2018 Acura Mdx problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Fuel System, Gasoline (22) · Power Train (17) · Fuel/Propulsion System (16)
🧭 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
41 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (10)
Suspension:rear 2026-06-04 · campaign 26V365000 · 965,561 vehicles
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,
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.
Fix: 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) in
Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger 2026-05-21 · campaign 26V332000 · 98,892 vehicles
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 ma
Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Interior Lighting 2025-04-17 · campaign 25V259000 · 152,800 vehicles
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.
Risk: Vehicle lights that fail to illuminate can decrease visibility and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump 2023-12-18 · campaign 23V858000 · 2,490,460 vehicles
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.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:hard Parts Internal/Mechanical 2023-11-13 · campaign 23V751000 · 248,999 vehicles
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.
Risk: A damaged engine may run improperly or stall while driving, increasing the risk of a fire, crash, or injury.
Fix: 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 Apr
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline:belts And Associated Pulleys 2019-04-12 · campaign 19V298000 · 93,946 vehicles
Defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Acura MDX and Honda Pilot vehicles and 2019 Acura RLX, RLX Sport Hybrid, TLX and Honda Odyssey and Ridgeline vehicles. The timing belt teeth may separate from the belt.
Risk: Teeth separation from the timing belt may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of crash.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle and replace any affected timing belt free of charge. Vehicles receiving a replacement timing belt will also have the engine inspected and any damaged components will be replaced for free. The recall began June 7, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is L4M. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is Z4L.
Exterior Lighting 2019-03-28 · campaign 19V256000 · 322,897 vehicles
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.
Risk: Loss of the taillights reduces the vehicle's visibility, increasing the risk of crash.
Fix: 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.
Fuel System, Other:delivery:fuel Pump 2019-01-29 · campaign 19V060000 · 437,032 vehicles
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.
Risk: Reduced fuel pump performance can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of crash.
Fix: 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.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:caliper 2018-11-01 · campaign 18V777000 · 64,785 vehicles
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."
Risk: A reduction of braking performance increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Seats 2018-04-05 · campaign 18V221000 · 5,810 vehicles
Defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018 Honda Pilot and Ridgeline vehicles and 2018 Acura MDX vehicles. The front driver and passenger powered seats in the Honda vehicles and the driver powered seats in the Acura vehicles may have been assembled with improperly manufactured rivets. In the event of a crash, the rivets can break causing the seats not to be secured to the floor. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety St
Risk: In the event of a crash, if the seat does not remain secured to the floor, the seat occupant has an increased risk of injury.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver seat frame assembly in Acura MDX vehicles, and replace the driver and front passenger seat slide rail frames in Honda Pilot and Ridgeline vehicles, free of charge. The recall began May 30, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall is D0S, and T0T.
Service bulletins (139)
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.
Fuel/Propulsion System 2026-01-31 · ONL6AX01302026 · Other
owner notification letter - under certain circumstances, after coming to a stop and the idle stop feature engaging, the vehicle may not automatically restart. acura is providing a product update with a new pgm-fi software update to fix this issue.
Visibility/Wiper 2025-09-04 · B25-003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
service bulletin - an uneven sealing surface allows moisture to enter the inner taillight(s), causing one or both of the inner taillights not to work.
Visibility/Wiper 2025-07-09 · B25-003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
service bulletin - an uneven sealing surface allows moisture to enter the inner taillight(s), causing one or both of the inner taillights not to work.
Engine 2025-07-07 · B23-002 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
service bulletin - under certain circumstances, after coming to a stop and engaging idle stop the vehicle may not restart automatically due to excessive cylinder pressure and/or low cranking torque. typically, the client can immediately restart the vehicle by selecting park and pressing the engine s
Exterior Lighting 2025-06-05 · ONL6L806042025 Form · Other
owner notification letter - an uneven sealing surface allows moisture to enter the inner taillight(s), causing one or both of the inner taillights not to work.
Exterior Lighting 2025-06-05 · ONL6L806042025 Letter · Other
owner notification letter - an uneven sealing surface allows moisture to enter the inner taillight(s), causing one or both of the inner taillights not to work.
Showing the 6 most recent of 139 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-06 · Electrical System:instrument Panel:speedometer/Odometer · 277,000 mi“odometer fraud. the contact purchased a 2018 acura mdx on august 26, 2026. while registering the vehicle, the contact was informed that the previous title indicated that the odometer was reported at 277,000. the vehicle was a private sale. at the time of purchase, the mileage was 77,000.…”
2026-09-29 · Fuel System, Gasoline · 136,000 mi“the contact owns a 2018 acura mdx. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power but was able to restart. on another occasion, while the contact's husband was driving 10 mph, the vehicle lost motive power in the middle of the highway. the vehicle was unable to restart, and the contact's husband had to …”
2026-09-28 · Unknown Or Other“hi i'm very disappointed because my 2018 acura mdx got stolen on 8/11/25.. unbelievable because got stolen from my driveway and i had a keys ..also it was super quick because my neighbors camera recorded the moment.. i need some recompensation because it's unbelievable how weak security acura mdx and tlx has because last saturday my son's 2020 acu…”
2026-09-14 · Lane Departure: Assist“the vehicle was being driven and the dashboard was lit up with all the systems in error related to acc (adaptive cruise control)…”
2026-09-01 · Seats“driver seat rocking. acura stated 2018 recall for this issue was vin number specific and does not include my vehicle however this is the issue with my driver seat. they advise repairs at my expense.…”
2026-08-24 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 87,000 mi“the contact owns a 2018 acura mdx. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle went into limp mode and failed to exceed 35-60 mph. the check engine warning light was flashing. the driver pulled over to the side of the road. the vehicle was restarted, reset, and operated as intended. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, wher…”
2026-08-09 · Lane Departure: Warning“the car has started with an auto high beam, lane assist, lane departure, crash mitigation, adaptive cruise lights coming on one after the other noting there are issues with the systems and they are disabled. code is u3000 using a scanner noting multipurpose camera unit internal electronic failure. sometimes the code will clear, and sometimes not.…”
2026-07-24 · Lane Departure: Warning“i am writing to report an urgent safety concern regarding my 2018 acura mdx tech sh-awd. upon starting the vehicle, all primary acurawatch driver-assist systems suffered a total failure. the center display continuously cycles through four warnings: collision mitigation system problem adaptive cruise control problem lane keeping assist problem r…”
2026-07-21 · Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings“supplemental — reference odi 11742372 follow-up to odi 11742372, 2018 acura mdx, vin 5j8yd3h33jl******. intermittent multipurpose camera failure, dtc u3000-49, causing simultaneous loss of cmbs, acc, lkas, and rdm. the defect remains unresolved and i have been unable to obtain diagnosis or repair through acura's authorized service network. acura…”
2026-07-10 · Power Train“transmission failed and light appeared. speed reduced from 30 to 15. acura stated they had to reset computer system and claimed when they started the car no lights shown and was able to reverse car. i was unable to reverse car, struggled and tugged feeling in the car. this is the 2nd time and they always repeat same solution no lights appeared an…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.