2016 Acura MDX
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 374 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the highest complaint count among 24 MDX model years with reports.
Of the 2016 reports, 10 involved a crash and 5 involved a fire. 5 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Structure, frame and membersJun 4, 2026
American Honda Motor Company (Honda) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Honda Pilot, 2017-2023 Ridgeline, 2019-2023 Passport, and 2014-2020 Acura MDX vehicles that were sold in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. The rear subframe may corrode at the suspension mounting points, which can result in rear suspension component failure.
Failure of rear suspension components, such as the rear control arm, can cause a loss of vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Dealers will inspect the rear subframe and install a rear subframe reinforcement kit and, as necessary, repair or replace the rear subframe components, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed July 27, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in the fall of 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are AOU and AOT. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning June 10, 2026.
Campaign 26V365000 on NHTSA.gov
Exterior lightingApr 17, 2025
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014-2020 Acura MDX vehicles. Moisture may enter the tailgate lid light assembly and wiring harness, which can cause the interior and exterior lights to fail, including the lid lights, position lights, license plate lights and taillights.
Vehicle lights that fail to illuminate can decrease visibility and increase the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect the wiring and install a fuse harness, replace the lid light, and repair the body dust sealer, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 30, 2025. Owners may contact Acura's customer service at 1-800-382-2238. Acura's number for this recall is FLI. Vehicles included in this recall that were previously repaired under NHTSA recall number 19V-256 will need to have the new remedy completed.
Campaign 25V259000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpDec 18, 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
Campaign 23V858000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, engine, hard parts internal/mechanicalNov 13, 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2016 and 2018-2019 Pilot, 2017 and 2019 Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 Odyssey vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the connecting rod bearing in the engine may wear and seize, damaging the engine.
A damaged engine may run improperly or stall while driving, increasing the risk of a fire, crash, or injury.
Dealers will inspect and repair, or replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed March 28, 2024. 2016-2017 Acura MDX owner letters were mailed November 1, 2024. 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed in mid-December 2024. Honda began mailing owner notification letters as of March 18, 2024. 2015-2016 Acura owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-December 2024, 2018 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed the end of March/early April 2024, 2019 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-May 2024, 2020 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-June 2024, and 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed January 27, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XG1 and GG0.
Campaign 23V751000 on NHTSA.gov
Exterior lighting, tail lightsMar 28, 2019
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Acura MDX and 2017-2019 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid vehicles. Moisture may enter the tailgate lid lights, possibly causing a loss of the tailgate lid lights and the taillights.
Loss of the taillights reduces the vehicle's visibility, increasing the risk of crash.
Acura will notify owners, and dealers will modify the tailgate lid lights and install updated gaskets and a wiring sub-harness or will replace both tailgate lid lights. The repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began May 7, 2019. Owners may contact Acura customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is M49.
Campaign 19V256000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, other, delivery, fuel pumpJan 29, 2019
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Acura MDX, 2015-2019 Acura TLX and 2015-2017 Honda Accord vehicles, equipped with a 3.5L V6 engine. Particulates in fuel may adhere to the internal components of the fuel pump, reducing its performance.
Reduced fuel pump performance can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of crash.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the fuel injection engine control unit (FI-ECU) software and, if necessary, replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began March 25, 2019. Owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's recall number for this recall is P3W. Honda's recall number for this recall is N3X.
Campaign 19V060000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, storage, tank assemblyJun 9, 2016
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2015 Acura MDX 2WD and MDX 4WD vehicles, 2016 Acura MDX 4WD vehicles, 2015-2016 Honda Odyssey vehicles, and 2016 Honda Pilot 2WD and 4WD vehicles. The affected vehicles have fuel tanks that were manufactured with insufficient welds which may separate and allow fuel to leak out.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tanks, free of charge. Owners may contact Honda/Acura customer service at 1-888-234-2138. The recall began on July 29, 2016. Honda's numbers for this recall are KA9 (Honda vehicles) and KB0 (Acura vehicles).
Campaign 16V417000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
374 reports, newest first.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Apr 24, 2024
Acura MDX 2016 SH-AWD with 113366 miles diagnosis according to warning lights. DTC test certification codes: P0301 Misfire No. 1 cylinder P0306 Misfire No. 6 cylinder P0300 Random Misfire P0420 Catalyst System efficiency below threshold B1 Recommendation was that the Catalytic converter be replaced. All these codes were identified under Honda's TSB 20-100 dated 2/2021 on Odyssey, Pilot and Ridgeline models where AH extended warranty to 10 years from date of purchase or 150K. These V6 engines are pretty close to that of the 2016 MDX. Is there a remote possibility that these DTC codes could exist in MDX V6 engines when an issue arises similar to those in the Honda vehicles? These DTC codes appeared 24 hours/37 miles after a routine oil service on 3/26/2024 at Advantage Acura of Naperville with a perfect inspection report. The malfunction occurred in the vicinity of McGrath Acura of Westmont on the following day of 3/27/2024. The concern is if any of the emission system components were damaged during the routine oil service. Advantage Acura have in the past installed brake pads backwards on my Acura TL 2010 for which I do have proof.
Other or unspecified, Back over prevention, Apr 23, 2024
Dear Support, I own Acura MDX 2016 with VIN number [XXX] , paint color is White Diamond Pearl I notice the paint is peeling off from in-between roof and front wind screen. I see there are recall for this color but I don't see my car in your recall list, My cousin also own 2016 MDX and after contacting to Acura support his car is getting fixed. I tried to contact t them but they are very rude and not supporting for INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Structure, Apr 16, 2024
There are two parts to this complaint. The issue regarding the transmission is potentially a safety issue and could result in an accident, while the peeling paint problem is already addressed in the Acura Service Bulletin 19-029 for VINs other than mine. Both are well documented problems that have been experienced by other 2016 Acura MDX owners. The transmission issue is an intermittent problem while accelerating and decelerating. There is a abrupt hesitation, or surging. While coating down a steep hil, the transmission will stay in gear at very high revs instead of shifting. These are an annoyance, but the acceleration problem could cause someone to hit the car from behind in heavy traffic situations. Some individuals note on the internet that their engines would accually stall when accelerating. I have brought my vehicle into the Acura Dealership on a number of occasions without the problem being resolved. The paint issue involves the white diamond pearl paint coming off the roof and is already addressed in Acura Service Bulleting 19-029. It is unthinkable that only some VINs are covered while others are not, if the same exact problem seems to exist on non-listed VINs. Honda Motor Company indicated that they would not add additional VINS unless directed to by NHTSA. Please have Honda extend the warranty on ALL 2016 Acura MDX models with the same problem.
Engine, Apr 1, 2024
Engine rod bearing knocking. Will eventually fail and engine stop running at anytime. My independent service center did confirm the problem. The car has not been to the Dealer as they refuse to include my VIN # in the current recall for this very problem. No warning lights appeared, but slight ticking sound shortly turned into a loud knocking.
Seat belts, Mar 26, 2024, crash
I was involved in an accident 12/13, 2023. No airbags deployed, however, my seatbelt locked up. A new seatbelt was ordered through Acura soon thereafter 12/23. At the time this was ordered, I was told that there was no ETA as there is a national backorder. Fast forward to today, my car has been fully repaired and is still sitting in the local repair shop because there are still no seatbelts available. I have filed complaints with Acura corporate, and have a claim number that I would be more than happy to provide. Acura corporate has advised the repair shop that it will be at least six months to one year until a seatbelt is is available I also have documentation on the “ expedited order” that was placed for the seatbelt in 12/2023. The insurance company, USAA, is now looking at totaling my car simply because we cannot find a seatbelt. The local Acura dealers, and our car repair shop cannot believe that cannot seem to get a seatbelt for me, and it’s been four months. On my research online, it appears that Acura may be legally obligated to manufacture, and provide this part. I wanted to report this to the proper regulatory agency to ensure that this has been documented. The car is completely drivable, given the lack of safety restraint. I also am aware that I am not alone in this complaint, as many other MDX owners are experiencing the same I am not sure how to proceed from here and I’m hoping that you may be able to help Thank you so much for your time and consideration
Seat belts, Air bags, Mar 18, 2024, crash
The contact owns a 2016 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds through a parking area, his foot slipped and the vehicle unintendedly accelerated, coming to a complete stop after crashing into an 8-inch barrier. The air bags did not deploy. No warning lights were illuminated. A Police report was not filed, and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that the driver's side seat belt needed to be replaced following the crash but informed the contact that Part Number: 04818-TZ5-A00ZC was unavailable. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that parts were not yet available. A case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.
Structure, Mar 7, 2024
The paint on this vehicle failed and matches photos in Acura service bulletin [XXX] which deals with failure of paint color [XXX]. When calling Honda I was told that that recall is VIN specific and that my vehicle was not affected. The attached photos clearly show that the paint is defective and therefor should be covered. According to the service bulletin a warranty extension was issued for 8 years from the date the vehicle was placed in to service which in my case was June 30, 2016. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Feb 26, 2024
There is a current recall on Acura/Hondas with the issue that we are having with our car. Knocking engine, car diagnosed with connecting rod bearing issue. Apparently not included in recall. This makes no sense. Car has been undriveable since 11/9/23 with no help from Acura/Honda Corporate. We have been trying to come to a resolution with no help. This should fall under the recall and where our car was manufactured should be looked into because on car forums there are many cars with our VINS having the same issue. This issue has affected more cars than Acura is saying and needs to be looked into before someone gets seriously injured. Acura/Honda are NOT taking this seriously at ALL.
Other or unspecified, Feb 16, 2024
The trunk opens like it should, but then closes after the lift gate reaches the top. It will close on your head if you don't move out of the way, which is what happened the first time because I didn't know what was happening. You can stop the lift gate from continuing to close, but then you can hurt your arm due to the force the door is closing with, as there is no auto censor for the door to know something is blocking the path. This event has been reproduced over 50 times in the last week. About 10% of the time, the lift gate works normally. I have an appointment at the dealership in 3 days. Based on a search of TSBs, this problem has been reported multiple times since at least 2019. It had been working normally until this week, started 2/10/24 and is still occurring when I open the trunk. No warning messages appear.
Engine, Feb 7, 2024
My 2016 Acura MDX, which was well maintained, locked up while driving at around 45 mph this past September. Upon a certified mechanics evaluation, it was reported that the vehicle would require a new engine as it was "locked up". Shortly afterward, I read that certain model/makes of Acura vehicles were being recalled for this very reason/problem. I called Acura recall client support who informed me that the final list of recalled vehicles would not be available until January 2024 and that I would receive a letter in the mail. When I did not receive a letter, I called again and was informed that my VIN was not included in the recall. This is despite that thousands of other 2016 Acura MDXs were recalled. I find it difficult to accept that a known issue that necessitated a substantial recall of vehicles did not apply to my Acura since it was the exact issue being addressed. Especially since the vehicle was maintained very well from the time of purchase. My teenage son was driving the vehicle and was stranded along a dark highway until I could pick him up about 45 minutes later. There were not warning lights or notices of this pending failure. The vehicle could only partially be removed from the traffic lane at the time it locked up which resulted in a hazard, not only for my son, but for other travelers as well.
Engine, Jan 29, 2024
The connecting rod bearing has failed in my vehicle. It is causing damage to the engine, there are metal shavings found in the oil, and the engine is producing a strange and unusual sound. It's causing the engine damage and wear and causing it to seize. The incident has been reported to the dealer and has been confirmed in an inspection report. There is a CURRENT recall from NHTSA and Honda/Acura for this exact issue that includes the same make, year and model of my vehicle, however when VIN numbers were split, my vehicle was not included in the recall. The recall should be expanded to not only include more vehicles but those that are actually being impacted.
Engine, Jan 23, 2024
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE ENGINE LOST POWER. THERE WAS NO WARNING.THE CAR BECAME INOPERABLE. THE SAFETY OF PASSENGERS AND OTHERS TRAVELING THE HIGHWAY WERE AT RISK. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED AND ADVISED THAT THE ROD BEARING SPUN. THE VEHICLE IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AND IT IS UNKNOWN AS TO WHETHER THE MANUFACTURER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE.
Engine, Jan 22, 2024
The car suffer complete engine failure while driving on the highway. I had the car towed to an acura dealer . The acura dealer has informed me that the engine rod failed There is a recall by acura for 250,000 vehicles incuding the same year and model for the same problem . The engine is availble for inspection . My vehicle is not under recall . i was informed by Acura customer relatiins that they will not help me . I was informed by a acura dealer that they will can replace the engine with a used engine for 9000$ . i said ok but then wondered if the engine they would replace it with was under recall. The looked into it and have informed me that the engine is in fact one of the recalled engines and then asked me if i wanted to proceed with the replacement with an engine that is dangerous ... This seems incredible to me and should be illegal and certainly dangerous..
Engine and engine cooling, Jan 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was stuck in the middle of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the connecting rod bearing, resulting in damage to the engine and requiring a replacement engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, who confirmed the diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 96,000.
Engine, Forward collision avoidance, Lane departure, Jan 10, 2024
while driving on a local road (not highway), engine began to make a very loud sound. sounds like metal on metal inside engine. called local ACURA dealer and they said that the connecting rod recall/problem that was announced in November 2023 "does not apply to my VIN".
Power train, Jan 10, 2024
The contact's wife owns a 2016 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond and lost motive power. A message indicating a transmission failure was displayed. The contact was able to veer to the side of the roadway. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to shift into gear. The vehicle was towed to a AAA Center. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was covered under an extended transmission warranty. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was not eligible to be repaired under the transmission extended warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.
Other or unspecified, Dec 16, 2023
Was driving vehicle on highway and suddenly and rapidly lost all ability to accelerate. Warning lights on dash ALL came on simultaneously only after acceleration was lost. Inability to accelerate was extremely dangerous in middle of other highway traffic, but safely pulled to side of road only because of careful driving and luck. Upon inspection, auto service confirmed they verified concern P0716 system needs to update and keyless control was faulty. Recall one month subsequent to event does not seem to include my car, although description of failure sounds potentially similar. Still waiting full repair of vehicle.
Engine, Dec 1, 2023
Ticking Sound in Engine Diagnosed by Dealer as same issue reported in recall for Year Make and Model of Vehicle. Diagnosed with need for engine replacement ($8,700). All service requirements by manufacturer done by dealer. Dealer says it is unsafe to drive. Vin not covered under recall NHTSA # 23V-751
Engine, Nov 30, 2023
My engine light enabled & my car slowed < 30 mph while driving on a frwy on 2/4/23. I exited & turned the engine off. It was late at night in a rural area, so I waited a bit & turned the car back on. Engine light was no longer on, so I continued to my destination (GA). On 2/5/23, while driving on the frwy, my engine light enabled & my car quickly slowed to < 20 mph. The light stayed on & my car had little power (limped along). After a few hours, there was no change & my car was not drivable. I got a hotel for the night & took my car to the nearest Honda dealer on 2/6/23. The service dept told me my car needed a new engine because the bearing or rod had gone bad (terminology may be slightly off). My car had UNDER 100K miles & I was told it needed a new engine. The Honda serviceman told me he had 3 other vehicles in house with the same issue & he wouldn’t be able to get to my car for a while. I called the nearest Acura dealer & spoke with a serviceman there, he told me to ask the Honda serviceman to clear engine code & slowly drive the car to the Acura dealership. The Honda serviceman warned me that my car may not make it to the Acura dealership but might if slowly. He cleared the code & I slowly drove to the Acura dealership. I reached the Acura dealership shortly before closing time on 2/6/23, I dropped my car off with the service dept & got a hotel room. I was contacted the following day, 2/7/23, by the Acura serviceman & he confirmed a new engine was required. There’s now a recall on the same issue my car experienced for same make, model & year, however Acura states my VIN was not affected. It is highly unlikely that my same make, model & year vehicle that experienced the exact issue for the recall is simply coincidence.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle started to lose motive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine rod bearings had failed and damaged the engine. The contact was informed that the engine short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 121,840.
Structure, Nov 19, 2023
My MDX exhibits the same paint defect in Acuras 19-029 Service Bulletin. I have paint chipping away between the windshield and the sun roof. However, Acura refuses to fix the issue because they say my VIN is not covered even though my cars year and paint fall under the description. 2016 MDX w Pearl Whit Paint. I need them to fix the issue by repainting my roof.
Electrical system, Nov 8, 2023
Car failed at stops when auto stop is engaged. Vehicle would not restart. This happened at stop lights, stop signs etc. I took in for repair and the starter was replaced. American Honda subsequently issued a notice (not a full recall) for my vehicle for this issue. They offered reimbursement for the repairs. However, when I sent in the repair bill, the refused to reimburse. They need to be held accountable for this issue.
Steering, Suspension, Sep 15, 2023
We have taken our 2016 Acura MDX to our local dealer three times in the past to complain about noises (clicking and thumping) coming from the front end of the vehicle. Each time the vehicle was under warranty and the response we got from the dealer was "no problem found". Two weeks ago (02Sept2023) we took the Acura MDX to the same local dealer and are told both of the front control arms need to be replaced. Since we are no longer under warranty it would cost us $1559.78 to replace both. And we are also informed that control arms on this vehicle do wear out frequently and they keep a supply on hand to replace the for the many customers that have had the same problem. While we have not had a direct safety problem with this car yet, the car is relatively young and does not have high mileage or rough use. Based on the fact that this Acura dealer has experienced many problems with this vehicles control arms I would like to register the problem with NHTSA to investigate further.
Structure, Jul 23, 2023
Paint is peeling and coming off of my roof, good and tail end of my suv. This can be a safety hazard if it continues to peel because that removes a layer of cover from the top which could lead to danger. The color is a pearl white. This has not been confirmed by a local dealer but it has been inspected by an insurance adjuster.
Structure, Jul 13, 2023
The paint on the roof of the car is peeling off excessively.