2020 Acura MDX problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
217 owner complaints analyzed
8 distinct recall campaigns
36,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2020 model year. Data snapshot: . 36 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 81 of 217 complaints (37.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 49 | 22.6% |
| Engine operation | 35 | 16.1% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 26 | 12.0% |
| Transmission and shifting | 17 | 7.8% |
| Steering behavior | 9 | 4.1% |
| Fuel system concerns | 3 | 1.4% |
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 | 81 |
| Unknown Or Other | 39 |
| Electrical System | 37 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control | 22 |
| Power Train | 21 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 17 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | 16 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 15 |
Engine: 81; Unknown Or Other: 39; Electrical System: 37; Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control: 22; Power Train: 21; Engine And Engine Cooling: 17; Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings: 16; Fuel/Propulsion System: 15
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 12 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 12 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 8 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 1 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 3 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 12; 25,000 to 49,999: 12; 50,000 to 74,999: 8; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 3; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (12). 181 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 |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 9 |
| 2022 | 13 |
| 2023 | 27 |
| 2024 | 58 |
| 2025 | 68 |
| 2026 | 42 |
2021: 9; 2022: 13; 2023: 27; 2024: 58; 2025: 68; 2026: 42
Pattern summary
Engine leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 49 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 35 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 26 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 11387172 · 2021-01-08 (January 8, 2021)
1. (JULY 8, 2020) ON 1 OCCASION WITHIN A SHORT TIME AFTER PURCHASING MDX, I FLOORED THE GAS PEDAL ON THE HIGHWAY AS WHEN PASSING ANOTHER CAR, LET OFF THE GAS PEDAL AND THE ENGINE KEPT RUNNING AS THOUGH THE GAS PEDAL WAS STILL FLOORED. REPORTED IT TO DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND SAID MAYBE THE FLOORMAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM. POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. 2. (JULY 8, 2020) ON AN INCLINE AT A STOP SIGN, MDX WILL ROLL BACKWARDS AFTER RELEASING BRAKE AND THEN WHEN PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL IT WILL LURCH FORWARD. REPORTED IT T…
Owner-reported narrative. 1,920 miles reported. Look up ODI 11387172 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11387623 · 2021-01-11 (January 11, 2021)
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WITH THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED, THE VEHICLE DETECTS VEHICLES TO THE RIGHT (SAME DIRECTION OF TRAVEL) OR AT TIMES VEHICLES TO THE LEFT (OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL) AND ABRUPTLY APPLIED BACKING. NO VEHICLES WILL ACTUALLY BE IN LANE OF TRAVEL OF THE VEHICLE TO CAUSE ACTION. ON A 87 MILE DRIVE (ONE WAY TO WORK) HAPPENS MORE THAN EIGHT TIMES ON FIRST DRIVE AND OVER TEN TIME ON SECOND DRIVE. VEHICLE HAS UNDER 1500 MILES ON IT AND WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW. TAKEN TO ACURA AND TOLD TO TURN OFF LANE DEPARTUR…
Owner-reported narrative. 1,420 miles reported. Look up ODI 11387623 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11432894 · 2021-09-14 (September 14, 2021)
The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving 30-35 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond and would not move. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that after depressing the drive button several times, she was able to drive the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who determined that the contact had inadvertently depressed an unknown button on the steering wheel causing the vehicle to shift to neutral. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact…
Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11432894 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11515930 · 2023-04-07 (April 7, 2023)
Periodically when accelerating the car (2020 Acura MDX) looses power. The car does not stall it just looses power. There have been times when we have had to pull over to avoid causing an accident. When it does occur there are no warning or signal displayed on the dash boards pre or post the incident. We have reported the issue to Acura but there has be no resolution to the issue.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11515930 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11498353 · 2022-12-21 (December 21, 2022)
Twice at a stop light the car went into neutral by itself which then required me to go put in park then drive. One time a police officer was nearby and pulled me over after, asking if everything was ok since I was stopped at the light for a prolonged period of time. I took it to the dealership and they said it was the battery and replaced under warranty. Battery should not go when car has less than 30k miles. I checked forums and many people have experienced this issue. There are too many other complaints on line not to bring this to your at…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11498353 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11520536 · 2023-05-04 (May 4, 2023)
While braking into a parking spot, vehicle experienced sudden unintended acceleration. Brake did not engage, car rapidly surged forward over parking block, sidewalk and hitting building. Previously in day, car would not recognized key fob, would not unlock and would not start even though stepping on brake that would not depress. I had no control over vehicle,and this could have hit pedestrians on sidewalk or storefront. Thankfully no one hurt, and did not occur in traffic or on the road. The dealership was contacted immediately, and they …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11520536 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11478870 · 2022-08-11 (August 11, 2022)
The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling, the engine suddenly shut off when the driver attempted to accelerate forward. During the failure, the message “shift into park to restart” had displayed. After shifting to the park position the engine was restarted and the vehicle operated as normal. The failure had occurred on at least four separate occasions and one time while attempting to park the vehicle. The contact indicated that the failure had occurred with and without the fuel-saving feature activ…
Owner-reported narrative. 12,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11478870 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11533671 · 2023-07-21 (July 21, 2023)
We purchased a certified pre-owned Acura MDX 2020 in Feb of this year. In four separate instances, after the auto engine idle feature is on, the car stalls out and shuts off. Two of the four times this has happened on a highway causing extreme stress. When I lift my foot of the brake to start moving, the car shifts into park and I get a message that I need to start the car before I can move the car back into Drive. I have to keep pumping the breaks and pushing the on button multiple times before the car will restart. This is extremely dangerous…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11533671 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11403791 · 2021-03-18 (March 18, 2021)
TEMPORARILY LOSS CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE WHEN I WAS EXITING THE PARKWAY AND NEEDED TO STEER AROUND TO AVOID A STOP CAR MY CAR JUST TOOK A BIG ROCK IN MOTION FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THE STEERING IS VERY UNRESPONSIVE, VEHICLE HESITATES WHEN ACCELERATING RAPIDLY AND WHEN TURNING THEY IS NO STABILITY. ALSO MY BREAKING DOESN'T REACT THE WAY IT SHOULD IT'S VERY DELAYED. ALL OF THE THINGS THAT THE DYNAMIC MODE IS SUPPOSED TO ENHANCE APPEARS NOT TO BE FUNCTIONING. I WENT TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING BUT YET THE PROBLEM CO…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11403791 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11575779 · 2024-03-06 (March 6, 2024)
While driving on the highway, at highway speeds, all dash lights came on and the vehicle immediately lost power coming to an abrupt stop. We were able to limp the car to the side of the road. It was ultimately determined that the car’s fuel pump had gone out. The fuel pump was replaced by Acura, and covered under the initial manufactures warranty. However, it’s rather suspicious that our car is not included in the recall given that the fuel pump failure is identical to the open recall for our same make and model.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11575779 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11632790 · 2024-12-27 (December 27, 2024)
I had purchased this vehicle and was not aware there was a stop sale on this vehicle model. I took the 2020 MDX to the dealer to get the recall service done, the connecting rod bearing and fuel pump issues. They were done back in March of 2024, j had taken the vehicle back to the dealer over 5 times for issues with stalling and trouble turning back on as well as engine noise, ticking and stalling. The dealer “cannot replicate” the noise all of sudden, but was initially able to hear the noise and stated “ it’s probably fine, but bring it in if i…
Owner-reported narrative. 54,651 miles reported. Look up ODI 11632790 at NHTSA ↗