Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Acura MDX - part 1

When the auto start stop engages my car will shut down and then it takes a minute or two for it to restart. This has happened several times. I reported it to Acura previously and no action was taken. It’s difficult to replicate because it doesn’t happen every time. It’s unsafe and scary because it will happen at stop signs, or in traffic and with my children in the car. It just happened about 5 mins ago while in traffic and I remembered to report this.

See all problems of the 2025 Acura MDX 🔎.

My car has 39200. Miles Acura Mdx 2020 tech package. Has a rod knocking sound. There was a recall number 23v751000 that I was never notified about. I cant drive car under this vondition may harm engine further. Question is this recall still valid even if I was mot informed or does my cars Acura/Honda warranty covers repairs or replacement.

See all problems of the 2020 Acura MDX 🔎.

Customer reports: - vehicle will not start - died while backing up and wouldn't restart - no warning in car and safety at risk as a result - towed car to auto mechanic who provided this information below check and advise: - found starter motor tries to crank the engine over but never completes more than a partial engine revolution during each starting attempt, using jumper packs do not help, fully charged and tested battery and found battery tests bad, installed tester battery for diagnostic purposes and found engine still wont crank, attempted to rotate engine via crank pulley bolt and pry bar and found engine will not rotate indicating engine is seized due to some sort of internal engine issue, suspect possible connecting rod bearing failure but cannot confirm without significant engine disassembly. - this issue (apparently its a widely known problem on this engine and there is an active recall campaign developing): Acura Mdx 2016 has a recall but my VIN # is not showing up in it. However, I strongly believe it is the same issue and Acura should expand their recall to include more vehicles, including my own.

See all problems of the 2016 Acura MDX 🔎.

The contact owns a 2025 Acura Mdx. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle bucked for approximately 3-seconds before the vehicle stalled. The hazards were activated, the vehicle was turned off, and the contact waited before restarting the vehicle. While restarting the vehicle, several warning lights quickly flashed, and the vehicle failed to exceed 4 mph while driving to the nearest parking lot. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact became aware of NHTSA campaign number: 25v031000 (fuel system, gasoline, electrical system); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 24,000. The VIN was not available.

Car stalls at idle. Auto idle does not allow engine to restart from stop. Creating dangerous situations when on highway traffic, traveling around town and more. 2025 Mdx, 21,000 miles Nov 2025 at 14,500 miles reported issue after experiencing intermittently for a few months. Filters replaced, software updated Dec 2025 issue still occurring battery replaced March 2026 issue still occurring starter being replaced technician at dealership did not seem confident that replacing the starter will remedy this issue.

My car shuts off when idling and goes into neutral when stopping at stop signs or yeilding in a rotary.

Engine has 97,000 miles and has been meticulously maintained with current rod bearing failure.

While driving my 2020 Acura Mdx a-spec at approximately 63,744 miles, the vehicle suddenly lost all engine power without warning while passing through a busy multi-lane intersection. The loss of propulsion prevented acceleration and forced us to coast across traffic lanes to reach the shoulder, creating a significant safety hazard. The engine would not restart. The vehicle was inspected on 3/17/2026 by lyle pearson Acura (boise, id). The dealership diagnosed catastrophic internal engine failure with the following findings: spun rod bearing in cylinder #6, excessive metal debris in the oil pan, and bearing seizure to the crankshaft. The technician stated the failure pattern is consistent with the rod-bearing defect described in Acura safety recall / service bulletin 24-001. Although my VIN is not currently included in the recall population, the confirmed failure mode matches the known defect. This suggests the issue may extend beyond currently identified vehicles that are included in Acura service bulletin 24-001 and NHTSA recall 23v-751. The vehicle has a salvage title from prior cosmetic damage only; no engine, drivetrain, or structural components were affected. The vehicle has been properly maintained with documented service history. This failure represents a serious safety risk due to sudden loss of power in active traffic conditions, increasing the risk of collision or injury. I request NHTSA review this incident to determine whether additional vehicles should be included in the recall and to assess the broader safety risk.

Please add me to the compliant pool. My transfer case/transmission went out - 2022, 80,000 miles. March 6, 2026 NHTSA campaign number: dp26001 open investigation all wheel drive allegation NHTSA action number: dp26001 components: power train opened from: March 6, 2026 – present summary the office of defects investigation (odi) received a petition dated January 9, 2026, requesting an investigation into the loss of the optional all-wheel drive capability in model year (my) 2021-2023 Acura tlx and my 2022-2023 Acura Mdx vehicles. The petition contends that the interfacing splines between the transmission and the rear wheel drive power take off unit are failing. Failure of these splines prevents the transfer of drive power to the rear axle, making the vehicle front wheel drive only. The petition further alleges that this failure results in a reduction of vehicle directional control. The petitioner cites 48 complaints received by odi alleging the same failure. Odi will evaluate these complaints to determine if they are related to the failure cited in the petition and will conduct a technical review under 49 cfr part 552. This defect petition is being opened to evaluate whether to grant or deny the petition. The petition can be viewed at NHTSA. Gov under NHTSA number 11712885.

See all problems of the 2022 Acura MDX 🔎.

2004 Mdx had digital screen problems where the screen remained black upon starting, which was hazardous as I couldn’t tell how fast I was going. After 3 visits to the dealership they identified the problem and fixed it also, in a separate instance, car stalled after trying to start up after stop signs or while waiting in traffic several times. Could have been rear ended or worse. Dealer replaced the starter at 30k miles. Still had the same issue after this and they say the car is fine.

See all problems of the 2024 Acura MDX 🔎.

The motor through a misfire code and began making a noise while vehicle was sitting at a red light. Vehicle lost all power and had to be towed. Was quoted my the Acura dealership $9k. Main reason for addressing this concern is because numerous Acura j35 series motors have already been recalled for engine connecting rod issues. While this motor doesn't apparently fall under that recall, odd that it would essentially had the same issue, when it only had 136k miles and has been maintained to factory standards (or better).

There are times when my car comes to a stop shuts off ( auto off) then will not turn back on. This has happened numerous times. The dealers states that this a battery problem.

2025 Acura Mdx failed to restart after an auto-idle stop at a light in heavy traffic. Second time this has happened and dealer has not resolved.

During the summer of 2025, the auto idle engine railed to restart while at a stop light. We had to shut off and restart the car. We took it to the car dealer and they did some sort of software update. It happened again in January 2026 while at a stop light off a highway exit ramp. We took it to a different dealer because we were living in a different city at the time. In their computer system, they could see the repair that had been done. They did some sort of other update and submitted it as a warranty repair for Acura (which the other dealer had not done). They noted there was one other repair that could be done, but Acura would not allow them to do both at once and this update usually fixed it. However, it happened again in February 2026. The engine did not restart from auto idle, this time at a stop light toward the beginning of an eight hour road trip back home. Fortunately, turning off the engine and starting it back up worked. We took it back to the second dealer and they did the additional repair authorized by Acura and submitted as a warranty repair. Three incidents of the auto-idle not restarting the engine in less than a year is not acceptable. The car is unrealiable.

The contact owns a 2020 Acura Mdx. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle shook abnormally with the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the engine seized. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with rod bearing failure and a failure in cylinder #6. The contact was informed there were metal shavings inside the oil pan, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 86,743.

On several occasions, when the vehicle has been driving and comes to a stop in traffic. The auto start stop kills the engine when the brake is fully depressed. When we take our foot off the brake the engine will not start and a notification is shown on the dash. To start the engine push brake and ignition button. When we follow those directions the it does not start the engine. It usually requires us to release brake several times and continue to push start button. This issue has almost caused two accidents because we are stuck and the traffic behind does not see brake lights, because we have to release the brake. This occurred on the interstate in heavy traffic, and was almost struck from behind by a vehicle traveling at interstate speed, because all vehicles went around us and the upcoming vehicle did to see brake lights.

My 2025 Acura Mdx (under 10,000 miles) has failed to restart after the automatic idle stop engaged at stoplights and drive-thru lines at least 7 separate times. When I release the brake, the engine often remains off and the vehicle will not move, leaving me stopped in traffic. I have not yet required a jump start, but on several occasions the vehicle came very close to not restarting at all. This most recently occurred at a sandwich shop drive-thru. These incidents occurred in normal drive mode and in normal weather conditions. No abnormal driving conditions were present when the failures happened. Other owners online report the same problem, with some needing to carry jumper cables. I believe this is a serious safety risk because the vehicle can stall unexpectedly in intersections and traffic when the auto stop-start system activates. I am now concerned about relying on this vehicle in traffic because I cannot trust it to restart when stopped.

While driving at highway speed, the vehicle suddenly lost the ability to accelerate. Immediately prior to this, the vehicle was making an abnormal engine noise, which continued until the failure. "drive" light turned off and the "neutral" turned on its own. I tried to get it to shift back to "drive" and it wouldn't. I pulled off to the side of the highway. The engine stalled and the vehicle would not restart. The vehicle was towed from the highway and we were told to have it towed to Acura dealer in the morning. This incident occurred while recall 23v-751 (engine connecting rod bearing defect) was open and incomplete.

See all problems of the 2019 Acura MDX 🔎.

Auto idle stop/auto start-stop issue- on multiple occasions, occurring randomly, the vehicle will not start at stoplights after auto-idle stop is engaged. Sometimes this happens after the vehicle has been running for over an hour. Currently, the vehicle must be completely powered down and then restarted to revive engine.

I was merging into traffic on interstate. The car lagged as if it wasn't getting gas. I pulled over to get out of traffic. Scary situation. Please advise!.

See all problems of the 2018 Acura MDX 🔎.

I had a recall done by local Acura dealer, miami doral Acura, where they replaced parts that connected the engine to the car, they are like rods. I recently took the car to a mechanic because I needed to change the timing belt components and he advised me that one of the rods that were replaced failed. This means that the engine was attached by only one rod, the other rod was cut, not connected. I called Acura today reporting the issue with the recall, they gave me a case number 16125924, advising me that some one would get back to me. The same mechanic also advised me that the high pressure fuel pump was not working properly and that my car could stall while driving it and he advised that it would be dangerous to drive it without replacing it. The part he quoted me was around $700. I looked for recalls for this car with this fuel pump issue and found that Acura only recalled some VIN numbers and my car is not one of the VIN numbers recalled. I believe Acura has not recalled all cars involved with the pressure pump. I find it hard to believe that they are not aware of this issue affecting more of the 2018 Mdx model. The recall with the rods failed just a year after they replaced them. I had the rod recall done in 1/25. I cannot drive the car until I have the mechanic replace the high pressure fuel pump and fix the problem with the engine rod recall. Acura needs to be heal accountable and compensate owners that are dealing with the same issue I am.

I was at a red light with the idle stop automatically triggered. When the light turned green, and I pressed the accelerate pedal, the car would not move. I looked and saw the car had shifted itself to n (neutral) when it should have stayed at d (drive). I pressed the "d" button to drive but it stayed in n. There was a green light around the n button indicating the selected button. I had to turn off the car, turn on the car two times before the car recognized I wanted to press the "d" button. The screen by the steering wheel had some sort of message but I don't recall what it said. The word "accessory" might have been part of the message. This is absolutely a safety risk for myself and others. I had cars behind me at the green light honking. I had to turn on the hazard lights and wave to them out the window. If the driver before me did not pay attention, they could have hit me. This is the second time this has happened.

Car started to accelerate randomly and 2 seperate occasions while driving, car started to decelerate / brake randomly while driving.

When stopped at a red light on a busy off ramp to a busy highway, the car's engine idle function turned the engine off (as anticipated), but then upon releasing the brake, the car did not turn on. I was stalled in the middle of traffic, which is a significant safety issue. I had to turn the car completely off, wait a few seconds, and turn back on. This car is marketing for families with its third row and stalls when stopped. There are numerous reports of this on online forums.

The engine failed and Acura tech said it was connecting rod failure. There is a safety recall from Acura 23-036 and an investigation by NHTSA # rq24013. Acura stated my VIN is not part of the recall although it's the same issue.

Our 2017 Acura Mdx has developed a crank rod bearing knock. Fox Acura in grand rapids, michigan, has advised that our vehicle’s VIN is not included in service bulletin 23 036 concerning connecting rod bearing failure, despite evidence that similar failures have occurred in Acura 3. 5 liter engines outside the bulletin’s listed VIN range. I intend to submit a safety complaint to the ntsb regarding this issue. Fox Acura has recommended a full engine replacement. I respectfully request that Acura expand the scope of the service bulletin to include our vehicle and provide coverage for the recommended repair.

See all problems of the 2017 Acura MDX 🔎.

I was merging onto the interstate from another interstate when my car suddenly became limp and would not accelerate. I had zero warning there was anything wrong with my car, only 67,150 miles. I had to coast to the side of the road and it wasn't driveable. I was forced to have it towed to Acura to find out it's a rocker arm oil pressure switch that apparently goes out after 60,000-100,000 miles. Without warning, this is a huge safety issue. There should be a backup switch and notification to get it to a dealer. I had 3 kids in the car, traveling 65 when it suddenly decided to stop accelerating. Zero warning. It was terrifying. I could have been hit by another car on the interstate, with 3 kids in the car, zero warning to cars behind me that my speed went from 65 to almost nothing instantly. I've always owned Honda cars and this is the first vehicle I've ever had this happen in. Dealership confirmed it was a faulty switch, nothing to do with low oil, dirty oil and I have that in writing. Acrua/Honda should figure out how to alert users that there is an issue before there is an issue. Or put this on the maintenance schedule because I'm terrified to drive this car now. Or how will I know if it's ready to do it again. Again, some type of backup switch that works for a bit until you can get it to dealer. I had to be towed to dealer. Kids had to be picked up. All things that could have been avoided if Honda did a better job.

Hello… this has happened at least four times. . The car goes to stand by/idle mode when the auto shut off is engaged. I was at a light and car went to idle and when it goes to green. Car just goes to idle mode. I had to put hazards on and restart car. People honking while I’m trying to restart car from this state. It’s like the car does not return on after the gas is engaged.

Hello, I am writing to report that my 2017 vehicle is experiencing the same issue that was subject to a recall on the 2016 models. Despite the recall being associated with the 2016 year, my 2017 vehicle is showing identical symptoms and concerns. This raises serious questions about safety, reliability, and whether this issue extends beyond the originally recalled model year. I would like this concern formally documented and request a review of my vehicle to determine whether it qualifies for repair, inspection, or coverage related to the prior recall. Please advise on the next steps and whether this issue has been reported or addressed for 2017 models. Vehicle details: year: 2017 I appreciate your prompt attention to this matter and look forward to your response. Sincerely, [xxx] if I get killed me or my [xxx] son, you all will be responsible. You made these faulty vehicles. [xxx] I'm have to get a lawyer involved if issues are not addressed. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Nhtsa incident report vehicle: 2016 Acura Mdx date of incident: [xxx] location: oregon (oregon coast to portland) mileage: 110, xxx incident: during a 60-mile road trip, the vehicle unexpectedly shut off and shifted into neutral. The car coasted safely to a stop. Earlier, we had noticed a slight knocking sound when starting the engine, but no other issues were present. A tow truck attempted to jump-start the vehicle without success. Ron tonkin Acura later confirmed engine failure. The vehicle has been regularly maintained, with documentation, and had no prior engine problems. Acura has stated that this failure is not part of their rod bearing recall. No warning lights appeared before or during the incident. Safety concern: the sudden engine shutdown created a serious safety risk while driving. Requested action: investigation into potential defect causing unexpected engine shutdown in the 2016 Acura Mdx. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I was at a red light. My auto idle kicked in. I went to turn it off and either simultaneously or right before I hit the idle off button my car stalled. It took several attempts to turn back on and a bunch of codes threw. I almost got rear ended. This is a known problem. Ive contacted Acura / Honda via email as well.

On December 4th I noticed a rattling sound when I was driving. It worsened when my car would rev above 2rpms and before shifting. It also would make a terrible grinding sound when I started the car. I had about 1/4 of a tank of gas and thought that maybe that was part of the issue. After filling up, the sound was not as loud, but was still present when I started the car and upon accelerating. I took my car to my Acura dealership on December 5th. Within an hour of having the car they called to tell me that the engine needed to be replaced due to a connecting rod failure. They told me that the car is no longer safe to drive and that the repairs would be required in order to continue to use the vehicle safely. There was no warning sign. My only other concern is that the downshifters of this vehicle have never worked properly. I have mentioned this to the dealership multiple times and even drove the vehicle with their representative to recreate the issue. The car would accelerate and lurch forward upon utilizing the downshift feature. This would also cause the vehicle to over-rev which I am concerned was problematic to the connecting rod failure. Additionally, the vehicle has always made a grinding noise upon starting the engine, but the dealership assured me this was normal. Acura is unwilling to cover the full cost of replacement even though this vehicle has been maintained per the manufacturer's recommendations. There are approximately 90,000 miles on this vehicle.

This has happend twice in the past 2 months, I came to a red light and the auto stop/start engaged automatically. When the light turned green and the vehicle was supposed to engage it turned off completely, all lights on the dash came on and it and wouldn't restart. Had to open the drivers side door and try to restart the vehicle, it restarted after a few tries. Very dangerous intersection I was stuck in. I have informed Acura of both occasions, they tested the battery cells and confirmed the battery was okay, was told this is a "known" issue with no resolve.

Since the purchase of my Acura Mdx 2019, the following problems have been reported to the dealership and to Honda manufacturing inc. Without any resolution. The dealer shop has replaced recall parts, but the problems persist and have not gone away. The vehicle stalls and stops working while driving. The engine makes knocking/rattling noises upon becoming disabled while driving. The engine would randomly not start when turning it on. When car becomes disabled the dashboard lights up warning lights displaying messages intermittently of the following problems: anti-lock brake system problem (abs), vehicle stability assist (vsa), hill start assist, trailer stability assist, collision mitigation system, road departure mitigation system, adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, brake system, brake hold system, electric parking brake, sh-awd, keyless start system and power steering system (eps) problems, while displaying acc and lwks codes. Additionally, the vehicle runs improperly and shuts down completely making the window, doors, etc, inoperable while passengers are inside locking me in and my entire family for long periods of time. A few times has left me either myself or with my children and dog inside. The only place where I take my car for services is where I purchased it (chevy chase Acura). The issues noted are the same reported by the recalls I have received, and I have not taken it somewhere else because of that reason. Nobody can fix them as the problems are manufacturing issues that even Acura/Honda cannot repair. This safety defect can kill or seriously injure me, my passengers, and other drivers on the road. As noted in one of the many recalls the fuel pump defect can cause the vehicle to stop in the highway and could prevent an engine from starting or cause a vehicle to stall while being driven, it potentially increases the risk of a fire, crash, or injury. My car continues to have these issues and nobody is helping me. Please help!.

The idle-stop function would frequently malfunction. I would be at a stop, which would trigger the idle-stop function and the car would turn off, but when I released my foot off the break in preparation for needing to start moving, the car would stall and shut completely off. There was about a five second delay before I could get the car to turn back on and start moving, which was very scary with traffic all around me. After the malfunction occurred several times, I would try to remember to turn off the idle-stop function using dynamic mode. I called my local Acura dealership about this problem and the service manager said that he wasn’t sure what was wrong nor did he know how to fix it. He advised me to just wait and hope that Acura issues a recall for the issue. Then, I started noticing that there was a delay in my vehicle starting when pressing the start button. It wasn’t too long of a delay but enough for me to notice. Since the car would ultimately start, I didn’t think too much about it, until my car failed to turn on. It has happened when I turn off my car but then need to turn it back on soon after turning it off. I’ll press the start button and the lights on the dash come on and I can hear the engine trying to turn on but it doesn’t. The engine won’t crank up. I have to let it sit for a few seconds (30 sec?) and then try to turn it on again, at which time I have been lucky that it will turn on, but the initial start-up sounds like a struggle. It doesn’t sound like a healthy start up for 2025 vehicle.