Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Acura MDX - part 1

Idle auto start/stop will not restart after cutting on leaving me stranded in traffic.

See all problems of the 2025 Acura MDX 🔎.

The engine in the car caught fire and subsequently destroyed the vehicle. The car was parking in a shopping center parking lot at the time.

See all problems of the 2016 Acura MDX 🔎.

My 2025 Acura Mdx suffers from a severe safety defect regarding the auto idle stop (auto start-stop) system. When the vehicle comes to a complete stop at intersections or traffic lights, the engine shuts off as intended. However, upon releasing the brake pedal to accelerate, the engine completely fails to auto-restart. Instead of restarting, the vehicle drops out of the auto-restart sequence entirely, shifts itself out of drive, and displays a critical safety message on the dashboard: "to start engine: brake + push". This completely strands the vehicle in live traffic, forcing me to manually shift into park, press the foot brake, and push the engine start button while traffic accumulates behind me. This creates an immediate rear-end collision hazard. The dealership has already attempted to diagnose and repair this issue under warranty by replacing both the vehicle's battery. This hardware replacement did not fix the problem; the failure continues to occur unpredictably less than a week (and 25 miles) after replacement. The root cause appears to be a software, powertrain control module (pcm), or sensor tracking defect where the vehicle fails to recognize it is in an automated restart sequence. I am filing this complaint to be officially included in the ongoing NHTSA engineering analysis ea25004 regarding Honda/Acura auto idle stop failures, as the current hardware recall remedies are entirely ineffective for the 2025 model year.

2025 Acura Mdx – auto idle stop failure to restart when my 2025 Acura Mdx is stopped at a traffic light and the auto idle stop system activates, the engine shuts off but on multiple occasions has failed to restart when traffic begins moving. The vehicle becomes immobilized in an active traffic lane. Vehicles behind me begin moving and honking while I am unable to move the vehicle. To regain operation, I have had to completely shut the vehicle off and restart it while stopped in traffic. I can prevent the occurrence by manually disabling auto idle stop after starting the vehicle, but this requires me to remember to disable the system every time I drive. If I forget, I risk the vehicle shutting down and failing to restart at an intersection. This creates a serious safety concern for me and my passengers, including my child. I am concerned about being stranded in an intersection or other active traffic lane and potentially being struck by another vehicle. I believe the auto idle stop system's failure to restart the engine presents an unreasonable safety risk and should be investigated.

The contact owns a 2020 Acura Mdx. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle failed to restart. The maintenance warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was associated with NHTSA campaign number: 23v751000 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was towed to the residence. The local dealer was contacted to schedule an appointment, but the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 60,541.

See all problems of the 2020 Acura MDX 🔎.

After an auto idle stop at a major intersection, car failed to restart automatically and was left stranded unable to restart the car. Car would not shut off or turn back on when using the power button and with foot on brake but had power but it was in limp mode - transmission warnings flashed and the d "for drive" on the screen at the drivers location. I called triplea however before they showed up I was able to put the parking brake on and turn the car off and on ad it reset. This is similar to the issue was happening with my 2017 Honda pilot where it would stall and not restart after the auto idle stop engaged. Very dangerous and difficult to troubleshoot when in that situation, surprised that this is still happening in Honda manufactured cars - this is very dangerous and needs to be addressed and investigated.

Engine turns off while in drive or stopped at a red light/stop sign. It has happened 7-10 times withing the last couple of months, but 3-4 times within the last week. Out of the four times it happened, my family's safety was at risk, because the car was in drive, and could've caused us to get into an accident. During the other occasions, we were moving in reverse and stopped at a stop sign. Complaint was made with Acura of bay shore in long island, NY, at which time an update of computer engine was performed but issue wasn't fixed due to back-order part that needs to be replaced. Unfortunately, just yesterday (August 13, 2026) car turned off at light causing a road hazard to vehicles and my family stuck in a large intersection. Multiple engine lights turned on, but I was unable to turn the car on or move it. Approximately 10 min later, I was able to turn the car on and move it to safe location. I spoke to Acura of bay shore, and it is a known issue but till this date, isn't fixed. Vehicle is a hazard and can cause serious bodily harm/or death. Thank you.

My vehicle is equipped with the auto stop, idle/start feature. I have had my vehicle completely shut off at least 6 times when I am at a complete stop. I have researched this problem among 2025 Acura Mdx owners and it seems to be a recurring problem. The feature is suppose to save gas when I am at a stop and shut down the engine and then restart when I press the gas pedal but that is not happening.

My vehicle was stopped at a busy intersection, idling in the automatic stop mode. When my husband moved his foot from the brake to the accelerator, the car stalled, orange alarm alerts went off, and the car was completely dead and stalled without power. The car needed to be restarted, and it took a few attempts to accomplish that task. I have had the same problem before with this car and have had it into the dealer at least two times without resolution.

Auto idle restart failed three times in traffic at red light. Have to shift to park and push start button. Nothing happens for several seconds, then engine starts.

The contact owns a 2025 Acura Mdx. The contact stated that while at a complete stop at a traffic light, the vehicle unexpectedly shut off and failed to restart. After approximately 15 minutes, the vehicle restarted, and the contact drove into a parking lot before driving to the residence. No warning lights illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure the following day, and a service appointment was scheduled. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.

The vehicle intermittently fails to restart after the auto idle stop system shuts the engine off at a traffic stop. When this occurs, the vehicle remains disabled until it is manually restarted. This has now happened repeatedly, including twice within one recent week. The vehicle was purchased new on November 27, 2024, and currently has approximately 27,500 miles. The repair history for this same issue •September 19, 2025 — 13,841 miles: battery replaced. •January 27, 2026 — 18,481 miles: battery replaced again. •February 4, 2026 — 18,814 miles: starter replaced. •August 14, 2026 — approximately 27,500 miles: vehicle returned again for the same continuing problem. Diagnostics were performed, but no repair or resolution was provided. Despite replacement of two batteries and the starter, the defect continues. Our most recent experience with the dealership was particularly concerning. We were essentially told that they could not identify the problem and could not provide any further solution. That is not an acceptable outcome for a vehicle that can shut itself off while stopped in traffic and then fail to restart.

On August 3rd the vehicle began making a loud clicking/knocking noise from the engine area of the car. Took the car to richard bailey automotive on August 4th for diagnosis. Was informed a week later the engine needed replacement. Have owned the car for 3 months. No warning lights except to clean the backup camera. All maintenance has been performed on the vehicle.

The automatic engine shutoff turned off the engine three times at stop lights and failed to restart. We were left stranded in the middle of the road, cars zipping by us fast. We felt very much at risk of being hit.

I am writing to formally report a serious and recurring safety defect with my 2025 Acura Mdx a-spec (VIN 5j8ye1h06sl022053) involving the auto idle stop system. The engine repeatedly fails to restart after the auto idle stop feature shuts it off. When my wife releases the brake pedal (for example, at a traffic light), the vehicle either stalls completely or experiences a major delay before restarting sometimes lasting more than 20 seconds, leaving the my wife unable to accelerate. This creates an immediate and unacceptable safety hazard, particularly in intersections or heavy traffic. I previously brought the vehicle to Acura of langley regarding this exact issue. Despite that visit, the problem has continued. Most recently, on today, while my wife was driving with my kids, the vehicle again entered auto idle stop at a traffic light. When the light turned green, the engine completely shut off and would not restart for more than 20 seconds. This left her stranded in traffic and unable to move the vehicle, creating a clear risk of collision. This is not an isolated complaint. The national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) has opened engineering analysis ea25004 into precisely this condition “no restart after auto start/stop engages” affecting, among other models, 2016–2025 Acura Mdx vehicles. American Honda has also issued dealer communications specifically seeking 2023–2025 Mdx vehicles with client complaints of no auto re-start after auto idle stop for inspection prior to any repair attempts. Class-action investigations and prior litigation involving related idle stop failures further underscore the known nature and seriousness of this defect.

I am submitting this complaint regarding my **2025 Acura Mdx**, which I currently lease. The vehicle has an ongoing starting system malfunction that has not been resolved despite multiple service visits. I believe this issue presents a significant safety risk. The primary issue involves the **auto idle stop/auto start-stop system**. When the vehicle automatically shuts off at a red light, stop sign, or while idling, it will occasionally fail to restart when I release the brake or attempt to accelerate. Instead of restarting normally, the vehicle hesitates, stutters, or remains off. This creates a dangerous situation because the vehicle is unexpectedly disabled while in traffic, increasing the risk of being rear-ended or causing an accident. In addition to the auto idle stop issue, the vehicle also has problems during the initial startup. When I attempt to start the vehicle using the push-button ignition, it frequently fails to start on the first attempt. I often have to press the start button a second time before the engine starts, and even then, the engine stutters or hesitates before finally turning over. This should not occur in a brand-new 2025 vehicle. I have taken the vehicle to the dealership multiple times for this issue: * during the first visit, I was told the battery was the cause. * during the second visit, the starter was replaced. * after the problem continued, I returned again. The dealership tested both the battery and the replacement starter and advised that both components were operating properly. * the dealership then opened a case with Honda/Acura engineering for further investigation. Despite these repeated repair attempts, the issue remains unresolved. I have been told that it is likely a software issue and that engineers are "looking into it. " in the meantime, I was instructed to simply disable the auto idle stop feature every time I start the vehicle. This is not an acceptable solution. I do have videos but it will now allow me to up.

I was merging onto the highway and when I attempted to accelerate, the engine warning light began to flash and the car could not accelerate. The engine began to make a rattling noise. I called the dealer and they asked if I could make it there (it was about 25 miles away). I said I would try. As I got about 10 miles away the noise grew louder and the oil light came on. I immediately pulled over. The dealer said the engine blew the connecting rod and destroyed the engine and the engine would need to be replaced. The car just had all the fluids replaced by the dealer 3 weeks prior. All service work over the 10 years was done by the dealer.

See all problems of the 2017 Acura MDX 🔎.

The contact owns a 2018 Acura Mdx. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle went into limp mode and failed to exceed 35-60 mph. The check engine warning light was flashing. The driver pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was restarted, reset, and operated as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the failure could not be duplicated, and the failure persisted. The contact's brother, a certified technician, advised the contact not to turn off the vehicle after the failure occurred to prevent the system from resetting. The contact followed the instructions, and the contact's brother retrieved dtc: p0304, indicating a cylinder 4 misfire. The vehicle was not repaired and would be taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

See all problems of the 2018 Acura MDX 🔎.

Four times in 18 months, with the most recent happening last month and today, I was at a stoplight and turned my manual idle off. The light changed and the car would not move despite me stepping on the gas. It told me to restart the car which I did but the first attempt didn’t work to restart. After a few minutes I tried restarting again and it struggled but did. I was very worried as there was a car behind me who thought we were moving with the green light and fortunately he moved to the other lane to avoid a collision as it took me a minute to figure out the car had stopped before putting in my hazards.

On my 2017 Acura Mdx sh-awd with approximately 112,000 miles, the engine experienced a sudden catastrophic failure while I was traveling at highway speed. The vehicle abruptly lost power, the accelerator became unresponsive, smoke came from the vehicle hood and exhaust area, and multiple warning lights illuminated. The failure occurred with no advance warning and created a serious safety risk because I suddenly lost propulsion while traveling approximately 75 mph in highway traffic. An independent repair facility inspected the vehicle and reported that connecting rod/bearing failure resulted in catastrophic engine damage. I was advised that two connecting rods/bearings failed and caused holes in the engine block, with a rod/component also damaging the a/c compressor. Oil subsequently leaked from the damaged engine. Prior to the sudden failure, I did not have warning lights or other indications suggesting an imminent engine failure. The warning lights appeared during or immediately after the loss of power. The vehicle has been inspected by a repair facility and the engine requires replacement. The vehicle/failed components can be made available for inspection upon request. I am particularly concerned because Acura has previously recalled certain vehicles for connecting rod bearing failures that can result in engine damage, stalling, or loss of motive power. My vehicle is the same model year and has experienced an apparently similar catastrophic connecting rod/bearing failure, but my VIN is not currently included in the recall 23v-751. I am submitting this complaint so NHTSA can evaluate whether the affected population may extend beyond the vins currently covered in that recall. This is also linked to NHTSA’s new investigation pe25008.

I had driven 1. 5 hours of highway driving. Exited highway and at the first stop light the car stalled on a busy four lane road. I have had the recall software update. Took a minute or 2 to get the car restarted.

Catastrophic engine failure. Engine shook, then loss power. Multiple lights went off. Repair shop found metal shavings in the oil pan. Later diagnosed by specialist with cam/rocker engine issue. Recommended action was engine replacement.

My 2015 Acuramdx engine seized while driving creating an unsafe condition as it occurred on a busy roadway. I suspect a rod bearing failure. It has been reported to Honda. The same parts listed in the 2015 rdx recall are used in my Mdx but the 2015 is not part of the recall. My engine had a knock and had taken it for inspection at an independent Honda specialist. I had learned that the recall covers the 2015 model year for the Acura tlx, the official recall documentation only includes the 2016–2020 model years for the Acura Mdx. There were no check engine lights prior to the stall and seizure of the engine.

See all problems of the 2015 Acura MDX 🔎.

Transmission failed and light appeared. Speed reduced from 30 to 15. Acura stated they had to reset computer system and claimed when they started the car no lights shown and was able to reverse car. I was unable to reverse car, struggled and tugged feeling in the car. This is the 2nd time and they always repeat same solution no lights appeared and to reset system.

I was stopped at a red stop light waiting to turn left when my 2025 Acura Mdx engine auto-stopped per the auto-stop feature. When the light turned green, I removed my foot from the brake and pressed the gas. The engine did not auto-start and displayed a message on the dash telling me to depress the brake and press the ignition button to continue driving. I did this several times, each time the dash would go black for a few seconds then come back up with the same message. Eventually, after getting the car to completely turn off, waiting 30 seconds, and restarting it, I was able to get the engine to start. While all of this was happening, I was passed unsafely by several angry drivers who were behind me, including one who tried to cut around me after I was able to get the car restarted, nearly clipping the front-right corner of my vehicle. I have an appointment with the dealer to have the issue investigated, but the appointment is not for another week. There was no indication of trouble prior to the first time this occurred. We have had this issue at least three times in the past week.

The contact called on behalf of the owner of a 2016 Acura Mdx. The contact stated that the owner reported an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine while starting the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the independent mechanic, where the timing belt tensioner was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The mechanic disassembled the oil filter and discovered metal shavings inside the filter. The mechanic related the failure to NHTSA action number: pe25008 (engine). The manufacturer was notified of the failure; however, no assistance was provided because the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 23v751000 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

Engine began knocking, brass colored shaving in drained oil due to bearing damage. This VIN is not covered by the recall scope.

No restart after auto idle stop - car fails to restart automatically after stop and releasing the brake pedal. This has happened on a number of occasions in the last few months. This can cause a dangerous condition that can can cause an accident if stopped in an intersection or a rear end collision as the driver behind assumes the vehicle will move but does not. Car has to be shut off to restart.

Started (first noticed)check engine light flashing turned radio down right of way and noticed engine knocking with no warning still 40% engine oil life left. Had test done p0303 misfire on cylinder 3 and rod bearing knock was told need an engine . Had all oil changes and maintenance done on time. Ran my VIN and unfortunately was told it is not covered under recall.

I am filing a safety and compliance complaint regarding execution of federal recall campaign #26v365 by valley stream Acura and sales fraud by paragon Acura. I purchased this 2016 Acura Mdx from paragon Acura on may 29, 2026. I have driven it only 550 miles, placing it strictly within the statutory new york state 60-day used car lemon law warranty window. A certified 6-page independent ase forensic report documents that valley stream Acura bolted the federal recall brackets directly onto severely cracked rear control arms and rusted struts without disclosure. Furthermore, paragon Acura forced a brand-new front control arm link onto a deeply pitted, scaling, and structurally compromised front steering knuckle to mask pre-sale defects, signing a false nys highway safety certification. The vehicle was released to me with a bone-dry, empty engine cooling loop, creating an immediate fire hazard. Acura corporate (case #16437213) refuses to issue a corrective directive, willfully leaving a non-compliant vehicle on public roads.

My vehicle 2022 Acura type s has a transmission system problem, blind spot info problem, and a all wheel drive problem that only my front whee;s may be powered. It looks like the transfer case maybe failing. My vehicle only has 25,000 miles on it and is about to be out of warranty.

See all problems of the 2022 Acura MDX 🔎.

My 2016 Acura max sha awd has 124 k on it and the other day I was driving down the road and my engine light went on than I lost power down to 20 mph and heard a knocking noise from the engine like the rod bearing broke or something I’ve noticed the recall on the engine for some Acura 2016-2025 3. 5v6 engines but Acura is saying my model car was not in the recall list which I can’t understand why if it has the same engine 3. 5 v6 with the same rod barring issue as the ones on the list being recalled . The issue is with all 2016-2025 Acura Mdx models that have the 3. 5 v6 in it .

2025 Acura Mdx will turn off with the auto on/off feature at red light but has had issue several times with turning back on. The car turns completely off and have to push start button to turn back on. On one occasion the same issue happened but would not immediately start with the push start again.

I was driving home late at night with my family in the car. The car suddenly loss power and the check engine light came on and began flashing. I pulled over and turned the car off and back on. The light went away. I began driving again and after a short while, a bunch of lights popped up on the dashboard and the car began to loose power again and started making weird rattling noises from the engine. Just moments before pulling over again I realized the car was on fire and evasively pulled over and frantically got my sleeping children out of the car and we created distance from the vehicle since it was on fire underneath. We called the fire department and they responded very quickly and put out the fire. We secured a few belongings and the children’s car seats and my brother in law picked us up. The car was towed from the scene. I called the incident into the insurance the next day and filed a claim. After a few days once the adjuster came out, it was determined that the insurance company would not be covering the claim because the cause of the fire was internal engine failure. It had shot a bearing cap through the oil pan and that is what caused the fire. I contacted Honda about the issue and have yet to hear back from them. This was over a month ago. I am now stuck repairing the vehicle on my own since I cannot afford to take the car to the dealer and I am mechanically inclined as it is what I do for a living. The car is currently in my garage and after taking the engine apart, I found that the main bearing for cylinder #6 had failed and in turn fell apart and broken the piston for that cylinder and the broken debris destroyed the engine block and even bent the valves on the from head for that cylinder. I now have to rebuild my entire engine with no warning whatsoever that this was going to happened. The car was maintained on schedule and nothing was ever overlooked or not performed. It was a great car until the engine decided to grandad itself out of nowhere.

The contact owns a 2017 Acura Mdx. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 mph, the vehicle lost power and stalled in the middle of the roadway. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. Additionally, the transmission failed to shift out of park(p). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.