What breaks most · 2001 to 2019 model years
Acura MDX problems by year
Owners have filed 1,577 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Acura MDX across model years 2001 to 2019. Three years stand out: 2001 for powertrain and transmission complaints, 2003 for powertrain and transmission complaints and 2002 for powertrain and transmission complaints. The quietest years are 2013, 2010 and 2009.
- Years to check closely: 2001, 2003, 2002
- Fewest complaints: 2013, 2010, 2009
- Complaints on file
- 15772001 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 2001205 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 10323 fires · 87 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 78kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 111Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 205 | 8 | 4 | Powertrain and transmission (122) | |
| 188 | 11 | 4 | Powertrain and transmission (122) | |
| 195 | 10 | 13 | Powertrain and transmission (100) | |
| 157 | 10 | 10 | Powertrain and transmission (77) | |
| 161 | 13 | 13 | Powertrain and transmission (84) | |
| 76 | 9 | 11 | Powertrain and transmission (38) | |
| 86 | 2 | 1 | Electrical system (43) | |
| 40 | 1 | 1 | Body and structure (6) | |
| 36 | 3 | 0 | Electrical system (10) | |
| 29 | 6 | 1 | Electrical system (7) | |
| 38 | 4 | 0 | Engine (10) | |
| 42 | 4 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (8) | |
| 15 | 0 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (3) | |
| 107 | 10 | 9 | Brakes (24) | |
| 45 | 4 | 8 | Unknown or other (12) | |
| 99 | 3 | 7 | Powertrain and transmission (49) | |
| 37 | 4 | 8 | Powertrain and transmission (10) | |
| 16 | 1 | 10 | Electrical system (5) | |
| 5 | 0 | 9 | Wipers and visibility (3) |
What fails on the 2001 Acura MDX
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 60% |
122 | 4 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 2001 Acura MDX |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 9% |
19 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2001 Acura MDX |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 7% |
15 | 0 | Shop suspension parts for the 2001 Acura MDX |
| Air bags | 6% |
12 | 3 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 5% |
10 | 1 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2001 Acura MDX |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 4% |
8 | 1 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2001 Acura MDX |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 3% |
6 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2001 Acura MDX |
| Equipment and infotainment | 2% |
5 | 0 | — |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Vibration/shudder/grinding between 20-50 mph while accelerating. It happens every time for the past 5 moths when i accelerate from a dead stop.
-
Torqe converter going out shattering noise third gear 30 to 40 mph about 1500 rpms there has been over 100 complaints online about the same issue
-
Takata recall my mdx is having a heat build up between the countershaft and second shaft gears. Its casuing my transmission to lock up and i am very concern
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Acura MDX years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2001, 2003, 2002 carry the most filings on the Acura MDX. The 2001 alone has 205 complaints, led by powertrain and transmission.
What is the most common Acura MDX problem?
On the 2001 model year, the most-reported component is powertrain and transmission with 122 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Acura MDX problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Acura MDX complaints that include mileage is about 78,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.