2012 Acura Mdx problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (16) · Power Train (12) · Air Bags (8)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Acura Mdx model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
46 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (1)
Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly 2012-02-17 · campaign 12V063000 · 8,709 vehicles
Defect: HONDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 PILOT AND ACURA MDX VEHICLES. THE VENT SHUT FLOAT (VSF) VALVE CASE IN THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY DOES NOT MEET THE DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS.
Risk: AS A RESULT, FUEL MAY LEAK FROM THE TANK, INCREASING THE RISK OF FIRE.
Fix: HONDA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VSF ASSEMBLY DATE AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 13, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-999-1009.
Service bulletins (87)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:emission Control:catalytic Convertor 2020-06-03 · DOR-M9J4S-07 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
these skus are exhaust manifolds with catalytic converters. the customer communication requested return of unsold inventory due to a loss of carb certification. these skus can no longer be sold as they do not meet carb standards, but parts on vehicles are not effected.
Engine And Engine Cooling 2019-10-02 · B19-052 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
service bulletin - due to high demand for repairs under this warranty extension, pistons and rings required to complete this repair are currently backordered. acura has provided this service bulletin (19-052) as a mechanism to cover clients that were not able to have repairs completed during the ini
Engine And Engine Cooling 2019-08-31 · BBOM08312019 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
dealer message - on january 16, 2019, acura announced a warranty extension for certain 2009-14 acura vehicles equipped with a 3.7l v6 engine to address client concerns related to excessive oil consumption. acura extended the powertrain warranty coverage to address engine issues related to excessive
Engine And Engine Cooling 2019-08-10 · B19-006 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
service bulletin - the oil control rings may become clogged with carbon deposits. these deposits restrict the ring's ability to scrape and return oil from the cylinder wall to the crankcase, which can result in excessive engine oil consumption that may exceed client expectations.
Engine And Engine Cooling 2019-05-18 · B19-006 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
service bulletin - the oil control rings may become clogged with carbon deposits. these deposits restrict the ring's ability to scrape and return oil from the cylinder wall to the crankcase, which can result in excessive engine oil consumption that may exceed client expectations.
Engine 2019-04-30 · B18-009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
service bulletin - the oil control rings may become clogged with carbon deposits. these deposits restrict the ring's ability to scrape and return oil from the cylinder wall to the crankcase, which can result in excessive engine oil consumption that may exceed client expectations. to increase client
Showing the 6 most recent of 87 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-07-16 · Structure:body“i have a 2012 mdx and it burns an extreme amount of oil. we took our mdx back to the dealership where we purchased it and had the oil issue fixed. or so we thought. the problem was supposed to be fixed 3 months ago but the car is still burning a lot of oil. we have to add oil every 2 weeks. we did not drive the car much after "getting the oil is…”
2026-07-08 · Unknown Or Other“i bought a 2012 silver acura mdx on march 3rd in 2022 from our local acura dealership. exterior paint was great, hardly any dings, scratches anywhere. i spent over $20,000 for this used car and as of the past two years, the clear coat has worn out in various places on front hood, near the moon roof, near the rear side door windows, near the rack on…”
2026-07-08 · Engine“2012 acura mdx burns extreme amounts of oil between oil changes. typically a warning indicator comes on about 1,000 miles before oil change is due. i continue to refill oil between oil changes. …”
2026-05-21 · Unknown Or Other“our car eats a ton of oil and the piston rings failed, we owe a lot on it and i'm told there is no help for this issue even though there used to be because we are outside the guidelines in terms of mileage and purchase date. our car has 156k its a 2012 mdx. vin [xxx] . just checking with everyone everywhere to make sure i've exhausted all resources…”
2025-08-27 · Engine“oil consumption/burning cylinder rings…”
2025-04-22 · Electrical System:instrument Panel:speedometer/Odometer · 159,000 mi“odometer fraud. the contact purchased a 2012 acura mdx. the contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. the vehicle was a dealer sale. at the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 126,000 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 159,000.…”
2025-03-22 · Other/I Am Not Sure“does not have anchor for the seat. a recall was placed by nhtsa …”
2025-02-12 · Engine And Engine Cooling“see attached document for complaint.…”
2025-02-03 · Engine“on 11/30/24 i heard a slight whirling sound while driving. on 12/1/24 i drove from point a towards my home. along the way the oil light flashed. i stopped at advance auto parts, 15 miles from point a. i checked the oil and it read as it should on the dip stick. no oil was needed. i drove straight home, a distance of 30 miles, and parked the car. wh…”
2024-01-24 · Power Train“the engine consistently consumes too much oil between service events. the low oil light comes on. i had this problem for over 8 years and the dealership said it was not a problem until now and they want me to pay for it. the oil control rings have been clogged since 2016 and progressively gotten worse. the clogged rings cause restriction of oil…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.