Acura’s Losing Its Rdx For Two Years, And Dealers Know What Happens Next

Acura just told its dealers something none of them expected to hear. Your second-best-selling vehicle is going away. Oh, and the replacement? It won’t arrive for years. The RDX is heading into an extended hiatus, and retailers aren’t exactly thrilled about being asked to navigate a huge hole in their lineup at short notice.

Related: A Sneaky Price Hike Has The 2026 Acura ADX Feeling Blue

Production of the current RDX will stop this year due to multiple parts shortages, even though the crossover accounts for nearly a quarter of Acura’s US sales.

“We made every effort to extend this car as long as possible,” Acura sales executive Mike Lange told Auto News. “Some components are simply no longer available, and we’ve explored every avenue.”

Dealer Patience Runs Thin

Dealers say the timing caught them off guard, especially since the fourth-generation RDX is not expected until 2028. That leaves a long stretch without an entry in the compact luxury crossover segment, one of the most cutthroat corners of the market.

Several retailers have already voiced their frustration to Auto News. Customers shopping for a compact luxury crossover want something now, not a promise of something in the future. Only the likes of Ferrari can get away with that kind of stunt. Telling Acura buyers to wait two years for a new model seems like more of a gamble than a solid sales strategy. And dealers are undersanbly annoyed.

“To cancel production on such short notice just leaves us hanging,” said Brian Benstock, VP at Paragon Acura in New York City. “This is a ‘now’ business. You can’t sell customers on ‘two years from now.’ Nobody’s going to wait for that truck.”

The upcoming Acura RSX EV.

“We were promised Acura would be adding models, not subtracting,” added another dealer, who spoke anonymously. “Their selection is starting to dwindle to a minimal amount, which is a huge problem for dealers.”

This comes as Acura’s lineup is already shrinking. The brand dropped the TLX sedan and the ZDX electric crossover last year, cutting its portfolio down to just four models. Dealers were expecting expansion, not subtraction, and some worry the showroom is starting to feel uncomfortably empty.

Sweeteners to Stick Around

Acura’s answer is a mix of hope and incentives. More inventory of the larger, more expensive MDX is on the way, the new ADX subcompact crossover is ramping up, and an electric RSX is coming later this year. On top of that, Acura is offering loyalty cash of up to $2,500 to nudge RDX owners into one of its other models.

2028 Acura RDX Hybrid teaser.

Dealers say that helps, but only to a point, maybe accounting for 20 percent of RDX volume, one retailer said. Why not more? Moving from an RDX to an MDX usually means a much higher monthly payment, and no amount of brand loyalty changes that math.

“There’s a certain demand for the RDX, and when you take it away, those customers are going to look at alternatives in that segment,” said Benstock.

Could be Worth the Wait

The irony is that the replacement sounds exactly what dealers wanted. The next, twin-motor RDX will be Acura’s first hybrid, borrowing proven Honda tech already used in the CR-V and Accord.

Hybrid hardware and its promises of greater efficiency and smoother powertrains will surely help the RDX claw back ground lost to electrified rivals, and a teaser image hints at sleeker styling and sharper proportions. But for dealers and would-be buyers, the two-year wait for it to arrive is going to feel like an eternity.

Acura