10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
26,367 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2016 Acura MDX engine problems

engine problem

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2016 Acura MDX Owner Comments

problem #17

Nov 092022

MDX

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

First on off glitching when ever accessory mode is used WHILE IN MOTION, FIRST BRAKELIGHT HAD WARNING THEN WARNING ABOUT TRAILER STABILITY ASSIST. WHEN I WENT IN REVERSE, THE WHOLE DASHBOARD INCLUDING THE NAVIGATION SCREEN WENT BLACK AND THE CAR FELT LIKE THE ENGINE STOPPED. THIS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES. I DON'T THINK THE ENGINE ACTUALLY STOPPED THOUGH BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE TO RESTART THE CAR. THE BRAKE LIGHT ERROR MESSAGE HAS OCCURRED DRIVING FORWARD AS WELL, BUT NOT ACCOMPANIED BY THE BLACKOUT OF THE DASH AND NAV PANEL. Steering becane stiffer ALL OF THIS HAPPENED WHILE IN MOTION.

- Sierra Vista , AZ, USA

problem #16

Mar 052021

MDX

  • 80,000 miles
While driving with adaptive cruse control on, I was approaching slower vehicle. I wanted to go around it without breaking. While driving already on high speed (70M/H) I press acceleration pedal so I can safely go around slower vehicle. I was half way into passing line (last left line), there was a car already behind me approaching with higher speed, when I suddenly completely lost power and lots of lights illuminated on the dash. Car behind me notice that I start loosing speed rapidly so he start braking that I could hear his tires. I didnt know what to do so I just kept going to emergency stopping line where I almost crash into the concrete divider. I manage to stop vehicle safely by pure luck. After stopping I notice that car is not shifting, and sh-AWD system, blind spot ass, emission system and transmission system fault lights came on. I called insurance agent to send road side assistance, but while waiting on the call I start the car again (like 15min after this incident) and all lights were still on except transmission. I tried car and it was shifting normally now, except sh-AWD was not working (I didnt have power to the rear differential). This could be very tragic event if both me and the driver behind me didnt react properly. I had two more passengers in the car, from which one was 15 months old child. I was reading that this could be transmission system update issue, but my dealer did update transmission already.

- Gaithersburg, MD, USA

problem #15

Nov 152018

MDX

  • 64,053 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving 20 mph, when driving over a speed bump the vehicle accelerated independently and impacted the vehicle in front. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. Air bags did not deploy. The contact stated she was not injured. The contact stated the driver of the other vehicle sustained unknown injuries but was not aware if medical attention was required. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not drivable and was towed to an independent collision center. The vehicle failure was not diagnosed by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact also mentioned after the accident the vehicle was serviced under NHTSA campaign number: 19V060000 (fuel system, other) at norris Acura (8559 baltimore national pike, ellicott city, md 21043) on 10/11/2019. The contact stated after the recall remedy the vehicle had a fuel leak. The dealer was contacted, however stated she would be reasonable for diagnoses and repairs fees. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 64,053.

- Severn, MD, USA

problem #14

Nov 012019

MDX

  • 10 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The design defect on this Acura is that the vehicle suffers from "sudden acceleration, " after depressing the accelerator the vehicle continues to accelerate for various seconds. The same issue happens when the vehicle slows down after pressing the brake when arriving to an intersection, after releasing the brake when getting ready to stop the vehicle will continue to accelerate, causing a tremendous hazard and risk of death for an accident to people in other vehicles, pedestrians, and occupants of the vehicle itself. I took the vehicle for repair at your Acura dealership in mission viejo, California (see enclosed back up documents), and the service specialist from Acura recommended me to pay for additional services over and beyond my still existing warranty (warranty is valid until 03/2020), like a software update and an transmission flush, stating it would repair the condition. Well, the condition was never fix and the risk of accident still remained. I took the vehicle on a second occasion to the same dealership, and this time, since they have already taken my money on the previous service, declined to do any more repairs arguing that condition (sudden acceleration) is not considered hazardous by Acura usa, and that it happens to other Acura vehicle with this type of transmission, and therefore they wouldn't do anything to fix it. On this second time I recorded the conversations with the service consultants and with the service manager, in case I had to escalate this issue further like I'm doing now or take further legal actions in this regard. I also had multiple phone conversation with the Acura client relationships, stating my issue and your representatives didn't offer any help, they only indicated I'd have to deal with dealership directly, even though he's a representative of the name, Acura usa. (see enclosed letter to you for more information)

- Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, USA

problem #13

Nov 102019

MDX

  • 34,700 miles
November 10, 2019 traveling on highway at ~65 mph, pressed accelerator to pass car and vehicle would not speed up...felt like the car was in neutral. After about 7 to 10 seconds the transmission finally kicked in and the car accelerated. If this happened on a 2 lane road the lack of transmission delivering power to wheels could have resulted in a head on collision. Service apt scheduled with Acura dealership where purchased and was told they could find no 'codes' or alerts in cars computer and that they found nothing wrong. The did say they reprogrammed the transmission software...but they have done that 2 other times. Car has only 35K miles on it and we have brought car into Acura dealership 4 times to address the harsh shifting of transmission and told them each time we felt it was a serious safety concern. The above incident of no power when attempting to pass on highway is the first time that has happened..but is a very serious concern. We were told for the 3rd time that the harsh shifting and gear-wandering was a 'characteristic' of this make / model car and that Acura has been trying to address the issue with transmission software updates. I have seen many online complaints of the "gear-wandering' transmission issue online and have also read similar safety complaints of car losing transmission power at highway speeds. Please thoughtfully review this complaint and contact me if you need additional information. We firmly believe that the known reported issues of the 2016 Acura MDX shawd transmission problems are a huge safety issue. This 7 seater SUV is driven by many families!

- Cary, NC, USA

problem #12

May 102019

MDX

  • 43,000 miles
Transmission shifting hard. I also hear and feel a grinding sound. When shifting on the lower gears, it shifts hard. I have read that there is a bulletin on this but no recall yet. There have been many complaints. Bulletin tsb no. 15-054. How many complaints are needed before a recall is issued?

- Davie, FL, USA

problem #11

Nov 212017

MDX

  • 24,368 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

All dash display warning lights will come on sporadically while standing or in motion, last from a few hours to a few days or so, which causes vehicle speed to decrease and certain features to not work. Dealer service unable to resolve problem, but will clear error codes in computer to shut off warning lights.

- Stockton, CA, USA

problem #10

Mar 142019

MDX

  • 55,000 miles
At accelerated speed on the interstate the car stalls and rpms go up. The last time it happened the engine light came on. I pulled over and turned it off for a few minutes. When I turned it back on the light was off and the rpms were normal. I took it to the dealership and they found nothing wrong. This has happened at least 6 times.

- Charleston, SC, USA

problem #9

Feb 142019

MDX

  • 20,000 miles
While cruising at about 70mph on the interstate, I attempted to accelerate and the vehicle RPM would drop to about 1000 RPM and not allow me to control the acceleration. Regardless of various attempts to accelerate the vehicle continue to lose mph. After 5-10 seconds, I was finally able to regain control of the vehicle. This has happen on about 6 occasions since I purchased the vehicle in 2015. I've attempted to have this issue resolved at the dealership service. On each occasion they stated a software fix would correct the problem but this continues. I've also had the issue occur while driving about 40mph on the city street. I was told by one dealership (the above incident occur while more than 500 miles from home)that this appears to be a transmission issue and that it would need to be replaced to resolve and would be covered by warranty, this dealership provided me a computer code from my vehicle. My current home dealership continues to state it is only a software issue, despite the fact that I had brought my vehicle in for maintenance 2-days prior to my trip and a software update was performed. The first time the occurred my vehicle had less than 20,000 miles, the vehicle currently as about 77,000 miles

- Gainesville, VA, USA

problem #8

Dec 302018

MDX

  • 13,000 miles
I recently bough the car and I am now regretting it because the 9 speed transmission is very sluggish and doesn't provide power when needed. In the morning when I start the car the car just lags the power until I press hard on the gas pedal. We took this on a road trip to California from Utah and at times I feel like I don't have ample power to pass other drivers and it takes a few seconds to think before it does anything. I have an appt scheduled with Acura tomorrow to see what can be done to fix this otherwise I am taking this SUV back to the dealer for another car. I am very disappointed with Acura for making this kind of a transmission and I wish I have kept my BMW.

- Lehi, UT, USA

problem #7

Aug 122018

MDX

  • 35,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The letters on the shifting controls are wearing off with normal use creating an unsafe condition as it is becoming unclear which shift buttons put the vehicle in park. This has occurred on both my 2016 Honda vehicles. Honda has acknowledged this issue but only offers to pay one half of the cost of correcting this dangerous issue.

- Palmetoo Bay, FL, USA

problem #6

Jul 152018

MDX

  • 14,000 miles
9 speed transmission lurches forward when trying to stop - sending the car forward while trying to brake. Happens when the car should shift between gears 3-2 and 1-2/2-1. Acura dealership said it's the fuel saver once, normal the second time, and updated the tcm/PCM another. There is no one addressing this when it could send my car into another car when trying to stop. The last time I drove it on Sunday 7/15 I was slowing down to turn into a shopping center, going around 20mph when the car jerked forward, snapping my neck forward 12"-14" then back again. The car is at the dealership now with the service adviser saying the lurching is the fuel saver and that Acura won't pay for a warrantied item unless the service light/codes are there.

- Waxhaw, NC, USA

problem #5

Jul 072017

MDX

  • 300 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Acura MDX. While driving approximately 5 mph and attempting to depress the brake pedal, the vehicle inadvertently accelerated without warning. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times. The contact also stated that when the gear was shifted between the fourth and fifth gears, while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle did not accelerate for about two seconds. The vehicle was taken to Acura of modesto (4325 mchenry ave, modesto, ca 95356, (209) 527-7000) where it was diagnosed that the vehicle was performing as designed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer. The failure was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 300.

- Modesto, CA, USA

problem #4

Nov 282017

MDX

  • 36,000 miles
I was mailed a letter about a warranty extension for my associated VIN. I definitely have experienced associated issues with my MDX. After calling the Acura dealership on 11/24/17, I was given an appointment for 11/28/17 and I was told they would inspect my car over 2 days and provide a loaner car. My experience was "to say the least" the inverse; extremely disappointing. The service technician took my car for a test drive and told me nothing was wrong. In addition, the service team was extremely unprofessional as once again, the customer was wrong. Please advise about the next steps for service. I am extremely disappointed with Acura unwillingness to listen to the customer. I did take the car for service associated with this issue about a month prior. Overall problem is many times I experience shifting and accelerating hesitation that is jerky. Which indicates a problem with the transmission: This is what the warranty extension states.... the transmission shifts poorly.

- Allentown, PA, USA

problem #3

Feb 172017

MDX

  • 20,000 miles
I thought it was the transmission but they replaced the timing belt pulley and it's still making the same chirping sound. The car is very jerky when it shifts gear while driving. Also, the car accelerates when it's going down hill while in motion. Also the drive 1, 2, 3 button is on the steering wheel and when you accidentally hit it, the car abruptly slows down and will not move forward and I had to literally turn off the car and turn it back on while driving in a parking lot and another time while in traffic, had to keep pushing the button because the car would not go but only idle. (city street.) this happened multiple times on different dates. The accelerating while going down hill happens all the time.

- Smyrna, GA, USA

problem #2

Jun 212016

MDX

  • 6,000 miles
We bought a brand new 2016 Acura MDX model and within few months, started having transmission problems. The car would start stalling in the middle of the road and could not accelerate to pick up speed. This happened in a major highway when it suddenly stalled and could not pick up speed. Felt like having no control of car speed. The D letter on dashboard started flashing and also showed blind spot monitor report failures. Took the car to dealer first time and they could not find anything and said it should not happen again. The second time happened in a short period of time. Took it to dealer and he said its fixed and kept car for few days. Within very few days the problem happened again. Apart from this, the car when put in drive from park would start going backwards with little uphill which almost got me in an accident on the highway. I felt very unsafe to drive the car on a highway due to these safety concerns as there was a potential for accidents and injury to some one. We demonstrated this to dealer the third time. We called client services of Acura manufacturer and opened a case. The regional manager mentioned they will look into the issues. We had a long road trip planned and we were dependent on this car as it was a family car but felt very unsafe. The client services of Acura had complete lack of empathy and was unwilling to do anything. He kept stressing that we need to pick up the car and return the loaner car although we highlighted the safety concerns. We are completely disappointed with Acura and still feel unsafe with the car not knowing what will happen next.

- West Chester, PA, USA

problem #1

Aug 292015

MDX

  • 2,800 miles
Forward/front collision mitigation braking system didn't engage enough to reduce or avoid impact of the collision. My vehicle took a right turn at about 20-25 mph and travelled less than 2-2.5 car length before getting onto the curb and hitting an iron pillar about 2 feet high on side walk. It was a side frontal collision and the passenger side front wheel directly hit the iron pillar. The vehicle speed wasn't reduced to mitigate impact/damage from the collision and vehicle took full impact of the collision. The forward/front collision mitigation braking system must be evaluated to assess suitability to avoid collision with objects of low height.

- Taylorsville, UT, USA

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