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.
Other or unspecified, Jul 6, 2023
2016 Acura MDX in White Diamond Pearl with peeling paint just above windshield. There is a Service Bulletin (19-029) but I am told that my VIN is not covered. Same problem and same color within the year models. Acura has indicated that VIN was not manufactured where the Service Bulletin covers. Clearly, there is a defect with the paint regardless of where the vehicle was built. There is no safety risk from the defect and it is available at any time for inspection. Was unaware of the Service Bulletin until researching how to stop the problem from progressing since the paint is lifting and peeling off.
Power train, Lane departure, Jun 20, 2023
I have a 2016 MDX v6 88k miles and I purchased the car as a Certified Pre Owned (CPO). I recently had two lights come on 1) Blind Spot Info System Problem and 2) Transmission System Problem. The car has been driving fine and has been well maintained. Since the lights came on, I've put about 8000 miles on it over the last 6 months and no change to the way it drives (transmission seems to work fine). It seems odd that both lights come on at the same time? Recently my family took a 150 mile trip and both went off during the trip but then did both come back on later that day. Looked on line and it seems many are having this exact issue. One of the websites I visited was - https://www.mdxers.org/threads/2016-mdx-transmission-system-problem-valve-issue-blind-spot-info-system-problem-light.178519/ . I can provide more links to websites if needed. The dealership wants us and others to pay for a new transmission and installation charges. It seems odd that most if not all are having these issues just after the warranty expires. Reminds me of that issue with Volkswagen a few years ago when they would pass emission test when they went to get tester because the computer was programmed to recognize the driving habits of being tested but the other 995 of the time it failed. Also seems odd that cars made in 2016 have a shorter life span than cars built in 1980's. My vehicle is currently in for service at the local dealership (Acura of Seattle) and they want me to pay $8000+ for a new transmission.
Fuel/propulsion system, Back over prevention, Forward collision avoidance, Apr 3, 2023
The auto engine idle stop on my 2016 Acura MDX has left me in precarious situations at stop signs and/or traffic lights at least twice before the recall notification I received in the mail a couple of weeks ago. The engine turned off as designed but then would not turn back on like it should without a delay. The worst incident was when my teenage Daughters were in the car with me! After receiving the recall notice recently and taking the vehicle into the dealership within days of the notification, my “software update fix” by the dealership (Napleton Acura in West Palm Beach) completely disabled my auto engine idle stop! After calling the service rep I dealt with later that day and telling him about it, I was told the software update made the “turn-off” feature more specific and mine didn’t meet the parameters! My engine was at normal operating temperature, my air conditioner was NOT on and I stopped at at least 12 lights on the way home with no engine stop. That was a week ago and still no engine idle stop has taken place! I’m a pilot and don’t appreciate being talked down to by a supposed “racing champion” named Zeke that feels the need to advertise his prior win on his service uniform! Not only that, but now my safety related “object approaching” notification for front driving and “rear warning” for close objects during parking/reversing are now non-existent! I paid extra for these safety related options and I’m not happy that they’ve been disabled because of the “software update!” How do I become part of the class action lawsuit against Acura/Honda?
Power train, Feb 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a stop, the vehicle hesitated and then accelerated. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no additional assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.
Lane departure, Forward collision avoidance, Nov 29, 2022
Forward Looking Camera failed at 62k miles, it won't communicate with the computer according to dealership diagnosis on 11-18-2022. Replacement cameras are on backorder, with no availability date. Vehicle is available for inspection. The issue directly affects Forward Collision, Lane Departure and Cruise Control. It no longer warns me if approaching something too quickly. It no longer tells me if I drift into another lane or corrects it. Cruise Control stopped working as well. Distracting lights and beeping when driving, says windshield needs to be cleaned on instrument cluster. Issue began in mid 2022. According to my research, failing cameras seem to be an issue. Replacement camera is approx $1500, plus the labor to install and align.
Power train, Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Nov 17, 2022
Transmission shifted to neutral limiting controllable forward movement. This occurred without any warning while in traffic. This created a VERY HIGH SAFETY RISK. This issue occurred three times creating a need to have it towed into a repair dealer, diagnostics, and resetting of the electrical circuit. The diagnosis code was P0973.
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Nov 10, 2022
First on off glitching when ever accessory mode is used WHILE IN MOTION, FIRST BRAKELIGHT HAD WARNING THEN WARNING ABOUT TRAILER STABILITY ASSIST. WHEN I WENT IN REVERSE, THE WHOLE DASHBOARD INCLUDING THE NAVIGATION SCREEN WENT BLACK AND THE CAR FELT LIKE THE ENGINE STOPPED. THIS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES. I DON'T THINK THE ENGINE ACTUALLY STOPPED THOUGH BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE TO RESTART THE CAR. THE BRAKE LIGHT ERROR MESSAGE HAS OCCURRED DRIVING FORWARD AS WELL, BUT NOT ACCOMPANIED BY THE BLACKOUT OF THE DASH AND NAV PANEL. Steering becane stiffer ALL OF THIS HAPPENED WHILE IN MOTION.
Structure, Aug 15, 2022
Good afternoon, my Acura MDX 2016 roof paint peeling off. It is known problem. also I found gov. document for warranty extension. but Acura refuse to fix my MDX paint job. because of my car is not in the warranty extension list. please check attached my photo file. this shows perfectly matched claim requirement. 2016 Acura MDX white pearl color (NH603P) what should I do please help me.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 11, 2022
On a multi-day road trip, the car had a temporary complete loss of power on two separate days. Both times this happened after several hours of driving at highway speeds on I-15 in California, outside temperatures were in the 90s. After a slight deceleration and then applying the accelerator again, there was a 'clunk' like sound possibly from the transmission, and then a complete loss of power. The first time I tried to pull over to the breakdown lane, and then regained power after about 2-3 seconds. The second time, we were in the middle of traffic and were not able to pull over, but again after 2-3 seconds, the power came back. The engine did not rev up when applying the accelerator and there were no dashboard lights. This appeared to be either a transmission, fuel delivery, or engine management/drive by wire issue. While we luckily did not get into an accident, we did slow down significantly on the highway, requiring other drivers around us to break, or change lanes. I have made an appointment with my independent mechanic, but the car has not been inspected yet and I am not able to forcibly reproduce the issue.
Power train, Lane departure, Jul 24, 2022
Transmission issues with my 2016 Acura MDX slipping into neutral and staying there while driving at high speeds on interstates. This could've caused injury to myself, my passengers, and other drivers on the road due to the high speeds. Without being to able to accelerate when needed, it could've resulted in harm. Transmission Service Problem and Blind Spot Malfunction lights appeared. I took the vehicle to Acura for service 3 weeks before the last incident and Acura said there was no problem and to bring it back if it happened again. 3 weeks later, it happened again. I had reported slippages in the transmission for several service checks with no issues found by Acura. After the most recent incident, Acura recommended to either keep driving and bring it back or replace the transmission. Diagnostics were run and error codes cleared. The CSR at Acura mentioned he saw this on at least 5 Acura 2016 MDXs this year already. The warning lights did not appear until the last issue. Several other incidents occurred with no warnings. All transmission maintenance activities have been performed.
Power train, Jul 12, 2022
I have had the vehicle since beginning of March and I noticed the transmission slipping. I had the transmission flushed which made the problem not as bad but it was still there. A couple weeks later the transmission started slipping hard again and I had the transmission replaced by the dealer. I take it home and its shifting all over the place and not accelerating. Acura did a reprogram and I picked it up and the minute I left the dealer, it started to do a hard shift/slip between 4th and 5th gear that is not going away after a new transmission was put in. I'm not getting any warnings or lights, just the hard shifting that has caused me to return to the dealer on 3 separate occasions and now will be a 4th time. This can be dangerous because I do not know what the car will do at any given moment while I am driving.
Fuel/propulsion system, Jun 21, 2022
My mechanic replaced the battery on May 9th and could smell gas but I had just fueled the vehicle. Two days later is when it got worse while driving back home I pulled over and could smell gasoline inside the vehicle as if an open gas can was sitting in the passenger seat. I stopped using the vehicle and took it to my mechanic and he discovered a crack in the weld on the front fuel rail. This could have harmed my family, pets or myself if it had caught on fire. In 1 hour I used a quarter tank of gas because of the high pressure pushing the gas on to the engine. Vehicle taken to Anchorage Acura and the Acura mechanic confirmed what my mechanic found. There were no warning lights or indications of anything wrong until I could smell the gas.
Engine, Jun 7, 2022
This 2016 Acura MDX with the 9 speed automatic transmission and the Auto Engine Shut Off function will sometimes fail to restart the engine after cutting off. This presents a safety issue as the car stalls in traffic. This has happened multiple times over the last 4 years (most recently 06/02/2022). This issue was noted to the Acura service department who stated they could not find an issue.
Electrical system, May 29, 2022
While driving on the interstate miles in cruise control vehicle started to reduce speed quickly. upon pressing the accelerator (as a semi was right behind me) nothing happened. I attempted to pump the gas pedal in desperation of not being hit as no pull off lane was available. After about 4 minutes vehicle was able to accelerate once again no warning signs or lights came on at this time (i had my 4 young children in the vehicle) extremely unsafe and yet no resolution with said issues. This has occurred 4 times as of yet. #2 dashboard display vehicle in park (P)blinking along with codes; lane departure failure, transmission system failure, blind spot failure. During this time i was able to still drive. Dealership verbalized they could not resolve the issue as no codes ect.,(Popped up) or Registered upon diagnosis. Has occurred 3 times. #3 vehicle door windows are loose as if they were going to fall right off. #4 When I start the engine there's a loud noise prior to starting and during idle. #5 Air conditioner stops working in the front only on occasions. Especially on warmer days. #6 not shifting smoothly. #7 Doors sound as if not sealed appropriately. #7 safety features warning of not able to function due yo overheating
Forward collision avoidance, Feb 24, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the inadvertently slowed and decelerated to 30 MPH. The brake alert warning message was displayed. The vehicle was not taken to the local dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
Other or unspecified, Feb 14, 2022
The sunroof exploded while driving on an empty road. This was alarming and could have been very dangerous had the cover been open as broken glass would have fallen all over me and my children. The dealership said they cannot help because there is no recall for this. No warning, just completely out of the blue, explosion and cracked completely while going 50mph.
Power train, Lane departure, Feb 13, 2022
My SUV would accelerate when going down hill and the message: “transmission system problem”along with “blind spot warning malfunction” would come on. Took to dealer the message went out. Will come on intermittently. This has gone on For past month. They sai it had to stay on for them to diagnose. Now car will not go in reverse at all. This transmission was replaced November 2019 because of a defect. They told me there is no recall but the other was a service bulletin that required my engine to be replaced as well. If there is a class action I want to be added as this is a big inconvenience and the company is denying there is an issue with the transmission computer system so they can get us to pay high repair fees. Please help!
Power train, Jan 19, 2022, crash
The contact's wife owns a 2016 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while his wife was reversing out of the driveway with his grandchildren in the rear seats, she stopped the vehicle to check for incoming traffic but the vehicle switched gears to drive on its own and accelerated forward. The contact's wife depressed the brake pedal but it failed to respond and the vehicle crashed into his unoccupied vehicle that was parked ahead in the driveway. The driver's airbags deployed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact's wife parked the vehicle. There were no injuries sustained. A police report was not filed. The contact stated that his wife switched gears to reverse and attempted to reverse the vehicle. The vehicle only reversed for 2 feet and switched gears back to park. The contact stated that the vehicle continuously switched gears to park whenever they attempted to reverse. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 37,592.
Power train, Electrical system, Oct 13, 2021
I believe my transmission or the electrical component(s) to my transmission failed. I was driving down the road and all of a sudden my car shifted into neutral and would not allow me to accelerate so we had make our way to the shoulder to put the car in park. Having my vehicle thrown into neutral while driving and not being able to accelerate put not only us, but other drivers at serious risk! There were several warning messages popping up on our screen (see attached photos). In researching this issue, I found that there had been several TSBs and a class action lawsuit claiming the same issue faced by many drivers. It is currently at the Acura dealership getting serviced and they will be replacing the entire transmission and TCM harness under the CPO warranty. I cannot believe there has not been a recall on this potentially life-threatening issue.
Power train, Oct 11, 2021
Every since I've owned my 2016 Acura MDX I've had infrequent, and intermittent transmission issues. Several have been safety concerns: - Transmission is slow to engage when first pushing accelerator, leading to unexpected lag pulling into traffic - Transmission did not shift into park as expected, causing car to keep moving as I was opening door and starting to step out - Transmission slips and does not respond when accelerating to merge into fast lane on highway to pass slower traffic. Car speed stalls and you have to let off the gas and wait for a few seconds before the transmission reengages. - Overall horrible/hard shifting all the time... to which we're told... the car learns your driving style. We've reset it multiple times to try to get it to start learning again. No luck. - After coasting on highway, very hard shift with loud noise when you go to hit the accelerator All of these situations have happened numerous times over the past 2 years of owning this car. All of them infrequent, but also unexpected... leaving you to really worry if this is the time the transmission is going to let you down and cause you to wreck. Dealer now says a new transmission is needed, but I waited until 78,000 miles to first report it, so it's out of warranty now. Hoping Acura will step up and address this serious safety issue with the 9 speed transmission.
Air bags, Oct 7, 2021
Front driver side airbags spontaneously deployed while driving.
Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 20, 2021
Stalling when accelerating. Safety hazard because the car basically dies temporarily and slows down. I have to pump the gas pedal for several seconds to get it going again.
Engine, Jul 31, 2021
when air conditioner is running in hot summer days, the car hesitates to restart (sometimes) following idle stop engine shutoff after coming to a full stop at a stop sign or red light. I strongly feel this is a safety concern as this impedes traffic and can causes road rage. If needed I can share video of this situation recurring time to time. Car starts just fine every single time outside of idle stop situations and battery health is near perfect. There are hundreds of forums talking about this exact condition across acura models.
Engine, Jun 28, 2021
Acura has an open recall that shows the symptoms or malfunctions my vehicle is having for my year, make, and model, but the vehicle I.D number doesn't show this type of recall for it. Now, these things do not add up give the malfunctions I'm experiencing. First and foremost, the car stalls, I could be on the NJ turnpike and as soon as traffic slows down car goes into neutral on its own and engine just shuts off in the middle of traffic, do not know when its going to happen, it just happens. Car then turns on once fully stopped and foot is on break but probably after another hour same thing and it is continuous. I have replaced a number of things and it is still malfunctioning. NHTSA Recall # 19V-060. No check engine light recorded since i bought the car and when running, car runs smoothly. It is preowned vehicle, called Acura and I was told that the fuel pump was replaced, but according to the recall it also needs a software update to fix the malfunction. At this point I just need help on taking the proper steps on getting this safety issue fixed.
Power train, Engine, Jun 23, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would stall. The contact also stated that the vehicle would jerk when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact stated the information and engine warning lights were illuminated on the control panel. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with the transmission needing to be updated. The vehicle was repaired but the failure still occurred. The contact was relating the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 19V060000 (Fuel System, Other). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and the contact filed a claim. The failure mileage was approximately 41,000.