Acura MDX Complaints (2020)

231 consumer complaints on file.

#11697211November 3, 2025
STEERING
The power steering failed while driving, and multiple warning lights came on. This happened in the middle of a busy city street and came very close to causing an accident. When the car was restarted the power steering came back on line but failed again the next day. My wife and I decided it was unsafe to drive and had it towed to the dealer. The dealer told us that the "Wire Harness" failed and the Clockspring/Reel assembly had to be replaced. The total cost was $3,888.91. There were no warning lamps, messages or symptoms prior to the failure. This is definitely a safety issue. The dealer had no explanation of why a component like this should have failed. I contacted Honda and was told that there is no recall on this part and i should make a report to the NHTSA. This was a scary and distressing event. Please look into it and get Honda/Acura to issue a recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11694254October 18, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
emission system problem & electric parking brake problem codes came up. Once pulled over vehicle would not disengage the emergency parking brake.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11693436October 14, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
There was an active recall on this car from Acura for the auto start system malfunctioning. When the car auto stops at a signal or stop sign it does not turn back on sometimes. We took the car to Acura 3 times for the same issue and they keep saying that it is fixed but the recall was never fixed. This is highly dangerous in traffic situations when the car does not turn back on when you take your foot off the brake.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11691360October 4, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On multiple occasions, after coming to a complete stop, the engine shut off as designed but then failed to automatically restart when I released the brake pedal or pressed the accelerator. This left the vehicle completely disabled in traffic until I manually restarted it by shifting into Park and pressing the ignition button. This failure is unpredictable, occurs without warning, and poses a significant risk of collision, particularly when stopped at busy intersections or in heavy traffic. I contacted my Acura dealer, who confirmed that this issue is a known concern on 2016–2020 MDX models and that Acura has issued Technical Service Bulletins (such as 23-001 and 23-002) and a warranty extension. However, even after updates, the problem continues to occur, and there is no permanent remedy at this time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11691038October 2, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Auto idle cuts off idling at stop light but when reengaged stalls the car completely. Must totally restart car before continuing causing back up in intersection and almost being hit. Happened several times, when I forget to turn auto idle off. New battery did not help
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689382September 24, 2025
ENGINE
At a red light or stop sign, my MDX switches into Neutral without me knowing it. When I press the gas to go, my car won't move. Other vehicles behind me almost hit me as they expect me to go. I can't switch into drive. I must turn off car and then turn it back on. I feel this is very dangerous. This happens about once a week now. The MDX was just in for service and recalls a few months ago. Nothing was noted about the engine on the reports.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688550September 19, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Monocular windshield camera failed for no apparent reason on five-year-old car with less than 50k miles. Dealer cost to fix $2k. My concern is there are an many individuals on the Acura MDX forums complaining of the same problem. It appears to be a relatively common but very costly failure on many Honda vehicles that use similar cameras. I believe this is worthy of an investigation, especially since the camera is necessary for many safety related features to function properly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688065September 18, 2025
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
When the vehicle stops and the idle auto-start/ stop engages, the vehicle will automatically go into neutral and cannot be restarted until the vehicle is turned off then back on. This has happened at both stop lights and on the highway and almost caused a very serious rear end accident.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11688166September 18, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact stated that occasionally, while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, while the vehicle was stopped at a traffic light, the Auto Idle START/STOP failed to operate as designed, and the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer; however, the cause of the failure was unknown. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11687827September 17, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY
The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while at a stoplight, the vehicle shut off and failed to immediately restart after releasing the brake pedal. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the starter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed of the NHTSA Action Number: EA25004 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the investigation. The failure mileage was 20,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11686206September 10, 2025
ENGINE
The idle stop feature does not work correctly. A couple times the car did not restart while stopped at a red light. Had to put into park and took about a minute to restart.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11686139September 9, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The auto start feature on the vehicle has been failing. When you come to a stop the engine’s start feature enables but when proceeding to start moving again the vehicle stalls out and will not restart right away. The vehicle must sit for about 30secs or after two tries in order to restart up. It has stalled out on me while in traffic on the highway, at traffic lights, stop signs. My most recent experience was me being stuck at an intersection unable to move for an ambulance and firetruck in route to an emergency. This issue has put my safety as well as others at risk many times. I have voiced my concerns many times with the dealership but they state there is nothing wrong with my auto start feature nor any other issues that can contribute to this. Any help with this issues is appreciated.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685342September 5, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
UKNOWN ACC,LKAS, brake system warning lights intermittently come on. Started around 25000. More persistent now. Dealer advisor checked windshield/wiped over where the camera is and since it was not on at the dealership no problem found. Just stated the camera is funky sometimes. Vehicle has 59000 now. Not sure exactly what components are effected but the safety features of the vehicle no longer work properly such as the breaking warning.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685108September 4, 2025
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
My 2020 Acura MDX is throwing up multiple dashboard warnings related to the camera sensor—involving systems like Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keeping Assist, Collision Mitigation, and Road Departure Mitigation. These systems rely heavily on the Multipurpose Camera Unit mounted near the rearview mirror. I took it to my Acura Dealership Service and they concluded it's the Multipurpose Camera Unit that's causing all these dashboard warnings. They are charging me $1800+ for a new one to be installed. I have researched and googled this issue online, and there were hundreds and hundreds of comments from Honda car owners that have faced this issue, especially Honda and Acura models made in 2019-2020. Many have bought a used camera unit for approx. $150 online and got it installed & calibrated. Others have said that this camera unit is so HOT to the touch since it's located under the windshield. I agree with a lot of these Honda/Acura owners that this malfunction of this camera is a safety issue for the car drivers and others around them since these codes just pops out suddenly making the drivers so nervous during driving. Also, these cameras under the windshield get so, so hot that it could also start a combustible hazard. These units should be encased in a heat-tolerant case/cover and not metal.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11684446September 2, 2025
ENGINE
I own a 2020 Acura MDX. The Auto Engine Idle Stop system failed to operate while depressing the accelerator pedal while at a stoplight. The vehicle shifted automatically to neutral and would not let me switch to drive. I just recently purchased this car (less than two weeks). Based on what i see online and all the complaints on here , this is a known issue. However when i contacted my local Acura they acted as if they never heard of this issue and they want to diagnose my car at my expense. The mileage on my vehicle is between 31,000 and 32,000. I purchased this vehicle to accommodate my newborn granddaughter. Now, I don't feel like its the safe vehicle its advertised to be. This is a very dangerous thing that is happening, how many complaints need to be submitted before the manufacturer is held accountable.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11684465September 2, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact's relative owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving approximately 25-30 MPH, the check engine warning light started flashing, and the vehicle stalled and lost electrical function. The contact stated that the vehicle was only able to be locked manually, and the windows failed to roll up as intended. The driver was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was in the process of being towed. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the earliest availability for a diagnostic test was in 7 days. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11683334August 27, 2025
ENGINE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
1. The car accelerates by intself. The accelaration is like "hiccups". When reversing and changing to D gear, it takes longer than usual for the accelarion to take effect. Yes, car is available for inspections 2. It is dangerus because it gets the hiccups even at high speeds. If it is a serious egine problem, which seems like it is, could cause an accident. 3. The car was taken to the dealership for 3 recalls but it got worse after the recalls were fixed. Supposedly the recalls were supposed to fix the issues. We have not taken it back yet. 4. There is no lights or warnings when it does it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11683177August 26, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact stated that on several occasions, while coming to a stoplight, the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11681023August 16, 2025
ENGINE
connecting rod bearing failure confirmed by independent mechanic. No alerts or warning lights. Problem just showed up and engine started knocking on acceleration.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11680938August 15, 2025
ENGINE
On multiple occasions when the car is stopped at a light, in traffic or at a stop sign and the auto idle stop feature is engaged the car will shut off and not restart for up to 1 minute. We have always been able to get it to restart but feel it is dangerous to be stopped so long in moving traffic.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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