The dominant issue across ten complaints is the front passenger airbag off indicator light remaining illuminated when an adult passenger (90–120+ lbs) occupies the seat. This happens sporadically—sometimes on startup, sometimes during driving—and temporarily clears only after restarting the engine. Owners report the fault recurring on subsequent trips. Dealerships acknowledge the problem but say they cannot duplicate it on demand; some technicians have witnessed it while the car was on their diagnostic scanner.
Repair attempts have included seat sensor replacement, full seat frame and weight plate replacement, SRS computer replacement, and weight-threshold recalibration. Despite these interventions, the malfunction persists. One dealer service advisor explicitly told an owner that when the airbag off light is on, the airbag will not deploy in a front-end accident.
Honda/Acura engineers have tested vehicles and declared them calibrated correctly, refusing to authorize repairs even when owners offered to pay. The manufacturer's position is that the vehicle operates as designed—meaning the defect is either denied or deemed a feature owners must accept.
One separate complaint describes a head-on collision in which no airbags deployed at all, resulting in the car being totaled and the driver sustaining serious injuries. No warning lights appeared before the crash.
Failure modes owners describe
Passenger Airbag Off Light Stays On With Occupant Present
The front passenger airbag off indicator light remains illuminated even when an adult passenger (typically 90-120+ lbs) is seated in the front passenger seat. This creates the false condition that the airbag is disabled when the seat is actually occupied, raising serious concerns that the airbag will not deploy in a collision.
When: Occurs sporadically—sometimes upon startup, sometimes while driving, sometimes after vehicle restart resolves it temporarily. Some owners report it happening regularly; others intermittently over months of ownership. One complaint at 8,000 miles, one at 14,000 miles.
Symptoms owners cite: Passenger airbag off indicator light illuminated while adult occupant is present; Light does not turn off despite passenger being above 65 lb weight threshold; Issue is intermittent and unpredictable; Restarting the vehicle temporarily clears the light; Light may reappear on subsequent trips; Dealership unable to replicate the issue on demand
Repairs/costs cited: Repairs attempted include: replacement of seat weight sensor, replacement of entire seat frame and weight plate, replacement of supplemental restraint system (SRS) computer, and calibration adjustments to seat weight detection. Despite these repairs, the issue persists in multiple cases. Service advisors at dealerships acknowledge that when the off light is on, the airbag will not deploy in a frontal crash. In some cases, dealership technicians could not replicate the fault and performed no repairs.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Honda/Acura engineers have tested vehicles and declared seat calibration correct with no issue to fix. Acura's position in multiple cases is that the vehicle is operating as designed. Manufacturer has stated the sensor detects weight correctly and refused to authorize repair work even when owners offered to pay. No recall identified by owners; manufacturer has not issued recalls or TSBs for this issue according to complaints.
Complete Airbag Non-Deployment in Frontal Collision
One owner reported a head-on collision in which no airbags deployed despite direct frontal impact. The vehicle sustained total-loss damage, and the owner sustained significant injuries (neck, shoulder, and limb pain/stiffness). No warning indicators were present on the dash prior to the collision.
When: At time of collision; no mileage provided.
Symptoms owners cite: No airbag deployment during head-on collision; No warning lights on dash prior to collision; Vehicle sustained total-loss damage from frontal impact; Owner sustained severe neck, shoulder, arm, and foot injuries
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle was deemed a total loss following collision; no repair information provided. Owner noted that the vehicle's onboard systems did contact emergency services and transmitted crash coordinates.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No manufacturer response documented in this complaint. Owner searched for recalls on 2019 Acura RDX and found none identifying airbag defects.
Synthesized from 11 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer
allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.