How many NHTSA complaints do the Acura MDX and FORD F 150 have?

Acura MDX has 1,082 NHTSA complaints (45 recalls); FORD F 150 has 27,559 complaints (141 recalls). Source: NHTSA owner complaint and recall records.

Which has fewer safety recalls, the Acura MDX or FORD F 150?

Acura MDX has fewer safety recalls: 45 versus 141.

Head-to-head reliability

Acura MDX vs FORD F 150

How the Acura MDX and FORD F 150 compare on NHTSA complaints, recalls and crash reports — and which is the lower-risk used buy.

Acura MDX1,082 complaints · 45 recalls Fewer issues per year

FORD F 15027,559 complaints · 141 recalls

Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records

Which should you buy?

Acura MDX averages fewer NHTSA complaints per year. Acura MDX has 1,082 complaints and 45 recalls on record; FORD F 150 has 27,559 complaints and 141 recalls. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.

The numbers

Side-by-side NHTSA record

Lower is better in every category. The highlighted cell is the stronger result.

Category	Acura MDX	FORD F 150
Total complaintsAll model years combined	1,082 Better	27,559
Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns	45 Better	141
Crash reportsCrash-related complaints	27 Better	762
Complaints per yearAveraged across model years	108.2 Better	2755.9
Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints	23 Better	714
Reported deathsTied to owner complaints	0 Better	10

Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall records.

What actually goes wrong

The problems owners report

The most-complained-about systems on each vehicle — what fails, and what owners say in their own words.

Acura MDX

01ENGINE294
02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM215
03POWER TRAIN200
04UNKNOWN OR OTHER164
05FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE138

In owners' words — ENGINE

“This car only has 2500 miles on it. When it was just driven a few weeks in January, 2024, the car would start jerking while driving down the highway going a consistent 55-60 miles per hour. We took it back to the dealer in St. Louis and they told us they were…”

“The start/stop switch stalls the vehicle and will not restart after several tries for up to 5 minutes. We get a message during this time to "continue to drive, depress brake pedal and push switch" and even after then it still will not start for several tries.…”

FORD F 150

01POWER TRAIN9,972
02ENGINE4,861
03ELECTRICAL SYSTEM3,475
04UNKNOWN OR OTHER3,212
05STRUCTURE1,486

In owners' words — POWER TRAIN

“When I am parking the truck, I press and hold the brake pedal, While the truck shifter in in "Drive", I press the start/stop button to shut truck down, the shifter gets stuck in "drive" and doesn't automatically shift in to park. The truck locks down and will…”

“My truck is a 2025 Ford F150 STX with 5,900 miles on it. This truck was purchased new at River City Ford in Lavalette, WV The component in questions seems to be involved with the turbos and more specifically the wastegate that attached to the turbos. Also, ye…”

Official recalls

Safety recalls on record

Federal recall campaigns — the defect, the risk, and the fix. Confirm any open recall was completed before you buy.

Acura MDX — 45 recalls

Air Bags — Sensor — Occupant Classification — Front Passenger

#26V332000

The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022…

The risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.

The fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH,…

Service Brakes, Hydraulic — Pedals And Linkages

#25V391000Dec 2025

The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Acura TLX, 2023-2025 Acura MDX, and 2023-2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin was not secured properly, which can cause the pedal to shift out of position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehic…

The risk: A brake pedal that shifts out of position can prevent the driver from applying the brakes as intended, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

The fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the brake pedal assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 29, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall ar…

Air Bags — Sensor — Occupant Classification — Front Passenger

#26V332000

The risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic — Pedals And Linkages

#25V391000Dec 2025

The risk: A brake pedal that shifts out of position can prevent the driver from applying the brakes as intended, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

FORD F 150 — 141 recalls

Electrical System — Integrated Trailer Brake Control

#26V104000

The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2026 F-150, 2022-2026 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, F-550 SD, Maverick, 2024-2026 Ranger, 2023-2026 F-600 SD, 2022-2027 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, and 2026 E-Transit vehicles. When towing a trailer, the integrated trailer module (ITRM) may los…

The risk: Trailer lights or brakes that do not function can reduce the driver’s ability to control the trailer and decrease the trailers visibility to other road users, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: The integrated trailer module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 25, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.…

Engine And Engine Cooling — Engine — Oil/Lubrication

#24V851000

The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, 2024 Expedition and 2024 Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine. The engines may have a misaligned engine cup plug, which can result in a rapid oil leak.

The risk: A rapid oil leak can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, an oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.

The fix: Dealers will inspect the engine cup plug alignment, and replace the plug if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 23, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for th…

Power Train — Automatic Transmission — Fluid/Lubricant — Valves/Valve Body

#25V164000

The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, Bronco, 2024 Ranger, 2025 Mustang, Explorer, and Aviator vehicles. The transmission valve body may have been machined incorrectly, which can cause reverse gear failure, or unexpected forward movement in reverse or neutral gear.

The risk: Unexpected vehicle movement increases the risk of a crash.

The fix: Dealers will replace the transmission main control valve body, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 11, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S19.

Engine And Engine Cooling — Engine — Oil/Lubrication

#25V198000

The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, Expedition, and 2024 Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines. The engine may have a misaligned engine cup plug, which can result in a rapid oil leak.

The fix: Dealers will inspect the engine cup plug alignment, and replace the plug if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 22, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this…

Year by year

Which model years to avoid

Complaints per model year for both vehicles — lower is better. The spikes are the years to scrutinize.

Year	Acura MDX	FORD F 150
2026	6	9
2025	71	320
2024	35	600
2023	35	1448
2022	136	3292
2021	0	4939
2020	210	2530
2019	183	5718
2018	161	5505
2017	245	3198

Years to scrutinize: the 2017 Acura MDX drew the most complaints (245); the 2019 FORD F 150 drew the most (5,718). Inspect these model years especially closely.

Check the actual car

Comparing models is smart. Checking the VIN is essential.

Brand averages tell you the trend. A VIN check tells you what's wrong with the specific Acura MDX or FORD F 150 in front of you — accident history, open recalls and title records.

Go deeper

Full reliability reports

Acura MDX — full reportAcura MDX reliability & problems 1,082 complaints · all years · NHTSA

FORD F 150 — full reportFORD F 150 reliability & problems 27,559 complaints · all years · NHTSA

Acura MDX vs FORD F 150 — comparison facts

Comparison: Acura MDX vs FORD F 150
Acura MDX total complaints: 1,082
FORD F 150 total complaints: 27,559
Acura MDX total recalls: 45
FORD F 150 total recalls: 141
Acura MDX avg complaints/year: 108.2
FORD F 150 avg complaints/year: 2755.9
More reliable overall: Acura MDX
Acura MDX top complaint area: ENGINE
FORD F 150 top complaint area: POWER TRAIN

Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)