Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Acura MDX - part 1

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.

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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.

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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.

This make and model has the same problems with the engine rod bearings it’s the v6 3. 5l.

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The contact stated that while driving, the engine made clunking noise, sudden loss of power and the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a connecting rod bearing failure and engine replacement is necessary. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 180,000.

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Randomly when auto/start stop feature engages and shuts down the engine when I let go off the brake the engine doesn't restart and a system problem message show up on the dash. Have to shut down the car and restart for the engine to start running again.

Description of incident: while stopped at a red light at a busy intersection near a shopping district, the vehicle's auto idle stop (ais) system engaged and shut off the engine. When I attempted to restart by pressing the brake pedal — as instructed — the vehicle failed to restart. The dashboard displayed an error message reading "idle stop function: press brake to restart. " my foot was on the brake pedal at the time; pressing it did not restart the engine. I then manually shut off the vehicle using the engine start/stop button and attempted to restart it. The vehicle would not start. I remained stranded at the intersection for approximately 10 minutes. I had to call the cops for a patrol car because other cars were piling up behind me and I had my 6 month old son in the vehicle. Safety impact: during this time, I was unable to move the vehicle from a live traffic intersection. This created an immediate safety hazard to myself, my family, and other drivers.

I was driving on the highway. All of a sudden, my engine started making knocking noises. Shortly after that, the car started to lose power, and immediately the low engine oil light came on. I pulled over immediately to check the engine oil level. Oil level was normal. I restarted the car, but the mechanical knocking noise was evident and did not sound right. Towed the car to the closest Acura dealership. Diagnostics states that engine has ceased and would not crank. Replacements engine is required and would costs approx. $4200. Acura has a recall on some 2016-2020 Mdx for similar engine issues, but my VIN did not qualified. The symptoms I exprienced is very similar to what was described in the recall. Acura representative denied any goodwill support/help.

Our car eats a ton of oil and the piston rings failed, we owe a lot on it and I'm told there is no help for this issue even though there used to be because we are outside the guidelines in terms of mileage and purchase date. Our car has 156k its a 2012 Mdx. VIN [xxx] . Just checking with everyone everywhere to make sure I've exhausted all resources as it will take 13,000 to fix and we owe 12,000. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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The contact owns a 2016 Acura Mdx. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission independently shifted into neutral. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the event was scary. The contact stated that the vehicle was so hot inside. The contact crawled to the passenger's seat and exited the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, however the vehicle was not inspected. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under any unknown recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the repair was covered under an unknown recall which had a similar failure description. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

When driving at highway speeds there randomly is a full loss of engine power for 3 to 5 seconds. Each time this has occurred I was on the highway and depressing the gas pedal further to either pass another car or because I'm driving up and incline. For several seconds the car looses all power and begins slowing. Traffic approaching rom behind may have to apply brakes. I am unsure whether it's the transmission disconnecting from the engine, or the engine dropping to idle speed, I have tried pressing the gas pedal further and also tried the paddle shifters to force a downshift, and neither has any effect. I have been to the dealer multiple times and they can't re-create the issue so they dismiss it.

While driving my 2020 Acura Mdx, the vehicle developed an intermittent check engine light and a noticeable engine knocking noise coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to an Acura dealership for diagnosis. According to the certified Acura technician, no diagnostic trouble codes were found stored in the vehicle’s system. However, the technician confirmed there was an audible knocking noise present from the engine during inspection. The technician stated "no engine oil leaks found at this time. Engine. I did verify the noise that you are talking about far as knocking noise goes. Right now, it sounds like it's a lower end noise, possibly crank shaft related. Engine teardown would need to be in place to verify which cylinders are bad and to confirm if the bearing is gone or not. ". The vehicle has all service records, including routine oil changes at recommended intervals. The technician also confirmed that the vehicle had oil in it. The vehicle is not part of the existing recall, but the symptoms and description match the known crank shaft rod bearing issue.

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Car engine turns off at a red light, by turn off I mean completely turned off, not just silent. And takes a couple of attempts to restart the car before the engine turns on again. This has happened over 5 or 6 times over the last 3 months, however yesterday (may 9, 2026) it happened twice within the hour. Luckily, I have not been involved in an accident because of this, but I'm concerned that it's easy to imagine a scenario where someone will be rear-ended. Please issue a safety recall for Acura to fix this issue.

The contact owns a 2020 Acura Mdx. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 - 25 mph, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the passenger’s side of the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle stalled and was towed to dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer determined that the engine had seized. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number: 23v751000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.

My vehicle is having an issue with the idle stop feature. Multiple times when stopped at a red light or when idle the car stops and will not turn back on. I have to turn the car off completely open the door to simulate leaving the car, wait a minute then start the car again to be able to move.

While stopped at a red light at a busy intersection near an airport, the vehicle's auto idle stop (ais) system engaged and shut off the engine. When I attempted to restart by pressing the brake pedal — as instructed — the vehicle failed to restart. The dashboard displayed an error message reading "idle stop function: press brake to restart. " my foot was on the brake pedal at the time; pressing it did not restart the engine. I then manually shut off the vehicle using the engine start/stop button and attempted to restart it. The vehicle would not start. I remained stranded at the intersection for approximately 10 minutes before the vehicle finally restarted and allowed me to shift into drive. I was the first car in the lane, so people kept piling up and honking behind me.

A connecting rod bearing is failing in my 2014 Acura Mdx which could have led to complete engine failure while driving my family. Absolute auto center of berlin, CT confirmed the issue and noted that Acura has recalled 2016-2020 Mdx models due to connecting rod bearing defects but have not expanded the recall to include earlier model years that are also impacted. There were no warning lamps or messages prior to or during the issue, it was identified due to a loud knocking with the engine around 3-4,000 rpms.

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Last year, my 2025 Acura Mdx was repaired under warranty for a known starter issue that is affecting all 2025+ Mdx models. The issue is that the vehicle will stall or fail to start on random occasions leaving drivers stranded or stopped in traffic unable to move their vehicle. Honda and Acura are well aware of the fact that this is an issue, yet they continue to produce these vehicles with the same parts. This repair took several attempts and the dealership refused to even diagnose the issue for several months causing me to have to record each instance on my phone for proof. Once they eventually replaced the starter, the issue went away for approximately 10 months. Today, however, I was temporarily left stranded at a gas pump as my vehicle would not start. Honda and Acura dealerships are replacing these parts with the exact same part number, so the no-start condition comes back in about a year or less. It is incredibly dangerous to have a vehicle that you cannot move as anticipated, or if you’re in an area that you cannot leave or get away from potential danger because your vehicle won’t start. This is a less-than two-year-old vehicle that has now left me stranded on several occasions including in the middle of traffic on a motorway. I know for a fact that several other owners of the Acura Mdx are having the exact same issue and ask that you please launch an investigation into this as Honda is well aware of it and still refuses to address the blatant safety risk it poses to its customers.

While stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle had auto shut off normally. However when I released the brake and pushed the gas it unexpectedly stalled and shut off without warning. When attempting to restart the vehicle, it would not start again. There were no prior warning indicators or messages suggesting an imminent issue. This created a hazardous situation as the vehicle was disabled in an active traffic lane. After several attempts, the vehicle either restarted after having set the emergency brake. The failure appears to be sudden and without driver input, raising concerns about reliability and safety in traffic conditions.

The contact owns a 2016 Acura Mdx. The contact stated that upon start of the vehicle, the engine entered limp mode as a check engine light appeared on the instrument panel. The vehicle failed to accelerate above 35 mph as the contact was forced to restart the vehicle. The vehicle resumed normal driving after restart and the contact called the dealer for an appointment. While driving the vehicle to the dealer, the failure returned as an abnormal, banging sound began to emit from the vehicle. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with rod bearing connector failure which resulted in engine failure. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA action number:pe25008(engine) which the contact linked to the failure. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure where he was informed that the vehicle was not included in the recall and was offered the chance to apply for a goodwill financial assistance for the repair of the engine. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the dealer's possession. The failure mileage was approximately 148,000.

Vehicle is equipped with start stop system and we have had multiple instances where we come to a stop , and the car will not restart. In the latest instance, we pulled up to stoplight, the start stops system engaged shutting off the engine then wouldn't restart. Car also wouldn't turn completely off, so I had to hit the flashers at the busy intersection, try to get the car into park, then shut completely down, then restart the car. It also struggled to restart as if the battery was dying. In this instance most dash lights come on, but it appears to be an engine, electrical, and software issue. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealer multiple times, and in once instance they said the issue was caused by a bad battery, mind you the car is slightly over a year old. This latest time, they claimed that the battery was good and no issues were found. This issue continues to put me and my family at risk by leaving us disabled in the middle of traffic especially when it has happened near exiting the freeway,.

I am reporting a serious safety defect involving repeated engine stalling and failure to restart associated with the auto idle stop/start system on a 2025 Acura Mdx. The vehicle was leased in December 2024. Beginning in late summer and early fall of 2025, the vehicle intermittently shut off at stops and failed to restart when releasing the brake. This resulted in the vehicle becoming unresponsive in active traffic conditions, creating a significant safety hazard. The vehicle was presented to an authorized dealer for this issue on multiple occasions: August 15, 2025 September 9, 2025 October 31, 2025 after repeated unsuccessful attempts to diagnose and repair the condition, the dealer ultimately replaced the starter on October 31, 2025. This repair did not permanently resolve the issue. In April 2026, the vehicle again began exhibiting hesitation and delayed engine restart following auto idle stop events. On April 30, 2026, the vehicle stalled again, demonstrating that the defect persists despite prior repair efforts. This condition is intermittent and unpredictable, which increases the risk, as the vehicle may fail to restart when entering or crossing intersections or when moving with traffic. The inability of the vehicle to reliably restart creates a clear safety concern. Given the repeated repair attempts and recurrence of the defect, this appears to be a systemic issue rather than an isolated component failure.

Engine stalls when at intersection and the engine cuts off at idle and fails to start back up when you remove your foot from the break. Can have keep lane assist enable. Klas mode narrow, you have to fight the wheel to maintain control of the vehicle, formal mode is a 50/50 chance it works, wide you can sift right off the road for 5-10 secs before to realize your off the road. Steer wheel control button intermittently fail and stop being able to control the midi instrument panel and infotainment system. I believe there is a systematic electrical issue in the car. They attempted to fix this by replacing a starter which hasn’t because the engine stalled at an intersection again and on cold start this morning 5/4 at the same intersection as this is by my girlfriends apartment.

The vehicle is designed to shut off at a stoplight and restart when your foot leaves the brake, or the steering wheel is moved. On multiple occasions, the vehicle turns itself off (typically at a red traffic light) only to not restart. Driver must manually put the vehicle into park, and try to restart it using the traditional push button (in traffic). This is horribly dangerous even if it takes just a few seconds to do. The Acura dealership maintains that there is nothing they can do. Simple internet searches indicate that it's a wider issue than my own vehicle, so I am reporting my issue to you.

Interstate driving 70mph. Sudden engine power loss, vehicle slowed to 50mph. Check engine light came on. Engine knocking noises. Drove car 2 miles to our Acura dealership. Service dept says we have rod bearing failure. Currently deciding how to proceed. . . Used or reman motor repalcement.

We have had multiple incidents when the car is at a stop light with the idle stop not active, the vehicle engine will just die. The light turns green and the vehicle is not running, it will take multiple times pushing the start button for it to start back up. This has resulted in multiple almost rear end incidents due to other drivers assuming we would go when light turned green. More recently this weekend on a trip from columbus OH to st. Louis mo; stopped to get gas east of indianapolis, after pumping gas the vehicle would not restart. It took multiple tries to get it to restart; this happened again the following day at a stop during the day at a shopping center, we ran in to get subs for lunch, came back out, would not start, I have a video of the sound and flashing lights but I can't upload a video here.

I was driving down the interstate, the engine started making noise, a saw big puff of blue smoke in the vehicle. Lost all power.

Emissions system failure warning power shifting / power shifting see dealer all wheel drive (awd) power may be reduced - see dealer.

The contact owns a 2017 Acura Mdx. The contact stated that while driving at 40 mph the engine seized. All the warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was due to NHTSA campaign number: 23v751000 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who determined there was an internal engine failure. The local dealer was contacted, where it was diagnosed that there was rod bearing and engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The claim was denied. The failure mileage was approximately 122,220.

Odometer fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Acura Mdx. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 85,000. The contact stated that on the day of the purchase; after refueling the vehicle and then attempting to pull out of the gas station, the emissions, check engine, and parking brake warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact took the vehicle to an auto repair shop, and had the vehicle scanned and then diagnosed, dtc: p0158 (oxygen sensor circuit high voltage, dtc severity 2 of 3, t0159 oxygen sensor circuit slow response (bank2 and sensor 2), and an electric parking brake failure were displayed. The scan indicated that the vehicle was subjected to odometer fraud. The contact reviewed the paperwork and received it at the time of sale and became aware that the mileage stickers, along with other indications that the documentations were false. The contact retrieved a carfax report and discovered that the actual mileage was 225,802. The contact reported the odometer fraud to the police department and was informed that the dealer was known for odometer fraud. The police also informed the contact that there was a case and a warrant already issued.

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My vehicles motor is internally destroying itself. The rod bearing has gone and the motor is none functional. The car only has 98k miles. I have gotten the oil changed every 3k-4k miles and used 0w-20 oil as the manufacturer desired. It seems as though there has been 1. 4million cars with this same issue as mine. I think a recall is in order. Oem new motor is $25. 7k.

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.

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.

My car has stalled while driving on the highway multiple times now. The first time it happened, it lost power, stopped accelerating, and cycled through multiple warning lights, causing a significant safety risk. I pulled over and it restarted within minutes. I took it to a repair shop and they could not find a problem with it, even with the codes provided. Nothing pointed to a solution. It happened two other times while I was driving my child on a highway where it lost acceleration and then kicked back in. Again, this post, a significant safety risk as always in a fast lane on a highway with my child cars behind me had to hit their brakes to avoid me after this incident. Other times it doesn’t lose power, yet it cycles through warning lights randomly. I took it to the dealer instead of a local shop. They texted me about items that should be fixed per an inspection, including struts and a battery replacement. Complete with a large bill just for diagnostics. Yet, nothing was found having to do with the main problem at hand. Losing power while driving. . My battery is less than six months old. I had it tested and it is fine. My VIN is not listed in the recall, but, all of the symptoms match the other recalls of the same year make and model.

See all problems of the 2019 Acura MDX 🔎.

My 2016 Acura Mdx (purchased new January 2016) has a confirmed failure of the 9-speed automatic transmission warmer (atf warmer), causing engine coolant and atf fluid to cross-contaminate. The failed warmer is still in the vehicle and available for inspection. In the last week of March 2026, I noticed the engine cooling fan continuing to run after shutting off the vehicle — an abnormal symptom that prompted me to bring the car in for service. No check engine or transmission warning lights were illuminated. On March 28, 2026, blue sky tire and auto (cumming, GA) performed a diagnostic inspection confirming coolant and atf cross-contamination. The technician also physically inspected the transmission warmer manufacturing date stamp, confirming it falls within the defective manufacturing date range identified in Acura service bulletin 17-009 (October 6, 2017), which states that improperly manufactured warmers allow coolant and atf to mix, potentially causing permanent engine and transmission damage. The vehicle has not been inspected by an Acura dealership for this failure. However, an american Honda customer relations case has been opened (case # xxx) with a case manager assigned to evaluate the warranty claim under the 10-year/unlimited mileage warranty extension issued by american Honda for this exact defect. This failure poses serious safety risks — loss of transmission lubrication can cause sudden transmission failure at speed, and coolant-atf mixing can cause engine overheating, both potentially resulting in loss of vehicle control. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).