CSR

Acura · NHTSA safety record

2017 Acura MDX

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

249

Complaints

7

Crashes

4

Fires

4

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2017 Acura MDX have filed 249 safety complaints with NHTSA between September 2016 and August 2026. The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 77 of them (31%). The typical failure was reported at 36,000 miles, the median across the 95 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 8 recalls covering this vehicle. A further 2 defect investigations are open and unresolved.

Recalls (8)

STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

26V365000 · June 4, 2026

The defect
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.
The risk
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.
The 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.

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) · up to 880,514 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER

26V332000 · May 21, 2026

The defect
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
The risk
Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) · up to 98,892 vehicles across all model years covered

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

25V259000 · April 17, 2025

The defect
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.
The risk
Vehicle lights that fail to illuminate can decrease visibility and increase the risk of a crash.
The 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.

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) · up to 152,800 vehicles across all model years covered

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

23V858000 · December 18, 2023

The defect
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.
The risk
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
The 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.

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) · up to 2,490,460 vehicles across all model years covered

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL

23V751000 · November 13, 2023

The defect
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.
The risk
A damaged engine may run improperly or stall while driving, increasing the risk of a fire, crash, or injury.
The 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.

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) · up to 248,999 vehicles across all model years covered

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS

19V256000 · March 28, 2019

The defect
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.
The risk
Loss of the taillights reduces the vehicle's visibility, increasing the risk of crash.
The 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.

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) · up to 322,897 vehicles across all model years covered

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

19V060000 · January 29, 2019

The defect
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.
The risk
Reduced fuel pump performance can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of crash.
The 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.

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) · up to 437,032 vehicles across all model years covered

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER

18V777000 · November 1, 2018

The defect
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Acura MDX, 2017-2018 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda HR-V and Honda Odyssey, and 2016 Honda HR-V vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating, causing gas pockets to form, reducing brake performance. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
The risk
A reduction of braking performance increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Owners will be notified, and Honda or Acura dealers will bleed the brakes, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are C31 and L30.

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) · up to 64,785 vehicles across all model years covered

Defect investigations (3)

An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.

Engine failure

PE25008

Still open preliminary evaluation · opened August 20, 2025

the engine

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 414 reports of connecting rod bearing failures in the 3.5L V6 engine used in the following vehicles: Model Years (MY) 2018-2020 Acura TLX, MY2016-2020 Acura MDX, MY2016-2020 Honda Pilot, MY2018-2020 Honda Odyssey, and MY2017-2019 Honda Ridgeline.  The subject engine failures were analyzed as part of a Recall Query (RQ24013).  It was determined that these engine failures are outside the scope of Honda Recall 23V-751. Further, evidence gathered in conjunction with RQ24013 does not suggest this failure is caused by the same crankshaft manufacturing defect that is addressed by Honda in Recall 23V-751.  Based on analysis of data from RQ24013, NHTSA has closed that investigation. The significant number of reports of engine failure in vehicles outside the scope of RQ24013 presents a potential safety risk that warrants further investigation.  ODI is opening this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to further evaluate the scope and severity of the potential problem and to fully assess the potential safety-related issues.  To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages

EA25004

Still open engineering analysis · opened March 26, 2025

the engine and its cooling

On June 3, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE22005 after the agency received VOQs and several field reports concerning the Auto Idle Stop (AIS) feature on 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles. The complaints allege that the engine fails to restart on its own from a complete stop at a traffic light or road intersection with the AIS function engaged. The subject vehicles are equipped with a 3.5L engine with a 9-speed automatic transmission. On January 6, 2023, Honda released service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009. These service bulletins address the failure to restart issue in the 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles, as well as the 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2019-2022 Honda Passport, and 2020-2023 Honda Ridgeline vehicles. The repair outlined in the service bulletins is a two-stage countermeasure to remedy the issue. The first stage is a Programmed Fuel Injection (“PGM-FI”) software update. The second stage is only deployed if the software update fails to remedy the issue. The second stage, depending on the model and model year, consists of replacement of the starter assembly, starter relays, and a valve adjustment. Additionally, Honda extended the warranty coverage to 10 years with unlimited mileage for vehicles requiring the second stage component replacement. ODI continues to receive complaints of the AIS failure to restart, with many complainants alleging the campaign countermeasures had been completed.NHTSA has reviewed Honda's Information Request Letter responses involving warranty claims, lawsuits, and consumer complaints in addition to ODI's own data. This Engineering Analysis is being opened to further consider the potential safety defect, including gathering additional data regarding Honda’s service campaign efficacy. ODI is additionally expanding the scope to encompass all vehicles addressed in Honda’s service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009 as well as newer model year vehicles, which are substantially similar to the vehicles covered by the service campaign. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

Engine failure

RQ24013

Closed recall query · opened November 8, 2024 · closed August 20, 2025

the engine

On November 8, 2024, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Recall Query RQ24013 to assess the scope of Honda recall 23V-751 after receiving complaints that alleged connecting rod bearing failures in vehicles that were not within the scope of recall 23V-751. In November 2023, Honda recalled 248,999 various Model Year (MY)2016–2020 Honda and Acura vehicles equipped with the 3.5L V6 engine. Honda recalled these vehicles due to a crankshaft manufacturing defect that caused premature connecting rod bearing wear and engine seizure. While the out-of-scope failures involved in these complaints appear to have a very similar failure mechanism as the recalled engines, a thorough analysis of all available data from Honda has not indicated that the same manufacturing defect exists in the out-of-scope engines as the engines recalled by 23V-751. Based on this analysis ODI has determined that Honda has properly defined the scope of recall 23V-751. Consequently, ODI will close this RQ investigation.  NHTSA will continue to investigate these complaints of engine failure as part of a new Preliminary Evaluation Investigation (PE25008). The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 249.

ENGINE 77 31%
POWER TRAIN 63 25%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 43 17%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 32 13%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 30 12%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 21 8%
SERVICE BRAKES 20 8%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 18 7%
LANE DEPARTURE 18 7%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 17 7%
STRUCTURE 8 3%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 5 2%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2025 at 59.

2016 2025 2026
2016 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · towed

On 11.25.25, my MDX was involved in a multi-car hit and run on highway 101 SB at the Laurel Drive off ramp. The vehicle sustained two points of impact: (1) substantial front/driver side impact (2) rear-passenger side impact. Despite the severity, location of impact and speed of travel at the time of the collision, all airbags deployed except for the driver side curtain airbag. Importantly, at the time of the crash, the Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) and associated AcuraWatch driver assist systems were activated. The vehicle’s safety assistance technology was engaged and functioning immediately prior to impact. Considering the above mentioned facts, driver side airbag failing to deploy,

NHTSA complaint 11725140, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

1 injured · crash · towed · 12,431 miles

ON AUGUST 21, 2018 I PULLED INTO A PARKING STALL, AND REALIZED I WAS NOT ALIGNED PROPERLY. I CLICKED ON REVERSE SO THAT I COULD REALIGN WITHIN MY DESIGNATED SPACE, AND THE CAR LUNGED FORWARD JUMPING THE CURB AND HITTING THE BUILDING APPROXIMATELY 4-5 FEET IN FRONT OF ME. BOTH DRIVER SIDE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. $13,000 WORTH OF DAMAGE TO MY CAR. WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK OF GETTING THIS CAR IS 2017, I'VE HAD MANY ISSUES SUCH AS FAILURE TO START AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHT COMING ON RANDOMLY WHILE DRIVING. HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED AT LEAST 3X TO THE DEALER, FOR WHICH THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE ISSUES.

NHTSA complaint 11128100. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

fire · 16,000 miles

CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I WAS INSIDE OF THE CAR WITH MY THREE KIDS, MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING, THE CAR STARTED SMOKING, WE STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AND EVERYBODY RAN OUT OF THE CAR AND THE CAR CAUGHT UP IN FLAMES, WE HEARD AN EXPLOSION, THE POLICE OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS ARRIVED AND THEY STOPPED THE FIRE. THEY FILED A REPORT WITH CITY OF ISSAQUAH #18-09696. WE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND ACURA CUSTOMER RELATION AND THEY DIDN'T WANT TO GO SEE THE CAR AND CHECK WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE. FIREFIGHTER MENTIONED IT COULD HAVE STARTED IN THE ENGINE. FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, THIS WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE CAR'S WARRANTY. I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST

NHTSA complaint 11120680, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire · 17,000 miles

I OWN A 2017 ACURA MDX. THE VIN IS [XXX]. ON SUNDAY JANUARY 13, 2019 MY WIFE WAS PULLING INTO OUR DRIVE WAY WHEN SHE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SHE GOT OUR KIDS OUT OF THE CAR JUST BEFORE THE CAR BURST INTO FLAMES. IT?S AMAZING NO ONE WAS HURT. THE CAR, HOWEVER, IS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. THE FIRE DESTROYED OUR OTHER CAR IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE GARAGE DOOR, THE GUTTERS, WINDOWS, THE FRONT DOOR AND A LARGE PART OF THE ROOF. ALL FOUR TIRES EXPLODED AND FLAMING PIECES OF RUBBER WENT ALL OVER OUR HOME AND DRIVE WAY. THE CAR LEFT AN OIL STAIN ACROSS OUR ENTIRE DRIVEWAY. THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER THE ONE YEAR MANUFACTURE END TO END WARRANTY. THE ONLY SERVICE EVER PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE

NHTSA complaint 11255226, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
I am reporting repeated failures of the front safety camera / Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) on my 2017 Acura MDX Tech (FWD). The vehicle has experienced intermittent and sudden loss of all ADAS safety functions, including CMBS, Lane Keeping Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Road Departure Mitigation. The failures occur without warning, while driving at normal speeds. The dash displays “Safety Support System Problem,” “Collision Mitigation System Problem,” “Lane Keeping Assist Problem,” and related alerts. When this happens, all forward‑facing safety systems shut down, increasing the risk of collision. The issue is persistent and unpredictable. It has occurred in clear

NHTSA complaint 11755602, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

fire

I was driving home late at night with my family in the car. The car suddenly loss power and the check engine light came on and began flashing. I pulled over and turned the car off and back on. The light went away. I began driving again and after a short while, a bunch of lights popped up on the dashboard and the car began to loose power again and started making weird rattling noises from the engine. Just moments before pulling over again I realized the car was on fire and evasively pulled over and frantically got my sleeping children out of the car and we created distance from the vehicle since it was on fire underneath. We called the fire department and they responded very quickly and put

NHTSA complaint 11755216, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
I was merging onto the highway and when I attempted to accelerate, the engine warning light began to flash and the car could not accelerate. The engine began to make a rattling noise. I called the dealer and they asked if I could make it there (it was about 25 miles away). I said I would try. As I got about 10 miles away the noise grew louder and the oil light came on. I immediately pulled over. The dealer said the engine blew the connecting rod and destroyed the engine and the engine would need to be replaced. The car just had all the fluids replaced by the dealer 3 weeks prior. All service work over the 10 years was done by the dealer.

NHTSA complaint 11754357. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Problem Description: I am reporting a safety-related issue affecting multiple driver assistance systems on my 2017 Acura MDX. While driving, the vehicle displays several warning messages at the same time, including: Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) Problem Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) Problem Road Departure Mitigation (RDM) System Problem Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) Problem When these warnings appear, all of these safety systems become unavailable. The warning indicators remain on, and the systems do not function even after restarting the vehicle. The 12-volt battery was replaced approximately one month before this issue began, and the engine starts and runs normally.

NHTSA complaint 11754620, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEAT BELTS

200,000 miles

The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated that the second-row passenger’s side seat belt became stuck and failed to retract as needed, causing the seat belt to become inoperable. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

NHTSA complaint 11750292. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING
We are asking for your assistance and getting our reimbursement back from Acura/Honda automotive for a safety recall for our rear tail light which had moisture which was an NHTSA safety recall We purchased and had replaced the rear tail plate that had been recalled prior to the recall coming out. We have given them all this information and they still have not provided us with a refund for the safety recall on the tail light on our vehicle this has been going on for a couple years. The individuals at Honda automotive corporate are very disrespectful and as a handicap woman who uses this vehicle as a family vehicle it was a great essence to get the taillight part repaired and purchased

NHTSA complaint 11748123, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Acura MDX

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2025 85 3
2024 37 2
2023 37 2
2022 141 2
2020 213 8
2019 183 9
2018 162 10
2016 364 7
2015 70 8
2014 169 8
2013 29 1
2012 76 1
2011 70 0
2010 45 1

Other 2017 Acura models

Every Acura on this site — 71 vehicles, 113 recall campaigns and 3 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst