Driving on the interstate merging from a ramp to go into the highway, heard a loud bang and the car drivetrain started to wobble. Next noticed more torque in front wheels. Transfer case failed internally, all services done at the right mileage by dealer, transmission spline end got wiped out 66,000 miles on vehicle never was abused just going from point A to B.

- Nanuet, NY, USA

During a winter freeze event, the vehicle was unable to climb a slight incline despite being equipped with all-wheel drive. The rear wheels did not appear to be receiving power, and the vehicle experienced significant wheel slip under light throttle input. This occurred in normal driving conditions and was unexpected given the vehicle-??s AWD system. There were no warning lights, diagnostic messages, or fault indicators displayed on the instrument cluster at the time of the incident. The lack of any driver notification made it difficult to identify that the AWD system was not functioning properly. After experiencing the issue, the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership for inspection. The initial assessment did not identify a problem. However, after further review and comparison with a properly functioning vehicle, the dealership confirmed a failure within the SH-AWD system. The affected components were replaced under warranty. The failed components should be available for inspection upon request. The safety concern stems from the absence of warning indicators combined with the loss of intended AWD functionality. In low-traction conditions, the inability of the system to properly distribute power can increase the risk of loss of control, reduced acceleration capability, or inability to safely merge or climb inclines. No prior warning lamps or alerts were presented before the incident.

- Richmond, TX, USA

While driving in snow and in light rain noticed the MDX pulling and slipping. I realized that only the front tires were trying to drive the vehicle which was causing the car to pull sideways and slip all over the road. I made an appointment with the ACURA dealership and they found the transmission splines stripped out that drive the rear wheels. There was no warning lamps or indication that anything was broke other than very hard to drive in any kind of snow or rain. Talking with the dealer and looking online this seems to be happening to other MDX s also. My car was fixed under the manufacturer warranty and the transmission and transfer case were replaced.

- Oak Creek, WI, USA

While driving a 2022 Acura MDX Advance AWD in snowy conditions, I noticed reduced traction and abnormal drivability. Dealer inspection confirmed a catastrophic failure: the front differential and transmission splines were stripped, causing the vehicle to operate in front-wheel drive only. The dealer verified the failure and documented it as a defect on the repair order. The vehicle was maintained exclusively at the dealership since new, and failure occurred at approximately 76,000 miles, outside the original powertrain warranty. There were no warning lights prior to the failure, but loss of AWD in snowy conditions created a significant safety risk.This is a safety-relevant defect affecting traction and stability in adverse conditions.

- Worcester, MA, USA

My Acura service department notified me at my last oil change that they discovered (accidentally) my transmission / transfer case is damaged and is not transferring power to the rear wheels, rendering the vehicle as 2 wheel drive only. This requires a total replacement costing $16,000 +/-. My research indicates this is likely caused by a faulty splined shaft inside the transmission-transfer case assembly used in the early 2022 MDX vehicles.The dashboard info system for SH-AWD indicates that the car IS in All Wheel Drive and there are no messages indicating a problem with the All Wheel Drive. This has not been a problem during non-snow or other slippery conditions, but recent storms have made this a major safety problem for me. The fact that the car sensing system does not detect this problem could cause serious driving danger for unsuspecting drivers. This also prevents Acura/Honda from acting on this issue publicly as owners of this vehicle have no way of knowing the problem exists until it is too late.

- Douglas, MA, USA

The vehicle is experiencing a catastrophic mechanical failure of the transfer case/transmission splines, resulting in a 'Loss of Motive Power.' On two occasions while merging into high-speed highway traffic, the engine revved to high RPMs, but the vehicle failed to accelerate for approximately 5 seconds (Mechanical Neutral Drop). These incidents resulted in near-collisions. The vehicle also exhibits violent torque steer and unpredictable handling. The issue was initially reported to an authorized dealer at 70,320 miles but was misdiagnosed as 'no codes were present.' Subsequent inspection by a second dealer confirmed a mechanical failure of the drive splines. This is a purely mechanical failure that does not trigger dashboard warning lights or Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs), leaving the driver unaware of the impending drivetrain failure until power is lost. First signs of a problem: Late August 2025 First loss of motive power incident: Early October 2025 Second loss of motive power incident: [XXX] Initial Dealer Report: October 28, 2025 (MetroWest Acura) Confirmation video from Acura of Boston: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Milford, MA, USA

Vehicle is 3 years old with 60K miles. Transfer case became defective under normal driving and with regular recommended maintenance. We did not know this occurred until a recent dealership visit for another issue. We do not know how long this has been an issue. When the transfer case malfunctioned, there were no warning lights and vehicle has been only functioning in front-wheel drive (designed to be AWD) which is extremely dangerous during the midwestern winters as the weight of the rear of the vehicle leads to sway. Issue was detected by the dealership who states the fix is to replace the entire transmission and transfer case.

- Saint Paul, MN, USA

When the vehicle decelerates-?"either from high speed or while already moving slowly-?"it frequently jerks just before coming to a complete stop. This issue is especially noticeable at very low speeds or during final braking, where the vehicle may lurch forward by a few inches unless the brakes are applied firmly. Despite multiple visits to the dealership, including transmission resets and software updates, the problem persists. The dealer has not provided a resolution or adequate follow-up. This behavior poses a serious safety risk, particularly in high-traffic areas where precise stopping is critical.

- Frisco, TX, USA

The transmission and transaxle malfunctioned. Evidence was a leak from the transaxle. The dealer confirmed that the vehicle was operating in 2WD mode even though it did not detect any issues from its onboard sensors, and the car thought it was still sending power to all 4 wheels. There were no warning lights that the vehicle was no longer driving in 4wd mode, so the driving dynamics would've been unexpected in conditions that 4wd would normally help, like rain and snow. Unexpectedly experienced tire spin in the rain, for example. The dealer confirmed that both the transmission and transaxle need to be replaced, under the powertrain warranty. The spline between the transaxle and transmission were worn, causing the transaxle to not spin the rear wheels.

- Aurora, IL, USA

The transfer case spline stripped preventing power to be sent to the rear wheels

- Schwenksville, PA, USA

Upon normal highway driving a couple of months ago, began to notice shifting that was not smooth and rpm "surges" on hills despite constant throttle. Upon taking car to dealer, inspection revealed an internal spline failure between transmission and transfer case. Lead mechanic explained it was not the first he had seen of this model and that it was clearly internal and caused by a manufacturing and/or assembly defect. I caught the problem early enough to not have a complete car failure; however, left untreated, it would lead to a transmission failure. The remedy was a full transmission and transfer case replacement, with repair costs exceeding $13,000. Given car had 84,000 miles, it was not covered by 70,000 Power Train Warranty from Acura. Pictures of parts below.

- Fort Worth, TX, USA

Acura Headquarters USA 1919 Torrence Boulevard Torrence, California 90501 Mr. [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] Email: [XXX] Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing your company to the attention of whomever oversees the product development and design of the 2022 ACURA MDX and to warn them that certain system features and design flaws of this make and model vehicle will undoubtedly lead to the death of someone in the near future as was nearly the case with myself and spouse very recently. On Sunday [XXX], my spouse and I attended church services that morning. Fortunately, after services our Acura MDX did start as usual, and we began our journey home.Upom arriving home, we backed our car into our garage and during that process thankfully I had the wits to unlock the passenger and driver side door mechanisms. Once we enteredthe garage and at thta point, our car went absolutely DEAD. Our car stayed dead for the next 5 1/2 hours. Had I not unlocked those doors, we would have been trapped inside for that duration of time, only to be found dead fron suffocation and asphysxiation from being in a car with all the windows rolled up, no power to the vehicle and no way to get out, while beingdeprived of oxygen. AT that point, your manufactured vehicle became a death trap for us.We're the fortunate ones who lived through the experience and to be able to tell the story. Others may not be so lucky to tell theirs and there will be others. We wanted the manufacturer to understand the full implications of our letter and to stress in the strongest terms possible that this is a very serious matter that will eventually cost lives, as it nearly cost us ours. The vehicle in question is VIN# [XXX] and was last serviced at Vandergriff Acura in Arlington, Texas on 6/13/2025 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Waxahachie, TX, USA

Many attempts in the last 5k miles made to diagnose unsafe uncomfortable front vibrations. Vehicle erratically shaking above 50mph. Returned vehicle to CarMax (where vehicle purchased), and 3 separate individual Acura dealers made attempts. Rotated and rebalanced tires several times with a scan tool connected as a technician drove vehicle with no results Finally Acura dealer an hour away from my home diagnosed faulty front transfer case pending anything further. Conveyed the shaft splines into transfer case and other end to transmission may be faulty, rounded out, and will report findings. After inspected, transmission output splines for shaft going to front transfer case have been found rounded out as well. Dealer reported this again under warranty and ordering transmission. Coming up on 30 days front transfer case, transmission, and possibility of further repairs. Compiling written documentation. Vehicle repair attempts at Carmax Newport News, VA, Southern Acura Newport News, VA, Hall Acura Virginia Beach, VA, and Crown Acura Richmond, VA.

- Williamsburg, VA, USA

We were at a stop sign. I went to hit the gas and then a warning flash on the screen that there is a problem with the rear axle of the all wheel drive and that it was switching to front drive only. During that 5-10 seconds we went through the intersection on creep mode, 2-5 mph max. I felt helpless. My wife has had it happen to her 2 times. My first experience was tonight and it could have been bad if there was a car on the road we were crossing.

- Pemberville, OH, USA

driving on highway car suddenly lost power check engine light came on. was able to coast off to an exit on the highway. car eventually unable to move. the car was towed to the dealer. the transmission and power take off unit was replaced.

- Holmdel, NJ, USA

My vehicle has 80,000 miles. It has a popping sound when accelerating from stop. Dealership found metal chunks in the transmission and transfer case. Luckily I brought the problem to them before catastrophic failure while driving. Both are needing complete replacements.

- Elbert, CO, USA

My transfer case went out at an unknown mileage with no indication on my dash that there was a failure. It converted the vehicle to front wheel drive while indicating it was still having the back wheel spinning on the all-wheel drive indicator on the dash. During a recent snowstorm, there were multiple instances when I pulled out from an intersection thinking I had good traction I'm pulled out and then my wheels started spinning almost causing an accident. I thought that was weird so I brought it to my local Acura dealer and explained what happened and they tested it and found that the transfer case splines were bad along with the splines that attached to the transmission. They replaced both the transmission and transfer case under warranty. No police or insurance representatives were involved as there were no accidents.

- White Bear Lake, MN, USA

Front driver wheel has started to spin when power applied from a stop or from a slow roll. Tires are in great condition, further research indicates that this is a typical issue between the transfer case and differential. Splines get stripped and the car essentially becomes 2 wheel drive. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Metairie, LA, USA

There were two major failures in my vehicle within a couple of weeks. The first was a lower ball joint failure. The passenger side lower control arm was replaced. The second major failure was the transfer case seal on the transmission failed and the transmission is being replaced. The vehicle has been serviced since its new purchase at Acura dealerships.

- Roseville, CA, USA

Transmission issue-?? grinding and not accelerating-??. When it is at a stop and moving again.. turning with accelerating.. it moves really slow

- Broken Arrow, OK, USA