Used car safety, rank #115 of 188
Acura RDX 2WD Safety Rating (2020-23)
Real IIHS driver death rates for the 2020-23 Acura RDX 2WD, a midsize luxury SUV, compared with its class and with the current model.
IIHS 2026 edition Β· 2021β2024 crashes. Results apply only to the model years and drivetrain shown. Read the new release and its limits Β· Browse the older edition. Prices and reliability from older model years have not been carried forward.
The 2020-23 Acura RDX 2WD has an IIHS driver death rate of 41 per million registered vehicle years against a midsize luxury SUVs average of 17, which is 141% above the class average. That places it #115 of 188 used vehicles with a safety score of 44.7/100.
What the Acura RDX death rate means
At 41 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, the Acura RDX 2WD is 141% worse than the midsize luxury SUVs average of 17. The 95% confidence interval is 2 to 79, which overlaps the class average, so some of the gap may be chance.
The other-driver death rate of 33 measures the opposite risk: how many drivers of other vehicles died in crashes with a Acura RDX. Its 95% confidence interval is 3β63. It is no higher than the Acura RDX's own driver death rate. Remember that death rates describe vehicles and their drivers together: IIHS adjusts for driver age and gender, but not for where or how carefully people drive. Our score weights this model's own rate at 70% and its class at 30%; see how we rank used cars.
Compared with similar used luxury SUVs
The safest midsize luxury SUVs in the IIHS study, by our score, with the Acura RDX 2WD highlighted. It ranks 9 of the 9 shown; the class leader is the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class 2WD at a death rate of 0.
| Vehicle | Years | Death rate | Score | Reliability | Used price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class 2WD | 2020-23 | 0 (0 to 25) | 95.3 | n/a | n/a |
| Porsche Macan 4WD | 2020-23 | 4 (0 to 11) | 93.0 | n/a | n/a |
| BMW X5 4WD | 2020-23 | 5 (0 to 11) | 92.6 | n/a | n/a |
| BMW X5 2WD | 2020-23 | 6 (0 to 17) | 91.5 | n/a | n/a |
| Volvo XC90 4WD | 2020-23 | 7 (0 to 22) | 90.4 | n/a | n/a |
| Volvo XC60 4WD | 2020-23 | 7 (0 to 17) | 90.4 | n/a | n/a |
| BMW X3 4WD | 2021-23 | 11 (0 to 23) | 85.2 | n/a | n/a |
| Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class 4WD | 2020-23 | 13 (0 to 25) | 81.8 | n/a | n/a |
| Acura RDX 2WD (this page) | 2020-23 | 41 (2 to 79) | 44.7 | n/a | n/a |
Class average for midsize luxury SUVs: 17 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years.
The new Acura RDX
Death rates lag the market by several years. For the current Acura RDX we score IIHS crash tests instead; here is how the latest model years rate on our new-car scale.
| Model year | Model | IIHS award | New-car score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Acura RDX | No award | 88.2 (provisional) |
New-car scores use a different scale (crash tests, not death rates) and are not directly comparable with the 44.7 used-car score above.
Safety recalls for the Acura RDX 2WD
A recall is a defect the manufacturer must repair free of charge, however old the car and whoever owns it now. On a used car this matters more than on a new one: the work is only done if a previous owner took it in.
2 recall campaigns on the 2023 model year, covering air bags, service brakes, hydraulic.
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Air bags: sensor, occupant classification, front passenger
Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge.
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Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, control unit/module
Risk: Unintended vehicle movement or an unexpected increase in brake pedal travel can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the VSA modulator, free of charge.
Recall campaigns from the NHTSA recalls database, retrieved 2026-09-16. A campaign covers a range of build dates, not every car of the model year, and IIHS reports this nameplate across several years while these results are for 2023. Confirm against the VIN. Recalls do not affect the death rate on this page.
Acura RDX 2WD: Common Questions
Is the Acura RDX 2WD a safe car?
Not on this measure: its drivers died at a higher rate than its class average. IIHS recorded a driver death rate of 41 per million registered vehicle years for the 2020-23 Acura RDX 2WD, 141% above the class average (17 for midsize luxury SUVs). That earns a used-car safety score of 44.7 out of 100 and rank #115 of 188 used vehicles.
What is the Acura RDX 2WD driver death rate?
41 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, with a 95% confidence interval of 2 to 79. Drivers of other vehicles that collided with a Acura RDX died at a rate of 33 per million. Source: IIHS driver death rates by make and model, covering 2020-23 models.
How does the Acura RDX 2WD compare with other midsize luxury SUVs?
The midsize luxury SUVs class averages 17 driver deaths per million; the Acura RDX 2WD sits at 41. Among the 9 midsize luxury SUVs compared above it ranks 9 by safety score; the top of that group is the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class 2WD with a death rate of 0.