Which year to buy
Bar height: serious owner complaints to NHTSA for that year, against this model's usual year.
2014AVOIDSerious complaints 17.7× usual, mostly steering and suspension Extended coverage
76 serious complaints of 85, the most about steering (49) and suspension (17); 17.7× this model's usual share of all serious complaints about 2014 vehicles. 5 recalls. NHTSA investigation EA19001: electrical overstress. NHTSA investigation EA21002: desiccated air bag inflator rupture.
What owners report
“Rear wheels on car will suddenly without warning turn causing the car to violently fishtail. I have had this happen 5 times in the last month. Acura dealer reproduced the malfunction 2 times. The last time this happened it almost put my family into oncoming traffic.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the steering, Aug 2022
“The contact owns a 2014 Acura RLX. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH in the rain, the vehicle started to fishtail, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the passenger’s side rear toe control actuator had failed and needed to be replaced.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the suspension, May 2025
Fixes and extended coverage
- Extended coverage Warranty Extension - Under certain circumstances, abnormal noise may be heard from the rear when driving straight or making small side-to-side turning movements with the steering wheel. (ONL6R508212023, Aug 2023)
- Extended coverage American Honda is offering a Customer Support Program (Warranty Extension) to cover any manufacturing defects in the replacement front passengers airbag inflator only. (B18-029, Jun 2018)
- Extended coverage Today, May 24, 2018, Acura is announcing a warranty extension for 2002-17 Acura vehicles. (BBOM05242018901, May 2018)
From the manufacturer's bulletins filed with NHTSA. A dealer can look up whether a car has had the work done or is still covered.
85 owner complaints · 5 recalls (check a car's VIN for open recalls) · EPA combined: 23–30 mpg · NHTSA: Not rated · 2014 trims and features
Verdicts computed from NHTSA owner complaints, defect investigations and recalls. NHTSA doesn't publish sales, so only big differences count. (How we judge.) Data checked 2026-10-06.
Trims and features
Engines: 3.5L 6-cyl; 3.5L 6-cyl hybrid · Drive: AWD, FWD
2014 RLX trims
| Advance | Sport Hybrid SH - Advance | Sport Hybrid SH - Tech | Tech | Tech-Audio |
|---|
base price, seating and driver-assistance equipment from NHTSA's vehicle database (vPIC), as Acura reports it. Tech and comfort features (CarPlay, heated seats, sunroof) for Acura aren't in our data yet. "—": not verified in our sources. "Varies": standard on some versions of the trim.
Year by year
| Year | Engines | Drive | Fuel economy | Crash rating | Recalls | Owner complaints | Most-reported problem | CarPlay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 3.5L 6-cyl, 310 hp 3.5L 6-cyl hybrid, 310 hp | AWD, FWD | 23–28 mpg | 5 of 5 | 1 | 2 | Steering (1) | — |
| 2019 | 3.5L 6-cyl, 310 hp 3.5L 6-cyl hybrid, 310 hp | AWD, FWD | 23–28 mpg | 5 of 5 | 5 | 0 | — | — |
| 2018 | 3.5L 6-cyl, 310 hp 3.5L 6-cyl hybrid, 310 hp | AWD, FWD | 23–28 mpg | 5 of 5 | 1 | 9 | Engine (3) | — |
| 2017 | 3.5L 6-cyl 3.5L 6-cyl hybrid | AWD, FWD | 23–29 mpg | 5 of 5 | 0 | 3 | Suspension (2) | — |
| 2016 | 3.5L 6-cyl 3.5L 6-cyl hybrid | AWD, FWD | 23–30 mpg | 5 of 5 | 0 | 8 | Suspension (2) | — |
| 2015 | 3.5L 6-cyl | FWD | 23 mpg | 5 of 5 | 3 | 11 | Steering (7) | — |
| 2014 | 3.5L 6-cyl 3.5L 6-cyl hybrid | AWD, FWD | 23–30 mpg | Not rated | 5 | 85 | Steering (49) | — |
Owner complaints are unverified reports to NHTSA, counted as filed: older years have had longer to collect them and sales aren't adjusted for, so see Which year to buy for a fair comparison. Most-reported problem: the component named in the most complaints that year. Sources: EPA, NHTSA, Apple.
Which years have…
Every NHTSA-rated version: crash ratings, safety tech, recalls, complaints
| Year | Version | Stars | Forward collision warning | Lane departure warning | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Acura RLX 4 DR FWD | 5 | Standard | Standard | 1 | 2 |
| 2020 | Acura RLX SPORT HYBRID 4 DR AWD | Not Rated | Standard | Standard | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | Acura RLX 4 DR FWD | 5 | Standard | Standard | 3 | 0 |
| 2019 | Acura RLX Sport Hybrid 4 DR AWD | Not Rated | Standard | Standard | 2 | 0 |
| 2018 | Acura RLX 4 DR FWD | 5 | Standard | Standard | 1 | 6 |
| 2018 | Acura RLX Sport Hybrid 4 DR AWD | Not Rated | Standard | Standard | 0 | 3 |
| 2017 | Acura RLX 4 DR FWD | 5 | Standard | Standard | 0 | 3 |
| 2017 | Acura RLX Sport Hybrid 4 DR AWD | Not Rated | Standard | Standard | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | Acura RLX 4 DR FWD | 5 | Standard | Standard | 0 | 6 |
| 2016 | Acura RLX Sport Hybrid 4 DR AWD | Not Rated | Standard | Standard | 0 | 2 |
| 2015 | Acura RLX 4 DR FWD | 5 | Standard | Standard | 3 | 11 |
| 2014 | Acura RLX 4 DR FWD | Not Rated | Standard | Standard | 5 | 84 |
| 2014 | Acura RLX Sport Hybrid 4 DR AWD | Not Rated | No | No | 2 | 1 |
Source: NHTSA.
Every EPA-rated version: engines and combined mpg
| Year | EPA model | Engines | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | RLX | Auto (S10), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 23 |
| 2020 | RLX Hybrid | Auto (AM-S7), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 28 |
| 2019 | RLX | Auto (S10), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 23 |
| 2019 | RLX Hybrid | Auto (AM-S7), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 28 |
| 2018 | RLX | Auto (S10), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 23 |
| 2018 | RLX Hybrid | Auto (AM-S7), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 28 |
| 2017 | RLX | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 23 |
| 2017 | RLX Hybrid | Auto (AM-S7), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 29 |
| 2016 | RLX | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 23 |
| 2016 | RLX Hybrid | Auto (AM7), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 30 |
| 2015 | RLX | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 23 |
| 2014 | RLX | Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 23 |
| 2014 | RLX Hybrid | Auto (S7), 6 cyl, 3.5 L | 30 |
Source: fueleconomy.gov.