2017 Acura MDX Powertrain & Transmission Problems

There were several instances where my vehicle either accelerated or decelerated while I was driving. I first noticed the issue about a week after I purchased the car in May 2022. I took it back to Acura of Brookfield, and they said they couldn’t replicate the issue. I also took my car to Acura of Brookfield in September 2023 for the same jerking issue. They charged me for an update, but the issue did not change. I continued noticing the problem over the years, but it happened more frequently in 2025. In May 2025, I was driving down a hill in Brookfield, Wisconsin, when my car jerked aggressively and then accelerated on its own. Throughout the rest of the year, it would either accelerate or decelerate while I was on the highway. On January 20, while I was on my way to the gym, my car jerked and decelerated while I was on the highway. I was able to pick up speed again and continue driving to the gym. When I came back out, my car started, but it would not shift out of park. I had the car towed to Acura of Brookfield, and they said something about the hydraulics inside the transmission being bad, and that they had to replace the entire transmission.

The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the transmission system error message displayed. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road and turned off, and attempted to restart the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to respond. A local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the transmission sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall and suggested that the failure be reported to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 92,000.

I recently took my vehicle in for service due to a noise coming from the oil pan area. Upon further inspection from my mechanic is appears that my vehicle had metal shavings in the oil pan and seems to be related to the connecting rod bearing issue that a recall was issued for. Unfortunately my vehicle was not part of the recall for this issue and perhaps should be included in potential expanded recall. I was told by my mechanic that I would need to either buy a used motor or new motor however my concern with a used motor is that I could potentially have the same issue again and be dealing with engine failure.

While travelling at highway speeds, I removed my foot from the accelerator to adjust speed for a lane change. When changing lanes and acceleration was then needed, there was no response from the engine for ~5 seconds. I depressed the accelerator several times with no response, which nearly caused an accident during the lane change. The engine did not stall. Eventually, the engine responded to the accelerator input. This has occurred multiple times under similar circumstances.

On [XXX], while driving from Orlando, FL to Atlanta, GA, I experienced one of the most terrifying moments of my life. I was traveling on the freeway at approximately 80 MPH, in lane 3 or 4, when my vehicle suddenly began to hesitate and lose power without any warning. In that moment, fear and panic took over. Cars were flying past me, and I could feel my truck rapidly decelerating. I immediately turned on my hazard lights and began honking to alert other drivers, praying they would give me space to move over. Thankfully, I was able to carefully navigate across lanes and reach the far-left shoulder. Once I got into the acceleration/deceleration lane, the vehicle suddenly lurched forward and began accelerating again—completely on its own. I knew I couldn't risk staying on the road, so I exited at the next ramp and pulled into a gas station, still shaken. After refueling, I attempted to restart the truck, but it would no longer shift into Drive or Neutral. The truck was stuck in Park and completely inoperable. A roadside mechanic responded to my call for help and made several attempts to restore mobility, but nothing worked. I spent the evening stranded and alone, unsure of what to do next. The following day, [XXX], I had the vehicle towed to Honda South near Atlanta, GA. After inspection, I was informed that the issue was a complete transmission failure. In addition to needing a new transmission, the vehicle also required replacement of critical sub-assembly components, including the transmission control module (TCM). This situation was not just a mechanical failure—it was a serious safety event that put my life and the lives of others at risk. I’m still shaken by what happened and deeply concerned about how such a failure could occur so suddenly and without warning. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Our engine started making a loud knocking noise that was clearly not good. We had a friend who is a mechanic come put it on the computer and he diagnosed that the rocker arm took out some valves or lifters. He looked up the car and found a recall for our make and model (2017 MDX with the 3.5L engine) that matches our exact issue. But the VIN does not appear in the search so our car is not covered by the recall despite it clearly being caused by the defect. I understand that there is an investigation into this that the NHTSA opened and Honda has been pushing for extensions. I was encouraged to add our car to this list to help you all see that the problem is much larger than originally thought. We are in a very tough spot and do not have the $5-10k to replace the engine. If the recall is not expanded soon, our only hope is that we get a goodwill repair. We have requested this, but are waiting to hear back from the dealer. Thank you for looking into this. I’m sure we are not the only people in a tough financial spot being affected by this. We appreciate your efforts to protect consumers!

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)

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

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.

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.

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.

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)

When stopping for traffic or at a light and accelerating for take off the car has a delay. It does nothing. It’s a 2sec delay that will be deadly to someone.

In October I noticed my engine knocking. It has always made a ticking sound so how long it might have knocked before we noticed I don’t know however in October it was clearly noticeable. The first thing I did was check my oil level and it was full. Over the several days it became more noticeable and one morning while driving my check engine light came on and the vehicle lost most(maybe 80%) of it’s power although it did continue running and I managed to make it home and immediately scheduled an appointment with Pecheles Honda to have it looked at. When I started the car the next morning the engine light was off and I drove it to the Honda dealership where I was told I would need a new engine. We regularly had the oil changed using synthetic oil and it never burned one drop of oil so I didn’t have any idea how or why it could have happened because it is very common for issues like this to occur due to low engine oil. Last week I learned of a recall on multiple Honda and Acura vehicles the same year and model as mine due to faulty rod bearings with symptoms exactly like I experienced only to find out that mine is not included in the recall. Right now it is sitting in my yard because I don’t have $10,000 to get the motor replaced. The Honda service manager and their best mechanic were at a loss at how the motor could have went so pre maturely. Something faulty had to have been put in that motor because I took great care of that car and never drove it hard. Before this car we had a 2003 Honda Pilot we owned for nearly 15 years with 300,000 miles on it that never had one issue the whole time we had it and this issue should not happen to 6 year old Acura’s. I wanted to document this issue and hope anyone else going through the same misfortune with these vehicles does the same.

In October the car had 46,000 miles and suddenly the car stopped because there was a transmission problem and we went to the dealer, they said it was an update the software problem, this is considered is not safe for me and my family because the car suddenly stopped in the middle of the road. What if I was going 60 mph on the highway and they car suddenly stopped and caused an accident, and someone was hurt. I don't think it is an update problem. This morning I went to the dealer to talk about it, and they refused to do anything, and we are just reporting and if in the future it happens again then what are we supposed to do if we're on the middle of the highway.

Ive brought my MDX to the dealership service department 6 times for this issue, my car has been with the service department this last time since Nov 28th consecutively. In September I brought it in because my car would shift to park when the auto start/stop engaged, I would have to hit the brakes, shift back in to drive before I could take off. I was told there were 2 recalls that we remedied at that time. I brought my car back in a couple weeks later because the issue was persisting, I also started to get transmission and blind spot monitoring system alerts in those 2 weeks. I was told by the service department that the recall update wasn't "completed" when I brought it the previous time. The shift to park still was not fixed. At the 3rd time to the service department they replaced my starter. After this was done the issues with the car got worse, the car would give me transmission alerts, emission system alerts, power brake, blind spot, etc. & the "D" for drive on the dash would blink. Park would also blink. On the 4th trip they replaced my shifter assembly. After this the issues with the car further worsened and I would get all of the previously mentioned alerts, then my car would shift to neutral and another alert would pop up saying "pull over and park when safe to do so". Thankfully I was never on the interstate when this happened. I have to coast until I can pull off the road. After turning the car off then back on I was still not able to shift in to gear. I had the car towed to Acura, this (5th trip) time they replaced my transmission computer module. The car did the same thing the day after I picked it up. I had it towed back to them again, this latest trip they replaced my powertrain computer module, it did not fix the issue. My MDX has been at the dealership since Nov 28th because they do not know what to attempt to fix next. Im not being given any recourse. There are class-action lawsuits regarding this issue on the internet, so it is not unique to me

When pulling into traffic the car wants to hesitate almost like stalling when going from 1st to 2nd gear 1st thing in the morning. Almost causing a crash it does it every morning after the car is driving the car for a while it no longer does it. There are no check engine lights on

The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated while at a stop light, the vehicle would not shift out of park. The contact attempted shifting into another gear however, the vehicle would not shift out of park. The vehicle was towed to the dealer however, because the vehicle would not shift out of park, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 60,000. The VIN was not available.

While in a residential area we were accelerating from a slow speed as we were leaving one corner and preparing to enter a second corner. We were in comfort dynamic mode at the time. The car then suddenly lurched forward followed by the drive-train immediately entering into neutral - losing all forward power. We were able to coast across the end of a residential driveway. We then turned the car off, and waited about 15 minutes before restarting the car. At that point everything worked normally with no indication of a continuation of the problem. Although the transmission went into neutral during the incident the shift clearly remained in the drive position. We were very careful about checking to see if we had somehow been at fault - bit this was definitely not driver’s error. We were fortunate on two fronts. Firstly, had an adult or child been in the crosswalk we were approaching at the time it could have ended badly. Secondly, we were at slow speed in modest traffic and had enough momentum to safely coast out of traffic. However, the incident was unsettling and we remain highly cautious about driving the car now. Later that evening we drove the car for about 30 minutes attempting to recreate the incident or see if we noticed anything odd at all about the transmission, shift, or electronics. We did this on a secluded road, using each of the car’s dynamic modes, at varying speeds, and changing acceleration. However, we were not able to recreate the incident. We did not notice anything odd about the car and no warning lights came on. There were also no warning lights leading up to or during the incident. The vehicle is available for inspection if requested. To be fair, we have not yet contacted the dealership. However given the seriousness of this issue and potential danger we felt it was important to report it right away.