2020 Acura MDX
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 221 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 4th highest complaint count among 24 MDX model years with reports.
Of the 2020 reports, 4 involved a crash. 2 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
Air bags, sensor, occupant classification, front passengerMay 21, 2026
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
Campaign 26V332000 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
Air bags, sensor, occupant classification, front passengerFeb 1, 2024
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.
An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.
Campaign 24V064000 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
Service brakes, hydraulic, foundation components, master cylinderJun 29, 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Civic, 2020-2023 Ridgeline, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot, and 2020 Acura MDX vehicles. The tie rod fastener that connects the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been improperly assembled during manufacturing, which can cause the brake master cylinder to separate from the booster assembly.
Brake master cylinder separation can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are VEU, AEV, and ZET.
Campaign 23V458000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpMar 25, 2021
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Acura MDX, MDX Sport Hybrid, RDX, TLX, Honda Accord, Civic Hatchback, Insight, 2019 Acura ILX, Honda Accord Hybrid, Civic Coupe, Civic Coupe Si, Civic Sedan, Civic Sedan Si, Civic Type R, Fit, HR-V, Odyssey, Passport, Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 CR-V vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed May 18, 2021. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-314.
Campaign 21V215000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
221 reports, newest first.
Other or unspecified, Nov 12, 2022
When the brake is suppressed at a Stop sign or stop light, the vehicle has an Auto Idle stop feature which shuts off the engine completely to preserve fuel. The vehicle is supposed to restart once the brake is released. In my case, there have been multiple times when the brake is released but fails to restart and go. I have encountered the issue in the following scenarios: 1. Getting off the freeway, if there is a line getting off the freeway, then the vehicle will potentially shut off and fail to restart. This is a safety hazard as the driver behind me or others behind at a distance can potentially hit the vehicle. 2. At a Stoplight, especially when making a left turn, the vehicle will shut off and fail to restart. It takes more than 8 secs to restart/reengage by restarting manually. If there are any vehicles attempting to go behind me or at a distance, then they can potentially hit my vehicle. This is a huge risk to my family and I, to assist in our safety, we end up having to turn on our hazard lights. This is unacceptable especially since this is a 2020 vehicle with under 45k miles. I have attempted to reach out to the Acura service team, Customer relations team and even called the Warranty department. However, they were not taking ownership on the issue and responded as it has not been reported before. Based on forums, the issue is being encountered by other owners as well. Hopefully, this can be sorted in the near future for safety of my family.
Service brakes, Engine, Oct 3, 2022
The engine idle stop function is unreliable and often fails to restart the engine when the brake pedal is released. The vehicle will, suddenly and without notice, become inoperable and undrivable wherever it rests, whether at a red light or stop sign, in the middle of an intersection while making a left-hand turn, or on an entrance ramp to a highway, causing a dangerous situation for myself and other drivers. It takes several minutes to restart the engine and sometimes must be jump-started. The issue has been reported to my local dealership, and they said it is not covered.
Vehicle speed control, Sep 30, 2022
Problem started 1 month ago. As I approached the round about I am at very slow speed,and for no action on my part, my MDX accelerates! Fortunately it has only happened as my vehicle is coasting or I am applying the break slowly. This is happening more and more. It has over 20K miles on it.
Electrical system, Sep 1, 2022
Car will not restart from the Auto Idle Stop when at a stop light. The dash goes blank then flashes everything and it takes a minute or so to restart. It has happened 3-4 times in the last 6 months. Once on a 55 mph highway. Very dangerous safety issue. I have take it to the Acura dealership service department and they say diagnostics does not show why. However, They said it has happened to their TXL model and a software update was the solution and they are hopeful they will get on update soon. Service associate did say others have been calling in about the same issue. But do not know if Acura is working on a fix. I did report the incidents to the national Acura customer service department and have a case number.
Engine, Aug 25, 2022
(4/2021). While cruising on a 2 lane hwy the power went to zero. All I could do was coast to the shoulder. Restarted and was on the go. If I was passing another car and this happened when there was oncoming traffic I could had a head on collision. This occurred twice on the same 3 day vacation Another time (8/2022) While cruising at normal speed and acceleration in the passing lane on the interstate all of a sudden the power went zero. All I could do was coast into the median to get out of traffic. I didn’t have time to check for warning lights. Just restored the engine and all was fine. Totally scary and unsafe. Dealer says they’ve had no similar complaints. Only thing to do is have it checked but if can’t duplicate the problem or find a code nothing they can do Thinking of selling it due to not knowing what deadly situation I may be in when it reoccurs. Internet chats are saying it happens to others as well. Where is the recall that should exist?
Fuel system, Gasoline, Aug 11, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling, the engine suddenly shut off when the driver attempted to accelerate forward. During the failure, the message “shift into park to restart” had displayed. After shifting to the park position the engine was restarted and the vehicle operated as normal. The failure had occurred on at least four separate occasions and one time while attempting to park the vehicle. The contact indicated that the failure had occurred with and without the fuel-saving feature activated. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer was notified. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 12,000.
Forward collision avoidance, Jul 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the collision mitigation braking system inadvertently activated. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact had since deactivated the collision mitigation braking system. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 19,725
Electrical system, Engine, Jul 13, 2022
My car was stopped at a light with idle auto on. The car shut off and switched into neutral with check engines lights on the dash. I was not able to switch the car to drive. I had to restart the car. This has happened twice in 2 weeks at busy intersections. I have brought the car to the dealership but they are unable to replicate. There was no prior warning lamps or signs prior to this happening.
Service brakes, May 2, 2022
Dealer says two warped rotors Brakes pads are good there has been no abnormal breaking while driving the car. I feel this is a faulty rotor
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Apr 30, 2022
Starting around 20,000 miles, my car started to majorly hesitate when I would step on the pedal trying to accelerate. Over time the problem became increasingly worse to the point where the car would slip into neutral causing a major hazard driving on the tollway when my car would decelerate when stepping on the gas pedal. This has caused me to have several very close near accidents. The dealership would keep saying that they could not replicate the problem. I have taken my car in on 8 separate occasions for this safety concern (4 different Honda/Acura dealerships trying to get help since the place I bought the car wouldn’t not help with a solution.) My car has also begun back rolling (15+ feet) when in drive. And yesterday, suddenly accelerated from 0 to 35 when waiting for our driveway gate to open. There are major issues with sudden acceleration when driving a speeds under 20mph and deceleration issue when stepping on the gas pedal trying to accelerate. I have opened a report with Honda over a year ago and keep getting the run around.
Exterior lighting, Mar 27, 2022
On my 2020 MDX the rear tail light is filling with moisture and water causing the tail light to fail. There is already a recall from Acura for 2014-2019 MDX for the same issue. Apparently Acura did not correct the issue for the 2020 models which uses the same part and did not address the issue. Acura needs to include the 2020 MDX as part of this recall as well. This is a safety as if the light fail can cause a serious accident.
Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Jan 4, 2022
Car broke down 3 times on the road while driving, it show 12Vbattery failure, ABS failure nd started flashing lights on the dashboard nd broke down while driving. When first time it happened dealer said they have fixed the issue. It happened again md yesterday is 3rd time. Vehicle is 19k miles only it. Pls help us getting this resolved. Dealers make false promises and it’s breaking down again and again on the road while driving which is very scary.
Structure, Wheels, Oct 3, 2021
UNKNOWN
Fuel system, Gasoline, Power train, Engine, Sep 14, 2021
The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving 30-35 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond and would not move. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that after depressing the drive button several times, she was able to drive the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who determined that the contact had inadvertently depressed an unknown button on the steering wheel causing the vehicle to shift to neutral. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and drove to her destination. The contact stated the failure persisted. The contact stated that the vehicle inadvertently stalled while driving. Several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle or veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V215000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) as a possible solution to the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 3,000.
Visibility/wiper, Jun 16, 2021
Just recently purchased an 2020 Acura MDX AWD with Tech package. Noticed that the windshields have distortions near the A pillars, which happens from both driver side and passenger side. I feel nausea when looking through the window corner as objects are curved. I did a lot of research and found this issue has been there for a while. Distortion in windshield has safety issues that should be address by Acura.
Other or unspecified, Jun 10, 2021
My fiancé is 8 months pregnant and her sunroof literally exploded on her while she was on the freeway yesterday. She was almost in an accident and could have been killed. She has a 2020 MDX and I’m reading online that she isn’t the only person this has happened to. The dealership told her that she’s on her own and this defect isn’t covered under warranty when she called. It has not been inspected, but I have taken many pictures. There were no warnings or indications anything was wrong.
Visibility, Apr 15, 2021
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 ACURA MDX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VIEW OUT OF THE PASSENGER'S SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD NEAR THE A-PILLAR WAS DISTORTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VIEW WAS LIKE LOOKING THROUGH A COKE BOTTLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HUBLER ACURA (1265 US-31, GREENWOOD, IN 46143, (317)883-4560) TO BE INSPECTED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT REPLACING THE WINDSHIELD DID NOT GUARANTEE THAT THE ISSUE WOULD BE FIXED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 178.
Steering, Mar 18, 2021
TEMPORARILY LOSS CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE WHEN I WAS EXITING THE PARKWAY AND NEEDED TO STEER AROUND TO AVOID A STOP CAR MY CAR JUST TOOK A BIG ROCK IN MOTION FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THE STEERING IS VERY UNRESPONSIVE, VEHICLE HESITATES WHEN ACCELERATING RAPIDLY AND WHEN TURNING THEY IS NO STABILITY. ALSO MY BREAKING DOESN'T REACT THE WAY IT SHOULD IT'S VERY DELAYED. ALL OF THE THINGS THAT THE DYNAMIC MODE IS SUPPOSED TO ENHANCE APPEARS NOT TO BE FUNCTIONING. I WENT TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING BUT YET THE PROBLEM CONTINUES. THEY ALSO SAID THEY RESET AND RELEARNED SOME PARTS OF THE CAR IN AN ATTEMPT TO RECTIFY THE ISSUE I WAS EXPERIENCING. THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. MANY TIMES WHEN I COME TO A STOP ON A HILL THE CAR ROLL BACKWARDS. I WAS GIVEN THE SAME MODEL ON ONE OF MY VISITS TO THE DEALERSHIP AS A LOANER. AND IT RAN LIKE A TOTALLY DIFFERENT CAR THE WAY THE CAR SHOULD RUN IT WAS THE SAME YEAR SAME MODEL. EVERYTHING WAS MORE RESPONSIVE THE STEERING THE BREAKING THE SUSPENSION EVEN WHEN I STARTED THE CAR THE START UP SOUND WAS MUCH MORE AGGRESSIVE. PLEASE HELP!
Power train, Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 2, 2021
I HAVE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEM NUMEROUS TIMES( 5 TO SIX TIMES. THE LATEST ONE WAS MARCH 1,2021. THE VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE (RPM RAPIDLY ) SUDDENLY WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS(AROUND 10 TO 15MPH TO A QUICK ALMOST 30MPH WITHOUT PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL) THAT ALWAYS REQUIRE ME TO BREAK IMMEDIATELY TO AVOID ANY ACCIDENTS. I HAD THE VEHICLE CHECKED THOROUGHLY BY A COMPANY SENT EXPERT LAST YEAR(SOMETIME NOV ,2020) AND THEY CAN'T REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. ACURA RELATIONS CAN'T HELP ME ANYMORE . IT MADE ME GOOGLE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION MDX. THE PROBLEM IS FOR REAL. HAD I KNOWN THIS PROBLEM, I WOULDN'T HAVE LEASED THIS VEHICLE LAST OCT.31, 2019. PLEASE HELP. MANY THANKS
Vehicle speed control, Forward collision avoidance, Jan 11, 2021
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WITH THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED, THE VEHICLE DETECTS VEHICLES TO THE RIGHT (SAME DIRECTION OF TRAVEL) OR AT TIMES VEHICLES TO THE LEFT (OPPOSITE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL) AND ABRUPTLY APPLIED BACKING. NO VEHICLES WILL ACTUALLY BE IN LANE OF TRAVEL OF THE VEHICLE TO CAUSE ACTION. ON A 87 MILE DRIVE (ONE WAY TO WORK) HAPPENS MORE THAN EIGHT TIMES ON FIRST DRIVE AND OVER TEN TIME ON SECOND DRIVE. VEHICLE HAS UNDER 1500 MILES ON IT AND WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW. TAKEN TO ACURA AND TOLD TO TURN OFF LANE DEPARTURE SYSTEM UNLESS IN CITY TRAFFIC. SYSTEM TURNED OFF AND DID NOT CORRECT ISSUE. THE ABRUPT BRAKING CAUSES DRIVERS BEHIND TO ABRUPTLY BRAKE, INCREASING RISK OF CRASH, AND ALSO ANGERS THEM BECAUSE THEY THINK YOU ARE 'BRAKE CHECKING' THEM. WEATHER WAS CLOUDY OR CLEAR.
Power train, Jan 8, 2021
1. (JULY 8, 2020) ON 1 OCCASION WITHIN A SHORT TIME AFTER PURCHASING MDX, I FLOORED THE GAS PEDAL ON THE HIGHWAY AS WHEN PASSING ANOTHER CAR, LET OFF THE GAS PEDAL AND THE ENGINE KEPT RUNNING AS THOUGH THE GAS PEDAL WAS STILL FLOORED. REPORTED IT TO DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND SAID MAYBE THE FLOORMAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM. POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. 2. (JULY 8, 2020) ON AN INCLINE AT A STOP SIGN, MDX WILL ROLL BACKWARDS AFTER RELEASING BRAKE AND THEN WHEN PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL IT WILL LURCH FORWARD. REPORTED IT TO THE DEALER. POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. 3. WHEN STOPPED AND THEN TRYING TO BACKUP ON AN INCLINE, MDX WON'T MOVE REARWARD UNTIL GAS PEDAL IS PRESSED APPROXIMATELY 1/4 TO 1/3 OF FULL GAS PEDAL MOVEMENT. IT ACTS AS THOUGH THE BRAKING SYSTEM IS PARTIALLY APPLIED. THIS ONLY HAPPENS ON AN INCLINE, NOT ON LEVEL GROUND.