5.4

fairly significant
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
16,997 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.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2017 Acura MDX:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

Get free help with your lemon!
close ad

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #18

Nov 122020

MDX

  • 3,100 miles
Vehicle lost power upon accelerating and I received a message to pull over when safe transmission error; this happened at a stop and seems to be more likely when turning the vehicle or while accelerating, I pulled over and attempted to put the vehicle in reverse with out success;

- Waldorf, MD, USA

problem #17

Oct 172020

MDX

  • 45,000 miles
Multiple systems indicator failures wen on, per attached pictures. The transmission was stuck in the 1st gear, the vehicle was vibrating and was unable to accelerate. This created a driving hazard, as I was on the roadway.

- Germantown, TN, USA

problem #16

Feb 282020

MDX

  • 23,709 miles
Vehicle loses power upon accelerating and hesitates for a second or two - most typically from a stop and seems to be more likely when turning the vehicle while accelerating, although there have been times when the vehicle has stalled when trying to accelerate on a straight section of highway. Problem is intermittent, virtually impossible to predict or replicate, but has occurred numerous times since purchase of the vehicle in November of 2017.

- Monument, CO, USA

problem #15

Mar 152020

MDX

  • 44,000 miles
We were driving 70mph on the interstate I10 headed to new orleans when our vehicle suddenly and without warning lost acceleration the dashboard lite up like a christmas tree telling me to pull over immediately and then electric parking brake error, transmission error and an emissions error all at once. This was a very dangerous incident and we somehow managed to get to the small side of the road on this busy interstate. It scared the both us! the MDX would not go into drive or neutral? while waiting for the tow truck we almost were side swiped. This car was purchased for the safety features and it has really caused my wife and I to lose all faith and now cannot depend on it. Our vehicle has 44K on it and it was even a Acura certified pre-owned inspected vehicle. I have learned there is a class action lawsuit for this same type of incident and model of Acura. This car is dangerous and Acura better own up to this faulty vehicle. This needs to be recalled!

- Jefferson, LA, USA

problem #14

Sep 202018

MDX

  • 38,000 miles
The transmission in the car decelerates unexpectedly, the vehicle stalls when trying to accelerate, it also jerks when shifting gears, all of these issues are extremely dangerous when driving on the highway, switching lanes and simply driving and trying to maneuver from a stop. We have also had a warning pop up on the dashboard to immediately stop the vehicle in the middle of the street because there is an issue with the transmission, we took the car to the dealership and they said they dont see the specific code and to just have it towed in next time. I bought this car for safety, we just had a baby and now I am scared to drive the car on a daily basis, what if it doesnt accelate when needed and we get hit! we have brought the transmission issue up mutliple times; however, all we have been told is that this is a normal thing for the Acura MDX 2017 year we have. This is not normal, it is extrememly unsafe.

- Des Plaines, IL, USA

problem #13

Aug 262019

MDX

  • 40,000 miles
While driving on the expressway, I have had at least 3 episodes of deceleration while trying to accelerate. I was traveling between 60 and 75 mph. It seems to happen when I decelerate to slow with traffic or change lanes to exit. When I attempt to accelerate, the car (2017 MDX) continued to decelerate rapidly, for up to 5 seconds, putting me in a very dangerous situation on the highway. I was not using cruise control and had the lkas turned off. Additionally, I was not close enough to any other care for the automatic braking system to be a factor.

- Hamilton, OH, USA

problem #12

May 262019

MDX

  • 18,880 miles
I was driving 80mph southbound on 45 in houston, Texas on Sunday, May 26, 2019, during memorial day traffic. Without notice, my car began to ding and stated to 'stop driving'. it also showed a transmission error and parking brake error. In addition, the car shifted into neutral automatically, disabled the gas pedal and I was unable to reengage drive. At this time, the highway I was on was under construction with cement walls on both sides with no shoulder. I was able to coast to the nearest exit and leave the highway. Once off the highway, I restarted my car and was still unable to put it in drive.

- Spring, TX, USA

problem #11

May 172019

MDX

  • miles
Note that the following problems have been occurring frequently since I purchased the car in October 2017; the date required below was a random date I chose. When accelerating quickly to enter a highway, the transmission hesitates before deciding which gear to jump into. This also occurs, to a lesser extent, when I have to stomp on the gas in an emergency situation while on the highway. This is extremely dangerous since it makes me vulnerable to an accident; when I stomp on the gas pedal, I expect to get acceleration. I don't expect the car to pause in order to decide which gear would be the best to jump into. The dealership said the computer was trying to decide which gear would be the most economical, from a gas perspective, to shift into. This is not for normal acceleration, but where I need to accelerate very quickly. Additionally, the automatic transmission jerks when shifting from 1st to 2nd gear. It has been happening since I purchased it in October 2017. When I complained about it to the dealer service center, they said this was "normal" and nothing they could do.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

problem #10

Feb 052019

MDX

  • 17,000 miles
Transmission is jerky, choking and doesn't react for 3-4 seconds. I took it to the dealer and they reset a transmission code without replacing my transmission with a new one.

- Plano, TX, USA

problem #9

Oct 092018

MDX

  • 35,649 miles
The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. While driving approximately 75 mph on a busy interstate highway, the vehicle suddenly failed to accelerate when the accelerator pedal was depressed. In addition, the electric parking brake, blind spot, and "stop driving" messages and indicators illuminated. The vehicle was towed to mapleton palm beach Acura (6870 okeechobee blvd, West palm beach, fl 33411), but the failure could not be duplicated. The dealer performed a software update on the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 35,649.

- North Palm Beach, FL, USA

problem #8

Aug 182018

MDX

  • 10,000 miles
The transmission shifts hard and rough, slips in and out of gear and on two separate occasions (both being on the freeway) the transmission got stuck and would not respond at all and I sat in the car coasting as if the car was in neutral while on the highway. I have taken the car in to Acura 6 times and have received no help at all. I have contacted Acura corporate and still received no help. I'm highly concerned for myself and my families safety. This is now my daily driver and the transmission is only getting worst over time. In regular city street driving, braking is scary because the transmission accelerates before it slows down and the car shifts down slowly so by the time I actually stop the car, the car is still shifting down. The car jerks when I press on the gas or when I break to stop. I'm afraid an accident is going to happen if I have to slam on the breaks to avoid a collision because the transmission can't decide which gear to shift into. Acceleration is a big problem as well. If I'm at a complete stop and press the gas to go the car lags and then jolts into gear and then jolts again into the next gear. I paid a lot of money for this car and I do not feel safe driving it at all I'm trully scared I'm going to be injured or maybe worst.

- Fresno, CA, USA

problem #7

Aug 142018

MDX

  • 24,427 miles
When pulling forward from a stop into a car wash, the zf 9-speed transmission dropped into neutral without warning, causing the vehicle to lose all ability to move forward. When this happened, all warning lights on the dash illuminated, including stability control, airbags, check engine, lane departure, and frontal collision system, and the digital display flashed through every component on the car saying there were system failures in them all. The immediate remedy was to stop, place the vehicle in park and shut off the engine. When re-started the vehicle was able to be driven, but all system failure lights and warning lights on the dash and digital display remained illuminated.

- Daphne, AL, USA

problem #6

Aug 012017

MDX

  • 5,000 miles
We have experienced many issues with our 2017 MDX sh-AWD. On a cold start when shifting from first to second gear there is a sudden lurch hard shift. Once warm this is still present but not as pronounced. The transmission seems to slip through gears and have sudden downshifts that decelerate the car or the vehicle will lurch forward without having your foot on the gas as it shifts itself into a different gear. When trying to 'punch it' and accelerate quickly it will often hesitate to go into the correct gear then suddenly rev high as it speeds up. Hunting up and down through gears while staying at a constant speed. The navigation system is extremely slow to come up and respond to inputs when the car is started. Acura has claimed this is due to cell phone bluetooth interference. Collision mitigation system has engaged twice. The first time by husband was in a parkinglot driving through a row looking for a spot to park. The car slammed on the breaks with no cars in his path and nearly caused the car behind him to rear end him. The second time I was approaching a stop light to turn right, there was a vehichle in front of me but the distance I was stoping from the rear of that vehichle was not an abnormal or alarming distance. The brakes locked up with lights flashing on the dash and an awful grinding noise coming from beneath the car. On one occasion from a parked position it would not allow us to engage it in drive. It flashed "shift to park" on the dash. It took three attempts to get it to go in to drive. The rear hatch hydrolics had to be replaced within the first 6 months as the power liftgate stopped working. One of the two key fobs also went out on us in the first 6 months, replacing the battery did nothing and the whole fob needed to be replaced.

- Lincoln, CA, USA

problem #5

Mar 132018

MDX

  • 3,500 miles
The 9 speed transmission in my Acura MDX shifts very hard going into first and second gear while driving on city streets and in two separate cases the car did not shift into third gear and halted the car as I step on the gas the engine roars but the car did not move. Once it finally shifted into gear the car jolted forward. This happened in the rain which was extremely scary and unsafe. I have taken the car to two Acura dealers totaling 4 visits to the service department and no one believes that anything is wrong because Acura is not doing anything about it. A lot of other customers online reviews explain the same issue I'm having. I have contacted Acura corporate office and was assured within two business days a manager would contact me regarding this matter and that was three weeks ago and I have heard nothing from them. I do not feel safe in this car or having my family in the car at this point.

- Fresno, CA, USA

problem #4

Oct 242017

MDX

  • 8 miles
I believe the 9-speed transmission in the 2017 MDX presents serious safety issues. One of my major concerns is the significant "lurching" I get when parking on a slope, shifting to "park" and then taking my foot off the brake. On snow or ice, the car could easily slide some distance. I similar lurching also frequently occurs when shifting into drive or reverse when on a slope and then starting to accelerate. My second major concern is that when I downshift on a down-slope in lieu of braking, the car actually first speeds significantly up after downshifting and does not slow down as it should. I do a significant amount of driving in mountains where down-shifting is safer than braking and this is a major safety issue. Lastly, the car hesitates at times when accelerating from a stop. I have taken the car back to the dealer at least twice and am told that these issues are just the characteristics of the car.

- Shawnee Mission, KS, USA

problem #3

Feb 232018

MDX

  • 378 miles
On February 23,2018, I purchase a new 2017 Acura MDX with technology package. The vehicle had 378 miles when I purchased it. It had never been titled and was sold as a new vehicle. Upon taking delivery of the vehicle, I noticed that the vehicle hesitates when shifting gears. When stopped at a traffic light on a flat paved, city street, the vehicle experiences poor acceleration when taking off. I am pressing the gas pedal down really hard, yet the vehicle is moving very slowly--not equal to the amount of pressure I am applying to the gas pedal. The acceleration is very poor, especially when pulling off from a stopped position. When I am going downhill on a paved city street, the vehicle accelerates even when no gas is applied. Experiencing rough shifting, especially in low gears on all paved roads. Dangerous when trying to merge onto the highway due to extremely slow acceleration. Sometimes when slowing down to stop, the vehicle accelerates. When I try to make a left turn against oncoming traffic, the vehicle hesitates and could cause a serious accident. All driving takes places on city streets, highways and paved roadways. On one occasion, the vehicle would not shift into reverse from a parked position. I received an error code saying 'transmission problem, pull over when safe." The poor acceleration problem is worse when I enable the adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist features. I have returned the vehicle to the dealership on 2 separate occasions. Each time they tell me the vehicle is operating as designed. They even said that I need to drive the vehicle more so that the transmission will learn my driving patterns and make the necessary adjustments.

- Ellicott City, MD, USA

problem #2

Jul 052017

MDX

  • 3,500 miles
The van started running rough and started jerking. The gears were not shifting well and got an error message P0730. It was very unsafe and we were lucky not to have been driving on freeway. Huge safety issue.

- Redondo Beach, CA, USA

problem #1

Jun 172017

MDX

  • 7,500 miles
We own a 2017 Acura MDX, my wife was driving the SUV attempting to park when the vehicle briefly accelerated. I was driving the SUV at low speed when it briefly accelerated, I was kind of stunned, and asked did you feel that, she said yes, and then stated I guess I wasn't imaging it when it happened to me, these were separate issues at different times and dates. The vehicle was brought in for service and this issue was mentioned, the service writer explained that Acura is aware of this and it's an intermittent issue and Acura has no fix, it was asked why Acura hasn't warned owners of the potential problem and the service writer explained it's a intermittent issue that hasn't been replicated in service and doesn't happen to all the vehicles. We asked doesn't someone think it's a safety issue, that when I was driving in laconia nh bike week it could have accelerated into a motorcycle or pedestrian. There was no response other than please rate us good on the service call what we did not what Acura isn't doing"???????"

- Nashua, NH, USA