2023 Acura MDX Complaints

POWER TRAIN — Filed 09/04/2026

My vehicle developed a leak at the seal between the transfer case and transmission. I was informed that, due to the original design, this seal cannot be replaced independently. The leak can result in the loss of gear oil and transmission fluid, further transmission damage, and a loss of power to the rear wheels. Repairs involve significant expense, including replacement of damaged components, seals, and both fluids. There were no apparent warning signs other than oil puddles beneath the vehicle. Two extended warranty companies inspected the vehicle and denied coverage, stating that the manufacturer should be responsible for addressing the issue. The vehicle was taken to John Eagle Acura in Houston, Texas, for repairs involving replacement of the transmission and transfer case, along with all associated fluids and seals. I understand that this dealership has repaired other vehicles with the same issue and that similar cases have been reported nationwide. I am concerned that this may be a recurring design-related problem with potential safety implications, particularly because of the possible loss of power to the rear wheels without adequate warning. I request that the manufacturer investigate this issue, review these reported failures, and take responsibility for the necessary repairs.

VISIBILITY/WIPER — Filed 10/01/2025

My 2023 Acura MDX has developed a windshield washer system failure affecting both the front and rear washers. The system is clogged and is no longer able to spray washer fluid properly. I found a documented case involving 2022-and-newer Acura MDX vehicles showing what appears to be the same failure mode: coating on the washer-fluid reservoir can become gel-like, enter the washer system, and clog the filter, pump, lines, and/or nozzles. Video reference: [XXX] The symptoms shown are essentially the same as those on my vehicle. I also found an American Honda service communication concerning the 2022 Acura MDX that specifically requested dealer feedback on vehicles with an inoperative or weak washer-fluid system and asked whether the washer tank and/or filter was clogged. This raises concern that the problem may be recurring across multiple model years and may be related to the washer-system design or materials rather than normal wear. I am submitting this complaint so NHTSA can evaluate whether this represents a broader safety-related defect affecting Acura MDX vehicles. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

TIRES — Filed 12/12/2025

These are OE tires on my 2023 Acura MDX. At 22,000 miles a rotating thumping sound was heard and also felt in the steering wheel. The tires were inspected by my Acura dealer on three separate service calls to diagnose. On the 3rd visit the problem was confirmed and determined to be severe flat spots on all 4 tires. Due to the flat spots, these tires are unbalanced and give off a vibration throughout the vehicle and steering wheel. The Acura dealer photographed the tires and filed a claim with Bridgestone. The claim was denied 11 weeks later. This unbalanced condition should be considered a safety issue, especially at high speed where a blow out is possible.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 08/18/2026

Was exiting I275 onto Westbound Route 32 when the brakes were unexpectedly applied by the vehicle’s safety system. No vehicles were in front or beside me. Very alarming when it happened. This also happed two other times at slower speeds.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 08/14/2026

2023 ACURA MDX TYPE S. 28k miles. While merging onto highway, I sped up and at 25 mph, I heard a loud metal clunk from underneath the car. Car still drove and functioned as a two wheel drive instead of AWD. Went in for service and was told that the transmission and Power train Unit would need to be replaced and will be replaced under powertrain warranty by Acura.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 06/25/2026

Was driving arround corner and felt a shudder like I had run over something, the felt front tires loosing traction and car jerked into next lane. Took to dealer and they diagnosed a failure of output shaft from transmission to awd transfer case, currently at dealer getting transmission awd assembly replaced.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 07/24/2026

My 2023 MDX Type S is currently at Mungenast St Louis Acura. Transfer Case and Transmission are both being replaced at roughly 56,000 miles. I made a turn and heard a loud noise. Because I was under acceleration my car was hard to control when it happened. Scared me and immediately let off the gas.

SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,STRUCTURE — Filed 03/14/2026

The contact owns a 2023 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds over a bumpy road surface or a pothole, there was an abnormal metallic sound coming from underneath the passenger’s side of the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where a technician informed the contact that the sound was common after 50,000 miles. The contact was later informed that the cause of the failure was undetermined. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but the assigned case manager failed to help. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 05/16/2026

2023 Acura MDX Sport looses AWD randomly and vehicle becomes only FWD. This has happened many times now and I have taken it to the dealership but they claim they can’t recreate it and would not do anything further unless I change rear end fluid.. I paid for the service but still have the problem. This is getting dangerous as it is unexpected and alters the expected performance of the vehicle in critical turning situations which has led to two close calls of a broad side accident when turning and loosing AWD. There appears to be many more reports of this exact issue, I’m officially adding my name to the list.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 05/08/2026

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.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 02/26/2026

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.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL — Filed 04/08/2026

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.

SUSPENSION — Filed 03/29/2025

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

SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 03/06/2026

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.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 02/11/2026

1) I was struck by a vehicle that ran the stop sign at 50mph. After the impact my vehicle continued rolling forward and wouldn’t stop. I ended up a block away from the accident and my emergency brake, brake pedal and center console brake would not engage. My vehicle was stopped after a car pulled up infront of me for me to rear end it to stop. Vehicle is a total loss and sitting in a tow yard. 2) I was in the vehicle with my 3 children under 7 years of age. Our safety was put at risk because If the accident would’ve happened on a main street I could’ve rolled into on coming traffic. 3) Not yet, they have declared the car a total loss and have no interest in inspecting for damage repair. 4) No 5) No failures were detected nor happening prior to accident.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 01/25/2026

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

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL — Filed 01/08/2026

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.

VISIBILITY/WIPER — Filed 11/17/2025

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 !!

SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 11/04/2025

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.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 10/28/2025

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.

SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 10/15/2025

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.

STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 09/03/2025

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.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 08/07/2025

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)

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,EQUIPMENT — Filed 05/05/2025

The contact owns a 2023 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving and depressing the accelerator pedal, the pedal unintendedly travelled down to the floorboard, causing the vehicle to unintendedly accelerate. The contact stated that the vehicle exceeded 95 MPH while driving in a 25 MPH zone. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to stop while depressing the brake pedal and drove through a red traffic light. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where an Acura engineer flew in to examine the vehicle. The engineer determined that the driver's side floor mat was faulty, and the floor mat was replaced; however, the failure recurred on three separate occasions and lasted approximately 40 seconds. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 4,000.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 07/25/2023

I was maneuvering to park my car in a parking lot. Driving down the traffic lane of the parking lot, I slowed, braked and turned left 90 degrees into the parking space with my foot still on the brake. I reached the end of the parking space and prepared to shut the engine down. I remember looking at the shift console to find the park button when the car bolted forward. The car went over the concrete curb, clipping a tree and through bushes beyond the parking space. The car proceeded down the embankment of a dry retention basin, across rip rap stone of the basin then up the other bank to the next parking lot. I was pushing hard on the brake petal the entire time with no results. The car just kept moving forward. I’m now thinking “How am I going to stop this car before it enters the busy street ahead?”. Once in this second parking lot, with a bit of mental clarity, I purposely slid my foot across the brake petal a very little bit, right to left, confirming to myself that I had not been on the accelerator. I did not lift my foot off the pedal to reposition my foot. Somehow, I was able to stop the car, or the car stopped itself in this parking lot. I was lucky that nobody else was involved or injured and there was no additional property damage beyond my vehicle. At this time, I’m not sure I will be able to trust this car again. Have there been other incidences of this ‘Sudden Unintended Acceleration’ happening to other Acura owners? Can I expect this to happen again to me?