2023 Acura MDX Owner Complaints

-Alerts for all safety systems going offline appeared. Also said AWD is not working. Car would turn off with on push of ignition. -tailgate went haywire. When opening it just went up and down and halfway. Had to push it close Both issues went away, for now, after several restarts

11/9/2022

Safety systems failure . Awd lane keeping adaptive cruise automatic emergency brake tailgate can’t open . Est about 8 to 10 failure. And that is 2nd in a week . On march 4 same problem . Dealer said is a cable not plug tight . Got it back on Monday than happen again . Feel not safe when I driving it . Lucky was on local rd when happens .if high way might be a big diff .

3/12/2023

-Alerts for all safety systems going offline appeared. Also said AWD is not working. Car would turn off with on push of ignition. -tailgate went haywire. When opening it just went up and down and halfway. Had to push it close Both issues went away, for now, after several restarts

11/9/2022

Within a month of buying our 2023 mdx the rear parking sensor stopped working. When we took it to the dealer (10/23) they were unable to get the part. Car sat at dealer waiting on part but we finally decided to just get car back. Within a week of getting it back (12/23) I turned the car on one day and on the screen every system that could fail was flashing on the screen- brake system, power steering, parking assist, etc. The car was not draining correctly as all these alerts flashing. We finally had to get it towed to dealer (could not even get car in neutral to get onto tow truck). Still waiting on the rear sensor part to see if this fixes all the issues.

2/27/2024

I was maneuvering to park my car in a parking lot. Driving down the traffic lane of the parking lot, I slowed, braked and turned left 90 degrees into the parking space with my foot still on the brake. I reached the end of the parking space and prepared to shut the engine down. I remember looking at the shift console to find the park button when the car bolted forward. The car went over the concrete curb, clipping a tree and through bushes beyond the parking space. The car proceeded down the embankment of a dry retention basin, across rip rap stone of the basin then up the other bank to the next parking lot. I was pushing hard on the brake petal the entire time with no results. The car just kept moving forward. I’m now thinking “How am I going to stop this car before it enters the busy street ahead?”. Once in this second parking lot, with a bit of mental clarity, I purposely slid my foot across the brake petal a very little bit, right to left, confirming to myself that I had not been on the accelerator. I did not lift my foot off the pedal to reposition my foot. Somehow, I was able to stop the car, or the car stopped itself in this parking lot. I was lucky that nobody else was involved or injured and there was no additional property damage beyond my vehicle. At this time, I’m not sure I will be able to trust this car again. Have there been other incidences of this ‘Sudden Unintended Acceleration’ happening to other Acura owners? Can I expect this to happen again to me?

8/25/2023

I have had a on going issue with using the touch pad which controls the GPS navigation , mobile phone and FM & XM radio operation. Trying to use any of these while driving or even when the vehicle stopped on the side of the road is very dangerous . The display screen is not a touch screen like most vehicles. Only the driver can select options using the touch pad which is located between the passenger and drivers seat console. It's a very dangerous distraction as you have to spell out letters using your finger to find a location while using the navigation system . Also the pad is so sensitive it makes you repeat the letter over and over in order to find the location you are trying to type in. Also something as simple as changing the FM or XM radio station requires you to use the touch pad . While trying to use the touch pad it forces you to take your eyes off the road to operate the system. The same issue with the mobile phone which is controlled by the touch pad when connected. I understand the newer models have went back to a touch screen operation. I've complained to Accra customer service as has others , but they haven't taken any actions to correct the problem. Most owners of these vehicles are families with children and senior citizens. Hopefully the NHTSA will investigate this very dangerous situation and require ACCURA to replace the current system with a touch screen operation or the option to have both .

3/13/2025

When driving to town with family, drove over train tracks and all warning lights on dash came on and power steering was lost. I was going about 30 mpg and barely able to steer the vehicle to shoulder of road in a populated neighborhood. My wife and kids were really scared and i was glad this didn't happen in a much busier area. The warning lights were: Adaptive Cruise Control, parking brake, Lane keep assist, All Wheel Drive, electric power steering, collision mitigation, trailer stability assist, and low speed breaking. Reading multiple reports online [XXX] etc.), others have reported the same failure and issues with their 2022/2023 MDX, likely being caused by a faulty wheel speed sensor. If my wife was diving i would fear she would be unable to steer the vehicle to safety. i have not taken to the dealer yet. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

9/4/2023

I bought the car in March 2023 and took the car for maintenance of 5k at Acura dealership at north Orlando and after that the car came never the same. The car is making so much noise skewing and clicking noise every time you turn the streering wheel. The dealership said the noise is from nuts and bolt and they did change it and noise became more loud 2nd time they said it is the front break and they did change it and the noise still the same and more of clicking noise with every tire turns . I do have a video but I could not upload it. Then for 3rd time and car been sitting at dealership for a month now they said this noise is normal and happens with all Acura MDX models. The Loaner I have is an MDX that never makes any noise . The car was running perfectly fine before the maintenance. Now noise and steering wheel 🛞 very loose and does not feel the same as before and you can hear 2 different noises in car one with breaks on and one with car or park and just Turing the steering wheels. So unbelievable that the damaged my car and I barely have mileage on it and changing all of those parts and when they came to a point that they can’t solve the issue they are saying it is a normal noise. Is it in car manual ? Why you changed all those parts to start with if that car and noise were normal? Too many questions and hidden parts for the dealership and Acura manufacture they just know half of the story and only listen to dealerships. I don’t feel safe driving the car with all of those issues and having two kids with me all the time.

9/28/2023

I bought the car in March 2023 and took the car for maintenance of 5k at Acura dealership at north Orlando and after that the car came never the same. The car is making so much noise skewing and clicking noise every time you turn the streering wheel. The dealership said the noise is from nuts and bolt and they did change it and noise became more loud 2nd time they said it is the front break and they did change it and the noise still the same and more of clicking noise with every tire turns . I do have a video but I could not upload it. Then for 3rd time and car been sitting at dealership for a month now they said this noise is normal and happens with all Acura MDX models. The Loaner I have is an MDX that never makes any noise . The car was running perfectly fine before the maintenance. Now noise and steering wheel 🛞 very loose and does not feel the same as before and you can hear 2 different noises in car one with breaks on and one with car or park and just Turing the steering wheels. So unbelievable that the damaged my car and I barely have mileage on it and changing all of those parts and when they came to a point that they can’t solve the issue they are saying it is a normal noise. Is it in car manual ? Why you changed all those parts to start with if that car and noise were normal? Too many questions and hidden parts for the dealership and Acura manufacture they just know half of the story and only listen to dealerships. I don’t feel safe driving the car with all of those issues and having two kids with me all the time.

9/28/2023

LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKING ASSIST REDUCED. My spouse was driving our 2023 MDX approximately 45mph when she ran over a recessed manhole cover which created a bump. The MDX lossed power steering and brake performance reduced. The vehicle was very difficult to turn at that point. The car began to cycle through errors that would not clear until the car's engine could be stopped and restarted: HILL START ASSIST PROBLEM, TRAILER STABILITY ASSIST PROBLEM, ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL PROBLEM, LANE KEEPING ASSIST PROBLEM, COLLISION MITIGATION BRAKING SYSTEM PROBLEM, ROAD DEPARTURE MITIGATION SYSTEM PROBLEM, LOW SPEED BRAKING SYSTEM PROBLEM, ELECTRICAL POWER STEERING SYSTEM PROBLEM STEERING ASSIST IS NOT AVAILABLE DO NOT DRIVE, AWD SYSTEM PROBLEM FRONT WHEELS MAY ONLY BE POWERED, BRAKE SYSTEM PROBLEM BRAKE PERFORMANCE MAY BE REDUCED. All these errors said SEE YOUR DEALER. We took the vehicle in to our local Acura dealer's service department 2 times over the course of 3 days. Both times diagnostics were ran and the car was deemed without problem. The MDX's alignment was ok as well, so the impact of the road hazard was NOT severe.

9/8/2025

The automatic transmission on the vehicle failed without warning. Vehicle was driven on the highway without issues; exited highway to a city street, stopped at a stop light, and turned onto another street. Upon turn onto another street, transmission did not upshift as it should; it was noticed the engine was revving high, but transmission did not shift. Tried to manually shift, with no luck. There were no warning lights or messages present at any time. Vehicle was stopped in a safe area and turned off, restarted, and tried again. Transmission still would not shift correctly; when it tried to shift, it would clunk, and it sounded like something dragging under the vehicle. Drove vehicle home and parked it. Later when transmission was shifted into gear, it did not move, and made a terrible clunking noise, then a squealing sound. Called dealer and had vehicle towed in for inspection. After inspection, manufacturer replaced failed transmission under warranty. Per dealer rep, transmission failed, and registered two internal codes, one for incorrect gear ratio, and other for torque converter issue. While the codes registered internal, unfortunately there were no warnings issued to driver. Safety was put at risk because if the failure happened while on the highway three miles earlier, there was no warning to driver who was driving in heavy traffic, and they may have been involved in an accident. The only reason the driver was aware of the issue was because they could hear the engine revving high, and they pulled over to inspect. A less experienced driver may not notice the same issues. Additionally, it's concerning that transmission codes were stored internally but did not trip any transmission issues or loss of power warning; this could prevent drivers from noticing issues prior to failure. Lastly, the vehicle health report we received from Acura on 12/31 (and states as of 12/12, day after failure), stated there are no transmission issues present.

1/3/2025

I hear a high-pitched whistle when I the speed reaches around 57-63MPH. I've taken it to the dealer a couple of times, and they said it's normal. I am really disappointed that Acura didn't fix it...

3/15/2025

The contact owns a 2023 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the brake pedal was spongy whenever depressed. The contact stated that the brake pedal would depress to the floorboard. There was no warning light illuminated. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer on three separate occasions. The brake reservoir and brake reservoir cap were replaced under warranty; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was given a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.

3/23/2023

The contact owns a 2023 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving and depressing the accelerator pedal, the pedal unintendedly travelled down to the floorboard, causing the vehicle to unintendedly accelerate. The contact stated that the vehicle exceeded 95 MPH while driving in a 25 MPH zone. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to stop while depressing the brake pedal and drove through a red traffic light. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where an Acura engineer flew in to examine the vehicle. The engineer determined that the driver's side floor mat was faulty, and the floor mat was replaced; however, the failure recurred on three separate occasions and lasted approximately 40 seconds. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 4,000.

7/31/2025

While driving at approximately 25 mph with no vehicle in front of me and no objects in the road ahead of me, the automatic braking system suddenly and unexpectedly engaged and brought my vehicle to a near stop. This was sudden and unexpected and the vehicle behind me nearly collided with my vehicle. It also caused my head/neck to jolt forward and while I did not sustain an injury it was a significant “jolt”. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. My safety and the safety of others was put at risk by my vehicle suddenly and unexpectedly braking automatically for no reason. This issue could easily cause collisions and injure me, my passengers, and occupants of vehicles driving behind my vehicle who may not be able to slow down or stop in my time when my vehicle automatically brakes suddenly and without warning, for no apparent reason. The problem has not yet been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. The vehicle or component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. When the brakes suddenly engaged, the “Brake” warning flashed on the driver panel/screen in a yellow/orange color. There were no other warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the automatic braking system suddenly engaging for no reason.

10/1/2024

I have taken my vehicle to the Acura service department three times for this issue. Each time, they were unable to find a fault code or permanent fix. They have repositioned the front camera and removed an Acura sticker from the windshield, but the problem continues to occur at random. The service department said diagnostic tests show no error, yet the system still triggers false collision warnings. I’m concerned about the safety of driving a vehicle whose collision avoidance system malfunctions without warning. This issue has occurred on city streets and highways, in clear weather, at various speeds. The alerts come on suddenly with no obstruction ahead. Acura has not provided a permanent fix, and I feel unsafe driving the vehicle. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether this is a common defect in 2023 Acura MDX models.

10/28/2025

-Alerts for all safety systems going offline appeared. Also said AWD is not working. Car would turn off with on push of ignition. -tailgate went haywire. When opening it just went up and down and halfway. Had to push it close Both issues went away, for now, after several restarts

11/9/2022

Fuel leak from gas tank due to a retainer clip for engine supply fuel line not installed during assembly. Vehicle would not start because of this and fuel leaked excessively from the top of gas tank.

3/11/2023

When driving to town with family, drove over train tracks and all warning lights on dash came on and power steering was lost. I was going about 30 mpg and barely able to steer the vehicle to shoulder of road in a populated neighborhood. My wife and kids were really scared and i was glad this didn't happen in a much busier area. The warning lights were: Adaptive Cruise Control, parking brake, Lane keep assist, All Wheel Drive, electric power steering, collision mitigation, trailer stability assist, and low speed breaking. Reading multiple reports online [XXX] etc.), others have reported the same failure and issues with their 2022/2023 MDX, likely being caused by a faulty wheel speed sensor. If my wife was diving i would fear she would be unable to steer the vehicle to safety. i have not taken to the dealer yet. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

9/4/2023

I bought the car in March 2023 and took the car for maintenance of 5k at Acura dealership at north Orlando and after that the car came never the same. The car is making so much noise skewing and clicking noise every time you turn the streering wheel. The dealership said the noise is from nuts and bolt and they did change it and noise became more loud 2nd time they said it is the front break and they did change it and the noise still the same and more of clicking noise with every tire turns . I do have a video but I could not upload it. Then for 3rd time and car been sitting at dealership for a month now they said this noise is normal and happens with all Acura MDX models. The Loaner I have is an MDX that never makes any noise . The car was running perfectly fine before the maintenance. Now noise and steering wheel 🛞 very loose and does not feel the same as before and you can hear 2 different noises in car one with breaks on and one with car or park and just Turing the steering wheels. So unbelievable that the damaged my car and I barely have mileage on it and changing all of those parts and when they came to a point that they can’t solve the issue they are saying it is a normal noise. Is it in car manual ? Why you changed all those parts to start with if that car and noise were normal? Too many questions and hidden parts for the dealership and Acura manufacture they just know half of the story and only listen to dealerships. I don’t feel safe driving the car with all of those issues and having two kids with me all the time.

9/28/2023

See attached document for complaint.

12/5/2024

I have a 2023 Acura mdx type s advanced with 16k miles on it and the front driver seat at the bolster is starting to separate and many other owners is having this same issue on their type s models I attached multiple pictures of my seat which is the white seat and other owners seats

3/27/2025

Bought the car brand new, at only 10k miles, found out that the fender liner is falling off from the frame. During the rain, it gets heavier and pulls further down. Eventually fabric will fall off and will hit the tire while driving and possibly cause an accident. Tried to get it fixed by Acura dealership but they're saying it cannot be fixed because it's manufacturing defect.

5/6/2025

The contact owns a 2023 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, on a rough road, the "Brake" warning light illuminated, then several warning lights illuminated. In addition, the contact stated the vehicle went into LIMP Mode and failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the steering wheel failed to function as intended. The contact was able to pull into a parking lot. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, and was diagnosed that the wheel sensor had failed, and the calibration was not fully completed by the manufacturer. The vehicle was calibrated, and test driven with a 67-mile drive, and an unknown sensor was replaced. The contact picked up the vehicle and became aware that the "Lane Departure Warning / Drift Lane Assistance" sensor was deactivated. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving 40 MPH, the failure occurred. The vehicle went LIMP Mode and failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The contact was informed that the vehicle needed two system updates. The contact was unsure if the updates had been performed. The contact picked up the vehicle and became aware that the "Blind Spot Sensor" had been deactivated. The contact had not given permission for the deactivation. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 14,907.

6/24/2025

The contact owns a 2023 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving and depressing the accelerator pedal, the pedal unintendedly travelled down to the floorboard, causing the vehicle to unintendedly accelerate. The contact stated that the vehicle exceeded 95 MPH while driving in a 25 MPH zone. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to stop while depressing the brake pedal and drove through a red traffic light. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where an Acura engineer flew in to examine the vehicle. The engineer determined that the driver's side floor mat was faulty, and the floor mat was replaced; however, the failure recurred on three separate occasions and lasted approximately 40 seconds. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 4,000.

7/31/2025

The contact owns a 2023 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving and depressing the accelerator pedal, the pedal unintendedly travelled down to the floorboard, causing the vehicle to unintendedly accelerate. The contact stated that the vehicle exceeded 95 MPH while driving in a 25 MPH zone. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to stop while depressing the brake pedal and drove through a red traffic light. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where an Acura engineer flew in to examine the vehicle. The engineer determined that the driver's side floor mat was faulty, and the floor mat was replaced; however, the failure recurred on three separate occasions and lasted approximately 40 seconds. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 4,000.

7/31/2025

My 2023 Acura (VIN# [XXX] ) has experienced two separate incidents of sudden, total power loss while driving. In both cases, all dashboard warning lights came on, including the brake light, and the vehicle reduced speed to 20 mph and would not accelerate. The first incident occurred while I was driving on a 55 mph expressway, creating a major safety hazard. I had to maneuver to safety in high-speed traffic. The second incident occurred under similar conditions. The dealer has been unable to resolve the issue. I am filing this report to document the safety risk for investigation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

8/7/2025