Your vehicle report
2016 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
- 377
- Received Jul 2015 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Engine knocking from rod or main bearings35 complaints · 9.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips31 complaints · 8.2% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Engine suddenly shuts off while driving24 complaints · 6.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #26V365000American Honda Motor Company (Honda) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Honda Pilot, 2017-2023 Ridgeline, 2019-2023 Passport, and 2014-2020 Acura MDX vehicles that were sold in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. The rear subframe may corrode at the suspension mounting points, which can result in rear suspension component failure.
- Recall #25V259000Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014-2020 Acura MDX vehicles. Moisture may enter the tailgate lid light assembly and wiring harness, which can cause the interior and exterior lights to fail, including the lid lights, position lights, license plate lights and taillights.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Paint peels off roof and hoodFirst signal: Jul 2023
- Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speedFirst signal: Apr 2026
- Radiator transmission cooler leaks fluid into transmissionFirst signal: Apr 2026
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 10 crashes, 5 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 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Engine knocking from rod or main bearings
- Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips
- Engine suddenly shuts off while driving
9 more problems
- Unintended acceleration despite braking
- Transmission fails or loses power while driving
- Check engine light comes on repeatedly
- Ford Focus transmission clutch slips and hesitates
- Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed
- Fuel pump fails and engine stalls
- Radiator transmission cooler leaks fluid into transmission
- Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline
- Engine stalls and loses power while driving
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 |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 12 |
| 2016 | 25 |
| 2017 | 18 |
| 2018 | 19 |
| 2019 | 48 |
| 2020 | 21 |
| 2021 | 13 |
| 2022 | 14 |
| 2023 | 13 |
| 2024 | 69 |
| 2025 | 75 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 50 |
| Total | 377 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine knocking from rod or main bearings | 35 | 9.3% | 14.4× | NHTSA recall #23V751000 |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 31 | 8.2% | 0.7× | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 24 | 6.4% | 2.7× | NHTSA recall #23V858000 |
| Paint peels off roof and hood | 19 | 5.0% | 6.6× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jul 2023 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.3% |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 17 | 4.5% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 14 | 3.7% | 0.9× | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 8 | 2.1% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 7 | 1.9% | 1.5× | |
| Ford Focus transmission clutch slips and hesitates | 7 | 1.9% | 3.9× | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 6 | 1.6% | – | |
| Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed | 6 | 1.6% | 4.3× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Apr 2026 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.8% |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 5 | 1.3% | 1.4× | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 5 | 1.3% | 1.2× | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 5 | 1.3% | – | NHTSA recall #19V060000, #23V858000 |
| Radiator transmission cooler leaks fluid into transmission | 5 | 1.3% | 11.1× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Apr 2026 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.6% |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 4 | 1.1% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 4 | 1.1% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 3 | 0.8% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 3 | 0.8% | – | NHTSA recall #16V417000 |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 3 | 0.8% | 1.6× |
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 #26V365000June 4, 2026965,561 vehicles affected
structure: frame and members; suspension: rear
American Honda Motor Company (Honda) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Honda Pilot, 2017-2023 Ridgeline, 2019-2023 Passport, and 2014-2020 Acura MDX vehicles that were sold in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. The rear subframe may corrode at the suspension mounting points, which can result in rear suspension component failure.
Failure of rear suspension components, such as the rear control arm, can cause a loss of vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the rear subframe and install a rear subframe reinforcement kit and, as necessary, repair or replace the rear subframe components, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed July 27, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in the fall of 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are AOU and AOT. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning June 10, 2026.
NHTSA recall #25V259000April 17, 2025152,800 vehicles affected
exterior lighting; interior lighting
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014-2020 Acura MDX vehicles. Moisture may enter the tailgate lid light assembly and wiring harness, which can cause the interior and exterior lights to fail, including the lid lights, position lights, license plate lights and taillights.
Vehicle lights that fail to illuminate can decrease visibility and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the wiring and install a fuse harness, replace the lid light, and repair the body dust sealer, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 30, 2025. Owners may contact Acura's customer service at 1-800-382-2238. Acura's number for this recall is FLI. Vehicles included in this recall that were previously repaired under NHTSA recall number 19V-256 will need to have the new remedy completed.
NHTSA recall #23V858000December 18, 20232,490,460 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
NHTSA recall #23V751000November 13, 2023248,999 vehicles affected
engine and engine cooling: engine: hard parts internal/mechanical
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2016 and 2018-2019 Pilot, 2017 and 2019 Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 Odyssey vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the connecting rod bearing in the engine may wear and seize, damaging the engine.
A damaged engine may run improperly or stall while driving, increasing the risk of a fire, crash, or injury.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and repair, or replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed March 28, 2024. 2016-2017 Acura MDX owner letters were mailed November 1, 2024. 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed in mid-December 2024. Honda began mailing owner notification letters as of March 18, 2024. 2015-2016 Acura owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-December 2024, 2018 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed the end of March/early April 2024, 2019 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-May 2024, 2020 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-June 2024, and 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed January 27, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XG1 and GG0.
NHTSA recall #19V256000March 28, 2019322,897 vehicles affected
exterior lighting; exterior lighting: tail lights
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Acura MDX and 2017-2019 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid vehicles. Moisture may enter the tailgate lid lights, possibly causing a loss of the tailgate lid lights and the taillights.
Loss of the taillights reduces the vehicle's visibility, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy
Acura will notify owners, and dealers will modify the tailgate lid lights and install updated gaskets and a wiring sub-harness or will replace both tailgate lid lights. The repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began May 7, 2019. Owners may contact Acura customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is M49.
NHTSA recall #19V060000January 29, 2019437,032 vehicles affected
fuel system, other: delivery: fuel pump
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Acura MDX, 2015-2019 Acura TLX and 2015-2017 Honda Accord vehicles, equipped with a 3.5L V6 engine. Particulates in fuel may adhere to the internal components of the fuel pump, reducing its performance.
Reduced fuel pump performance can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of crash.
Remedy
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the fuel injection engine control unit (FI-ECU) software and, if necessary, replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began March 25, 2019. Owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's recall number for this recall is P3W. Honda's recall number for this recall is N3X.
NHTSA recall #16V417000June 9, 201639 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2015 Acura MDX 2WD and MDX 4WD vehicles, 2016 Acura MDX 4WD vehicles, 2015-2016 Honda Odyssey vehicles, and 2016 Honda Pilot 2WD and 4WD vehicles. The affected vehicles have fuel tanks that were manufactured with insufficient welds which may separate and allow fuel to leak out.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
Remedy
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tanks, free of charge. Owners may contact Honda/Acura customer service at 1-888-234-2138. The recall began on July 29, 2016. Honda's numbers for this recall are KA9 (Honda vehicles) and KB0 (Acura vehicles).
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 2016 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