general problems of the 2022 Acura MDX - part 1

My less than 5 year old car had a leak coming from the center front of the car. Acura service said the transfer case and transmission connection spindles were damaged and transmission seals are leaking. They recommended a replacement of both transmission and transfer case, at a cost of over $13,000, and that is after Acura customer service gave me a 10% discount on the repair.

I was driving and my awd sistem made a shader sound and right after that the vehicle went on two wheel drive, the clang it made cause the vehicle to swerve in the highway which could have caused an accident. Yes the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The vehicle hasn’t been inspected by the dealer or anyone yet, but the sh-awd light came on after the sound and the vehicle stayed on front wheel drive only. If this system fail the way it fail on my vehicle at a higher speed it could have caused a fatal accident!.

The splints that control the sh-awd have stripped out and I'm being told tge transmission and transfer case need to be replaced. I've had all the services done on-time with the dealership I purchased it from.

Discovered leaking fluid on 9/12/2026. Scheduled service with local Acura dealer on 9/15/2026 and found that the leak is aft from unserviceable seal between the transmission and transfer case. The recommended repair from dealer is to replace both transmission and transfer case for $15,000. This is a significant issue for a vehicle that had been well maintained.

My 2022 Acura Mdx has transmission issues that started at 99,000 miles. After inspection as to why the drive shaft is spinning freely - they pulled the transfer case off and noticed that the teeth are worn down to almost flat, which is cause ing the transmission not to send power to the real wheels. This is consistent with multiple documented transmission - ptu spline failures on 2022-2023 Acura Mdxs (reference nhsta investigation dp26-001).

Factory seal allows water to seep into the internal coupling cavity. The water mixes with the factory grease, creating a rusty, muddy brown fluid that eventually washed out and leaks from the casing. Over time, this moisture causes the interfacing splines between the transmission and the transfer case to strip and shear off completely.

Car transfer case goes out and takes the transmission out as well and makes the car fwd from shawd.

At 75,000 miles I noticed that the vehicle was losing fluids on the bottom. The fluid color was a reddish color. I took it into Acura for a diagnosis and I was told that the seal between the drivetrain and transmission has worn and is causing all of the fluids to be leaked out of the car. They told me it would be $10,000 to replace the drivetrain and transmission because the a repair cannot be made.

The car was being driven as normal and while at a stop light the car shut off and alerted the driver with a transmission error code. The car would not start for about 30 mins after the incident. When we took it to be looked at by the dealership we were told that it was related to code p07e4. The dealership reset the system and the code and returned the car back to me. They stated that if this happened again they would need to replace the transmission. My concern is that this happens again while driving at a higher speed or in an area where it is not safe such as a highway or major intersection or road. It's also concerning that a major component of a vehicle would need replacement at normal mileage which is currently at 111,400 miles.

Vehicle lost rear traction and leaking fluid from the transmission or front differential. Brought vehicle to dealer. They replaced transmission and transfer case.

The splines to the transmission and front transfer case are worn and stripped and that is causing a bad transmission fluid leak. The fix for this unfortunately is to replace the transmission and the transfer case assy. I am not getting any support from Acura, as this is a known problem according to the dealer. Acura is not cooperating and the cost to repair is $14,000. I noticed a transmission fluid leak, so I took the vehicle into the Acura dealership. No check engine light came on, no notification that there was a catastrophic failure occurring to my car. I've been reading that this is happening to several other Acura vehicles as well.

Took car in for oil change and service tech saw that there was transmission fluid leaking. They then found that the splines were sheared off going into the transfer case and transmission. We received new transmission and transfer case. So far everything is working. We did not get any warning that there was an issue until we took it to the dealership. Putting in the case as this seems to be a common issue on type s models.

Humming noise from drivetrain. Took vehicle to Acura dealer and was diagnosed loss of all wheel drive due to interfacing spline failure between transmission and transfer case resulting in only front wheel drive. Found open investigation NHTSA with other vehicles experiencing the same failure. Dp26001.

Lost all wheel drive rear wheels not turning front wheel drive only. Out of warranty.

The contact owns a 2022 Acura Mdx. The contact stated that while the vehicle was receiving a routine oil change, the rear wheels failed to rotate. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission and transfer case needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the drive shaft was moving freely while in park. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,984.

The contact owns a 2022 Acura Mdx. The contact stated that drops of fluid were discovered on the floor of the garage. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for diagnosis, and the contact was informed that transmission fluid was leaking due to a failure of the power take off (pto) unit and transmission spline, causing the transmission to overheat and leak fluid. The contact was informed that the transmission and pto unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 97,000.

The car made a clunk sound while driving and wouldn't accelerate. After coming to a stop and trying to take off, the car still had difficulty accelerating. After turning the car off and back on everything appeared fine. The loss of acceleration was unexpected and there were no warning lights or indication of an issue. The lack of ability to accelerate along with the clunk sound caused unnecessary safety risks by not allowing the car to maneuver out of danger and disrupting the flow of traffic unexpectedly. The car then began leaking oil. The Acura dealership noted that the oil was transmission and power transfer unit oil and the car no longer has all wheel drive but only front wheel drive. The loss of all wheel drive without any indication or warning is a serious safety issue because it affects all aspects of drivability (handling, acceleration, traction). They said over time the splines of the power transfer unit input shaft rust and then sheer off which causes metal to damage the transmission seal and power transfer unit seal. The service manager said this was a known issue due to bad engineering and there is no way to prevent it. The vehicle is unchanged since the incident and can be inspected.

Began to notice a knocking noise from lower engine compartment in late may 2026. No warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms. Dealer (zimbrick Acura, middleton WI) confirmed on 06/30/26 that noise was coming from transmission assembly. Dealer identified that the transmission was leaking fluid from the output shaft seal, and upon disassembly identified that the interfacing splines between the transmission and the rear wheel drive power take off unit (ptu) were failing. Dealer ultimately replaced transmission and ptu. This is the same issue as described in a previous petition (no. 11712885) but was identified prior to complete loss of all-wheel drive.

Component or system failure: awd - all wheel drive failure, dealership stated the transcase is leaking causing the failure. Safety: this has impacted the vehicles traction, especially on wet roads reproduced: the dealer found the issue and reproduced it inspected: yes, by the dealer warning lamps or messages: none 2022 Mdx advance.

My transfer case and transmission splines stripped out as I was leaving a parking lot on a rainy day. . . I heard a bang. . . Went to dealer, they confirmed drive shift to rear wheels not turning. Today July 3rd 2026, my Mdx-2022 with 92k miles is at the Acura dealer. . . I fortunately have an Acura precision warranty. . . . Which will cover my repair. . .

I accelerated from a complete stop and heard a loud bang from the transmission at 10 mph. No warning lights came on, but car now only operating in front wheel drive mode instead of awd. Front wheels will spin under hard accelerating confirming loss of power to rear wheels. Local mechanic confirmed issue by putting vehicle on lift and showing rear drive shaft spins freely. This is a know issues for this vehicle and NHTSA has open investigation into splines connecting transmission to transfer case sheering off under load. Investigation number 11712885. . This should result in a recall for Acura at no cost to customer.

Driveshaft spinning freely no power transfer , vehicle is currently all-wheel-drive condition indicate severe connections between transmission and transfer case . Both components are damaged vehicle need replacement of transmission and transfer case . Serviced at mcgrath Acura morton mgrove, illinois. 06/19/26.

Transfer case splines completely sheared off. No warning lights, nothing. Car is operating in in a 2 wheel drive configuration. Now need new transmission, new transfer case, new differential. Can provide dealer videos detailing situation if requested.

Noticed fluid was leaking from bottom of car. Took to dealership and they found the transmission output shaft was twisted leading to destruction of transmission seals leading to fluid leak. They recommend full replacement of the transmission and transfer case. It appears NHTSA is already investing this known problem for the 2022 Mdx where the transfer case fails and the vehicle loses its awd function and becomes a fwd car.

Transmission failed, drive train spline is stripped, safety basically vehicle would shake constanstly. It has been inspected by Acura of berlin CT.

Vehicle exhibited a fluid leak at the rear of the engine near the transmission/transfer case junction. An independent shop is currently evaluating; suspected power take-off unit failure. This matches the failure pattern described in NHTSA defect petition dp26001 covering 2022-2023 Acura Mdx and 2021-2023 Acura tlx for interfacing spline failure between the transmission and the rear-wheel-drive power take-off unit. Separately, while pulling out into traffic, the vehicle hesitated and failed to accelerate as commanded, chugging briefly before delivering power. This nearly resulted in a collision. No warning lamps or messages appeared at any time. Whether this drivability event and the fluid leak share a cause is unknown, but I am reporting both given the open defect petition on this component. Vehicle at approximately 75,000 miles, outside powertrain warranty by roughly 5,000 miles. Manufacturer declined assistance when contacted. Component is available for inspection upon request. Sudden loss of all-wheel drive without warning is a safety concern in michigan winter driving conditions repair has been quoted at approximately $3,600 for the transfer unit alone, plus labor, with no manufacturer assistance offered.

I was driving down the highway and a passerby notified me that my car was smoking. There were no indicators on the car notifying me of any issue. We pulled over and saw the car was leaking oil heavily. When taken to the dealership, they notified us that there was a leak in the transfer/transmission case and the whole transfer case would need to be replaced. The car is well maintained and had been recently serviced and no issues came up. It's very scary that there were no indicators of issues on the dashboard and my family and I could have been endangered while driving on our family vacation. Acura knows of this transfer case issue and has had to replace many of them in recent Mdxs. This is a safety issue that needs to be investigated immediately.

Under medium acceleration vehicle shuddered a lot. Currently it’s only driven by the front wheels and it will torque steer a lot. I’m assuming my splines are stripped to transfer case. Thankfully, I am under warranty and I’m going to get this repaired.

I am submitting this complaint regarding my 2022 Acura Mdx advance, currently with 71,007 miles. After completing the standard transmission fluid service around the 60,000-mile maintenance interval, I began noticing abnormal drivetrain/transmission behavior that was not present before. At times, the vehicle feels as if the transmission is slipping, hesitating, or failing to transfer power smoothly. Acceleration can feel delayed, uneven, or weaker than normal, and on some occasions the vehicle seems to surge or accelerate slightly in a way that does not feel consistent with normal pedal input. This is a safety concern because the vehicle may not respond predictably when accelerating from a stop, merging, passing, or driving at highway speeds. A delay, slip, surge, or loss of expected acceleration could increase the risk of a crash, especially in traffic. The symptoms appear to involve the transmission, drivetrain, torque converter, transfer case, software calibration, or related components, but I am requesting a proper investigation to determine the actual cause. My concern is that this issue could worsen or affect other 2022 Acura Mdx vehicles if it reflects a broader defect. I am requesting that NHTSA document this complaint and review whether 2022 Acura Mdx models may have a safety-related issue that can cause slipping, hesitation, surging, delayed acceleration, or loss of expected power after normal maintenance. Acura should evaluate whether owners need inspection, repair, software updates, or other corrective action.

The contact owns a 2022 Acura Mdx. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the all-wheel drive (awd) system became inoperable. The contact stated that when attempting to engage the awd function, the system failed to operate and the vehicle would transition into four-wheel drive operation. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for further assistance and advised the contact not to contact the manufacturer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.

The component system that has failed is the front diff/transmission area. Driveshaft spinning freely in park with rotations to rear wheel. I was driving home and heard a noise that sounded like something broke. Immediately pulled over and had vehicle towed. I had my kids and husband in the vehicle with me. I'm glad we weren't driving on the highway. The vehicle was brought to friendly Acura in middletown, NY. They were able to diagnose the problem. I had an aftermarket warranty (endurance warranty CO. ) awesome refused to pay for my vehicle starting it was a "pre-existing" condition. When I tried to explain to them this was not the case, they still wouldn't approve my claim after my vehicle was at Acura for 5 weeks and having 2 of their inspectors come out. Due to the amount of the repair (approximately $15,000), I am unable to pay for this repair. I had Acura out my vehicle back together and the vehicle is currently sitting in my drive way. There were no warning lights at any time prior, during or after failure of components.

I was at a stop light, when the lights turned green, I accelerated and heard a loud bang underneath the vehicle. The sound was so loud I thought I had been rear ended. I got out to inspect the vehicle and did not see any damages. I got back into the vehicle and put it in drive to get to the closed gas station. When I started driving, I heard clunking sounds underneath vehicle. I put on my hazards and drove slow. After about 50-100 ft the clunking sounds went away. No lights on the dash or anything. I then got vehicle towed to my father’s shop to inspect what was going or what happened due to not feeling safe driving. One of his employees looked up the cause of the noise and had found that the differential splines or transfer case would strip and cause a loud bang. Which happens on a lot of these Acuras. He put vehicle on lift, and put it into drive. The front wheels would spin, but not the rear wheels. He said that indicates the transfer case is bad.

My car was purchased from impex auto greensboro, nc one owner with 71,000. The car fax never stated any major accidents or damage. March 2026 after having my car for 1. 5 years I now need a new transmission that costs $15k. I filed a goodwill claim with Acura since all warranty’s have expired and I did not purchase an extension. The claim was denied and I’m responsible for the repair of a 4 year old car’s transmission.

The awd system failed and now its only fwd.

Complete drivetrain failure while accelerating from a complete stop in the middle of a busy intersection. No warning lights or hazard messages were activated before or after the failure. The car made a massive clunking/banging sound and continued to clunk on acceleration. The car had to be towed to the dealership. My children were in the car with me, and we had just driven on the highway for 45 minutes before this failure. Luckily, my husband was behind me, and I activated hazards until I could pull over safely. It was jerking and clunking so badly that I was barely able to steer. It was terrifying since my two young children were in the car, and they were both screaming from the noise. I believe I would have been rear-ended if my husband had not been behind me due to the sudden jerk from the failure, as I was the first car in the left turn lane. This is not the first issue I have had with the transfer case in this vehicle. The affected transfer case and drive train were replaced only 7 months prior due to a faulty transfer case and a severe clunking sound. This vehicle has had repeated drivetrain failures without warning, resulting in loss of traction and control. The recent failure reflects a completely stripped spline connecting the transfer case and transmission. This will be the 4th transfer case this vehicle has had at only 64k miles. All recommended maintenance and care have been completed at the certified Acura dealership since the vehicle was purchased. Recently, the 60k services were completed just 3 months prior to the current failure. The vehicle is currently at the dealership for repairs under warranty, as it needs a new transmission and another transfer case. I have not yet received the documentation, as the car is not in my possession, but I will provide it once I receive it. See the attached documentation from the previous failure, dated 6/3/2025, to establish a pattern of catastrophic drivetrain failure.