Complaint volume
159 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2018 Acura MDX Complaints
159 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2018 Acura MDX, grouped by component category.
159 Total complaints
3 Crash reports
4 Fire reports
2 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are engine and engine cooling,fuel system, gasoline, engine, fuel system, gasoline. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 3 crash reports, 4 fire reports, 2 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 38 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 43,820 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to engine and engine cooling,fuel system, gasoline, engine, fuel system, gasoline?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2018 Acura MDX?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2018 Acura MDX
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2018 Acura MDX complaints?
3 Crash
4 Fire
2 Injury
0 Fatality
3 Towed
1 Medical attention
What are the most common 2018 Acura MDX complaint categories?
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 11
ENGINE 9
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 9
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 8
POWER TRAIN 8
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 8
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE 7
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 6
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 6
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 5
159 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | My 2018 Acura MDX received an Auto Engine Software update a couple months ago. I took it in "Acura of Johnston" in Iowa due to a recall notice I received that indicated engine could stall when trying to accelerate or may not restart. After the the software update I was told this should fix the problem and they would only replace the mechanical parts if the software failed; Starter Motor Assembly along with the Power Relay Assembly. I left the dealership and later that day the message "Auto Engine Idle Stop System Problem" flashed periodically. I called the dealership and spoke to the Service Department. He explained that wasnt a problem, as it is probably due to outside temperature and the update now has 13 different variables and should be okay. (I didn't buy it) he told me to contact them if it continued. In the past 2 weeks starting towards the end of December 2023 the "Auto Engine Idle Stop System Problem" message flashes several times during driving with a chine. I called the dealership and they tried to explain away it was due to temperature. I pushed back and reminded him what he told me previously. He then put me on hold and came back and said to bring the car in. I did contact Acura customer care and explained what happened and told them I read the original technician guide that stated if the software didn't take they would need to replace the parts. I asked this is covered correct? The representative said no because my care has a "Rebuild Title" and it would be at your cost. I reminded them that their recall stated this as a Safety Issue. She stated they were only extending the warranty to non "Rebuild Title Owners". I again asked, "Despite this being a safety recall by your own company"? She said yes and parts to fix would be my expense. My VIN is [XXX] and has other recalls outstanding and when I asked about those I wasn't re-assured those would be covered INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | The engien keep stalling, prolem accelerating jurky transmisión and this is the only car I have to go work I take the highway everyday I am cosern that something can happend to me. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | While preparing to enter the expressway my 2018 MDX stalled and various dashboard lights came on. My family and I drifted into the median while nearly being hit by passing car. It took about 10 minutes before the MDX became operational again. I took it to a local mechanic when we arrived at our destination. They couldn't locate any issues or "bad codes." Since that incident my fuel mileage and shifting has begun to deteriorate. Entering traffic and trying to pass cars has become difficult while driving. I have called Acura and a local dealership in Charlotte, NC. Both failed to provide next steps that didn't involve spending money to fix an issue that based on feedback on various sites and NTSB site is a common issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING | Passenger rear, right inner tail light is not working. Was under recall but Acura is not replacing it. Obviously water has entered it and shorted it out. They said the recall was completed on it but why is the taillight not working. In report made by the dealer it says it is shorted after hooking it up to a voltmeter. Why are they not replacing it. It reduces visibility to the rear of the car. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | ENGINE | Honda refuses to inspect my vehicle to determine if it is safe to drive. They say they will not inspect vehicles untill they have the repair parts available. That puts me at risk for driving a defective vehicle and having an accident that could cause property damage and/or death for me and other people. As I do not have the technical expertise to inspect the vehicle myself, I have no choice but to park it until Honda decides to act. I belive that this is unreasonable and constitutes a failure to act timely. They should at least be willing to do the inspection now to determine if the vehicle is safe or not and then do any necessary repairs once the parts are available. They will need to inspect the vehicle eventually anyway, so I am not asking them to do anything extra. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2018 Acura MDX. The contact was notified by a relative of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | SEATS | Seat Base rivets are damaged and confirmed by dealer upon inspection. There IS a recall on this problem for 2018 Acura MDX but my 2018 Acura MDX vin doesn't show to be part of the recall even though the problem with the seat base rivets failing due to improper installation, are the same problem confirmed by the dealer. I was told it was safe to drive by dealer. However the seat constantly clicks out of place when braking and accelerating | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2023 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | This car has repeatedly had issues with delaying to take off when I touch the gas pedal. Once the pedal is depressed there is a long delay before the car actually moves. Two days ago as I was driving at around 35mph all warning lights came on and the car started jerking as it was trying to slow down or stall. I was able to get back to my home luckily I was only up the street and was able to drive under 30mph and had to pull off the road several times because it kept jerking almost as if someone was repeatedly slamming on the brakes. I had a mechanic hook a reader up and was able to determine it was the high pressure fuel pump. Acura claims my car has no open recalls but I believe although it may not be currently it obviously should be part of the recall involving the same exact issue. The warranty expired 3k miles ago ironically, but given this issue has happened to other cars of the same make and model and given the recall for this same part on other cars like mine just with a different vin I believe it should be covered as it is a major safety concern. The car jerked very hard and luckily I did not have my kids with me and luckily no one was too close to me when my car starting stopping in such an forceful way. If I was on a Highway I would have probably been involved in an accident as the car was attempting to go into limp mode due to the failure of the fuel pump and was aggressively shifting down when I was only going 35mph I can only imagine what could happened if i was traveling double that speed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The car attempts to start on its own, light come on and at times the alarm goes off. The car does not open at times and requires manual override to oepn. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2023 | SEATS | My 2018 Acura MDX seat comes out of place while driving. I am concerned it may completely disengage from the base and prevent me from stopping or accelerating. It has become increasingly worse since I brought this problem to the dealer. There IS a recall on 2018 Acura MDX for the Seat Base failure due to rivets becoming damaged after manufacture installation. My 2018's VIN number however is not part of this recall even though the problem with the rivets becoming damaged causing my seat to slip out of place and move while driving. This was confirmed by the dealer through a diagnostic test I paid to confirm it. My drivers seat is unstable and "slips" out of place while accelerating and braking and this happens constantly while driving. I complained about this to the dealer AND called Honda America. The dealer confirmed that the seat base rivets are in fact damaged causing the seat to move while accelerating or braking. I asked why my car is not part of the known recall with Honda America even though the problem is the same safety issue that Honda recalled other 2018 Acura MDX'S. They just told me I can check back to see a recall may be issued. It will cost me over 2000.00 to repair. This is a safety issue Honda America should stand behind because clearly this 2018 Acura MDX slipped by the inspection and the seat is failing. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | This is my first luxury car. Ever since I bought the car in 2019, I noticed that sometimes when I press on the gas pedal, it takes a little time for the car to move. I just assumed it was normal. Never owned an Acura before. Two weeks ago and a week ago, I also got into a car accident. The first time was when I was entering the freeway. I see the cars on the freeway coming from my left side. They were far enough form me enter the freeway safely. I pressed the gas pedal to speed up so I could enter the freeway. I pressed on the gas pedal. Nothing happens. The car didn't respond. I pressed again and this time it moved. By the time my car moved and pick up speed, the oncoming cars were right behind my left side. I had to brake and moved to the right side to avoid an accident. The 2nd time, I was at a stop sign. I pressed the gas pedal. Again, the accelerator did not kick in. The car behind me honked at me. It took a couple of seconds for my car to pick up its speed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2023 | POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | It seems that, from the day we purchased the vehicle, there have been issues with the transmission regarding how it is programmed and how it responds to drive or input through the throttle. This causes the vehicle the occasionally lurch forward under acceleration, especially at low speeds in the parking lot. And times the throttle gets really confused and the transmission fails to deliver power to the vehicle for a second. This has happened to me two or three times. I was turning left when the vehicle lost power momentarily and oncoming traffic was headed straight for me and my vehicle. If the delay had lasted just a while longer, things would have looked very bad. Based on my research online, I am not the only driver experiencing this kind of problem with the transmission. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Keyless Access/TPMS Control Unit is failing. Vehicle randomly behaves where all dash lights blink on and off, head lights turn on, car alarm intermittently alarms, and motorized steering wheel moves. It is unknown if there is any malfunction to ADAS or other systems due to this random behavior. Vehicle cannot be parked with the battery connected as all of these events intermittently happen and drains the battery. The behavior is so startling and a concern to drive that it is unknown if it will completely fail and shutdown while driving. For example, the Keyless Control Unit could potentially fail to recognize the key while driving and then the vehicle would shutdown as if being stolen. Vehicle has been inspected by the dealer, confirmed malfunction and noted occurence with other customers vehicles of same make and model. Diagnostic report by dealer states the failing component. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2023 | VISIBILITY | Acura & the service center ripped me . The issue in the car started on aroud start of septmber 2022 . They did some front glass replacement which is not under warranty . When I purchased the car from Acura it was an Acura certified car and had a 7 year warranty on it.But your service center is saying it is not under warranty . The issue caused the leak is not from any of my mistakes , I only fixed the car at the same service center which also concerns me about Acura brand reliability . The Carpet was covered under my insurance and the 30 days I didn't get a loaner car from your dealership . I need to have a big fight with your dealer to get this issue resolved and then I got one . This 30 days car I spent nearly 400$ with insurance to have a car . I agree the supply chain issue caused a 5 months delay for the carpet . I raised the concern in December that the car is ideal for the service center and has any issues .Please see the rust happen under the seat rails . This is concerning me .I am not sure how much rust is under the carpet now . I spent 1076.76 on the car for this issue but the rust in the bottom of the car concerns me a lot . Also in the bill they say it vacuumed all the interior but 3 rows was a mess with old carpet . I am not expecting this experience from a premium brand service . Added the ticket with Acura and they assure they will look with the service and nothing happened . Now my insurance went up . I am concern on the resale value of my car . | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2023 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | The contact owns a 2018 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, which caused the vehicle to lunge forward. Additionally, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a faulty fuel system. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 50,000 |
| Jan 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | The vehicle has experienced an acceleration hesitation issue on a number of occasions. When I depress the accelerator from a stop and take my foot off the brake the vehicle does not respond. If I take my foot off the accelerator then depress it again all the way to the floor the vehicle after 3 or 4 seconds will lunge forward. In an intersection this "stall" may cause a collision with another vehicle. This has happened on a number of occasions but fortunately no accidents yet. I have taken the car to the dealer on no less than three times for this issue and been advised that no repair is necessary and that it was simply "a characteristics to this vehicle model and no repairs are needed." | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | Car has 1-2 second hesitation when the accelerator is pressed before the vehicle will accelerate. Causes dangerous condition when trying to turn in front of oncoming traffic. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The car was bought in November, 2018, and is still under warranty. In the morning of October 3, 2022, The car would not start. The voltage of the battery was measured to be about 11.5 V. A new battery was bought and put in by myself on October 4, 2022, since I did not realize that the battery was still under warranty. Everything looked normal on October 5, 2022. But in the morning of October 6, 2022, the headlights were found to be on even though nobody was around the car parked in the garage. Sometimes the alarm would go off. This happens randomly but frequently ever since. An appointment was made with the dealer, and the car was checked out on October 10, 2022. The dealer determined that the Keyless Module Unit was faulty, but the part was on back order. The service advisor assured me that it should be safe to drive the car. Ever since, the car has been trying to start itself frequently and randomly. It would turn on the headlights, move the driver seat, go through the engine turnover cycle, etc. Sometimes it also moved the window shield wipers, or sounded the alarm even though the car was not locked. Being afraid of driving the car, I started to ask for a loaner or rental car from the the dealer on October 12, 2022, and have been talking to both Acura warranty department and the dealership since. Today (October 24, 2022) the car would not start, and had been towed to the dealership. Now it has been more than a week, I still cannot get a rental car from Acura, even though the service director from the dealership also had a concern about the safety of driving the car or leaving the car unattended. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2022 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | Inner taillight on passenger side of vehicle not working. According to an independent service center, there is a faulty seal and water/moisture in inner taillight housing. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2022 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | The contact owns a 2018 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. Additionally, the contact was unable to shift into park (P) or into neutral (N) as the gear shifter became stuck into drive (D) position. The contact stated as he turned off and restarted the vehicle several times, the gear shifter responded as needed. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number:19V298000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 44,000 |
| Sep 2022 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 2018 purchased a little more than a month ago as a certified used Acura. Twice now we have been overridden by the automatic forward collision detecting something in front when NOTHING was there. Once on the freeway went from 70mph to 15 quickly and almost got rear ended. Just now on city street car stopped in the middle of intersection while turning left and overrides driver pressing gas pedal in both cases. Makes us scared to drive suv further and we have turned off that feature to see if it still happens. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2022 | POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | Gas petal is very touchy. It accelerates to fast even when you try to barely push the petal. And causes to shift hard. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2022 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | On a regular basis, if accelerating to cross an intersection, car stops or hesitates for several seconds. We have almost been hit by cars several times in the past year. Dealership states everytime i have it serviced, they are unable to replicate and they have never heard of this. In a 5 minute internet search I have found many references to the same issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | When trying to accelerate after braking the vehicle has a MASSIVE hesitation where it just sits there doing nothing literally for a solid second. Not only being very frustrating it's IMO very dangerous. If I'm at a yield and then need to merge quickly, if I'm getting on a highway from a parking lot, if I'm trying to switch lanes in traffic, etc etc the vehicle just bogs down and does nothing for that 1-2 seconds. Drive the vehicle normally, apply the brakes and then right away take your foot off the brake and accelerate. You don't have to mash the accelerator, even with light to moderate pressure you will notice that lag where the vehicle is just sitting there with zero power. If you do accelerate moderately or hard after a second or 2 of doing nothing it will just completely jerk into motion. Does the same thing in all modes, it's actually worse in Sport and Sport+ mode because you get more power after the hesitation After braking moderately hard from 40mph to 15mph because someone cut in front. Then I changed lanes and had to accelerate because that other lane was going quite a bit faster. Hit the gas and nothing for what seemed like the longest 1.5 seconds until the thrust came back online Pattern: From Stop --> Accelerate for about approx 20 MPH -->Release the gas pedal and immediately apply the gas pedal. Another pattern: Travel in about 40 MPH, apply the brakes to a speed below 20 MPH and apply gas pedal. Consulted with the dealer multiple times and they think this is normal for 2018 MDXes. But it is indeed a safety concern. The dealer said they applied TSB 20-015 TCM update and it still has not resolved the problem. THIS IS A HUGE SECURTY ISSUE and DANGER HAZZARD. The issue happens every day. Below reported date is the latest occurrence. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2022 | STEERING | The contact owns a 2018 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving 10 mph and making a left turn, the steering wheel was hard to turn and it was shaking. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer but the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 49,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 49,000 |