2018 Acura MDX problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
164 owner complaints analyzed
10 distinct recall campaigns
30,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2018 model year. Data snapshot: . 39 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 35 of 164 complaints (21.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 29 | 17.7% |
| Transmission and shifting | 18 | 11.0% |
| Engine operation | 18 | 11.0% |
| Fuel system concerns | 11 | 6.7% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 10 | 6.1% |
| Steering behavior | 3 | 1.8% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine | 35 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 28 |
| Electrical System | 26 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 22 |
| Power Train | 22 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 19 |
| Unknown Or Other | 19 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | 14 |
Engine: 35; Fuel/Propulsion System: 28; Electrical System: 26; Fuel System, Gasoline: 22; Power Train: 22; Engine And Engine Cooling: 19; Unknown Or Other: 19; Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings: 14
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 18 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 7 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 5 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 4 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 4 |
| 150,000 and above | 1 |
Under 25,000: 18; 25,000 to 49,999: 7; 50,000 to 74,999: 5; 75,000 to 99,999: 4; 100,000 to 149,999: 4; 150,000 and above: 1
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (18). 125 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 9 |
| 2019 | 13 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 4 |
| 2022 | 12 |
| 2023 | 16 |
| 2024 | 47 |
| 2025 | 34 |
| 2026 | 25 |
2017: 1; 2018: 9; 2019: 13; 2020: 3; 2021: 4; 2022: 12; 2023: 16; 2024: 47; 2025: 34; 2026: 25
Pattern summary
Engine leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 29 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 18 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 18 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11081739 · 2018-03-28 (March 28, 2018)
PURCHASED ACURA MDX IN JANUARY OF 2018 SO IT IS NOW 3 MONTHS. I BELIEVE THERE IS SOMETHING SIGNIFICANTLY WRONG WITH ITS AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM. I WAS DRIVING DOWN A HILL ON A RESIDENTAL, FAST PACED ROAD, WITH A GUARDRAIL TO MY RIGHT SIDE AND ANOTHER CAR PASSING ME ON THE LEFT SIDE. WE BOTH WE TRAVELING AT THE SPEED LIMIT OF 40 MILES PER HOUR WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY CAR'S BRAKES WENT ON, CAUSING ME TO SWERVE INTO THE GUARDRAIL. FROM THERE, I WAS THROWN INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC CAUSING A COLLISON. I BELIEVE THE SYSTEM BECAME CONFUSED AND STEPPED O…
Owner-reported narrative. 3,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 11081739 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11089994 · 2018-04-25 (April 25, 2018)
AT APPROXIMATELY 500 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN VIBRATING WHEN TRAVELING BETWEEN 58-62 MPH. STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED WITH AND WITHOUT BRAKING. AT APPROXIMATELY 1,000 MILES, STEERING WHEEL BEGAN VIBRATING VIOLENTLY WHEN TRAVELING BETWEEN 58-62 MPH. STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED WITH AND WITHOUT BRAKING. DEALERSHIP ROTATED TIRES. MODERATE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION STILL REMAINED WHEN BRAKING BETWEEN 58-62 MPH. AT APPROXIMATELY 2,400 MILES, STEERING WHEEL BEGAN VIBRATING VIOLENTLY AGAIN WHEN BRAKING BETWEEN 58-62 MPH. THE DEALER…
Owner-reported narrative. 500 miles reported. Look up ODI 11089994 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11257621 · 2019-09-24 (September 24, 2019)
6 MONTHS AFTER DELIVERY OF MY VEHICLE I STATED NOTICING A JERKING WHEN MY TRANSMISSION SHIFTS. I HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALER INDICATING MY CONCERN. EACH TIME THE DEALERS SAID THE COULD NOT DUPLICATE. THE PROBLEM CONTINUES. THE SECOND ISSUE HAS TO DO WITH MY BRAKES . ON 9/23/2019 MY BRAKES STARTED EMITTING A LOUD PERSISTENT SQUEAK. I AM SCHEDULING AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY DEALER. MY VEHICLE IS A LITTLE MORE THAN A YEAR OLD AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT AT 30,000 MILES CONSTITUTE PREMATURE BRAKE WARE.
Owner-reported narrative. 30,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11257621 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11418149 · 2021-05-22 (May 22, 2021)
This is the exact problem I am experiencing: https://carbuzz.com/news/some-acura-rdx-and-mdx-owners-have-a-troubling-problem https://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2020/acura-mdx-and-rdx-acceleration-problems-lawsuit.shtml https://www.wirtzlaw.com/2020/04/19/defects-in-2016-2017-2018-2019-and-2020-acura-mdx-and-rdx-cause-acceleration-problems-are-subject-to-california-lemon-laws/#:~:text=Model%20years%202016%2C%202017%2C%202018%2C%202019%2C%20and%202020,neutral%2C%20and%20engines%20that%20stall. Transmission slip: sudden hesitation on accelerat…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11418149 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11352291 · 2020-08-31 (August 31, 2020)
TICKING NOISES COMING FROM ENGINE. CONFIRMED WITH DEALER ACURA IS LOOKING INTO THIS. I'M ALSO EXPERIENCING BRIEF LOSS OF POWER DEALER STATES THIS IS ASSOCIATED WITH ENGINE.
Owner-reported narrative. 25,345 miles reported. Look up ODI 11352291 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11390353 · 2021-01-27 (January 27, 2021)
MULTIPLE TIMES I HAVE BEEN TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND MY CAR WOULD SUDDENLY DECREASE IN SPEED AND STALL OUT. I WOULD GO FROM 75MPH TO 45MPH VERY QUICKLY. IT WOULD THEN SUDDENLY ACCELERATE AGAIN AND GO BACK TO NORMAL. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND COULD LEAD TO A DEADLY ACCIDENT.
Owner-reported narrative. 45,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11390353 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11162514 · 2018-12-19 (December 19, 2018)
GAS STATION FUEL GAS NOZZLE STUCKED/STICKING IN CAPLESS GAS TANK FILLER
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11162514 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11525838 · 2023-06-07 (June 7, 2023)
This car has repeatedly had issues with delaying to take off when I touch the gas pedal. Once the pedal is depressed there is a long delay before the car actually moves. Two days ago as I was driving at around 35mph all warning lights came on and the car started jerking as it was trying to slow down or stall. I was able to get back to my home luckily I was only up the street and was able to drive under 30mph and had to pull off the road several times because it kept jerking almost as if someone was repeatedly slamming on the brakes. I had a mec…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11525838 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11099303 · 2018-06-02 (June 2, 2018)
STARTER FAILED WITH AUTO START/STOP WHILE STOPPED IN TRAFFIC. SINCE ENGINE WOULDN'T START, CAR SHIFTED TO PARK AUTOMATICALLY AND CAN NOT SHIFT TO NEUTRAL WITH THE ENGINE OFF AND UNABLE TO START. THE BATTERY WAS FINE AND COULD GO INTO AUX MODE, BUT STILL WON'T SHIFT TO NEUTRAL. ASIDE FROM QUALITY ISSUES RELATED TO STARTER, SIGNIFICANT SAFETY DESIGN FLAW.
Owner-reported narrative. 1,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 11099303 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11141645 · 2018-10-21 (October 21, 2018)
FRONT PASSENGER MISALIGNMENT ALLOWING RAIN WATER TO SEEP INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THIS WAS A NEW VEHICLE PURCHASE. IT WAS ONLY DISCOVERABLE WHEN A FRONT SEAT PASSENGER WAS RIDING IN THE NEW VEHICLE WHILE IT WAS RAINING. THE LEAK WAS ONGOING FOR AN UNSPECIFIED TIME, FROM THE TIME THE VEHICLE LEFT THE MANUFACTURER, HONDA UNTIL THE TIME THE DEALERSHIP TOOK DELIVERY OF THE VEHICLE, RADLEY ACURA, FALLS CHURCH, VA. HONDA NORTH AMERICA HAS ADMITTED THAT IT WAS A FACTORY DEFECT AND DO NOT NOT WANT TO DO A BUY BACK. HONDA CLAIMS THE REPAIRS FORM LEAKS E…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11141645 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11454811 · 2022-03-02 (March 2, 2022)
The contact owns a 2018 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving 10 mph and making a left turn, the steering wheel was hard to turn and it was shaking. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer but the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 49,000.
Owner-reported narrative. 49,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11454811 at NHTSA ↗