10.0

really awful
Typical Repair Cost:
No data
Average Mileage:
3,100 miles
Total Complaints:
1 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. not sure (1 reports)
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problem #1

Nov 152017

MDX

  • Automatic transmission
  • 3,100 miles

9 speed- rpm's rev with no forward movement

On my 2nd brand new Acura MDX, both with the same super scary problem that seems to occur about every 3 weeks for me. Car will be driving fairly normally (the 9-speed shifts jerky anyway), when suddenly at some point I press on the gas and the rpm's rev and the car whines but doesn't hardly move forward. I have to pull off the road barely rolling and restart the car. There is no error code according to the dealer. Many, many trips to the dealer and all they can say is that the car needs a computer update but they don't know when or if this will happen. I'm leasing and noticed a problem within 3 weeks when the first MDX bucked like a bronco on a flat street at 35 mph. After more incidents and months of hassles, they would not let me out of the lease without paying thousands but did agree to switch cars. Unfortunately the new one has the same problem.

First scary incident was in stop and go highway traffic. At some point I pressed on the gas to move a bit more forward and the rpm's revved very high but car just jerked and bucked. I took my foot off the gas and tried again 2 more times with same result. I was able to get the car to the side of the road with flashers on and restart. Then it was fine for a few more weeks.

Second scary incident was pulling out of a parking lot left onto a 55 mph road. Waited for opening, pressed on gas and car would barely cross both lanes. A car came around the curve and I pressed harder on the gas and suddenly my tires were spinning like I was trying to burn rubber. We cleared the intersection with like one second between making it and me and my son on that side getting broadsided at 60 mph.

Third scary incident was in brand new MDX, like a month old, 3100 miles on it. I pulled out of a gas station, reversing out of the pump area and driving through a parking lot all normally, turned out onto a road at a red light and when the light changed I pressed on the gas only to get the same revving and whining. It seems like it's stuck in first or neutral? But it doesn't beep like when you put it in neutral on purpose, and I am able to barely drive it to the side of the road, feeling like driving with the brake on? Can't go more than 5 or 10 mph? I don't think any dash warning lights are coming on, but these things are instantaneous and I'm mostly trying to save my own life.

I'm an experienced driver for almost 40 years, both manual and auto transmission, am not consciously using any mode other than plain old D, not consciously using the paddles on the steering wheel. So I don't think I'm accidentally putting it in a weird mode, but even if I was, should a car be made that you can "accidentally" make the car not go? This is a super dangerous situation. I need to know that my car will pull out and go when I see an opening in traffic. Does anyone have any feedback? Acura Customer Care has been utterly useless. They and the dealers deny there is any solution. I've seen other videos and posts with the same problem but no fix, at least in '16 and '17 nine-speed models. I should not be out $5K because I don't want to drive a deathtrap.

- dangerousmdx, Austin, US