Acura MDX Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data

While driving my 2023 Acura MDX at approximately 40 mph in rainy conditions, the vehicle experienced a sudden catastrophic failure without any prior warning lights or dashboard messages. The vehicle abruptly decelerated and felt as though the drivetrain or wheels were binding / locking. The vehicle lost the ability to accelerate normally and became effectively inoperable in traffic. After stopping, the vehicle resisted rolling freely even when shifted into neutral and required towing to the dealership. The dealership has since informed me that the front transfer case / transfer box experienced a catastrophic internal failure. Root cause and failure sequence are still being diagnosed by the dealer. The sudden nature of the failure, lack of warning indicators, and apparent driveline lockup behavior created a significant safety hazard and increased risk of crash, particularly given the wet road conditions and speed at the time of the incident. There were several near misses with other cars putting me and my family at significant risk. The vehicle is currently at the dealership pending full diagnosis and repair.

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.

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.

A little over one year after purchase, I began receiving dashboard warnings related to the air suspension and braking systems. I scheduled service with the selling dealer (located over two hours from my home). By the time of my appointment, the rear of the vehicle was visibly unstable and bouncing during operation. Upon arrival at the dealership, while the technician was driving the vehicle into the service bay, the rear air suspension bag exploded. Once the vehicle was raised on the lift, the opposite rear suspension bag also exploded. I was informed by dealership personnel that had this occurred while I was driving – regardless of speed – it could likely have resulted in a crash. The stated cause of failure was severely corroded rear stroke sensors. Including that incident, I have had a total of 5 corroded stroke sensors replaced within an approximately one-year time frame. This appears to be a recurring and systemic defect rather than isolated component failure. The repeated corrosion of critical suspension components in a nearly new vehicle raises serious concerns about moisture intrusion, improper sealing, or design defect affecting safety-critical systems. This issue creates a significant risk of sudden suspension failure, loss of vehicle control, and potential crash. I am concerned that other owners may experience similar dangerous failures without warning.The vehicle has been serviced only at an authorized Acura dealership, and all repairs are documented. Exact dates of each repair: 4/10/25 – Both rear stroke sensors (mileage: 13,632), 9/24/25 – Left rear, 2/6/26 – Right front, 3/20/26 – Left rear, Current mileage: 25,160

Unable to stop the car. Luckily no accident. Brake pedal was very hard to press and car didn't stop. Brake pedal became normal again in few seconds (5- 7 sec). Inspected car. nothing was stuck under brake pedal.

Transfercase fluid eaking observed at 38000 +- miles, this could lead to a binded transfercase thus damage transmission permanently

The transmission of this model car is very poorly programmed a low speeds. it is constantly jerking in and out of gears making it difficult to moderate speed. There is also a substantial delay between hitting the pedal and accelerating the vehicle. The issues with the transmission paired with the very delayed accelleration leads to very ineffective control of the vehicles speed, leading to what I believe is dangerous driving scenarios. Turning through inersections, braking at a light, accellerating out of the way of traffic, are all made much more difficult/unpredictible due to how unpredictible and inconsitent the transmission behaves. It feels impossible to 'learn' how it behaves. Here is a forumn of other users confirming similar issues: https://www.mdxers.org/threads/jerky-transmission.181658/ I believe this should be addressed via software update or recall as it i'm sure will lead to accidents/injuries.

The windshield washer fluid pump is weak and half the time does not spray when needed and left me on the highway with a dirty smeared windshield nearly making it impossible to see while driving. I understand it’s a known issue and also a new pump and reservoir is on backorder after checking with dealer.. I believe it’s a poor design and a revision should be considered as this is a safety hazard. Thank you !!

As slowing down to park in parking space, the automatic braking applies hard and throws you forward. All three times, the vehicle was just entering the parking space and automatically slammed on brakes causing all passengers to lunge forward and seat belt to apply hard, hurting passengers chest. This is a safety hazard as it could cause harm to the passengers and if it happens at higher speeds then could cause a rear end collision if someone is behind us when this happens. This has happened three times in the past month. We have also experienced the cruise control not working once because it though there was a car in front of us when there was not. I turned the cruise off then on and has worked properly since.

I have taken my vehicle to the Acura service department three times for this issue. Each time, they were unable to find a fault code or permanent fix. They have repositioned the front camera and removed an Acura sticker from the windshield, but the problem continues to occur at random. The service department said diagnostic tests show no error, yet the system still triggers false collision warnings. I’m concerned about the safety of driving a vehicle whose collision avoidance system malfunctions without warning. This issue has occurred on city streets and highways, in clear weather, at various speeds. The alerts come on suddenly with no obstruction ahead. Acura has not provided a permanent fix, and I feel unsafe driving the vehicle. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether this is a common defect in 2023 Acura MDX models.

The interior breaking pad on the rear passenger side wheel is wearing faster than all other break pads. According to the dealership this is due to defective hold break caliper, a condition which they failed to identify and address this multiple times until a complete rear breaks job was required. As a result perfectly fine breaks have to be replaced because of a single fast wearing break pad. I am not sure if this condition can lead to any safety risks but right now there are significant repair costs being incurred.

LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKING ASSIST REDUCED. My spouse was driving our 2023 MDX approximately 45mph when she ran over a recessed manhole cover which created a bump. The MDX lossed power steering and brake performance reduced. The vehicle was very difficult to turn at that point. The car began to cycle through errors that would not clear until the car's engine could be stopped and restarted: HILL START ASSIST PROBLEM, TRAILER STABILITY ASSIST PROBLEM, ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL PROBLEM, LANE KEEPING ASSIST PROBLEM, COLLISION MITIGATION BRAKING SYSTEM PROBLEM, ROAD DEPARTURE MITIGATION SYSTEM PROBLEM, LOW SPEED BRAKING SYSTEM PROBLEM, ELECTRICAL POWER STEERING SYSTEM PROBLEM STEERING ASSIST IS NOT AVAILABLE DO NOT DRIVE, AWD SYSTEM PROBLEM FRONT WHEELS MAY ONLY BE POWERED, BRAKE SYSTEM PROBLEM BRAKE PERFORMANCE MAY BE REDUCED. All these errors said SEE YOUR DEALER. We took the vehicle in to our local Acura dealer's service department 2 times over the course of 3 days. Both times diagnostics were ran and the car was deemed without problem. The MDX's alignment was ok as well, so the impact of the road hazard was NOT severe.

My 2023 Acura (VIN# [XXX] ) has experienced two separate incidents of sudden, total power loss while driving. In both cases, all dashboard warning lights came on, including the brake light, and the vehicle reduced speed to 20 mph and would not accelerate. The first incident occurred while I was driving on a 55 mph expressway, creating a major safety hazard. I had to maneuver to safety in high-speed traffic. The second incident occurred under similar conditions. The dealer has been unable to resolve the issue. I am filing this report to document the safety risk for investigation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)