2017 Acura MDX

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2017 Acura MDX has 365 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 4.6x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is engine problems (25% of all complaints), specifically: 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 happe. ⚠️ 5 fire reports filed.

5 fire reports 7 crash reports 7 injuries

365

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

4.6x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ENGINE

92 complaints

25%

• 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 HAPPE
• ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AS I REDUCE SPEED, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATES WHEN I RELEASE THE BREAK TO START ACCELERATING AGAIN. THE ACCELERATION HAPPEN WHEN YOU ARE GOING AT SLOW SPEED. THE FIRST TIME I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP IT HAD HAPPENED IN 4 OCCASIONS AND I HAD ATRIBUTED THE INCIDENT TO LACK OF
• 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

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports

“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 HAPPE”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

62 complaints

17%

• 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 HAPPE
• 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 .
• 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 TR

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

41 complaints

11%

• SINCE CHRISTMAS, THE VEHICLE HAS HAD 8-10 OCCURRENCES IN WHICH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS GOING HAYWIRE. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LISTS ERRORS AND CODE FAILURES. AND THE VEHICLE CANNOT EVEN BE SHUT OFF. THERE IS NO CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THIS OCCURS, AND MANY OF THE 'ADD' ON SAFETY COMPONENTS (LANE ASSIST/ET
• I WAS PARALLEL PARKING MY CAR AND AFTER I GOT THE CAR IN THE SPACE WARNING LIGHTS STARTING COMING ON THE DASHBOARD. THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE; ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKE PROBLEM, EMISSIONS SYSTEM PROBLEM, BLIND SPOT INFO SYSTEM PROBLEM, TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING PROBLEM, TRANSMISSION SYSTEM PROBLEM. I TRI
• ACURA MDX 2017 BOUGHT BRAND NEW. HAS SHUT OFF COMPLETELY 5 TIMES IN THE LAST 60DAYS. 3 TIMES IN THE LAST 2 DAYS. COME TO A STOP, ENTIRE CAR SHUTS OFF ALONG WITH ELECTRONICS. OCCURED THE LAST THREE TIMES AT AN INTERSECTION WAITING TO TURN LEFT OR AT A RED LIGHT. . CAN'T MOVE. HAVE TO RESTART THE CAR.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 1 crashes

“SINCE CHRISTMAS, THE VEHICLE HAS HAD 8-10 OCCURRENCES IN WHICH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS GOING HAYWIRE. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LISTS ERRORS AND CODE FAILURES. AND THE VEHICLE CANNOT EVEN BE SHUT OFF. THERE IS NO CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THIS OCCURS, AND MANY OF THE 'ADD' ON SAFETY COMPONENTS (LANE ASSIST/ET”

— NHTSA complaint filing

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS

39 complaints

11%

• 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;
• INCIDENT #2 DRIVING DOWN CITY STREET APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION. NO CAR IN FRONT AND NO CAR BEHIND. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION THE CAR AUTO BRAKES TO A COMPLETE STOP BEFORE RELEASING BACK TO NORMAL. IF A CAR WERE BEHIND ME I WOULD HAVE MOST SURELY BEEN REAR ENDED.
• DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 80 MPH AND AS I WAS ROUNDING A BAND THE CAR AUTOMATICALLY STARTED BREAKING WITH NO CARS IN FRONT OF ME. THE CAR ALMOST CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP BEFORE IT OUT OF ALLEVIATED THE BREAKING AND ALLOWED ME TO CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“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;”

— NHTSA complaint filing

SPEED CONTROL

33 complaints

• 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 HAPPE
• THE 2017 ACURA MDX WILL ACCELERATE WITHOUT YOUR CONTROL AND SURGES OR LURCHES WHEN YOU STEP ON THE GAS ALMOST HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF YOU. ACURA IS AWARE OF THIS AND SAYS IT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 6 SPEED TRANSMISSIONS OF THEIR OLDER CARS AND THE NEW 9 SPEED TRANSMISSION BUT THEY WILL NOT
• ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AS I REDUCE SPEED, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATES WHEN I RELEASE THE BREAK TO START ACCELERATING AGAIN. THE ACCELERATION HAPPEN WHEN YOU ARE GOING AT SLOW SPEED. THE FIRST TIME I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP IT HAD HAPPENED IN 4 OCCASIONS AND I HAD ATRIBUTED THE INCIDENT TO LACK OF

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS(~50K mi)

$500

SPEED CONTROL(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 365 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ENGINE: 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 HAPPE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
TRANSMISSION: 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 HAPPE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: SINCE CHRISTMAS, THE VEHICLE HAS HAD 8-10 OCCURRENCES IN WHICH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS GOING HAYWIRE. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LISTS ERRORS AND CODE FAILURES. AND THE VEHICLE CANNOT EVEN BE SHUT OFF. THERE IS NO CRUISE CONTROL WHEN THIS OCCURS, AND MANY OF THE 'ADD' ON SAFETY COMPONENTS (LANE ASSIST/ET
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS: 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;
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)