wait for others to experience this problem before Acura will really dig in and figure out what’s causing it. It can’t be too difficult to figure out because it’s only a jerky shift from first to second. We’ve had no other problems with the car and we both really enjoy driving it. It’s just this one issue that keeps poking me.

So my brand loyalty to Honda has slightly wavered through this whole experience. Since I never had major issues with my Honda Odyssey, I was hoping it would be the same with my Acura RDX. Unfortunately, I can’t say that it has.

Any Acura owners out there with similar experiences? Please, let me know in the comments!

Happy Travels!

Julie

UPDATE- July 28, 2017: I’ve been informed that Acura Service Bulletin 17-017 and 17-018 pertain to this issue, described below in my post. These bulletins state that “a judder from the torque converter lock-up clutch may be felt when driving between 20-60mph. The problem is typically diagnosed as a bad torque converter.” I will be taking this information to the service station of my Acura dealership and will let you know about the fix when it’s completed.

UPDATE- September 6, 2017: Today I took my 2016 RDX to the dealership for regular maintenance, as well as checking out this Acura Service Bulletin 17-017, 17-018 to see if it pertains to my car and the issues that I’m having. I must state that I am not good with cars and I wish I could have recorded the conversation I had with the technician so that I could explain to you with clarity, what my issue is. I apologize in advance if my explanation isn’t clear, or if I use the wrong words to describe the following:

I was told that both of the service bulletins do not apply to my hesitation when shifting to second gear. The technician said that it would feel like I was driving on a rumble strip, experiencing a shaking motion, if service bulletins 17-017/18 were related to my problem. Since I don’t experience that judder, it does not apply.

What was explained to me is that because of new fuel economy standards, Acura is manufacturing cars to rev up the transmission, getting the car into higher gears faster and thus have better gas mileage. Sometimes, especially on colder mornings, the engine is not ready to get up and go into the higher gears as quickly as the car wants it to. This in turn, results in the hesitation or jerking motion felt at times, when trying to get the car past second gear. Once everything is “warmed up,” the problem goes away. Nothing was fixed in regards to this issue; besides getting this explanation, I was told my “transmission is shifting as designed,” after our test drive.

Needless to say, I can’t say I’m at all pleased with this explanation. How can you sell a luxury car with a jerky hesitation that shows up from time to time? Every time I’ve been to the dealership, I feel like I’m getting the run around about this problem. It’s unsettling to me how many people have this problem with their Acuras and there is apparently “nothing” that can be done about it. Apparently, it’s just how the car was made, but no one at Acura wants to admit it.

Source: topclassactions.com

148 COMMENTS

Bruce | 8th Feb 17

I have a 2014 Acura RDX and it does the same thing! I brought it in several times and they can’t find anything wrong. It is happens enough to be irritating.
- Julie | 9th Feb 17
  
  I agree! I don’t understand why the Acura mechanics can’t find anything wrong with the car. The jerking only usually occurs in the morning after sitting all night. The dealership told me to leave the car there overnight so they can reproduce the problem in the morning. I just don’t have the luxury to do that. I need the car! I still wonder if they just refuse to admit that there IS a problem. Keep me updated if you have any luck!! Thanks for reading! 🙂
  - Denis | 27th Jul 17
    
    I have a 2015 Acura RDX and am experiencing a similar problem. For the first year of ownership I had no issues, including over a winter. I don’t put a lot of mileage on the vehicle. Currently, in July, 2017, I have only 32,000 km. Last summer, after doing about 500 km of continuous highway driving, this “jumping issue” occurred, with a marked jolt just after starting from a stop, followed by anther jolt after just getting going. It contoured unti the end of my trip, about anther 300 km. However it wasn’t present the next morning. It seemed to me that it could be a belt problem in changing gears, possibly due to loosening of the belt with increased temperature. I called my local Acura service dealer and the advisor asked if any dash lights were on, which they weren’t, and dismissed the problem, saying bring it in if it occurs again. It ha happened 2 more times, one after leaving the vehicle in the hot sun for several hours, and again after driving for a babout an hour in hot weather. The problem at to disappear after leaving the vehicle for several hours in the shade or in my garage. I wonder if it is an issue with the Honda/Acura continuous variable transmission, and if a belt is involved is it loosening with increased temperature. After reading this article, I’m going to press my service advisor more vigorously about it. I may also contact our Automobile Protective Association about it. I’d appreciate any advice regarding what to do about it. I’m planning a long trip in the near future and don’t know what to do if this keeps erecurring.
    - Julie | 27th Jul 17
      
      Sorry to hear you’re experiencing a similar issue. I’ve noticed the jerking while on road trips as well. Something about the car being “tired” or being too warm to change gears smoothly. I’ve never had any check engine lights on while having this problem. I also have yet to learn anything from any dealer, or if Acura knows about this issue or not. I don’t believe it to be a safety issue. I’m actually driving across three states next weekend with trust in my RDX. If Acura knows about this and isn’t telling owners I will be very upset and won’t be buying another Acura. Transparency equals happy customers. Please let me know if you have any success at the dealership/mechanic or with Acura. Best of luck and keep us informed! 🙂
    - Julie | 28th Jul 17
      
      Good news! I have an update on what we think the problem is. See the updated section on the post’s page.
      - Rob | 22nd Jul 19
        
        Hi Julie. I had this exact problem. Luckily I found a simple fix by searching on YouTube and a great page called EngineMod’s helped me by showing how to reset the ECU. Turn the car into aux mode by pushing the start button without pressing the break. The engine should be off with the car in six. Hold down the gas pedal for 35 seconds. Release. Then turn the car on. That will reset your exit but be careful, the cars horsepower will be restored and it will have a lot more pick up and you’ll notice it will shift better. I found this out last week. Only problem is that I had to do it again this morning and so I may have to take it in if it continues. Good Luck. You can also find a step by step video on YouTube. It was done on an older model with the actual key but it still worked on my 2017 with 40,000 miles. Good Luck!
      - Julie | 23rd Jul 19
        
        Wow, thanks for sharing your fix with us! I don’t have the RDX anymore, but I hope this will help readers with any transmission problems they continue to have. Thank you!
  - John | 1st Oct 19
    
    Hi Julie, I want to thank you for information about the service bulletins. I am having my 2016 RDX serviced right now based on your information. Chances are they would have told me they couldn’t find anything wrong if I hadn’t had that info. God Bless
    - Julie | 1st Oct 19
      
      Glad to help. Best of luck!
Lisa Jung | 20th Apr 17

Yes! I have a 2012 MDX. The issue comes and goes and yes the technicians havent found the issue yet.
- Julie | 21st Apr 17
  
  That’s incredible! I find it hard to believe that Acura doesn’t know what the problem is. And it’s incredibly frustrating as an owner because the problem isn’t always reproducible, when you take it in to be looked at. Keep me posted! 🙂
R | 18th May 17

It is happening to my 2016 Acura RDX and i am in a shock to see this post!!! I will be taking the car to the dealer asap and hope the below article will help others too:
http://www.montgomeryvilleacura.com/why-your-engine-slips-between-gears/
- Julie | 18th May 17
  
  Wow, good article! Thanks for sharing. Let me know if the dealer actually does anything for you. When we took it in, they said nothing was wrong since they couldn’t recreate the problem. Keep me updated! 🙂
Chris Hanson | 5th Jul 17

On a related issue, the day after we took our new 2017 Acura RDX home from the dealer, the car hesitated half-way up our 90-ft. long, 22% grade driveway. It appears that the transmission is shifting from first to second halfway up and then bogging down because second gear is too high to handle the grade. I have an appointment with the dealer tomorrow to see if they can replicate the condition.
- Julie | 5th Jul 17
  
  Wow. It amazes me that Acura can’t seem to figure out what this problem is. My car hesitates mostly in the winter, and less so in the warmer months, but it still happens. I hope you can get some answers tomorrow. Thanks for commenting. Keep me posted! 🙂
- Julie | 28th Jul 17
  
  Good news! I have an update on what we think the problem is with the Acura. See the updated section on the post’s page.
Trece | 21st Jul 17

Hi! Yes, I’ve experienced this issue with my 2016 MDX. I’ve taken it to the dealer 2x and on this third trip, they’ve decided to keep it and do “something” . They’ve said they need to update the software. This is my final time before writing to the corporate office.
- Julie | 21st Jul 17
  
  I actually tried to contact Acura via twitter about this issue, directly sending them my post. Their response was to take the car in to the dealer. Apparently they didn’t read the post, because I explicitly stated that I already had taken the car in and had it inspected and driven. It boggles my mind that this isn’t some kind of major issue or recall that’s been noted and corrected. I sincerely hope you get some answers this time. Let me know if they fix the problem! Good luck!!
- Julie | 28th Jul 17
  
  Good news! I have an update on what we think the problem is. See the updated section on the post’s page.
  - Angie | 14th Jun 19
    
    Hello,
    Can you tell me where is the update?
    
    Angie
    - Julie | 14th Jun 19
      
      I have two posts about the Acura RDX: http://escapingthemidwest.com/new-acura-small-problem/ and http://escapingthemidwest.com/jerky-acura-rdx/
      
      My most recent update on the car’s problems is from the second post (So long my jerking Acura RDX) at the way bottom of the post. It’s an update from Sept 2018. But overall, there is still no news from Acura about how to fix the issue and they have not admitted a faulty transmission.
bando | 27th Jul 17

Please google search Acura RDX service bulletin 17-017
- Julie | 28th Jul 17
  
  Thank you for your comment! I will be adding this information to my post and sending my car in for this service soon. 🙂
Maria Sylva | 22nd Aug 17

Greetings,
I just purchased a 2017 Acura RDX last month and I’ve noticed the sudden jerking either when I’m accelerating slowly or starting to decelerate. This morning it occurred twice and the first jerk more severe. I noticed it last month as well but dismissed it as myself simply getting accustomed to the new vehicle. It really pains me to purchase a new vehicle and have problems with it a month later. The whole reason I purchased an Acura was because their supposed to be reputable vehicles. Please let me know if you discover any new findings. Thank you
- Julie | 22nd Aug 17
  
  Hi Maria,
  Thanks for your comments. I agree with you 100%. To buy a new car that is a reputable brand (not to mention pricey!) and have a problem with it within months is incredibly frustrating. In late July, I found out that there is an Acura Service Bulletin 17-017 and 17-018 that most likely pertains to this jerking issue. I have not been able to get to the dealership as of yet, but I do plan on going soon, as the jerking seems to increase when the weather is colder. I will most definitely update my post when this happens. Good luck on fixing your issues!
  
  Julie
Steve Cosgrove | 23rd Aug 17

Same issue with this car from 2014, 2015, 2016, and now 2017.
Acura Dealers know of the problem and have no fix for it.
People need to stop buying this car.
Judy Archer | 13th Sep 17

Updates on jerking or jumping motion with Acura TLX 2017
- Julie | 13th Sep 17
  
  I don’t have any information on the Acura TLX. I can only share what was told to me about my RDX. I would guess that if all Acura’s have the same engine or same number of engine cylinders (V4, V6, V8), I’d imagine you’d have the same problem with the hesitation. Same engine in a different make/model of car. Hope that helps! 🙂
Paige | 4th Oct 17

Hate reading these comments but it lets me know other people are experiencing the same thing as me! Long story short, I had an Acura TSX for 10 years and loved it. I decided to branch out and purchased a 2014 Infiniti Q50 at the beginning of the year but quickly realized it did not fit my lifestyle. I went back to what I wanted all along, the Acura RDX. I traded in the Infiniti for a 2014 Acura RDX (only 30K miles) and felt the slight “slip” between first and third gear while test driving but just knew Acura would stand behind the car and fix whatever needed fixing to get this car to the caliber it should be!

I’ve taken it to the dealership twice, the first time they told me that at 30K miles they recommended a transmission fluid flush – fluid was black. I still had issues so took it back and they decided to fulfill the bulletin listed above although now it seems that wasn’t consistent with what I’m feeling. Taking it back this Friday so hoping for resolution but now lowering my expectations 🙁
- Julie | 4th Oct 17
  
  Thanks for sharing your story. Acura makes a stylish and well made car, but I have to stay I probably won’t be buying another one. It doesn’t help that this hesitant jerking while shifting gears is not consistent, so it’s hard to reproduce for mechanics. The ‘best’ answer I got (and most likely correct) for this whole problem was that they make engines now to shift into higher gears faster (to save on fuel) and sometimes these engines just don’t warm up fast enough, resulting in a jerking motion.
  
  Good luck at the dealership. Let us know if you get any answers!
  - Paige | 11th Oct 17
    
    Update; I am now getting even more frustrated with it! Dealership said there are TWO bulletins out there for the RDX – one for high speed shifting (judder) and the other for low speed shifting (judder). The low speed bulletin was executed last time I went in. Next time I will be going for a ride with the Shop Manager. The test drive they do is around the corner, for less than a mile. Of course they are unable to replicate the jerk/lurch/less than stellar drive. When I asked my Service Consultant if they hear this complain a lot, he lowered his head and replied with, “Yes, ma’am. All the time”
    
    I will be writing to Acura.
    - Julie | 11th Oct 17
      
      You would think if the service consultants hear this all the time, they would be able to explain the problem better. Or at least say that the corporate office knows about it and they’re working on a fix. My bet is they all know about it but have no fix for it. Thanks for keeping us updated!
Joan | 10th Oct 17

I have experienced the same issue. Wondering if there is enough people if we can start a class action lawsuit, as it is dangerous for a car to be jumping gears or hesitating say in the middle of an intersection. Has anyone looked into legal action?
- Julie | 11th Oct 17
  
  I didn’t read of any lawsuits throughout my research for this post. I do agree with you that it’s definitely not safe to experience that jerking or hesitating motion in the middle of an intersection (which is where I always feel it). Let us know if you hear of anything or find out more information. 🙂
Joan | 11th Oct 17

http://www.acuratransmissionlawsuit.com
That is closest I have found but it’s saying it is for 2016 mdx, but complains of the exact same transmission issues. Mine seems to do it when I am accelerating to change lanes. The first time it happened my car jerked so hard I thought I had been hit from behind and pulled over to see if their was damage to the back of my car. The second time it happened about 20 mins later I was alone on the road and knew it was just the car.
- Julie | 11th Oct 17
  
  Thanks for sharing! I have to imagine it’s only a matter of time before there’s an RDX lawsuit as well.
Joan | 14th Oct 17

Update: I finally have video evidence of it happening. Bringing that to dealership on Monday and hoping they can make it right.
- Julie | 14th Oct 17
  
  Wow, good for you! Please, please let us know what they tell you. Fingers crossed for you. Good luck!
Denis Bailey | 16th Oct 17

I wrote to you once before about this issue (July 27, 2017). The intermittent lurching sometimes accompanied by a loud clunk is now increasing in frequency. It only occurs after driving for a couple of miles and always when beginning to accelerate from a stop. Somewhat unexpectedly I’ve noticed that if I turn the motor off, even for a brief time (e.g., waiting for a stop light to change), the lurching and clunking disappear. Today I drove for about a mile, noticed the lurch, and stopped and turned the car off for about 5 minutes to pick up a package. When I restarted I didn’t notice the lurch, but driving for about a minute a large yellow warning light came on the dash stating CHECK TRANSMISSION. A small engine light also came on. These stayed on until I arrived home, a journey of about 10 minutes. I turned the engine off and turned it back again on after about 5 second. After turning it back on the yellow transmission warning had disappeared, although the engine light remained on. I called the service department of my Acura dealer and have an appointment in 2 days. Over the telephone the advisor commented only that “it is worth checking out”. I took a short movie of the dash with my iPhone, and I’ll show this to the service advisor when I take the vehicle in. I have only 34,000 Km on it, and had it serviced only a couple of months ago. I would be interested in knowing if anyone else has had a similar experience, (P.S., I tried to attach the movie and a jpg., but the site wouldn’t accept them).
- Julie | 16th Oct 17
  
  Wow. That’s not good. Thanks for sharing your story. Maybe someone else has experienced the same problem. Fortunately, I know my ‘check transmission’ light has never come on with the ‘jerking’ problems I’ve had. Best of luck with the service call. Let us know how it goes!
Lourdes | 17th Oct 17

I have encountered the same issue and have taken the car to the dealership twice. The first time they changed the transmission fluid and updated the software. A couple weeks after (this weekend) I encountered the same issue and the auto was jerking, and not accelerating when it jerks. I am concerned about my safety and others safety. I just picked up my car and they need me to replicate it (the agent said maybe it will stop doing it after 500 miles of the software update), next step: document the rpm, the time of the day when it happened and bring the details back. They said that the next step would be to replicate with the service agent in the car…. If we are all having these issues it is concerning.
- Julie | 17th Oct 17
  
  How are you supposed to be able to watch the road and drive, notice the hesitation, then remember to look down (away from the road) and take notice of the RPM’s? And after getting your transmission fluid and software fixed, the rep told you it “might” go away after another 500 miles? What an incredible response. Definitely not what you’d expect from a luxury vehicle brand. Trying to replicate the problem with the service agent is not an easy task if it doesn’t happen all the time. We were told to leave our car overnight at the dealership last winter, but we didn’t have to time to leave a car behind and simply ‘hope’ they would be able to replicate our problem. All of these stories are disheartening. I will continue to post updates on the post’s blog page if I hear any new news. Thanks for sharing!
Joan | 17th Oct 17

So after showing the video to the dealership and then looking at the car they are saying it is a “transmission pressure switch issue” I haven’t heard this being mentioned before so hopefully this is the fix!!! I will drive around and let you guys know!
- Julie | 17th Oct 17
  
  Ok, I hope this works for you!
- Eddie | 30th Oct 17
  
  I’m having the same transmission slip issue! Please keep us updated. I’m going to take it in to the dealer next week
  - Julie | 31st Oct 17
    
    Thanks for letting us know. The amount of people affected by this is soooo discouraging. And yet it seems like no one at Acura is concerned.
    - Denis Bailey | 31st Oct 17
      
      I’ve written twice before about this gear slipping issue. I have a 2015 Acura RDX and began to experience the problem about a year ago. It was intermittent and occurred only occasionally at first, but gradually it became more frequent, and about a month ago it began to occur daily. I would drive stop-and-go for about 20 minutes with no problem, and then it would start. The vehicle would jerk and slam into gear after just after beginning to move from a stop. This would keep happening until I shut the engine off, even for just a couple of seconds, then the gears would appear to change normally. A couple of months ago the jerking occurred somewhat more severely, and a bright yellow light came on the dash, stating in capital letters “CHECK TRANSMISSION”, along with an exclamation mark contained in a schematic circular gear wheel. At the same time the engine light came on. Both the transmission and the engine lights remained on while I still drove about a mile home, but after shutting off the engine and restarting it, the transmission light disappeared, although the engine light remained on. I took the vehicle into the dealer and was told the “transmission pressure switch (5th clutch) circuit high connector not on sensor”. They reinstalled (re-attached) it, and then test-drove the vehicle for 9 km with no problem. After I had it back for about a day, the jerking started to occur again, worse than ever. I made an appointment and this time the transmission light came on while I was driving it to the dealer. I kept the motor running in the service bay so they could see it. The mechanic came out, looked at it, and then thought it was the same problem as before. Long story short, this time they replaced the 5th gear clutch pressure switch (circuit high), and I haven’t felt the problem again after driving now for about a week (about 100 miles, stop and go). My fingers are crossed that it won’t happen again. I don’t know for sure that this is the same issue several of you are experiencing, but it is something worth looking into. I notice one other correspondent (Joan) had this pressure switch issue brought up, and I’ll be interested if replacement (not readjustment or reattachment) resolved the problem in her vehicle. My real concern about the issue is that the dealer wouldn’t even look at the vehicle unless a light came on the dash, even though I thought my explanation of the problem was quite detailed and should have led to some testing.
      - Julie | 1st Nov 17
        
        Thanks for sharing your experience. I certainly hope that your problem has been fixed for good!
      - Giancarlos | 25th Sep 18
        
        This is EXACTLY what happened to me while on a family road trip back in March, 2017! The car only had 18,000 miles on it. They told me that it was the 6th gear oil pressure switch which once replaced fixed the problem but my car has NOT been driving the same since. Just about everything Julie has described along with your incident has happened to me in less than 3 years. Later this week I am taking my car in for service due to this loud “clunk” I hear when driving uphill or by tapping on the accelerator. It sounds like a bad mount but upon hearing it, the service technician simply said “sounds normal”. My car has been to the dealer at least 15+ times already and “nothing can be done” for just about everything. I’m so done with Honda/Acura.
Bob B | 3rd Nov 17

Had Same issue – dealer identified as pressure switch issue and replaced . Hope this helps people.
- Julie | 3rd Nov 17
  
  Thanks for letting us know! Here’s hoping this solves problems for readers. 🙂
Joan | 6th Nov 17

Hi all,

An update… the transmission pressure switch replacement has definitely improved the jerking (where the whole car actually shakes) which is good, but overall I am still having issues with the shifting. My car will shifts four times in the matter of 15 secs like it is searching for the right gear. I drove my neighbors car who has the same model and her car DOES not do this, so I know my car is still having some sort of issue, ugh will it ever end. My car is two months old and has been to the dealership more times than any of my previous cars for their whole lifespan :/
- Joan | 6th Nov 17
  
  Another update: it is going back to dealership on Friday. I refuse to just “let it go” when you buy a new car it should run as it’s inteneded to or at least how my neighbors EXACT model does.
  - Julie | 7th Nov 17
    
    Glad you had some improvement. Your issues definitely sound a lot worse than mine, since mine is only a hesitation when the car hasn’t “warmed up” yet. It’s obvious that Acura’s quality has deteriorated along with their customer service. Thank you for updating us on your progress. Continued luck to you on getting this issue resolved!
Jenny | 8th Nov 17

I Just purchased a 2015 Acura RDX used. 48,000. I love it. I love how it drives and handles. But I noticed right away when I was test driving that has I brake to slow to a stop at around 25-30mph the car jerks. Hesitates as if it is about to stall. continued to happen. I was lucky to have the vehicle for a few days to test drive before I bought it. During the time of purchase the dealer took it to the Acura dealer to have diagnostics done and found nothing wrong. Just assumed it had a hard gear shift change at deceleration. The car otherwise has a beautiful drive. I do a lot of highway driving so the little time I am doing city driving around 25mph, I thought I could handle the annoyance. I just want to make sure that this issue isn’t going to cause more problems with the brakes or anything else with the car. I was kind of hard strapped at the time of purchase. Wasn’t able to do a lot of shopping around, but really do love the size and comfort of this car. Very happy with my purchase except for the annoying whiplash coming to a stop. Plan to take myself to Acura dealer to discuss problem soon. Glad I found this post!
- Julie | 8th Nov 17
  
  Thanks for sharing your story. The RDX does have a great drive – quiet and smooth. Despite all the differences in readers’ issues, hesitation and jerkiness seems to be a common problem among Acuras. Your issue is the first I’ve heard of that involves stopping or slowing down. Best of luck at the Acura dealer. Not many people here have had much luck. Let us know if your problem gets fixed!
- Paige | 9th Nov 17
  
  Jenny,
  
  I also experience the jerk when slowing down but it primarily happens at 20 MPH when downshifting. The RPM’s will rev up and I will feel the jerk – which I now try to compensate for. It doesn’t happen every time I slow down but it’s enough that I think about it when slowing down. Very annoying and hoping they correct this issue soon.
  - Julie | 9th Nov 17
    
    Thanks for your comments. Let us know if it gets resolved!
Sy | 21st Nov 17

I have a 2014 Acura RDX around 18k miles I do not drive far everyday and I am very light on my cars I barely push my cars and I have never really loved my car. For it being a ‘luxury car’ I am very unimpressed with the car in general. It drove fine since I bought it but the transmission was never smooth. I’ve noticed for past 6 months whenever I start from a traffic light or get on the highway the transmission hesitates and literally jerks and it is the roughest thing I’ve probably ever experienced. It occurs almost everyday but is most prominent getting on the highway. I do not change the amount of throttle I put in but it randomly downshifts and upshifts and jolts the car, not like a nice downshift for faster acceleration, its more like its confused. It really doesn’t make any sense why it does those pointless shifts. I guess that is what makes the power quite nonlinear. I guess the roughness in the city I can deal with but trying to accelerate on the highway is just horrific. I feel as if I take it to the dealer they would just make things worse especially with my previous problems being pushed away because “that is just how the car is.”
- Julie | 21st Nov 17
  
  Thanks for sharing your story. Having a random hesitation or jerking while driving on the highway has to be unsettling and is probably not only frustrating for you, but it’s got to make you nervous. I really wish Acura had an explanation for all of these shifting issues. Keep us updated if you ever get a real answer. I encourage other readers to comment and let us know if this happens. Best of luck to you! 🙂
Ed | 21st Dec 17

2017 RDX AWD Tech. Had my torque converter replaced at 9K bc of the tapping noise from the engine compartment. They had my car for 2 weeks to get it done. At this time at 10K I also experience the jerk when slowing down at 19-20 MPH – downshifting. The RPM’s will rev up and I will feel the jerk. It is annoying…
- Julie | 21st Dec 17
  
  So after having your car for 2 weeks did they improve anything? Did they improve the tapping but now you have a new problem? Thanks for your comments. Acura has disappointed so many people. Here’s hoping our problems get resolved!
  - Ed | 25th Dec 17
    
    Hi Julie,
    Yes, the tapping is gone but that jerk at 19-20 mph downshifting is still there. I am planning on taking it back at 11K to get it checked. I got approx. 10,500 miles right now.
Eddie Ng | 26th Dec 17

Ok so an update on my transmission jerking issue. I took it to the dealership in Long Island today and they replaced the 3rd gear pressure switch saying the old one failed. I’m going to pick it up tomorrow and see how it goes. Hopefully I won’t have anymore issues but I’ll keep everyone updated either way
- Julie | 26th Dec 17
  
  I hope it fixes your problem! Good luck!
MN Mike | 5th Jan 18

Having the same issues with a 2014 RDX With 45K miles. Hesitation going into 2nd gear. And hard down shift around 20 mph. Always feels like the car is dragging when coasting to a stop, Going back the dealer for the third time. Tired of the same run around from the dealership every time they try and fix it.
- Julie | 6th Jan 18
  
  Thanks for your comments. I wonder if anyone has gotten answers from a general mechanic and not the dealerships. I feel like the dealerships aren’t giving us the real answers because they want us to keep buying Acuras. In any case, good luck on your third visit. Here’s hoping your transmission issues get fixed!
Sally | 9th Jan 18

I have a 2016 Acura RDX with the same issue. Previously, I thought I felt a slippage. Today it was mich more pronounced. No check engine light either. I’m taking mine in tomorrow morning.
- Julie | 9th Jan 18
  
  Thank you for your comments. Let us know if you get any answers!
- Sally | 21st Feb 18
  
  The jerking has happened several times since last post. Earlier this week it would not accelerate over 5mph. Scary since I was in 4 lanes of traffic. I turned my hazard lights on and pulled into a parking lot. Tow truck hauled it to Acura dealership. The next day I received a call to pick it up. They could find nothing wrong. I have contacted Acura corporate (I would suggest this!) and have received 2 phone calls from them. This is extremely frustrating since it’s my only vehicle and they don’t offer loaners “unless they happen to have one available”. My last Acura purchase!
- Sally | 27th Feb 18
  
  Two times in the shop. Dealership just says they can’t get it to replicate. I sent corporate a link to this blog.
  - Julie | 28th Feb 18
    
    Sounds familiar. I wish they’d just address these issues and start a recall. Safety first, not profits.
Nelda | 3rd Feb 18

I purchased a new 2018 RDX at the end of November. Immediately upon taking delivery of the vehicle, I began experiencing the hesitation issue. The car initially accelerates from a stop, but while turning, once I’m in the middle of the intersection, the car often hesitates for several seconds before continuing on. I’m so afraid someone is going to rear-end me! First time I took the car in after having it for only 1 month, service advisor said technician determined it was bad gas (the fuel the dealership had put in when they fueled it up prior to delivery, as we had not needed to refuel up to that point). Said they drained the tank, cleaned the injectors, etc and that it was ready for pickup. I actually experienced the same thing with the ILX loaner they gave me. When I got the car back, there was no improvement! Took it back in last Thursday, & of course, when the shop foreman rode with me, the car would not replicate the problem (frustrating). They kept it but explained that the car has to learn our driving habits for transmission shifts & that could be the problem. Doesn’t make sense to me. So if multiple family members are driving the car, whose driving habits does it learn. I’ve never had a car before that had to learn my driving habits. Service department called yesterday to say their diagnostics have found nothing wrong (of course) & while driving still have not replicated the problem.. Said they even contacted Acura, who looked at the computer & couldn’t find anything. Said they would keep & continue testing & let me know Monday. I know they are still going to say they can’t find anything wrong. I’m noticing the same issue with the RDX loaner they gave me this time. So we purchase a pricey luxury SUV and this is how it runs? So disappointing & infuriating!
- Julie | 4th Feb 18
  
  Wow. First of all, your problem sounds identical to mine. I’m 1/4 mile from my house at a stoplight, and when I make my left turn, the car hesitates while turning. I’ve NEVER had a car have an issue like this. The explanation about the car learning our driving habits sounds like a lot of BS to me. (It’s funny how all these dealerships have different explanations.) And yes, the dealership tries to replicate the problem, but that’s not easy, if it’s a sporadic problem. I’m now having issues with my 2016 RDX making a repetitive ticking noise in the engine. Needless to say, I’m REALLY disappointed in this “luxury” brand. Not only with the cars, but with customer service as well. I’m surprised more people aren’t vocal online with their issues. Thanks for sharing your story. Keep us informed if you ever get a fix! 🙂
  - Paige | 4th Feb 18
    
    I took my 2014 Acura RDX in for the third time to have a record of the complaint. Was astonished when the I experienced the same lurching motion in lower gears in the loaner 2018 Acura TLX that had 4K miles. Had a heart to heart with the Service Tech and he confirmed that what I feel in my car is expected. Acura is still “working” on further software updates but no telling when it’s coming out.
    
    Hopeful but planning to sell the car I bought in June 2017 before I’ve had it one year. Total disappointment.
    
    Sidenote: if you feel you hear a light clunk or like something may be loose in your wheel(s) as you go over bumps, you probably need your shock(s) replaced and if under warranty, Acura will cover.
    - Julie | 5th Feb 18
      
      Incredible. So your service tech said that the hesitation or lurching is “expected.” This is the first time I’ve heard an answer like the one I got. I wish the technicians and service managers would stop beating around the bush and just tell us if this is expected with the car or not. I truly believe that they know they are selling cars with these faulty transmission/engine problems. I too, am contemplating selling my 2016 RDX as well. Might be time to move on to a new brand of car for me. Thanks for the update and the info about the shock warranty. If I ever get further information about this lurching problem, I will add it to the post. Many thanks! 🙂
HJ Park | 15th Feb 18

Purchased a brand new 2017 Acura MDX January 2018 and have the rough shifting to 2nd gear issue. Took the car into the dealer and was told this is normal by the technician. He noted on the service form though that the DCT logged a P0701 error code but he reset the code and everything was fine. (I never realized fixing vehicles involved simply resetting the error code and hoping for the best) Technician also told me that I needed to give the car time to learn my driving habits but he reset the driver logic so the car would have to learn my habits all over again which made absolutely no sense. (this was when I first took the car in at 700 kms due to the rough shifting)
There are little problems with the car I’m willing to live with but I’m not willing to accept the jerking into 2nd gear as ‘normal’. I took the liberty to test drive 2018 and 2017 MDXs and these other vehicles did not have the issue so how can this be normal?
My car only has 1000 kms on it and I’m really not happy about this purchase at all. I’m taking it to the dealer again but expect more or less the same BS response.
I should have remained with Lexus but remembered how much I loved my Honda Accord so took a chance with Acura and it has been an awful experience.
- Julie | 15th Feb 18
  
  Thanks for sharing your story. With my car, the jerking when changing gears only seems to happen with a “cold” car, after driving only 1/4 mile down the street and stopping at a light. After the car has warmed up, the hesitation seems to go away. Maybe that’s why the car that you test drove didn’t have that issue? In any case, no one should have ANY issues so soon after driving a new car off the lot. I remember feeling that same way when I first discovered this problem. Not getting clear answers from the Acura technicians doesn’t help either. I’ve had issues getting a scraping noise when making a hard turn and Acura has no answers for that either. I’m sure Acura has lost thousands of repeat customers for not addressing and fixing our issues. Best of luck to you with your car! 🙂
Danny | 20th Feb 18

Just bought a used 2015 RDX AWD with 29k miles on it from Carmax. We experience “the lurch” shifting into second and back down to first, but mainly only when driving really slowly, as if the computer is expecting us to keep accelerating but we are not. If we do accelerate quicker, the shift is much more smooth. I honestly didn’t notice this until my wife drove it (I guess I’m a bit more aggressive than her), but I was able to replicate it by driving slowly. Will talk to the inspection guy and the Carmax folks and let you know what they say.
- Julie | 20th Feb 18
  
  It’s interesting to me that some people feel the lurch upon accelerating and others feel it while decelerating. Mine is an accelerating problem and the ‘size’ of the lurch is dependent on how fast I’m going. A slower acceleration equals a smaller lurch and a more rapid acceleration results in a large lurch or hesitation. Thanks for your comments and please let us know what Carmax has to say! 🙂
Sally | 21st Feb 18

The jerking has happened several times since last post. Earlier this week it would not accelerate over 5mph. Scary since I was in 4 lanes of traffic. I turned my hazard lights on and pulled into a parking lot. Tow truck hauled it to Acura dealership. The next day I received a call to pick it up. They could find nothing wrong. I have contacted Acura corporate (I would suggest this!) and have received 2 phone calls from them. This is extremely frustrating since it’s my only vehicle and they don’t offer loaners “unless they happen to have one available”. My last Acura purchase!
- Julie | 22nd Feb 18
  
  Wow, that’s terrible. How could they not find anything wrong when your car wouldn’t accelerate?? That’s beyond ridiculous. Actually corporate has gotten in touch with me recently after I sent (for a second time) this blog post. They are to follow up with me soon and when they call, I will be expressing my extreme disappointment in another trip to the service department with no fix. I will update readers soon. Thanks for returning and sharing your comments. I 100% agree – my last Acura purchase! Best of luck with the car 🙂
Tex Boonjue | 26th Feb 18

I’m at the Acra dealer right now for this exact problem with my brand new 2016 TLX. The rep told me Acura claims to have designed the car this way (possibly to avoid legal repercussions) and that the customers don’t like it. He told me Acura knows this is a problem but is refusing to acknowledge the issue because they do not want to do a recall. Like another commenter, my technician said he will do a software update to “lessen” the jerkiness. He made sure to mention that the update will not solve the problem but only lessen it. He said it’s a cheap and fast solution Acura has implemented as a quick fix to a deep seated, systematic, and expensive design problem. Shame on Acura for selling cars with a known design defect!
- Julie | 26th Feb 18
  
  It’s a shame that the company won’t do a recall. All it takes is one person to be seriously injured or (god forbid) killed before they would even think of recalling. As to Acura selling cars with flaws, they’ve lost thousands of repeat customers for not addressing the issue up front and working towards a solution. Fortunately, it sounds like your technicians were a bit more up front with you, which is great. Thank you for sharing with us your experience. I really hope your software update helps!
Allen | 15th Mar 18

I have a 2016 MDX with the 9 speed transmission. The MDX seems to have the same transmission issues as the RDX. Its crazy because initially my transmission was shifting really well but once in a while i would get an error and the the vehicle would shift into neutral and wouldn’t move until you turned the ignition on and off a few times. Then it would run perfect, sometimes for a week or two. I had the software update done and eventually the solinoid pack was replaced inside the transmission. Now i have no warning light which is nice but i have the lurching and occasional hesitation/late shift. These transmissions mechanically seem to be fine but I feel the problem lies with the electrical system that controls them. With the new solinoid pack the transmission behaves completely different than before. Would be great if they figured this out before everyone’s warranty runs out. Originally i wanted to keep this MDX for a while but this thing will be impossible to sell later down the road with the transmission shifting like this. Pretty soon there is going to be a huge surplus of these cars cause too many people will trade them in early. And as word gets out about these problems the demand will go down. This generation of Acura/hondas will not hold their value as in times past unless they really make a push to solve this issue. The solution when available should be not just be a warranty extension but a safety recall if Honda wants to save its reputation.
- Julie | 16th Mar 18
  
  Well said. I’m glad you were able to “slightly” fix your problem. Thanks for sharing your insights and experience with us. I myself am going to be selling this car within the year. Every time I head to the Acura service center, I’m sent home with no repairs. They tell me the car is “working fine.” BS. No car has issues like this and is “working fine.” Best of luck to you! 🙂
GG | 29th Mar 18

Hey Guys-

Just finished reading all these posts. Thanks to everyone who contributed, and the original blogger.

I got my 2018 RDX literally 5 days ago. With only 80 miles on the car today, this started happening, scared the S out of me. It happened right after the automatic braking had engaged bc of a stopped car in front of me (nothing happened other than stopping), then once I started accelerating the jerking began. I thought maybe it was the automatic braking re-engaging, or the transmission slipping. Pulled over, turned the car off, turned it back on, drove off and all was well. But immediately took it to the dealer a couple of hours later for them to look at it. I brought it up in the context of the braking, although also mentioned it definitely felt like transmission slipping or having issues. So they took it for a ride, ran some tests, and obviously found nothing. AND MADE NO MENTION OF THIS RECURRING WORLD FAMOUS TRANSMISSION ISSUE THEY’RE HAVING. That sort of lack of transparency implies a cover-up, and lack of ability to fix it. What a huge pain in the A. Going to try give the car back. Fat chance i’m sure, but will keep you all posted.
- Julie | 29th Mar 18
  
  Thanks for sharing your story with us. Acura has let us all down in the biggest possible way – not only do they NOT recognize the problem, they also don’t ADMIT it or try to fix it. They just keep telling us that everything with our cars is fine. I think I’m done with my RDX and will be selling by year’s end. So unfortunate, as this was my one big “luxury car” purchase. Good luck giving the car back! 🙂
- Sally | 30th Mar 18
  
  Call the corporate #. I’m not saying they are not aware of the problem, but it never hurts to go a step higher. You also might check out the lemon law.
AK | 5th Apr 18

I bought a used 2016 RDX with 17K miles, I could see the car hesitate most of the times between 10 to 40 mph, in highways no issues.
During slow down the jerking is not that noticeable, planning to take it to dealership.
- Julie | 6th Apr 18
  
  Good luck at the dealership! Let us know if the issue is resolved. 🙂
Paige | 6th Apr 18

Well, decided I couldn’t take it anymore and traded in my 2014 Acura RDX for a loss. After owning Acura/Honda’s for the last 10+ years, I am still amazed at the downgraded quality Acura Corporate considers “ok.” Made the switch to Lexus and I can tell you, no lurching or hard downshifting so far! Best of luck to everyone!
- Julie | 6th Apr 18
  
  Unfortunately, I’m not far behind you. I’ve decided I’m done with Acura and will also be selling my car within the year. I’m sick of getting the run around at the dealership and constantly being told that my car is “fine.” Thanks for your update and best of luck with your Lexus!
Ashley | 10th Apr 18

I’m heartbroken reading these posts, as I’m experiencing the same issue and my 2018 RDX is only 10 days old. The lurching happened on day 2 and then again on day 5 and again yesterday with my boyfriend in the car. He said “your transmission is slipping” – ugh…brand new Acura at $40k? I dropped off the car this morning to the dealer and started researching and found this post. I’m sure they will be calling me soon to say the car is just fine and they can’t replicate the problem. Just turned in my 2015 Honda CRV which I liked a lot, but was ready for the next step up, quieter cabin, V6 engine, etc. Well, I guess I should have done better research.
- Julie | 10th Apr 18
  
  Hi Ashley, ugh, I’m sorry you’re in this situation with us. I too sold my beloved Honda Odyssey for the Acura and have been nothing but disappointed. I’ve given up going to the dealership as they continue to give me the run around. Since the car isn’t performing “as promised” and has had problems since driving it off the lot, it might be worth it to contact the dealership. Dealerships want happy and repeat customers and if you explain the situation, maybe they can do something for you. Good luck at the shop. Fingers crossed for you!
Brenda M | 16th Apr 18

I just dropped off my car for the same problem at the dealer today. The service department tried telling me that the jerking is common for a 2015 RDX. I feel like their going to bull**** me. Ugh.
- Julie | 16th Apr 18
  
  How is jerking normal for a $40,000 car? Ridiculous. Good luck!
stephane | 20th Apr 18

hi, i just bought a used 2014 acura rdx 3 days ago. seems to have the same transmission problem as you guys.. what should i do…Right now, im pretty sad about it..
- Julie | 20th Apr 18
  
  Well, the only comfort I can give you is that your transmission is likely shifting as intended. It may not be smooth but it’s working “as it should.” I’m sure the car was checked out by a mechanic before purchasing it? Best of luck with your car. Hopefully, any issues you are having are minimal and not too troublesome!
  - Sally | 21st Apr 18
    
    One would think a NEW car would be checked out “by a mechanic”!! Mine was purchased new in 2016 and has less than 30,000 miles. It hasn’t jerked in about a month. However, this morning was a new day with much jerking, and I can’t take it dealership in Edmond has short hours on Saturday. I’ve taken it in two times previously to be told there is nothing wrong with it. Acura needs to man-up to their problems!
    - Julie | 22nd Apr 18
      
      I completely agree!
LAR | 23rd Apr 18

I just bought a 2018 Acura RDX from Auo Nation. It has 5000 miles on it.. This car jerks when the speed falls below 20 mph. It does not stop smoothly like other cars.It jerks and slows down and reduces speed before it stops. It makes me wonder if the Transmission is messed up.
- Julie | 23rd Apr 18
  
  I would presume the car would have been checked out by mechanics before AutoNation sold it. Did it hesitate during your test drive? It’s very possible that the transmission is running “as intended.” Other readers have told me that they have the same problem. You could take it to an Acura dealership and have them check it out. Unfortunately, it sounds like you’re experiencing the same hesitating and jerking transmission that we’ve all experienced. I hope you can get some answers!
LAR | 24th Apr 18

Julie,
Thanks for your response. I am planning to take it back to the dealership and get it checked out. The sad part is that this supposed to be a Acura Certified (CPO) and should have been checked out but I don’t think CPO means a —-. They just take their inspection sheet and tick it off specially for a car that is so new. I think that’s what the dealer ship did to this car.I hope I can find the fix for this but the way you have suffered I think I will be told the same thing. I will let you know.
- Julie | 24th Apr 18
  
  Thanks, please do. Good luck!
Christina | 9th May 18

Ugh taking mine in tomorrow. I’ve had my RDX for almost a year now and have gotten similar comments from the dealership already. Thank you all! Keep us posted!!
- Julie | 10th May 18
  
  Good luck! 🙂
Dan Calby | 14th May 18

I’m having the same issues with my brand new 2018 RDX. Only 350 miles on it. Last night, as I started to pull away from my parking spot, I had a heavy jerk and then the check transmission warning started flashing. I drove a little further and found that the transmission was not downshifting under heavy acceleration and the paddle shifters did not work. The jerking from stop continued at each stop until I got home. I had it towed to the dealership… we’ll see what they say. Given what I’m reading here, I’ll likely try to get them to give me a different car. I haven’t even made the first payment on the lease yet!
- Julie | 14th May 18
  
  Oh my goodness. 350 miles on a brand new car and you had to have it towed. Yes, please try and get another car or at the very least have them do a COMPLETE assessment of the car. It sure seems like Acura hasn’t made any new improvements to their engine over the years. How frustrating. Thanks for sharing your story. Good luck with the “return.” 🙂
  - Dan | 28th May 18
    
    Update. I got my car back from the dealer a week ago. Ultimately, they ended replacing the “transmission valve body.” It is shifting perfectly now. Hoping it stays that way! The first day the dealer had it, they said the tech could not recreate any issues. Fortunately, the service rep ended up driving it home that night and he experienced the jerky shifting on his commute. Then it was intermittent for a few days while they tried to troubleshoot it with Acura tech line. I was skeptical and nervous during the process, but I was driving a nicely loaded loaner MDX, so I didn’t mind too much. I’m happy to have my new car back and running well. Those of you with a persistent issue, maybe consider bringing up a replacement valve body.
    - Julie | 29th May 18
      
      Great! I’m glad you got a fix to your jerky shifting. Let’s hope it stays fixed! Thanks for sharing this with us. 🙂
Mary Ann | 28th May 18

Okay..I don’t know what to think. I was thinking of buying a certified 2016-2017 RDx.
Prior to this I was looking at the new Volkswagen Tiguan but had read about hestitation on shifting. According to VW this is intentional engine design to find the proper gear while maximizing fuel efficiency. I test drove the VW and was not a fan of the hesitation so I was looking at the RDX, do you think this is the same thing?
- Julie | 28th May 18
  
  I have no idea if the hesitations are related. However, I can tell you that I don’t recommend the RDX, based on my experience and others’. Having your car jerk or hesitate (at least with the Acura) is frustrating, unsettling, and does not seem normal. I’ve never felt it in any other make of car, except Acura. I hope my readers can chime in on this and provide some input for you.
Ted | 2nd Jun 18

I had my 2016 RDX in today (as an emergency) at 31,000 miles after a tech couldn’t replicate this same jerking issue 3,000 miles ago. Last time, tech said they would do a reset, and that I should give it time – at least 500 miles, as my driving would help train, but to come back if issue reoccurs. The issue came back at a higher frequency after the 500 mile driving reset period. My check emission light came on the dash, then the check transmission light appeared. After turning off the car and restarting, the check emission light came on again… Then warning lights cleared, but tech said they would be in the system.
My car’s jerk/jump” occurs generally after the following:
Drive 30 minutes around 45miles an hour.
Next, turn off the car.
Restart the car and drive slowly, around 20-40 miles an hour in a subdivision.
The jerking happens for my car around 22miles an hour, but has also occurred around 2 miles per hour. It clears when I turn off the car, but restarts if the car is warmed up and driving in the 20-40 miles per hour range.
I have recorded this on my phone, but was able to replicate it for the tech today.
Acura Paperwork shows: Code P0898 Pressure switch B 3rd failure, replaced front pressure switch
Parts #28600-R94-004 SW, AT OIL PRES
I hope this solves my car’s problem and can help one of you.
(I live in a Chicago suburb.)
- Julie | 4th Jun 18
  
  Thanks for sharing your story and fix with us. Here’s hoping that it solves your problem, as well as many others! Thanks 🙂
Sindy | 6th Jul 18

I have a 2007 Acura RDX with the same problem.. jerks sometimes when driving at a low speed. Took it to dealership and was told it was normal. I don’t think so.
- Julie | 6th Jul 18
  
  Unfortunately, that’s what they keep telling all of us. That it’s “normal.”
  Best of luck! Check back for any updates 🙂
Ted | 6th Jul 18

Sindy,

Read my post (June 2, 2018) regarding what McGrath Accura replaced in my 2016 RDX that had the same problem. So far it has solved the jerking. Part numbers are listed. Bring this to your Acura dealer to fix it.
Should be a recall issue that they aren’t addressing.
- Julie | 7th Jul 18
  
  Thanks for readdressing this and providing the part number that helped you. If this fix helps anyone else, please let me know.
Sally | 7th Jul 18

This week I was finally able to get my 2016 RDX to dealership when it was jerking. I didn’t turn it off, but drove directly to dealership and a tech rode with me. It was kept overnight. Transmission flushed 3x. I have no idea how it could have been THAT dirty! Doubtful this fixed it. But, at least if it happens again I was told I didn’t have to get there immediately since the jerking was documented. My question is why there’s no recall for a 40k vehicle!!
- Julie | 7th Jul 18
  
  Great point! Let us know if the transmission flushing stops your issue.
  - Sally | 13th Jul 18
    
    Transmission flush didn’t fix it. Taking it in thus morning!!!
    - Julie | 13th Jul 18
      
      The triple flush didn’t work after all? That’s frustrating. Good luck at the dealership/mechanic and let us know if you get anywhere.
Brian Smith | 12th Jul 18

Thanks for sharing. Just bought a new 2014 RDX 48k miles. Also, had a 07′ RDX 4 cl Turbo, Md the reason I wanted another RDX. Well, same issues with transmission jerks, shudder. Thought it it might be a computer update, bad gas or dirty carburator. However, this problem contiues increasing and decreasing into 2 gear. Sounds like a big lawsuit is already in the works so Honda and the dealership is covering there ass. Upon my research I have discovered this a bad engineering design flaw with this V6 VCM Transmission. And it’s a bad VCM (Variable Cylinder Management)- fuel-saving technology that automatically deactivates 1/3 or 1/2 of the cylinders, according to the driving conditions. There are many online kits you can order to disble the VCM, and the car runs stop jerking!
Don’t know why Acura/Honda doesn’t disable the VCM and install these kits at the dealships?? But maybe the don’t want to admit failure.
- Julie | 12th Jul 18
  
  Wow, thanks for the information. Maybe this can help us out. In the meantime, I just wish Acura would admit the issue and give us a fix instead of dancing around the problem. Thanks so much for sharing with us what you know!
Danny | 13th Jul 18

@Brian Smith, which kit did you go with?
- Danny | 1st Aug 18
  
  I finally took my RDX into the dealer to get their take on the issue. It is still under warranty, but I came in at 30% oil life (before the 10-15% level when the computer gives you the notification). They still took me in, as I explained the concerns I had with the transmission issue. They agreed with my assessment and noted that it was a bit jerky. They proceeded to triple flush the transmission, and it was also time to flush the brake fluid as well. I did notice an improvement in the performance after doing this, but the jerky low-level gear shift was still there. After checking this off the list of possibilities, I took the plunge after doing more research on the VCM issue that Brian Smith pointed out. There are many different solutions to this issue, but the most convenient one that I found was the Smart VCM Controller https://www.svcmcontroller.com/. It definitely performs as advertised, and now the car is operating at all 6 cylinders all the time and the jerky shifting is a thing of the past. No check engine light. So far I haven’t noticed any negative impact to the gas mileage, which leaves me scratching my head as to what’s the point of the VCM in the first place… I was driving highway after I installed it and was averaging between 28-30mpg (28 was with cruise control, closer to 29 or 30 was with me driving strategically). I really wanted to love this car, and now I can do so without reservations.
  And the best part — my wife is very happy as well!
  - Julie | 1st Aug 18
    
    I’m glad there’s a good ending to your story! I encourage others to let me know if they installed the VCM and if it’s improving or totally fixing the hesitations. If I get a few more comments about it working, I’ll include an update to my post, suggesting that others try this as well. (Rather than having them scroll through the comments!) Thanks so much for sharing this with all of us and including the link. Please update us in the future, and let us know if you’re still happy with your improvements. Glad your wife is happy now, too. As my husband says “happy wife, happy life.” 🙂
  - craig weaver | 6th Mar 19
    
    thank you! my 2017 rdx soes the same think. Being to rhe dealer several times with no real answers. thanks
  - mbJax | 12th Mar 19
    
    Yep. I installed this today, and had a full day of comfortable driving with no weird shakes or tremors. No expert on the engineering of it, but the s-vcm gadget worked wonders on my RDX.
Priyanka | 1st Aug 18

Hi Julie,
Thanks for posting this. I have had similar issues and would love to connect further. It feels good to know people like you are vocal about such concerns and have empathy with people going through similar situations. I have added a link to your post on my blog:
- Julie | 1st Aug 18
  
  Thanks for adding the link. Yes, it’s incredibly frustrating to be so loyal to the Honda brand and yet feel so blatantly disregarded as a disgruntled Acura customer. There is definitely something amiss with the car. I only hope Acura fesses up and acknowledges it before someone gets hurt in an accident.
Tom | 7th Sep 18

I bought a 2019 RDX and noticed that the same jerking at 2nd or 3rd gear change.
- Julie | 8th Sep 18
  
  How incredibly frustrating! It’s upsetting to me that Acura still hasn’t fixed this issue. Best of luck 🙂
Sally | 10th Sep 18

Update to my previous comments:
I took my 16 RDX in again at the end of July. They kept it a week. Replaced the transmission fluid pressure switch. So far I’ve had no problems. It has around 30k miles. I won’t be keeping it past warranty expiration. Any info on lawsuit????
- Julie | 10th Sep 18
  
  Thanks for your update. So no problems since fixing the transmission fluid pressure switch? Good to know! I’ve heard no information on any pending lawsuits at this time. I will continue to update this post if I get any further info.
Daniel H. | 29th Sep 18

So my sister bought the 2016 RDX awd with technology and advanced package. All the bells and whistles this SUV can come with; side steps, roof rails and Acuras both all season and carpet floor mats. When I drove it I noticed the transmission slipped from 2nd to 3rd gear or 3rd to 4th and immediately knew it was a transmission problem (torque converter) and might have a solution for it! As a Honda and Acura fan, I am not impressed with their recent vehicles having transmission problems. Especially Acura. I’ve owned a 2003 Acura CL Type S with the same problems till one day it totally gave out. I replaced transmission solenoids, oil pressure switches and completely flushed transmission several times only to find out nothing has changed and transmission was shot. I did research and found out that it could be replaced/swapped with a 05 honda accord transmission. So I bought a used 05 honda accord transmission and did the labor myself. After replacing the transmission everything worked perfect with no slipping of gears ever again on the car. Now, im positive we can do the same with 2016 rdx. The 2016 honda pilot uses the similar if not the same transmission and can be swapped into the 2016 rdx. I encourage only to go this route if replacing the automatic oil pressure switches, computer update from dealer and the SVCM controller (if purchased) didn’t fix the issue, and you still want to keep the lovely RDX. The 2016 honda pilot transmission will cost between 800-1600 depending on milage. I have seen online Honda pilots having same issues as rdx owners but a heck lot less. They’ve been able to fix it with a simple computer update and/or new automatic oil pressure switch.
I still havent bought any of the parts mention above in the previous comments, but if any of the parts still dont fix the transmission problem I will definitely be doing the 2016 honda pilot transmission swap myself. I love the RDX and not planning to let go of it! Feel free to ask me any question about the transmission swap
Daniel | 29th Sep 18

Has anyone got it fixed ?
- TED | 30th Sep 18
  
  Yes, so far, it’s been working fine. Look back at what they did under my comment from months ago. (I believe June 2, 2018)
ronald t. chuchola | 10th Oct 18

Sorry, guys. I have a different problem. My 2018 RDX shifts perfectly l thru 5……and sometimes to 6. BUT, SOMETIMES, the 5-6 shift takes a half mile. Meanwhile, the RPMS are screaming at 2000 and I am doing 55 mph. It is intermittent. It will do it this morning, and, under identical conditions, not again. Then again, under identical conditions, speed, load, temperature, throttle pressure, etc., it will do it again. It is driving me crazy. The dealer says: “It is the nature of the beast.” If I trade it now, with 3000 miles on it, I’ll lose about ten grand. Not a pleasant thought. Anyone have similar problem?
Michael L Diegel | 26th Nov 18

Have the same problem. Noticed more when engine is cold and start from a stop. Transmission appears to slip and then suddenly shifts into the second gear with a dramatic jerk. Shifting returns to normal after driving for a short time.
- Julie | 26th Nov 18
  
  Sounds exactly like my problem. Thanks for reading. Let us know if you ever find answers 🙂
Dan | 10th Jan 19

Just bought a new to me 2016 RDX with 45000 miles on the odometer. Was running great and then one cold startup returning from an errand I suffered the dreaded clunk/lurch into gear. I could replicate this by shifting from D to S mode and back. It was a BIG slam into gear each time. When in S mode the paddle shifters were disabled and would do nothing/would not shift gears/nothing. Then next time I drove it the problem was gone. I’ll be keeping an eye on this situation and hope it is rare. From my old 1990 Legend days this feels like a sticking solenoid issue.
- Julie | 10th Jan 19
  
  Thanks for your insights! Our biggest problem when getting the car checked out at the dealership was never being able to reproduce the problem on command. I’ll have to try shifting into S mode and back. Let us know if you uncover any solutions! 🙂
Bill Price | 30th Jan 19

I want to be sure to read new post.
- Julie | 30th Jan 19
  
  Hi Bill, from time to time I’ll add any new information I get about the Acura problems to this website. This is the latest post I wrote about it: https://wp.me/p775nT-2r2
Benny | 10th Aug 19

I have been with Acura for over 15 years. In 2015 I purchased a new 2016 RDX AWD. Just recently at 37000 miles I experienced what others are saying and brought my car in for service. They had to do a transmission flush and a software update. This is just a bandaid solution to their problem and get them past their warranty. Then when the warranty expires and you need a new transmission you get stuck with the bill.
I am done with Acura
According to their own scheduled maintenance a transmission fluid should never need changing unless someone drives in mountainous areas where it should be changed at 60000.
What is happening in these vehicles is that the V6 is putting out too much torque on the transmission and it is grinding the gears and causing metal shavings to collect. That is why they are flushing the trans and updating the software. They are pretty much limiting the output of the V6 and downgrading it to a 4 cylinder. Less expensive than having a new upgraded transmission that can handle the power of the V6.
- Julie | 10th Aug 19
  
  Wow, you are absolutely right. I completely agree that they just gave you a “bandaid solution” for your issues. I’m sorry you have to join us in our frustration with Acura. Let us know if you ever find out anything more. Best of luck!