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.
Based on NHTSA owner-complaint & recall records
Acura MDX vs FORD F 150: The MDX averages 113.8 complaints per year versus 1131.1 for the F-150, but MDX owners report sudden acceleration and steering loss, while F-150 owners face transmission failures. Recalls: 45 vs 145. Source: NHTSA owner complaints.
The picture
Is the Acura MDX or FORD F 150 more reliable?
A plain-English read on what the NHTSA record says about living with each vehicle.
Acura MDX
The Acura MDX, a luxury three-row SUV, shows a moderate complaint rate over the past decade, with engine, electrical, and powertrain issues dominating. Owners report real-world failures like transmission and AWD problems, power steering loss, and sudden acceleration incidents, which can be alarming. While not the highest-volume problem vehicle, the nature of these complaints suggests potential reliability concerns that could affect daily driving confidence.
FORD F 150
The Ford F-150, a best-selling pickup, has a much higher complaint volume, reflecting its popularity and diverse usage. Powertrain issues, especially transmission problems like hard shifting and loss of power, are the most common, followed by electrical glitches and exterior lighting failures. These issues can be frustrating and sometimes dangerous, but the F-150's widespread use means many owners still have positive experiences.
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 | 1,138 Better | 11,311 |
| Safety recallsFederal recall campaigns | 45 Better | 145 |
| Crash reportsCrash-related complaints | 28 Better | 328 |
| Complaints per yearAveraged across model years | 113.8 Better | 1131.1 |
| Reported injuriesTied to owner complaints | 27 Better | 287 |
| Reported deathsTied to owner complaints | 0 Better | 1 |
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
- 01ENGINE313
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM229
- 03POWER TRAIN216
- 04UNKNOWN OR OTHER174
- 05FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE144
Owners report transmission system problems, AWD failures, and reduced power warnings, sometimes at low mileage, indicating potential drivetrain and engine management issues.
Failures include electric power steering loss and floor harness moisture damage, leading to loss of steering assist and air strut malfunctions, which are safety-critical.
Complete drivetrain failure while accelerating, with clunking sounds, and traction issues that persist even after tire replacement, point to possible transfer case or AWD system defects.
Although not detailed in the sample, this component has a high complaint count, suggesting issues with the system's operation, which could affect safety features.
“MY VEHICLE 2022 ACURA TYPE S HAS A TRANSMISSION SYSTEM PROBLEM, BLIND SPOT INFO PROBLEM, AND A ALL WHEEL DRIVE PROBLEM THAT ONLY MY FRONT WHEE;S MAY BE POWERED. IT LOOKS LIKE THE TRANSFER CASE MAYBE FAILING. MY VEHICLE ONLY HAS 25,000 MILES ON IT AND IS ABOUT…”
“Emissions System Failure Warning Power Shifting / Power Shifting See Dealer All Wheel Drive (AWD) Power may be reduced - see dealer”
FORD F 150
- 01POWER TRAIN3,553
- 02ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2,071
- 03UNKNOWN OR OTHER1,401
- 04EXTERIOR LIGHTING1,164
- 05ENGINE847
The 10R80 transmission is a major sore spot, with owners experiencing hard shifts, jerks, clunks, and even sudden loss of power, which can be dangerous in traffic.
Electrical issues manifest as warning messages like 'Front Camera Malfunction' and 'Pre Collision Assist Not Available,' indicating sensor or software problems that disable safety features.
Headlight-related complaints are frequent, though specific symptoms aren't detailed, but they could involve poor visibility or failures, which are safety concerns at night.
Engine-related complaints are less frequent but still notable, possibly including performance issues or failures, though the sample doesn't specify.
“I started noticing hard and delayed shifts from 7th into 8th gear. My RPM's were not increasing when this happened, and then on a very crowded major road I lost all power, vehicle shut off and drifted, then started up and jerked again very hard. This failure…”
“I am reporting a safety-related transmission problem I experienced with my 2020 Ford F-150 equipped with the 10R80 automatic transmission. While driving normally, the transmission shifts hard (ie: jerks, clunks) between 4-5 and 5-6 gears, and has on occasion…”
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
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura R…
The risk: An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
The fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls ar…
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,…
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…
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,…
FORD F 150 — 145 recalls
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 trucks equipped with high series LED headlamps with Autolamp (On/Off) functionality. The Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) may remain activated instead of dimming to parking lamps when the Master Lighting Switch (MLS) is manually rotated from…
The risk: DRL that cannot dim may reduce the visibility of other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the body control module, free of charge. The recall began March 10, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20C03.
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019-2020 F-150 vehicles. The fastener securing the Power Distribution Box (PDB) 12V cable and Battery Monitoring System (BMS) eyelets to the positive battery terminal may loosen and affect the vehicle's systems such as instrument panel displays and br…
The risk: Inoperative vehicle systems or an engine stall can increase the risk of a crash. Reduced braking and steering efforts increases the risk of a crash. This condition could also create a resistive short, increasing the risk of a fire.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the positive battery cable/BMS/PDB joint for excess sealant adhesive and remove any excessive adhesive, reassemble the joint, and retorque the fastener, as necessary, free of charge. The re…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater. Water and contaminants may get into the block heater cable's splice connector causin…
The risk: When the heater is plugged in, prolonged corrosion could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring which can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the block heater cable, free of charge. Once parts are available, Dealers will replace the engine block heater cable, free of charge. The recall began June 3, 2019. Owners may contact Ford…
The defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 and 2019-2020 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty pickup trucks, and 2018-2019 Ford Explorer, 2019-2020 Expedition, and 2020 Escape vehicles equipped with driver and/or passenger's manual front seat back recliner mechanisms. Also…
The risk: A seat back with an improperly assembled recliner mechanism may have reduced strength and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Ford will notify owners, and Ford and Lincoln dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 21, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's num…
Buyer analysis
Acura MDX or FORD F 150: which should you buy?
The Acura MDX has far fewer complaints per year (113.8) compared to the Ford F-150 (1131.1), indicating a lower rate of reported issues. However, the MDX's problems, such as sudden acceleration and steering loss, may be more safety-critical. In practice, the F-150's higher volume reflects its larger sales, but the nature of its transmission issues is a significant concern.
Key differences
- The MDX has a much lower complaint rate (113.8/yr) than the F-150 (1131.1/yr), but its issues include sudden acceleration and power steering failure, which are severe.
- The F-150's most common issue is transmission problems (hard shifting, loss of power), while the MDX's top issue is engine-related, including AWD and transfer case failures.
- Electrical problems are significant in both, but the MDX's floor harness moisture issue can lead to air strut failure, while the F-150's electrical issues often disable safety features like pre-collision assist.
- The MDX has fewer recalls (45) than the F-150 (145), but both have had airbag and brake-related recalls.
- Inspect the AWD system and transfer case for any signs of failure, as owners report issues at low mileage.
- Check for moisture damage in the floor harness, which can cause electrical and air strut problems.
- Test the transmission for hard shifts or clunks, especially between 4th-6th gears, as this is a common issue.
- Look for warning messages about camera or pre-collision assist malfunctions, indicating electrical sensor problems.
Before you buy
- For the MDX, have a mechanic inspect the transfer case and AWD system, and check for any signs of water intrusion under the carpet.
- For the F-150, take a thorough test drive to feel for transmission shift quality, and check if any warning lights appear.
- Review the vehicle's recall history and ensure all recalls have been performed.
- Ask for maintenance records, especially for transmission fluid changes and any electrical repairs.
- Consider a pre-purchase inspection by a trusted mechanic familiar with these models.
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 | 24 |
| 2025 | 93 | 329 |
| 2024 | 38 | 617 |
| 2023 | 38 | 1507 |
| 2022 | 146 | 3432 |
| 2021 | 0 | 5234 |
| 2020 | 215 | 33 |
| 2019 | 185 | 36 |
| 2018 | 164 | 56 |
| 2017 | 253 | 43 |
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
- Comparison
- Acura MDX vs FORD F 150
- Acura MDX total complaints
- 1,138
- FORD F 150 total complaints
- 11,311
- Acura MDX total recalls
- 45
- FORD F 150 total recalls
- 145
- Acura MDX avg complaints/year
- 113.8
- FORD F 150 avg complaints/year
- 1131.1
- More reliable overall
- Acura MDX
- Acura MDX top complaint area
- ENGINE
- FORD F 150 top complaint area
- POWER TRAIN