NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2017 Acura MDX. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 35 MPH and approaching a stop light, the vehicle lost automotive power and shut off. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was coasted to a stop and towed to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the rod bearings had failed and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 86,000.
See attached document for complaint.
Car loosing power
There is an active recall on the brake calipers and fuel pump for Acura Mdx 2017, and Hondas. My Acura Mdx 2017 has the same issues with a code of p07e4, which is the brake calipers. When looking up the recall of my car, there is no recall on it when inserting the VIN. My car is an Acura Mdx 2017; I do not understand why it is not included in the recall when it should.
When I stopped in traffic, there are times the gear shifted from drive (D) to neutral (N) by itself. And sometimes the engine shuts off. This problem started last month until now. I brought the car to the dealership for diagnostic tests but according to them, they found no problem with my car. I saw in social media that lots of MDX owners experienced the same problem.
The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the connecting rod bearings, resulting in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 91,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at approximately 65-70 MPH on the highway, the engine seized after pulling into a parking lot. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined there was a knocking noise from the underside of the engine. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rod bearing was damaged and was fractured. The dealer informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the local dealer and opened a case, confirming there was no open recall on the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 149,000.
Based on a diagnosis by a 3rd party, this vehicle is affected by the issue identified in Part 573 Safety Recall Report, 23V-751. The check engine lamp is flashing, the fault code associated with this issue is showing, there's a knocking sound coming from the engine, and the vehicle has decreased power when the check engine lamp is flashing. However, the VIN for this vehicle is not identified in the safety recall.
Possibly the connecting rod bearings failed. The engine with less than a 100,00 milage has a loud knocking and clunking sound and losing power, but the car is not part of the Honda/Acura J35 engine recall.
On [XXX] had a problem with my 2017 Acura MDX. Engine had loud knocking sound and major loss of power. Had car towed to Acura of Santa Barbara Ca. Was told they had found #2 rod bearing was bad and would cost over $17000 or more to repair. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Second motor is experiencing connecting rod bearing noise, replaced 3.5 Litre motor with salvage yard replacement, just coming up on 99k, and noise is back similar to what I heard and had Acura dealer diagnosis before replacing with a used motor.
I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE IN FEBRUARY 2024 FROM A CERTIFIED ACUARA DEALER. ON DECEMBER 26TH THE VEHCILE SUDDENLY WENT INTO NEUTRAL MODE AND WOULD NOT CHANGE INTO ANY OTHER GEAR. THE CAR WAS SHUTDOWN AND RESTARTED ABOUT 5 MINUTES LATER WITH THE DASHBOARD FULL OF WARNING LAMPS AT START UP. I ATTEMPTED TO MOVE THE CAR FROM THE ROADWAY BUT THE GEAR SHIFT CONTROL WOULD NOT WORK IN ANY GEAR. TRANSMISSION WARNING LAMP CAME ON. THE CAR WAS TOWED BACK TO MY HOME ADDRESS. THIS CAR WAS ACURA CERTIED USED. IT HAS BEEN MAINTAIND BY A HONDA SERVICE CENTER. ACURA, HONDA AND THE ACURA DEALER LOCALLY ALL HAVE STATED THERE ARE NO ISSUES WITH THE CAR OR WARRANTIES FOR THE ISSUES. THE CAR HAS 74582 MILES. BASED ON ONLINE FORUMS THIS SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH MANY ACURA MDX OWNERS. ACURA AND HONDA AMERICA ARE NOT ACEPTING THEIR PRODUCT IS DEFECTIVE. LASTLY, WE NEARLY AVOIDED BEING IN A SEVERE ACCIDENT DUE TO THE SUDDEN STOP ON THE ROADWAY
I reported these issues to Acura corporate and to Jackson Acura, dealership I purchased the vehicle from in February 2024. Beginning in July 2024 the vehicle would stall, de-accelerate then the automatic brake would engage, and the vehicle would go into "N" mode, Neutral and lock up. I was able to press the gas pedal a few times, and the vehicle would come back online and drive. This issue happens about every 100 miles driven. On [XXX] the vehicle suddenly de-accelerated, went into auto brake mode and then shifted into neutral. On this date the vehicle locked up suddenly to an abrupt stop, we were almost impacted in the rear with two other vehicles having to take evasive action to avoid hitting us. My wife and I were lucky not to injured by the sudden brake, or transmission lock up. There were no other issues with the vehicle until this date, other than the stall issue. It seems the system had a sudden catastrophic failure. the car has been maintained with oil changes, new battery and transmission service. The car was shutdown then restarted. All the lights on the dash were on and the vehicle was unable to shift to any gear. The vehicle had to be towed to my home address. I was advised to have the vehicle towed to a dealer for diagnostics at my expense. It is currently at Nalley Acura, Marietta, Ga being diagnosed for the issues. The vehicle has 74,000 miles currently. It was purchased with 57,700 miles from Jacson Acura as a certified Acura used vehicle. The Acura dealer and Acura corporate both stated my VIN # was not included in the recalls. It should be included in the recalls as it has the same issues as other Acura models. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
From a standstill, Car often does not accelerate right away when accelerator depressed (even floored). Often times there is a significant lag between depressing the accelerator and actual propulsion, as if fuel not being injected (then car peels out from sudden injection). Last year I did Internet research to find that my model year is part of a range of acuras that share this problem. Today I received a recall notification for this very problem on an app. When I entered my VIN on the NHTSA website it said my car VIN was not part of the recall, but it is the exact problem described in the recall and my car is part of the described range of models in the specified date range.
My engine is making noise and has a slight rattle when idling.
Engine frozen up while driving on 231 towed to Acura Montgomery Al. They installed a used engine to the tune of 8700.00
At approximately 136,000 miles, my 2017 Acura MDX developed a loud ticking/knocking noise. Despite being well-maintained with verified clean and sufficient oil, both an independent shop and Anderson Honda of Hunt Valley, MD, confirmed a bottom-end failure, requiring a full engine replacement. This failure left my wife and children stranded on the road with extremely limited power, placing their safety at risk as they struggled to move out of the roadway. Acura corporate and the original dealership provided no assistance, forcing us to trade in the vehicle at a significant financial loss. The problem was reproduced by both an independent service center and dealership, with no prior warning lights appearing.
The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated that after a routine transmission flush, while driving approximately 40 MPH, the transmission was hesitating before shifting. The contact stated that vehicle was jerking into gear and made an abnormal banging sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had reoccurred. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, and the transmission started to jerk while shifting into gear, while shifting lanes. The contact pulled off the highway and observed that numerous warning lights were illuminated. The check transmission message was displayed. The contact was able to shift to park(P) and turned the vehicle off several times. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to be shifted to drive(D); however, when the accelerator pedal was depressed, the engine revved, and the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that numerous warning lights were illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to the same dealer where the service was performed. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.
While driving down the road we started hearing a knocking sound. All the lights on the dash came on. Vehicle stopped running while driving it to the mechanic. We had to have it towed to the Acura Dealership. They kept it to check it out. Per their report it's a Possible Push Rod Recall. Diagnosis- Spun connecting bearing. There is a recall on this specific issue on this specific Year , make and model. Yet Acura is telling me they will not cover this. The car ran perfectly before this happened, no lamps, no issues. We have been dealing with this since October 17th 2024.
Air Conditioning system in 2017 Acura MDX is releasing chemical fumes when Air Conditioning is turned on. This problem was reported to authorized Acura Service Center (Chapman Acura in Tucson, Arizona) during vehicle warranty period. This problem has been reported to this Acura Service Center more than 5 times but the Acura Service Center is not fixing the problem. Release of chemical fumes from Air Conditioning system is causing respiratory problems and is a passenger safety issue. Chapman Acura has charged consumer several times for the same problem but has not fixed the issue.
The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the contact stated that previously the vehicle was parked and when the vehicle was started, the gear shifter was inoperable. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not assist. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.
I was driving and all of the sudden I hear a pop and total engine failure. I was lucky to be traveling at 45 mph and could coast off the road safely. After the damage occurred the motor would not turn over again. I had it towed to Acura and they told me my motor was locked up and specifically that my camshaft bearing had failed. I asked about the recall and they said my vin was not selected for the damage therefore there was nothing they could do other than replace the motor at my expense. I have yet to repair this vehicle and it has been sitting untouched ever since it was towed back to my home.
Transmission failure driving on the interstate . Engine shudder ; speed dropped to 25 mph. Warning lights flashed indication Transmission issue. Vehicle was towed to a AAA Approved Independent shop where the issue was verified.
Engine seized due to failure of the connecting rod bearing. Same issue that is occurring in the recall but our VIN does not fall into the vin codes. Engine needed a complete rebuild. During engine failure, I was in the middle of truck and vehicle would not move even in neutral.
The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle continuously jolted and jerked, prompting him to pull to the shoulder of the roadway to turn off the vehicle. After restarting the vehicle, the failure persisted. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed failures with the crankshaft position sensor and connecting rod bearings. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 120,000.
Vehicle lost power while driving and warning lights came on. Drove straight to Acura dealer and they diagnosed bearing failure on connecting rod cylinder #2. Dealer stated it would need a new engine. The Vehicle VIN was not covered under the 2016 -2020 Honda/Acura 6cylinder recall for connecting rod failure.
Engine completely seized due to connecting rod bearing failure. This happened while driving, and I was stuck in traffic for almost an hour due to the vehicle being inoperable. vehicle was unable to be put in neutral due to a special tool being needed. Technicians from a third-party shop and Acura dealership stated this part does not break very often. The Vin does not fall in the parameters for the recall. The issue started the day prior with the engine, sounding like it needed a tuneup. After conducting the tuneup, the engine seized 20 miles after. The engine had to be completely replaced at the owners expense. Accurate did cover 50% of the replacement engine.
The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was a sound as if the engine was choking. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the rod bearings had failed. The dealer informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact learned of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and it was confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 90,000.
My 2017 Acura MDX died on me 3 times in the middle of the street last year 2024, July. All the warning lights got turned on the dashboard all 3 times. Car staled and could not turn it on right away. I managed to turn it on and after few seconds turned its self off. It felt like fuel injectors were not working properly or fuel pump. I tried few more other times and got turned on and drove it home. Next day all the warning light went away. Day after, i drove it to grocery store and on stop light same thing happened. I decided to take it to Acura dealership, on the way there all the warning lights turned off by it self. They could not find that anything is wrong with it.
The transmission failed. It is not able to be inspected unless retrieved by the dealer. While driving the vehicle the transmission would disengage. There were no warning lights or failures picked up by the CAN bus. This would happen during normal driving on the highway, potentially leaving the vehicle stranded in the middle of the highway. When issue occurred the transmission would make a whining noise. I was able to replicate the issue with the dealer. I am unaware if the part was inspected. I contacted Acura of America to report the problem. The issue mimicked the reported recall that Acura issue on a portion of MDX of the same year. They offered no assistance to the issue. There were no warning lights or indicators to let me know of a transmission issue.
Prior to this incident, we had no major issues with the car and performed all necessary oil changes. While driving 30 mph the car began to brake and stutter by itself and every emergency light came on the dash. The car behind us almost hit us from the car randomly braking. We took the car to the Acura dealer and they reset the computer and charged us $435. We drove off the lot and 15 miles later the car did the same thing. We took it back to the dealer and they said the camshaft malfunctioned. We were then charged another $2450. From our understanding, camshafts should last 200k miles. Our car only had 54k miles on it.
Dashboard lights are flickering and the headlights are intermittently turning on when the engine is off. This is a commonly reported failure and defect in the the Keyless Access Control Unit with Honda Ridgeline, Odyssey, and Pilot and Acura MDX and RDX models with keyless start. However, Honda would not recall the defect.
Pearl white paint pealed between sunroof and windshield, which could lead to rusting of the roof. The symptom looks exactly like the extended warranty issue in Acura Service Bulletin 19-029, which only covers models until 2016.
Wipers do not dispense water(front or rear) and wipers to not reset to original position when in use. Took it to Acura dealership in 03/20/2024 for a 60,000 factory service and problems started afterwards. On 05/16/2024 I had another service at Fountain Acura dealership and problems persist.
The car stalled at a traffic light and could not start again. The engine had seized, and I had to pay to replace it. There is a known recall with this year make and model.
Open recall that still has not been repaired due to not knowing when parts will be available.
On highway and switching lanes. All of a sudden ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKE AND ALL DRIVER ASSIST LIGHTS CAME ON. Pull over light came on as well. HIT ON LEFT REAR SYMBOL CAME ON. Was never hit just a close car on driver left rear side when switching lanes. Made it home and vehicle wouldn’t switch back into drive mode. Acura didn’t do its due process and assumed a new transmission was needed. Replaced and a month later ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKE sign starts flashing again. Now dealership is saying I need a new catalytic converter. Refused as I believe Acura has been incorrect about the diagnostic. They also stated my vehicle was in a collision and it wasn’t. They refused to check electrical issues and update software as these things are not in my control. It is my belief the car had a faulty collision warning which is causing other issues as well as Acura refusing to probably assist and diagnose without me continuing to be falsely diagnosed
The sensor under the hood malfunctions causing the car alarm system to go off and battery to get drained. Multiple batteries were changed because initially the thinking was that the battery needed to be replaced. Car alarm would go off in the middle of the night (with a new battery) when parked in the garage. All the electrical systems and lights would start turning off and on as if the car is possessed. Manufacturer is aware of the problem. Many others are complaining on the internet. There are variety of hacks including rigging the sensor that are suggested. Dealer said the entire control unit had to be replaced for $1122. Repair was made. They said when they run out of parts (control unit) they also disconnect the sensor. So you have cars on the highways that are no longer appropriately indicating when the hood is down (shut correctly or whether it is a false alarm. I called the manufacturer they didn't take responsibility (Case 14470102) with Acura/Honda.
The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 20 MPH uphill, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact observed a clanking noise emanating from the engine compartment and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was not able to be restarted. Additionally, the contact observed condensation underneath the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 112,000. The contact stated the reason for the engine seizing was due to broken connecting rods #2 & #5. The mechanic stated the only other reason the engine would seize is due to not having any oil at all in the vehicle, but there was oil present in the vehicle so it couldn't be that and that it was the connecting rods bearings breaking that caused it.
The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the engine made an abnormal knocking sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the connecting rod bearing was knocking, and the dealer recommended replacing the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 133,000.
There are warning lights for all safety modules, The LKAS, Headlight warning system accident prevention system, collision avoidance system etc..
Backup camera stopped working.
While driving the car started to loose momentum and began stuttering until finally stopping abruptly and applying the electronic braking system. All warning alarms were illuminated on the dash. I was not even able to pull over completely off the road either putting me and my family in danger from not being off the road. Acura dealership service center informed me it was a bad high pressure fuel pump located on the engine block itself. There are recalls for this exact part neginnibg from 2018 on the acura MDX model. My model is a 2017 making me wonder if the recall should include earlier year models of acura mdx.
The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the connecting rod bearing, resulting in damage to the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 110,000.
Internal damage at the connecting rod bearing causing engine failure. I have a video from the dealership explaining everything. It is too large to upload to this submission worksheet. There is an active recall on for this exact problem on other years of the MDX and TLX but my VIN is not included in the recall.
on January 9, 2024 I was driving this car and was hit on the driver's side of my vehicle , other driver at fault. The driver's side door side curtain airbags appropriately deployed. The door itself was crushed, and I had to be cut out of the car. The malfunction was my seat, the driver's seat of the vehicle. It moved as far forward as possible and I was tightly wedged between the steering wheel and the seat. Even if my door had been possible to open, I would not have been able to escape. I was also not able to drive in that position, so the car remained in active traffic for some time. I believe this is a design/manufacturing defect with regard to that seat and potentially other seats in the vehicle. I write at this time, over a year later, with the concern that this design flaw may be present in other Acura / Honda vehicles. I wrote to Acura at the time but they did not seem very interested.
I was driving on the interstate yesterday ([XXX]) and the transmission suddenly downshifted gears and also went to neutral. I managed to pull to the shoulder, but the sudden loss of power could easily have been life threatening at a more crowded time of day or in poor weather. The car was towed to McDaniel Acura in Columbia, SC (I was out of town) and problem confirmed. I also called my regular mechanic (a Honda specialist) and he said this was a known problem and referenced Acura service bulletin [XXX] which says to reload new software. Codes were: Transmission code P0716 Parking Brake System U0401-68 Parking brake warning light on Blind spot warning light on Why hasn't there been a recall on this??? It's a known problem and I could easily have been killed and hurt others. If not a recall, at least at least do something to alert owners so they can get it fixed proactively if they want, as opposed to breaking down on the side of an interstate for hours. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I have a 2017 Acura MDX that had around 98k while I was driving down the highway at 65 mph all lights came on the dash and lost acceleration would not go over 45 MPH on a very busy highway. Had to have the vehicle towed per dealership- towed to Jay Wolfe Acura, Overland Park, KS. They said engine needed to be replaced due to the miss fire of rod knocking. There was no other option for replacing the rods had to replace the engine. In addition they replaced with an used engine that is a 2016 not even the same year. Dealer made us aware of the recall for this issue but advised us the Vin# is not under the recall so we had to pay out of pocket. I have tried to work with Honda and the dealership for reimbursement since there have been numerous vehicles with this exact issue but the Vin#'s not under the recall but with no help at all. I have provided documentation and explained the issues and the repairs. I have documentation but was not able to add it to the document listing below
The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026