2008 Acura MDX

Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues

Electrical system is the leading concern among 49 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 20th highest complaint count among 24 MDX model years with reports.

Complaints by model year
  1. 49

Of the 2008 reports, 2 involved a crash and 1 involved a fire. 1 person was injured.

Primary concernElectrical system8 reports · 16% of complaints
Owner complaints49Filed with NHTSA
Recall relationship1 safety recallNHTSA campaign records

What owners report most often

  1. Electrical system8
  2. Structure8
  3. Service brakes6
  4. Suspension6
  5. Air bags5
  6. Steering4
  7. Engine3
  8. Hydraulic3

Recalls and investigations

  1. Equipment, mechanical, carrier/rackFeb 5, 2008

    HONDA IS RECALLING 2,032 HITCH STYLE BIKE RACKS SOLD AS AFTERMARKET FOR USE ON MY 2003-2007 AND SOME MY 2008 HONDA PILOT, RIDGELINE, AND ACURA MDX VEHICLES. A PINCH BOLT EXISTS BETWEEN THE BIKE ARM BRACKET AND THE UPRIGHT ASSEMBLY OF THE "HITCH" STYLE BICYCLE RACK.

    WHEN MOVING THE BIKE ARM BRACKET TO ITS DOWN POSITION, THIS PINCH BOLT HAS THE POTENTIAL OF CAUSING SEVERE LACERATION OR AMPUTATION TO THE USER'S FINGERTIPS OR HAND.

    OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT THULE AT 800-THULE91 (800-848-5391) TO OBTAIN A FREE REPAIR KIT ALONG WITH REPAIR INSTRUCTIONS OR OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA AT 1-800-999-1009 OR ACURA AT 1-800-382-2238 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

    Campaign 08E013000 on NHTSA.gov

Representative owner complaints: engine

5 reports, newest first. Show all

  1. Structure, Engine, Mar 5, 2021, fire

    MY VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A PARKING LOT AND THE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE ENGINE WAS NOT RUNNING, IT SEAMS TO SPONTANEOUSLY CAUGHT FIRE.

  2. Electrical system, Engine, Jun 2, 2018

    ON SATURDAY, JUNE 2, 2018, I WAS DRIVING NORTH ON INTERSTATE 95 AND MY CONSOLE LIGHTS STARTED BLINKING AND THE CAR JUST TURNED OFF. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO COAST OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND WATCHED AS THE CONSOLE LIGHTS BLINKED--VSA, BRAKE, INFORMATION LIGHT NAVIGATION SYSTEM SCREEN TURNED ON AND OFF REPEATEDLY, AND SPEEDOMETER AND RMP GAUGES WENT CRAZY. I SAT ON THE SHOULDER AND THE CONSOLE LIGHTS AND NAVIGATION SYSTEM LIGHTS CONTINUED TO BLINK ON AND OFF, AND THEN I SAW THAT THE SYSTEM RESET AS IF THE BATTERY HAD BEEN DISCONNECTED. THE SCREEN TO ENTER THE CODE TO RESET YOUR RADIO SYSTEM APPEARED. THEN IT ALL STOPPED AND WENT BLANK. I PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE TO EXIT THE INTERSTATE AND IT CONTINUED ON UNTIL I REACHED MY EXIT. HOWEVER, DURING THE DRIVE MY CONSOLE LIGHTS CONTINUED TO BLINK ON AND OFF AND THE CAR DROVE SLOWLY AND THERE WAS A DRAGGING SOUND AS IF THE ENGINE WAS OVERWORKING. I HAD TO MANUALLY UNLOCK THE DOOR, AND MY WINDOWS WOULD NOT GO UP TO CLOSE.

  3. Electrical system, Structure, Engine, Jun 12, 2015

    TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 ACURA MDX. WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE HOOD WAS VIBRATING. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, BUT THE VEHICLE HESITATED BEFORE ACCELERATING. THE VEHICLE STABILITY ASSIST, TCS, ABS AND VTM MAY NOT OPERATE WAS DISPLAYED ACROSS THE MESSAGE BOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MULTIPLE INDEPENDENT MECHANICS, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE HOOD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 133,000.

  4. Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Vehicle speed control, Dec 5, 2010

    THE FIRST INCIDENT,12/17/2009, WAS WHILE I WAS PULLING AWAY FROM A STOP LIGHT. THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE LIKE IT SHOULD AND ALL WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH WERE ON. I HAD A CAR RIGHT ON MY BUMPER BECAUSE MY CAR WOULD GO NO FASTER THAN 10 MPH. THE SECOND INCIDENT, 05/27/2010, HAPPENED WHILE IN CITY TRAFFIC AND ABRUPTLY DECELERATED TO 10 MPH AND AGAIN ALL WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON. THE THIRD TIME10/29/2010, I WAS AGAIN IN CITY TRAFFIC AND WAS NEARLY REAR-ENDED WHEN THE SAME THING OCCURRED. THE FOURTH TIME,11/08/2010, HAPPENED WHEN A DRIVER FOR THE DEALERSHIP WAS BRINGING THE CAR BACK TO ME BECAUSE THEY AGAIN SAID THEY HAD CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. THE DRIVER SAID ALL WARNING LIGHTS WERE ON AND THAT SHE COULD GO NO FASTER THAN 10 MPH. SHE ALSO SAID THAT SHE WAS SCARED TO DEATH AND PRAYED SHE COULD GET BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT. ALL 4 INCIDENTS OCCURRED BETWEEN 14576 AND 33633 MILES ON THE CAR WITHIN A TEN AND A HALF MONTH PERIOD.

  5. Engine and engine cooling, Jul 31, 2009

    2008 ACURA MDX WITH 27,000 MILES. A HOLE HAS APPEARED IN THE CONDENSER REGULATING THE A/C UNIT INOPERATIVE. THE HOLE HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEED SPEWING OUT LARGE AMOUNT OF FREON STEAM SCARING MY WIFE, THE DRIVER. SHE MADE AN EMERGENCY STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT WITH A LAWSUIT INVOLVED. *TR