Acura MDX Complaints (2022)

182 consumer complaints on file.

#11745398June 20, 2026
POWER TRAIN, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Driveshaft spinning freely no power transfer , vehicle is currently all-wheel-drive condition indicate severe connections between transmission and transfer case . both components are damaged vehicle need replacement of transmission and transfer case . Serviced at McGrath Acura Morton mGrove, Illinois. 06/19/26
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11743943June 13, 2026
STEERING
My power steering has went out while I was driving at least 4 times in the past year. I contacted the dealer each time they say they've never heard of this happening. I took it in they couldn't replicate the issue so no fix although the codes were stored. All the warning lights came on braking, steering, lane departure, lane keeping, parking etc. It happened again today each time by 1 year old was in the car. They say if it happens while the dealership is open bring it. But it's always happened after hours. I was able to stop car each time turn off then back on and its fine. I even replaced the battery last year thinking that would fix the issue and it didn't. I'm not sure what else to do but I don't feel safe driving the car with my baby in it anymore. I deleted the pictures by mistake but I found where a rdx had the same issue I'll attach the codes that came up.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11743255June 10, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Design flow at the CORROSION BUILT UPAT SENSOR CONNECTOR. Water gets in and corrodes connector. Causing over $8000 in repairs for the following: COMPLETE FLOOR WIRE HARNESS EXTENDING TO STROKE SENSORS- CORROSION BUILT UPAT SENSOR CONNECTOR CAUSING FAULT IN FLOOR HARNESS.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11742717June 8, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
MDX back sunroof drains cracked causing the car to flood. The water came into the back hatch and also damaged the amp to the speaker system. All of the Carpet had to be pulled out of the car. This car is only four years old. Luckily, I caught it because my whole back hatch was full of water, but this could’ve caused mold and serious health problems. I have found 100’s of reviews on many different online portals stating this is a common problem with a 22 to 25 MDX. I just bought this car a year and a half ago used and I have to now put another $5500 into it. I did buy the extended warranty, but they are saying this is not included in that. From what I’m seeing on Acura MDX group pages this is an extremely common problem that’s costing people a lot of money. There is no way apart should be breaking this easily in a car that’s four years old, especially a luxury car such as the MDX advance.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11742445June 6, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The vehicle's all wheel drive system has malfunctioned at 77,000 miles with a known all wheel drive system issue. Because we are 7k beyond the power train warranty, Acura is not wanting to cover the repair even though this is a known issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11742459June 6, 2026
POWER TRAIN
I was driving down the highway and a passerby notified me that my car was smoking. There were no indicators on the car notifying me of any issue. We pulled over and saw the car was leaking oil heavily. When taken to the dealership, they notified us that there was a leak in the transfer/transmission case and the whole transfer case would need to be replaced. The car is well maintained and had been recently serviced and no issues came up. It's very scary that there were no indicators of issues on the dashboard and my family and I could have been endangered while driving on our family vacation. Acura knows of this transfer case issue and has had to replace many of them in recent MDXs. This is a safety issue that needs to be investigated immediately.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11742450June 6, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The component system that has failed is the Front Diff/Transmission area. Driveshaft spinning freely in park with rotations to rear wheel. I was driving home and heard a noise that sounded like something broke. Immediately pulled over and had Vehicle towed. I had my kids and husband in the vehicle with me. I'm glad we weren't driving on the highway. The vehicle was brought to Friendly Acura in Middletown, NY. They were able to diagnose the problem. I had an aftermarket warranty (Endurance Warranty Co.) awesome refused to pay for my vehicle starting it was a "pre-existing" condition. When I tried to explain to them this was not the case, they still wouldn't approve my claim after my vehicle was at Acura for 5 weeks and having 2 of their inspectors come out. Due to the amount of the repair (approximately $15,000), I am unable to pay for this repair. I had Acura out my vehicle back together and the vehicle is currently sitting in my drive way. There were no warning lights at any time prior, during or after failure of components.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741389June 1, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Reporting an additional case in support of ongoing defect petition investigation DP26001. 2022 Acura MDX Type S SH-AWD, currently at 63,700 miles. While driving and making a turn, I heard a grinding noise with no warning lights illuminated. I stopped immediately and shut off the engine but noticed no abnormality. I restarted the vehicle and drove with no further issues or noises. Later, during a scheduled oil change, I discovered that the area between the transmission and PTU was covered in oil. The Acura dealership diagnosed a bad PTU seal and replaced the PTU under powertrain warranty, but completely disregarded my concern regarding investigation DP26001 and the known issue with stripped splines. The leak was repaired, but several weeks later while driving in the rain, the vehicle felt very unstable during acceleration on wet pavement. I raised the vehicle on a lift and engaged drive to inspect AWD function. The rear wheels were not spinning while the front wheels were, and the driveshaft was also stationary. When I brought this to the dealership’s attention, they stated this is normal SH-AWD behavior — however, I have personally observed all four wheels spinning under identical conditions in another Acura of the same model and configuration. I am confident the transmission-to-PTU splines are stripped and am escalating this to Acura corporate for further investigation.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741153May 31, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Under medium acceleration vehicle shuddered a lot. Currently it’s only driven by the front wheels and it will torque steer a lot. I’m assuming my splines are stripped to transfer case. Thankfully, I am under warranty and I’m going to get this repaired.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740022May 26, 2026
POWER TRAIN
My wife has felt for quite some time that the traction on our 2022 Acura MDX is lacking. She first attributed it to tires, but after replacing them in November of 2024 she said that the issue was still present. She mentioned it to the Service Advisor at Bloomington Acura but we don't recall the exact timing of that and don't have a record of it. In February of 2026, while driving in snowy conditions we arrived at a vacation property. In driving up the driveway, the MDX got stuck. We got out of the car to try to push it and noticed that the rear wheels weren't rotating (I would expect them to on an AWD vehicle when the front wheels spin). We were able to put wood pieces under the front tires and get the vehicle up the driveway. We reported it to the dealer, who told us that if there were no warning lights there was no issue. We asked if they could test it because AWD wasn't working. We didn't get far but asked during a recent oil change if they could test the AWD. We had to push for that but they did test. They indicated that the rear drive rotated freely, indicating that "splines" between the transmission and transfer case had failed and it would cost $14,000 to repair (our MDX is now beyond the mileage threshold of the power train warranty. I then researched and learned that this issue is under NHTSA investigation DP26001. Customers don't have a reasonable way to know that AWD isn't working; we have brought it up previously with no way of "proving" that it isn't working (no warning lights). We believe that Acura should extend the power train warranty and repair our vehicle. The dealer let us know that they have another customer with the same issue right now. I don't believe that dealers file reports to NHTSA and imagine this issue is bigger than the number of complaints filed. AWD isn't needed by many, but it affects our safety in snowy conditions.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739605May 22, 2026
POWER TRAIN
My 2022 MDX purchased new in 2021 experienced an unexpected loss of AWD functionality at 5 years old with 77000 miles when the splines of the transfer case sheared with the transmission. The failure reverted the car to FWD and became very easy to lose traction in anything but ideal road conditions. There were no signs of this failure. No warning lights, no indication on the AWD power distribution monitor, and no sounds or other indications. I rigorously followed all maintenance schedules and performed all regularly scheduled maintenance at the Acura dealership. There have been numerous times when I am attempting to accelerate from a stop while turning onto a busy road where the unexpected loss in traction resulted in me nearly causing an accident. I took in my vehicle for service on 5/22/26 and they confirmed the issue is the transfer case spline failure as noted by many other Acura SH-AWD vehicles with the active NHTSA investigation. I would like to add my complaint to that filing and highlight the insidious danger that comes with the failure when the vehicle suddenly does not perform as expected. Given that my vehicle was barely behind the powertrain warranty period when the failure occured, I am now expected to cover an enormous bill that covers the replacement of the transmission and transfer case.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739430May 22, 2026
POWER TRAIN
When about to make a left turn since oncoming traffic on to highway I hit the gas quickly after stopping and heard a loud bang. Drove till I got off the highway at a red light I hit the gas and noticed the front wheels was spinning and realized it wasn't a awd. Took it the dealer and they realzied the driveshaft was spinning by hand.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738934May 20, 2026
POWER TRAIN
My car was purchased from Impex Auto Greensboro, Nc one owner with 71,000. The car fax never stated any major accidents or damage. March 2026 after having my car for 1.5 years I now need a new transmission that costs $15k. I filed a Goodwill claim with Acura since all warranty’s have expired and I did not purchase an extension. The claim was denied and I’m responsible for the repair of a 4 year old car’s transmission.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738928May 20, 2026
POWER TRAIN
I am submitting this complaint regarding my 2022 Acura MDX Advance, currently with 71,007 miles. After completing the standard transmission fluid service around the 60,000-mile maintenance interval, I began noticing abnormal drivetrain/transmission behavior that was not present before. At times, the vehicle feels as if the transmission is slipping, hesitating, or failing to transfer power smoothly. Acceleration can feel delayed, uneven, or weaker than normal, and on some occasions the vehicle seems to surge or accelerate slightly in a way that does not feel consistent with normal pedal input. This is a safety concern because the vehicle may not respond predictably when accelerating from a stop, merging, passing, or driving at highway speeds. A delay, slip, surge, or loss of expected acceleration could increase the risk of a crash, especially in traffic. The symptoms appear to involve the transmission, drivetrain, torque converter, transfer case, software calibration, or related components, but I am requesting a proper investigation to determine the actual cause. My concern is that this issue could worsen or affect other 2022 Acura MDX vehicles if it reflects a broader defect. I am requesting that NHTSA document this complaint and review whether 2022 Acura MDX models may have a safety-related issue that can cause slipping, hesitation, surging, delayed acceleration, or loss of expected power after normal maintenance. Acura should evaluate whether owners need inspection, repair, software updates, or other corrective action.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738302May 16, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
I am writing to report a severe manufacturing defect and safety hazard on my vehicle. The interior door panel trim has completely delaminated and peeled away from the door structure, creating an exposed, razor-sharp edge right near the door handle/window switches. This is a major safety hazard ("Safety Hazard") that poses a severe laceration risk ("Severe Laceration Risk") to any passenger or child attempting to open the door or touch the door panel. I have clear photo documentation of this sharp metal/plastic piece protruding dangerously out. I would like to request Acura Client Relations to look into this manufacturing defect immediately and provide a resolution/goodwill repair before a severe injury occurs. Please contact me via email to review the photos. Thank you.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737467May 12, 2026
POWER TRAIN
I own a 2022 Acura MDX SH-AWD with approximately 85,000 miles. The issue began suddenly while driving around 5 mph when two loud bangs were heard from the rear drivetrain/transfer case area. After the initial incident, the vehicle was driven home, and the problem became consistently noticeable during any acceleration from a stop or low speed. The drivetrain would clunk/slip during acceleration and exhibited abnormal engagement behavior. Due to concern about causing further drivetrain damage or a potential safety issue, the vehicle was subsequently towed to an Acura dealer for diagnosis. The Acura dealer confirmed that both the transfer case and transmission require replacement due to “worn teeth on splines.” The repair estimate specifically states: “REPLACE TRANSFER CASE AND TRANSMISSION DUE TO WORN TEETH ON SPLINES.” Estimated repair cost is approximately $11,400. I have photographs and repair documentation related to the failure. This failure created a potential safety concern because the drivetrain was no longer operating normally and produced loud clunking/slipping during acceleration from stops and low speeds. A drivetrain or power transfer failure could increase the risk of loss of propulsion or inability to accelerate normally into traffic. The issue was reproduced and confirmed by the Acura dealer. The vehicle has been regularly maintained, including drivetrain fluid services, through Acura/Honda service facilities. There were no warning lights, dashboard messages, or electronic indications before or after the failure event. The only indication was the loud banging noise from the drivetrain/transfer case area and the resulting abnormal drivetrain behavior during acceleration. The service manager also indicated they had seen several similar cases involving this issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737037May 11, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2022 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the all-wheel drive (AWD) system became inoperable. The contact stated that when attempting to engage the AWD function, the system failed to operate and the vehicle would transition into four-wheel drive operation. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for further assistance and advised the contact not to contact the manufacturer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734615April 29, 2026
AIR BAGS, SERVICE BRAKES, STRUCTURE:BODY
Iam having numerous problems with the start stop function of my 2022 MDX. See attached letter and documentation for full details. I also attached the documentation from my dealership for the repair order history. There have been numerous of times that this problem occurred that I didn't bring it in for service. The dealership acknowledges that there is a problem, but they are unable to correct. They also have told me that they know of this problem with the Acura MDX, but there is still no recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734210April 28, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
—The floor harness has failed due to poor design & location of the harness as it creates a trap for moisture. —Yes, this component is available for inspection upon request. —The safety of myself was in moderate jeopardy due to the air struts malfunctioning. —Yes, the problem has been reproduced by a dealer. —To my knowledge, the vehicle or component has NOT been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representative or others. —Yes, there were warning lamps & error messages appearing on the daahboard. These error messages & warning lamps would appear anywhere from 15-30 minutes after vehicle was in motion.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733865April 26, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Transfer case failure limiting all wheel drive system. Needs new transmission and transfer case at 83000 miles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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