Acura
Acura MDX years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2016 and 2020. Best years: 2023 and 2024.
The 2016 and 2020 Acura MDX draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2016 has 374 complaints (34 for each year on the road) and 2020 has 221 complaints (32 for each year on the road), against a median of 21 a year across the 10 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2016 is engine failure (94 reports).
- 1,590complaints
- 21recall campaigns
- 8model years with a page
Newest report Sep 28, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2016
Most reported: engine failure (94 reports, median 96,000 miles) and stalling (82 reports, median 70,000 miles).
2020
Most reported: stalling (60 reports, median 48,193 miles) and engine failure (24 reports, median 86,000 miles).
Best years
2023
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2024
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid. Too new to judge: 2025.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2016 has the most complaints of any Acura MDX year here: 374 of 1,590 (24%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Stalling leads in 4 of the 8 model years and has the most reports overall, 289. Pooled across the years, half of the 113 owners who gave a mileage for stalling were under about 48,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 4% of Acura MDX complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2014, 12 of its 126 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- 5 of the 6 model years where owners report stalling have a recall on the same system. The 2025 has none. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Complaints are still climbing. 2025 brought 324, the most of any year so far. So far in 2026, 356 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: Mr.choppers, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Third generation
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 126 | 10 | 9 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (15) | 40,000 |
| 2016 avoid | 374 | 34 | 7 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (94) | 49,000 |
| 2017 | 255 | 26 | 8 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (52) | 44,000 |
| 2018 | 166 | 18 | 10 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (21) | 40,000 |
| 2019 | 188 | 24 | 9 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (35) | 35,000 |
| 2020 avoid | 221 | 32 | 8 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (60) | 45,000 |
Photo: Mr.choppers, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2015 (67), 2023 (39), 2024 (39).
Year by year
2025 Acura MDX
107 owner complaints so far; too new to call. Most reported: stalling (48 reports), dead battery (20 reports) and auto start-stop failure (18 reports). 2 reports involved a crash and 5 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 26V-332 on the airbags and 25V-391 on the brakes.
2022 Acura MDX
153 owner complaints, 31 for each year on the road (1.5 times the model median). Most reported: drivetrain problems (42 reports, median 80,000 miles), brake wear (18 reports) and transmission shudder (17 reports). 6 reports involved a crash and 4 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 26V-332 on the airbags and 24V-064 on the airbags.
2020 Acura MDX avoid
221 owner complaints, 32 for each year on the road (1.5 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (60 reports, median 48,193 miles), engine failure (24 reports, median 86,000 miles) and driver assist (19 reports). 4 reports involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. 8 recalls, including 23V-858 on the fuel system and 23V-751 on the engine.
2019 Acura MDX
188 owner complaints, 24 for each year on the road (1.1 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (35 reports, median 42,000 miles), dead battery (13 reports) and driver assist (13 reports). 4 reports involved a crash and 3 people were hurt. 9 recalls, including 23V-858 on the fuel system and 23V-751 on the engine.
2018 Acura MDX
166 owner complaints, 18 for each year on the road (0.9 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (21 reports), infotainment (16 reports, median 12,000 miles) and driver assist (16 reports). 3 reports involved a crash and 3 people were hurt. 10 recalls, including 23V-858 on the fuel system and 23V-751 on the engine.
2017 Acura MDX
255 owner complaints, 26 for each year on the road (1.2 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (52 reports, median 110,000 miles), stalling (43 reports, median 67,589 miles) and transmission shudder (24 reports, median 36,000 miles). 7 reports involved a crash and 4 people were hurt. 8 recalls, including 23V-751 on the engine and 26V-365 on the structure.
2016 Acura MDX avoid
374 owner complaints, 34 for each year on the road (1.6 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (94 reports, median 96,000 miles), stalling (82 reports, median 70,000 miles) and misfire (47 reports, median 87,000 miles). 10 reports involved a crash and 5 people were hurt. 7 recalls, including 23V-751 on the engine and 26V-365 on the structure.
2014 Acura MDX
126 owner complaints, 10 for each year on the road (0.5 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (15 reports, median 14,200 miles), power steering loss (12 reports, median 45,000 miles) and tail light failure (10 reports). 8 reports involved a crash and 9 people were hurt. 9 recalls, including 26V-365 on the structure and 25V-259 on the exterior lighting.
Recalls that cover several model years
The rear subframe may corrode at the suspension mounting points, which can result in rear suspension component failure.
The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
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.
The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Due to a manufacturing error, the connecting rod bearing in the engine may wear and seize, damaging the engine.
Moisture may enter the tailgate lid lights, possibly causing a loss of the tailgate lid lights and the taillights.
Compare the MDX with its rivals
Side by side over the model years both have on file: what owners complain about, the mileage problems start at, recalls, investigations and crash reports.
- MDX vs Honda Pilot2014 to 2025
Questions
What Acura MDX years should you avoid?
The 2016 and 2020 Acura MDX draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2016 has 374 complaints (34 for each year on the road) and 2020 has 221 complaints (32 for each year on the road), against a median of 21 a year across the 10 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2016 is engine failure (94 reports).
What are the best years for the Acura MDX?
The 2023 and 2024 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2023 has 39 (10 a year) and 2024 has 39 (13 a year). Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Acura MDX?
Stalling, with 289 reports across the 8 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2025.
How many recalls does the Acura MDX have?
21 recall campaigns cover the Acura MDX model years 2014 to 2025 on this site. The widest, 23V-858 on the fuel system, covers 6 model years.
How many Acura MDX complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
4% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2014 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for stalling on the Acura MDX?
On 5 of the 6 model years where owners report it: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.