Acura MDX Complaints

319 consumer complaints on file.

#11734545April 29, 2026
ENGINE
The vehicle is designed to shut off at a stoplight and restart when your foot leaves the brake, or the steering wheel is moved. On multiple occasions, the vehicle turns itself off (typically at a red traffic light) only to not restart. Driver must manually put the vehicle into park, and try to restart it using the traditional push button (IN TRAFFIC). This is horribly dangerous even if it takes just a few seconds to do. The Acura dealership maintains that there is nothing they can do. Simple internet searches indicate that it's a wider issue than my own vehicle, so I am reporting my issue to you.
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
#11733707April 24, 2026
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Emissions System Failure Warning Power Shifting / Power Shifting See Dealer All Wheel Drive (AWD) Power may be reduced - see dealer
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733361April 23, 2026
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On April 17 2026 while driving my 2022 Acura MDX at very low speed in a parking lot, the vehicle suddenly accelerated forward without warning and surged into bushes before I could stop it. I did not mistake the gas for the brake pedal. This felt like a sudden unintended acceleration event. I was preparing to park in a stall and the vehicle lunged forward unexpectedly. I applied the brake, but the braking did not immediately stop the forward surge. Earlier, I experienced another unusual event in which the vehicle abruptly auto-braked, jerked, and made a warning sound while I was slowing for a red light. I noticed the car felt as if it was surging a bit on residential streets and was about to mention it during the next service. This incident has caused me to lose confidence in the safety of the vehicle. I contacted Niello Acura who has been very cooperative. I was told the issue would need to be duplicated or that they could only inspect it if a code had been stored once the car is repaired. The car is currently being repaired with close to 7,000 in front end damage. I am reporting this because a sudden unintended acceleration presents a serious safety risk and could easily have caused a more severe crash or injury. I did research on this issue and have found various reports of unintended accelerations in the Acura MDX forums from various years but was unable to find any recalls or outcomes with these reports My concern is this will be dismissed as "operator error" or a phantom incident that cannot be reproduced.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11732981April 22, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Issues with the sunroof frame. I've notice popping from the car roof Acura is aware of this issue they've put out a bulletin but only covering cars that have less than 50k miles and are under 4 years old. After researching I see a lot of people are having similar issues where the screws come lose and the sunroof frame breaks causing some sunroof to shatter.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11732431April 20, 2026
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
We have had multiple incidents when the car is at a stop light with the idle stop not active, the vehicle engine will just die. The light turns green and the vehicle is not running, it will take multiple times pushing the start button for it to start back up. This has resulted in multiple almost rear end incidents due to other drivers assuming we would go when light turned green. More recently this weekend on a trip from Columbus OH to St. Louis MO; stopped to get gas east of Indianapolis, after pumping gas the vehicle would not restart. It took multiple tries to get it to restart; this happened again the following day at a stop during the day at a shopping center, we ran in to get subs for lunch, came back out, would not start, I have a video of the sound and flashing lights but I can't upload a video here.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11731547April 16, 2026
SUSPENSION, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
RIGHT AND LEFT REAR STROKE SENSOR AND AFTER MARKET CONNECTOR WITH PIGTAILS FOUND CORROSION NEE REAR STROKE SENSOR CONNECTOR CAUSING DTC C1646-F0=== $872.13 right + $872.13 left They are using after market parts with this new Suspension system for Acuras MDX TYPE S. Any car wash or rain storm or snow storm this parts gets corrosion!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11730946April 13, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Complete drivetrain failure while accelerating from a complete stop in the middle of a busy intersection. No warning lights or hazard messages were activated before or after the failure. The car made a massive clunking/banging sound and continued to clunk on acceleration. The car had to be towed to the dealership. My children were in the car with me, and we had just driven on the highway for 45 minutes before this failure. Luckily, my husband was behind me, and I activated hazards until I could pull over safely. It was jerking and clunking so badly that I was barely able to steer. It was terrifying since my two young children were in the car, and they were both screaming from the noise. I believe I would have been rear-ended if my husband had not been behind me due to the sudden jerk from the failure, as I was the first car in the left turn lane. This is not the first issue I have had with the transfer case in this vehicle. The affected transfer case and drive train were replaced only 7 months prior due to a faulty transfer case and a severe clunking sound. This vehicle has had repeated drivetrain failures without warning, resulting in loss of traction and control. The recent failure reflects a completely stripped spline connecting the transfer case and transmission. This will be the 4th transfer case this vehicle has had at only 64K miles. All recommended maintenance and care have been completed at the certified Acura dealership since the vehicle was purchased. Recently, the 60K services were completed just 3 months prior to the current failure. The vehicle is currently at the dealership for repairs under warranty, as it needs a new transmission and another transfer case. I have not yet received the documentation, as the car is not in my possession, but I will provide it once I receive it. See the attached documentation from the previous failure, dated 6/3/2025, to establish a pattern of catastrophic drivetrain failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11730677April 12, 2026
POWER TRAIN
I was at a stop light, when the lights turned green, I accelerated and heard a loud bang underneath the vehicle. The sound was so loud I thought I had been rear ended. I got out to inspect the vehicle and did not see any damages. I got back into the vehicle and put it in drive to get to the closed gas station. When I started driving, I heard clunking sounds underneath vehicle. I put on my hazards and drove slow. After about 50-100 ft the clunking sounds went away. No lights on the dash or anything. I then got vehicle towed to my father’s shop to inspect what was going or what happened due to not feeling safe driving. One of his employees looked up the cause of the noise and had found that the differential splines or transfer case would strip and cause a loud bang. Which happens on a lot of these acuras. He put vehicle on lift, and put it into drive. The front wheels would spin, but not the rear wheels. He said that indicates the transfer case is bad
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11730367April 10, 2026
POWER TRAIN
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Transfer case and yes, it is attached the vehicle. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? At this time there is a leak and the power is being redistributed which could lead to loss of power at any times. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yea both. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Manufacturer. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No. During a routine transmission service this was noticed that there was a leak, they did not fill the fluid in the vehicle up to monitor fluid levels.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11730005April 8, 2026
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
The contact owns a 2023 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 71,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11729954April 8, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Experienced loss of all wheel drive with no notification, warning lights, etc. Vehicle is only in front wheel drive. Issue caused the vehicle to perform very poorly in inclement weather and myself, wife and children became stuck in the snow. The problem has been confirmed with Acura dealership. Currently it is in the shop awaiting further info.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11729911April 8, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Stopped for a red light at a busy intersection with the auto start/stop feature turned on. After releasing the brake pedal to begin driving after the light turned green, the vehicle attempted to start the engine, but struggled and in doing so, the vehicle stalled out. After two or three attempts of placing the foot onto the brake and pressing the start ignition button, the vehicle finally started and we were able to drive away.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11729848April 8, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The AWD system failed and now its only FWD
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11729385April 6, 2026
SUSPENSION, SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Air suspension/vehicle height Brake systems were taken away (adaptive cruise, anti collision and lane mitigation) Yes confirmed by dealer Yes Yes warning lights
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11729170April 4, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Incident 1 (Loss of Propulsion in Traffic) - 12/16/25 The vehicle failed to restart immediately after the auto start-stop system attempted to re-engage the engine. Upon attempting to accelerate, the engine did not restart, resulting in a complete loss of propulsion while in active traffic. The vehicle became temporarily inoperable and unresponsive, creating a hazardous condition with elevated risk of rear-end collision and inability to safely clear traffic or intersections. Incident 2 (Failure to Start – Reliability Concern) - 4/1/26 On a separate occasion, the vehicle failed to start entirely upon initial startup (first use of the day). The engine did not turn over as expected, rendering the vehicle inoperable. This incident raises significant concerns about system reliability and dependability, particularly given its occurrence independent of the auto start-stop event. Safety Concern: The first incident demonstrates a critical safety defect involving unexpected loss of propulsion in live traffic conditions. The second incident, while occurring at startup, indicates a broader pattern of failure affecting the vehicle’s ability to reliably start and operate. Together, these incidents suggest a potential defect in the starting/ignition or auto start-stop system that may compromise safe vehicle operation and increase the risk of crash or stranding.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11728752April 2, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
Asymmetrical wear on the front brakes. The outer pad wears out completely while the inner pad( with the brake wear sensor) shows almost no wear. The dealer (Park Place Acura, Plano Texas) brought this to my attention on November 3, 2025 saying only the front pads needed replacing but did not disclose the asymmetrical wear. I took the vehicle back to the Dealer January 15, 2026 for repair after discovering the asymmetrical pad wear and pointed that out to them. The brakes can completely wear to the backing plate on the outer pad while showing no wear issues with the brake sensor on the inner pad. This condition creates an unpredictable and uneven braking response that constitutes a safety defect, as the brake wear indicator system fails to alert the driver to actual brake wear on the outer pad. The brake wear sensor is designed assuming symmetrical pad wear. When wear is asymmetrical, the sensor fails to trigger a warning, leaving the driver unaware of a dangerous condition. The dealer has finally replaced the pads and rotors, symptoms of the problem but, has not addressed the underlying cause of the problem...the calipers. I have received the vehicle back from the dealer but did not sign a release and the issue remains open. The vehicle currently has approximately 29,400 miles. I have taken this issue to Acura corporate(Honda Motor Company) and they have it under review but keep delaying with no confirmed resolution. I sent a certified letter to American Honda Motor Company, Acura client relations on February 3, 2026 and they signed for it on February 11, 2026 and contacted me by email on March 11,2026. Acura took 28 days to respond to my certified letter and has provided no resolution timeline since.The vehicle was under the original manufacturers warranty at the time of this issue and notification.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11727802March 29, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
Hello… this has happened at least four times.. the car goes to stand by/idle mode when the auto shut off is engaged. I was at a light and car went to idle and when it goes to green. Car just goes to idle mode. I had to put hazards on and restart car. People honking while I’m trying to restart car from this state. It’s like the car does not return on after the gas is engaged.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11727690March 28, 2026
ENGINE
When the auto start stop engages my car will shut down and then it takes a minute or two for it to restart. This has happened several times. I reported it to Acura previously and no action was taken. It’s difficult to replicate because it doesn’t happen every time. It’s unsafe and scary because it will happen at stop signs, or in traffic and with my children in the car. It just happened about 5 mins ago while in traffic and I remembered to report this.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to Acura MDX