Acura

MDX (YD3)

2014-2020 · Compact SUV · 4 engines
Best Engine Recommended (4.8)
1,336 NHTSA Complaints
17 Recalls
18 Fire Reports
41 Crash Reports

Engine Reliability Comparison

S61 - Y61

2.0L / 117 hp
Recommended (4.8)
1 complaint 1.0 per year Electric
View details

Complaint Breakdown

transmission
1

Known Issues

Transmission Issues (1 complaints)

Also found in

MITSUBISHI Outlander Sport (2011-2025)MITSUBISHI Outlander Phev (2018-2018)MITSUBISHI Outlander Phev (2019-2019)MITSUBISHI Outlander (2014-2021)ACURA MDX (2014-2020)

J37A1

3.7L 6-cyl / 300 hp
Recommended (4.8)
1 complaint 1.0 per year Gasoline
View details

Complaint Breakdown

body
1

Known Issues

Body/Trim Issues (1 complaints)

Also found in

ACURA RDX (2007-2012)ACURA MDX (2007-2013)ACURA MDX (2014-2020)ACURA MDX (2001-2006)

JNA2

3.0L 6-cyl / 321 hp
Recommended (3.9)
24 complaints 6.0 per year Gasoline
View details

Complaint Breakdown

fuel system
9
transmission
8
other
4
electrical
4
safety systems
2

Known Issues

Fuel System Issues (9 complaints)
Transmission Issues (8 complaints)
Electrical System Issues (4 complaints)

Also found in

ACURA MDX (2014-2020)

J35Y5

3.5L 6-cyl / 290 hp
Avoid (1.5)
1,210 complaints 172.9 per year Gasoline
17 fire reports
View details

Complaint Breakdown

engine
447
transmission
258
electrical
209
fuel system
152
other
133

Known Issues

Engine Issues (447 complaints)
Transmission Issues (258 complaints)
Electrical System Issues (209 complaints)

Also found in

ACURA MDX (2007-2013)ACURA RDX (2013-2018)ACURA MDX (2022-2025)ACURA MDX (2026-2026)ACURA MDX (2014-2020)

Vehicle-Level Issues

These issues affect the Acura MDX regardless of engine variant.

Engine Issues (447 complaints)
engine serious
Transmission Issues (267 complaints)
transmission serious
Electrical System Issues (213 complaints)
electrical serious
Fuel System Issues (161 complaints)
fuel_system serious
Safety Systems Issues (121 complaints)
safety_systems serious

Recalls (17)

25V259000Apr 16, 2025serious
Exterior Lighting

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.

24V064000Jan 1, 2024serious
Air Bags

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.

23V458000Jun 28, 2023serious
Service Brakes

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Civic, 2020-2023 Ridgeline, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot, and 2020 Acura MDX vehicles. The tie rod fastener that connects the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been improperly assembled during manufacturing, which can cause the brake master cylinder to separate from the booster assembly.

23V858000Dec 17, 2023serious
Fuel System

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.

23V751000Nov 12, 2023serious
Engine & Cooling

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.

21V215000Mar 24, 2021serious
Fuel System

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Acura MDX, MDX Sport Hybrid, RDX, TLX, Honda Accord, Civic Hatchback, Insight, 2019 Acura ILX, Honda Accord Hybrid, Civic Coupe, Civic Coupe Si, Civic Sedan, Civic Sedan Si, Civic Type R, Fit, HR-V, Odyssey, Passport, Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 CR-V vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

19V060000Jan 28, 2019serious
Fuel System, Other

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.

19V256000Mar 27, 2019serious
Exterior Lighting

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.

19V298000Dec 3, 2019serious
Engine & Cooling

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.

18V221000May 3, 2018serious
Seats

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 Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems," and 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."

18V777000Jan 10, 2018serious
Service Brakes

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."

16V417000Sep 5, 2016serious
Fuel System

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2015 Acura MDX 2WD and MDX 4WD vehicles, 2016 Acura MDX 4WD vehicles, 2015-2016 Honda Odyssey vehicles, and 2016 Honda Pilot 2WD and 4WD vehicles. The affected vehicles have fuel tanks that were manufactured with insufficient welds which may separate and allow fuel to leak out.

15V301000May 19, 2015serious
Forward Collision Avoidance

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Acura MDX 2WD and AWD, RLX and 2014 Acura RLX Hybrid vehicles. In certain driving conditions, the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) may incorrectly interpret certain roadside objects such as metal fences or metal guardrails as obstacles and unexpectedly apply the brakes.

15V417000Jan 6, 2015cosmetic
Equipment

American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Acura MDX and MDX AWD vehicles manufactured April 23, 2013, to December 16, 2014. The affected vehicles have air conditioning compressor clutch drive bolts that may not have received the proper anti-corrosion coating.

14V639000Oct 9, 2014serious
Seat Belts

American Honda Motor Company (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Acura MDX vehicles manufactured April 23, 2013, to August 25, 2014, and 2014 Acura RLX vehicles manufactured November 5, 2012, to November 25, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the driver and front passenger seat belt may not extend or retract in low temperatures.

13E040000Jul 21, 2013serious
Electrical System

American Honda Motor Co. is recalling certain Trailer Hitch Harness Kits, Part Number 08L91-TZ5-200. These kits are for use in 2014 model year Acura MDX vehicles. The trailer hitch kit has a subharness that is incorrectly wired such that there may be no power supplied to an accessory trailer brake controller.

13V571000Nov 13, 2013serious
Powertrain

American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2014 Acura MDX AWD vehicles manufactured May 6, 2013, through October 14, 2013. The bolts that attach the drive shaft to the automatic transmission transfer assembly may not have been properly tightened. As a result, the bolts could loosen possibly allowing the shaft to detach.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most common 2014-2020 Acura MDX problems?

The 2014-2020 Acura MDX has accumulated 1,336 NHTSA complaints. The most frequently reported problem areas are Engine, Transmission, Electrical System. As with any used vehicle, a pre-purchase inspection and vehicle history report are recommended.

Which Acura MDX engine is most reliable?

The 2014-2020 Acura MDX was offered with 4 engine options. Based on NHTSA complaint data, the 3.474057568L 6-cyl has the lowest complaint density and is considered the most reliable choice for buyers.

Is the 2014-2020 Acura MDX a good used car?

The 2014-2020 Acura MDX can be a solid used car purchase depending on trim, mileage, and maintenance history. With 1,336 total NHTSA complaints on record, prospective buyers should review the known problem areas and check for open recalls before buying.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2014-2020 Acura MDX have?

The 2014-2020 Acura MDX has 1,336 complaints filed with NHTSA as of our latest data pull. Complaint counts reflect owner-reported issues and do not necessarily indicate defects or safety risks on their own.

What recalls affect the 2014-2020 Acura MDX?

There are 17 NHTSA recalls affecting some 2014-2020 Acura MDX vehicles. Recall status varies by VIN — check the NHTSA recall database at recalls.nhtsa.dot.gov with your specific VIN to confirm which campaigns apply.

What should I check before buying a used Acura MDX?

Before buying a used Acura MDX, verify all open recalls are completed via the NHTSA VIN lookup tool. Pay particular attention to Engine, Transmission, Electrical System, which are the most commonly reported problem areas. Request maintenance records, have an independent mechanic inspect the vehicle, and run a vehicle history report to check for prior accidents or title issues.

Data from NHTSA federal complaints database. 1,336 complaints analyzed. Data confidence: high. Last updated: 2026-04-06.

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