10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 2 / 1
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 2 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 15,086 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
I was driving on the interstate going 80 when the car shut off. I coasted to the shoulder and had the car towed to the mechanic shop. The connecting rod broke, going through the engine causing me to need a new engine. When I contacted Acura they said my car wasn-??t in the recall even though it-??s exactly what was happening to other cars the same year and make as my car.
- Orlando, FL, USA
In July of 2024 my vehicle began to make a knocking sound from the engine. I started a claim through my third party warranty company and brought it to a repair shop. The shop informed me about the recall for my model and year vehicle, but my VIN was not included in the recall. It was determined that the connecting rod bearings failed, and after waiting for 6 weeks the engine was replaced with a used engine from the same year and model vehicle. I drove for about 1900 miles and the engine began knocking again. I returned the to the repair shop and the supplier of the engine provided another used engine. I am terrified that the same problem will occur again and feel the engine can fail at any time.
- Scotrun, PA, USA
The car began making a front end noise and running shoddy and when we took it to the dealer they had to replace bearings/short block at 121k miles. We were told our VIN was outside of the previous recall so it wouldn-??t be covered under that. We ended up paying a portion of that very large bill which inconvenienced our family. We were without our own vehicle for many weeks due to back ordered parts for the major repair. This car has always been serviced by Acura at regular intervals.
- Pickerington, OH, USA
My 2016 Acura MDX with 113,000 miles on it suddenly experienced engine failure while driving my son to college in Salisbury, MD. The engine lost all power as I was coming off of the highway onto a side street in Salisbury. Fortunately no other vehicles were around me at the time and I was able to drift into a safe parking area. If it had happened on the highway or in traffic, it could have caused an accident. There were no warning lights on and the vehicle seemed to be running normally right up until it lost power. After having the vehicle towed to an Acura dealership, the mechanic found a broken rod that was likely due to a bad rod bearing. Other 2016 Acura MDX's have been recalled due to a defective rod bearing resulting in engine failure, but my VIN is not covered under the recall. Honda National just confirmed that it will not cover my MDX's repair under the recall. Prior to this, I had done all required maintenance on the vehicle.
- Baltimore, MD, USA
Car had a failed crankshaft causing a rod bearing issue with the motor. The check engine light came on during use and car was taken to a local repair shop. The independent repair shop determined the issue is associated with recall TSB 24-001, and advised it be transported to a Honda dealership for repair. Honda confirmed that although the 2016 is under this recall this specific VIN is not. Car was repaired at Honda dealership with same exact repair kit and work done to fix the TSB 24-001 recall notice. Reached out to Honda customer service to understand why the car was not repaired under this current recall but was not given any additional information, case #14733117.
- San Diego, CA, USA
I am the owner of a 2016 Acura MDX Advance. While driving, I noticed an unusual knocking sound coming from the engine, despite no warning lights or error messages prior to this incident. Concerned about the noise, I promptly brought the vehicle to an Acura dealership for inspection. The initial diagnosis revealed a camshaft issue, which was replaced. However, upon reassembly, the technician detected a persistent knock that required further investigation. After a week of detailed inspection, the dealership traced the problem to a defect with the rod bearing, an issue that has been part of previous recalls, though my vehicle was not listed. This rod bearing defect caused significant internal damage to the engine, ultimately requiring a complete short-block replacement to restore proper functionality. While the dealership has since resolved the issue, I am deeply concerned about the safety implications of such a defect. Had the rod bearing failed entirely, it could have led to an engine blowout, risking sudden loss of power at highway speeds and potentially endangering my safety.
- Aurora, CO, USA
I was driving my 2016 Acura MDX (approximately 87,000 miles) at around 60 mph on the freeway when the engine began making a metallic clanking noise. Shortly after, the check engine light started flashing, and the vehicle lost acceleration, eventually coming to a complete stop. This created a potentially dangerous situation, but I was fortunately able to pull over safely. After the vehicle stopped, the engine would not restart. The mechanic who inspected the vehicle confirmed that the engine has seized. This incident occurred without any prior warning signs and could have resulted in a severe accident. I believe this issue poses a significant safety risk to drivers and passengers. I request an investigation into whether this problem could be due to a manufacturing defect or systemic issue with this model.
- Milpitas, CA, USA
Failure of connecting rod bearings leading to complete engine failure.
- Ruidoso, NM, USA
I was driving back yo my home with my family and on freeway Acura MDX engine stopped with clanking metallic sound fortunately I was able to stop safely. This VIN [XXX] should be part of recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Milpitas, CA, USA
While waiting to turn left from a busy street onto a highway, the engine seized. The car was unable to be moved from it's location in the center of the busy street with cars approaching quickly from behind and weaving around my stopped vehicle. I had the vehicle towed to Metro Acura in Montclair, CA and they confirmed that the connecting rod bearing had failed causing the engine to seize. They also confirmed that the vehicle is not part of the existing recall. The engine produced some rough noise prior to failing but otherwise did not provide any warning lamps or other messages.
- Chino Hills, CA, USA
Engine started knocking and quit working while driving on the freeway. Was a connected rod bearing failure that was not included under the warranty or recall. Honda paid 75% of repairs but I had to pay $3300 myself.
- Logan, UT, USA
The engine failed and was unable to be repaired like old Honda and they had no interest in resolving the issue, nor do they offer any replacement with.
- Yardley, PA, USA
We were on a highway drive to a state park 45 minutes from our house on [XXX]. 40 Minutes into the drive the check engine light flashed. We had just taken a long road trip from Minnesota to Ohio (and back again) the week before (10/15-10/20) and had NO problems whatsoever. We parked and read what we could online as to what to do. Checked the gas cap tightness, the oil, etc. and let the engine cool for 2 hours. Started the car and no lights came on. So we started driving home. 35 Minutes later ALL the lights on the dash came on. Scrolling through every system in the car-transmission, brakes, lane assist, etc. We pulled Over almost immediately. Turned the car off checked under the hood but nothing seemed glaringly wrong. It wasn-??t overheating or smoking or anything. We tried to drive it directly to our mechanic. Got back on the highway and the engine would not get up to speed, just groaning. Worried we would be in danger on the highway we pulled over and called for a tow. The first mechanic that reviewed (just local not Honda) could hear a knocking in the engine. Towed it to an Acura dealership on 10/28/2024. The Acura mechanic there confirmed that it is a rod/rod bearing issue-?"but we don-??t fall under the recall. The rod came loose in the engine, banged around, damaging the engine. Cost to fix is $10,000. This information came to us on 11/4. We filed a complaint with the Acura/Honda recall department that day. We have been waiting to hear their verdict (after their investigation) for the last week. We have been told multiple times that our car doesn-??t fall under the original recall. But the Acura mechanic has confirmed it is the same issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Burnsville, MN, USA
Driving on the highway for the car to idle, slow down and shut off, causing us to go to the shoulder in a busy intersection. No fore warning just died and won-??t start. Waited 20-30 minute to restart. The car will start but will not shift to neutral or drive.
- Grand Prairie , TX, USA
The auto engine idle feature activated at a stoplight as normal, but when I lifted my foot from the brake to accelerate, the car shut down, shifted into neutral, and wouldn-??t restart. This happenwd 3 times in the last two days, leaving me stalled in heavy traffic for several minutes before i can get the car started again. This is extremely dangerous.
- Topsfield, MA, USA
I have the same issue but my vin does not meet the requirement. reading multiple forum and a lot of people having the same issue. NHTSA RECALL NUMBER:23V-751 MFR CAMPAIGN ID:OH6 CAMPAIGN DESCRIPTION:2016-20 MDX Conn Rod Inspect Recall RECALL DATE:11/08/2023 RECALL STATUS:17 Character VIN Required SUMMARY: American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (Honda) is recalling certain 2016-2020 model year MDX vehicles. Due to a manufacturing defect of the engine crankshaft, the connecting rod bearing can prematurely wear and seize. SAFETY RISK: If the connecting rod bearing seizes, the engine can be damaged and run improperly, stall, stop while driving, and/or not start, increasing the risk of a fire, crash or injury.
- Jurupa Valley, CA, USA
Our engine is exhibiting symptoms currently related to an open recall by Acura for Connecting Rod Bearings. Our 2016 MDX is one of the affected model years but as of now our VIN is not included in the recall. I don't believe this is coincidence. I believe the mechanical issue is more widespread than Acura wants to reveal and is subsequently limiting the VIV numbers it includes. I am trying to be proactive in this regard prior to an incident taking place.
- Celina, TX, USA
The contact owns a 2016 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was not available.
- Live Oak, FL, USA
The connecting rod and bearing failed, causing the engine to immediately seize while in full operation on the highway. Components are available. The engine rod catastrophically failed and shot through the oil pan. Engine seized and lost power while on highway, cruising at 75mph. Flying engine components and the immediately loss of power was a major safety risk. The car was towed to the dealer and they found the rod bearing had sheared off. American Honda has been sent pictures. My model and year were affected by a recall on the failed components but my VIN was not identified. The car had no warning lights on the dash and was been recently serviced.
- Portland , OR, USA
- Glen Arbor, MI, USA