Your vehicle report
2002 Acura MDX
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 205
- Received May 2002 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Transmission fails or loses power while driving41 complaints · 20% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips29 complaints · 14% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Transmission shudders during acceleration at low speeds9 complaints · 4.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #20V027000Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2001-2002 Acura 3.2CL, 2000-2003 Acura 3.5RL, 2000-2001 Acura 3.2TL, Honda CR-V and Honda Odyssey, 2001-2002 Acura MDX and 2000 Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Coupe, and Civic Sedan vehicles. These vehicles may have received a replacement driver frontal air bag module as part of a vehicle repair. Due to a manufacturing issue, the replacement NADI inflator may absorb moisture, causing the inflator to rupture or the air bag cushion to underinflate.
- Recall #05V385000On certain sport utility vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west virginia, wisconsin and the district of columbia. In areas where large quantities of road salt are used, the front suspension coil springs have insufficient corrosion protection, and may be susceptible to corrosion.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 11 crashes, 2 fires, 5 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 16 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 3 |
| 2003 | 9 |
| 2004 | 11 |
| 2005 | 11 |
| 2006 | 11 |
| 2007 | 13 |
| 2008 | 16 |
| 2009 | 13 |
| 2010 | 24 |
| 2011 | 22 |
| 2012 | 6 |
| 2013 | 7 |
| 2014 | 12 |
| 2015 | 6 |
| 2016 | 13 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 7 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 1 |
| Total | 205 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 41 | 20% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 29 | 14% | – | NHTSA recall #04V176000 |
| Transmission shudders during acceleration at low speeds | 9 | 4.4% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 6 | 2.9% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 6 | 2.9% | – | |
| Transmission will not engage reverse gear | 6 | 2.9% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 4 | 1.9% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 4 | 1.9% | – | NHTSA recall #20V027000 |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 4 | 1.9% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 4 | 1.9% | – | |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 3 | 1.5% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 3 | 1.5% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 3 | 1.5% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 3 | 1.5% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 3 | 1.5% | – | |
| Radiator transmission cooler leaks fluid into transmission | 3 | 1.5% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #20V027000January 17, 2020875,966 vehicles affected
air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2001-2002 Acura 3.2CL, 2000-2003 Acura 3.5RL, 2000-2001 Acura 3.2TL, Honda CR-V and Honda Odyssey, 2001-2002 Acura MDX and 2000 Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Coupe, and Civic Sedan vehicles. These vehicles may have received a replacement driver frontal air bag module as part of a vehicle repair. Due to a manufacturing issue, the replacement NADI inflator may absorb moisture, causing the inflator to rupture or the air bag cushion to underinflate.
In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, an inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants. An underinflated air bag cushion may not properly protect the occupant. These scenarios increase the risk of serious injury or death.
Remedy
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air bags in the vehicles, replacing the driver frontal air bag inflator with an inflator of a different design, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2020. Owners may contact American Honda's Customer Support & Campaign Center at 1-888-234-2138.
NHTSA recall #05V385000September 1, 200522,861 vehicles affected
suspension: front: springs: coil springs
On certain sport utility vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west virginia, wisconsin and the district of columbia. In areas where large quantities of road salt are used, the front suspension coil springs have insufficient corrosion protection, and may be susceptible to corrosion.
Excessive corrosion Can cause spring failure and a broken spring could puncture a front tire, which increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace both front springs with improved springs. The recall began on october 11, 2005. Owners may contact Acura at 800-382-2238.
NHTSA recall #04V176000April 15, 20041,099,796 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission
On some mini vans, sport utility and passenger vehicles, certain operating conditions Can result in heat build-up between the countershaft and secondary shaft second gears in the automatic transmission, eventually leading to gear tooth chipping or gear breakage.
Gear failure could result in transmission lockup, which could result in a crash.
Remedy
On vehicles with 15,000 miles or less, the dealer will update the transmission with a simple revision to the oil cooler return line to increase lubrication to the second gear. On vehicles with more than 15,000 miles, the dealer will inspect the transmission to identify gears that have already experienced discoloration due to overheating. If discoloration exists, the transmission will be replaced if discoloration is not present, the dealer will perform the revision to the oil cooler return line. The recall began on april 21, 2004, for pilot, odyssey, and Mdx owners. Owners of the accord vehicles will start receiving letters on june 28, 2004, and on june 29, 2004, for owners of the tl and cl vehicles. Owners should contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009 or Acura at 1-800-382-2238.
NHTSA recall #02V226000August 28, 200217,551 vehicles affected
engine and engine cooling: engine
On certain minivans, sedans, coupes, and sport utility vehicles equipped with V6 engines, a timing belt tensioner pulley on the water pump is misaligned and could cause the timing belt to contact a bolt on the cylinder head. Eventually the belt could be damaged and fail.
If the timing belt breaks, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the water pump and if it is one of the defective pumps, the water pump and timing belt will be replaced. Owner notification began august 30, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009 or Acura at 1-800-382-2238.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2002 Acura MDX.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN