Complaint volume
205 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
2020 Acura MDX Complaints
205 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2020 Acura MDX, grouped by component category.
205 Total complaints
3 Crash reports
0 Fire reports
1 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, unknown or other, electrical system. 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, 0 fire reports, 1 injury report, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 31 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 35,892 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to engine, unknown or other, electrical system?
- 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 2020 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.
2020 Acura MDX
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2020 Acura MDX complaints?
3 Crash
0 Fire
1 Injury
0 Fatality
5 Towed
0 Medical attention
What are the most common 2020 Acura MDX complaint categories?
ENGINE 41
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 17
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 10
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE 10
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 9
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 9
POWER TRAIN 7
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 6
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 5
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 5
205 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2024 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to start. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from underneath the rear of the vehicle. An unknown local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 32,863. VIN tool confirms part not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | 32,863 |
| Mar 2024 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | Left rear inner tail light is inoperative. There is evidence of water intrusion in the lower left corner of the tail light assembly. Called dealer, was told by service manager that the concern was not covered under warranty as the vehicle has just over 51,000 miles. Called Acura Care and was told same. 2014-2019 models of this vehicle were recalled for this issue, but not the 2020 models, although they are the same body style and share same tail light part number. The lights are LED and have no replaceable bulbs; entire assembly must be replaced. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | While driving on the highway, at highway speeds, all dash lights came on and the vehicle immediately lost power coming to an abrupt stop. We were able to limp the car to the side of the road. It was ultimately determined that the car’s fuel pump had gone out. The fuel pump was replaced by Acura, and covered under the initial manufactures warranty. However, it’s rather suspicious that our car is not included in the recall given that the fuel pump failure is identical to the open recall for our same make and model. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | ENGINE | Car stalls when auto idle at stop lights. There is a recall for my make and model however, I called Acura and they said my vin was later removed from the recall. The service bulletin states all trim levels and my MDX falls within the parameters. They could not tell me why my car had the recall once listed and then removed. This is very dangerous because it takes a few minutes for the car to start again. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | ENGINE | The engine started knocking while driving on [XXX], it can be inspected upon request. This knocking is due to the connecting rod bearing failure recall and it creates a safety issue for passengers and other drivers on the road as the engine can fail at any given moment causing a road hazard. I have made an appointment to get this matter diagnosed with King Acura in Hoover, but I am being denied a supplemental vehicle. This is a manufacturing defect that should be completely covered by the manufacturer including supplemental transportation for the duration of diagnosis and repair. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | I've experienced stop and stall issues with my vehicle three times and the Acura dealership said they couldn't locate but kept my vehicle for a few days and said it was the battery. I have a new battery but same issue occurred two more times. There is definitely an electrical problem with this vehicle's system. The radio randomly stops working, no sound or buttons stop at any given time and also heat/air buttons switch by themselves. Shift paddles sometimes does not slow down vehicle, in most cases it accelerates. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving at slower speeds, the vehicle stalled and shifted into neutral. After shifting to the park, the vehicle was restarted and operated normally. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on numerous occasions while accelerating from a stop or while decelerating to a stop. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on multiple occasions and software updates had been performed, the battery and starter were replaced, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 25,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 25,000 |
| Dec 2023 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was 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 stated that while driving at various speeds, and while the vehicle was idling, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact made several attempts to restart the vehicle before the vehicle regained normal power. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact stated that upon coming to a complete stop, the vehicle suddenly stalled. After which, the contact became aware that the vehicle briefly failed to detect that the key was present, preventing the vehicle from restarting. After a while, the vehicle was able to detect that the key was present, and the vehicle started. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 10,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 10,000 |
| Dec 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Was at stoplight with idle stop on and when light turned green car wouldn’t engage. Saw it had shifted to neutral and needed to turn the car off, restart before I could drive away. Could have been hit from behind especially since it was dark out | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | I was on a bridge heading into a tunnel stopped due to traffic and the car shut off completely. The screen said to put the car in park and restart it. I tried several times and after a few attempts it started back up. This is the third time this happened. I had a recall when I purchased it and had the recall addressed for the same issue. Now I am back at Acura again. And being told I may have to pay for diagnostics. The car is still under warranty. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | While coming to a stop the engine start stop engaged causing the engine to turn off completely and would not restart when the throttle was pressed . The transmission shifted into neutral and the push button start would not fire the engine. Car would not go back to park. After locking and unlocking the door 30 seconds later it reset and the engine refired. This occurred with traffic flowing behind me and caused the car to be placed in neutral and the driver having no control over the vehicle. If this had occurred in an intersection while turning, the driver and occupants of the vehicle could be in significant danger of an accident. I took the car to the Acura dealer the next day and was told they had several complaints of this kind but would need to duplicate the issue on my car to assist me. If they could not duplicate the issue then the could not help me. At this time, it has not been inspected by the manufacturer. There were several warning lamps that came on when the car turned off. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Auto braking system engaged abruptly, without necessity. This occurred twice (December 2022 and November 2023) almost causing collisions on both occasions. The dealer could not reproduce the problem when it was brought in in December 2022 and said this could occur if the sensors are dirty and to ensure they are always clean. I have since done so, and the same thing happened again. There were no warning signs for this error prior to it occuring. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact stated while stopped at a stop light, the vehicle failed to restart, and the contact became aware the Auto START/STOP function was not operating properly. After manually restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular failure. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 23-008. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 31,500. | Crash: No Fire: No | 31,500 |
| Nov 2023 | ENGINE | On multiple occasions car has gone into neural while I’m stopped at a light or at a stop sign. I Have called dealer multiple times and still not resolved. I’m afraid this will cause an accident bc I’ll could get hit from behind. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | My vehicles rear back up camara, and others i checked at dealership is quite blurry not clear at all and much more so at night, causing me not to see my neighbors son and almost running him over as i backed out of driveway , dealership stated thats how resoltion is, changing camara wont help, and no known fixes and said they all are like that | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | Idle stop feature causes vehicle to auto shift to neutral at stop. There are many forums noting this issue. It happened a year ago several times, they replaced the battery and it is happening again. You are sitting at a light or stop sign, go to hit the gas, and the car is in neutral. You need to turn the car off and start again. This is a serious risk of getting rear ended with this issue. One time when it happened last year a cop pulled me over to see if everything was all right. The car should not be shifting to neutral at a stop. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Our 2020 MDX we lease has lost electrical 3x since Sep 1. Once while sitting at a stoplight. Twice while turning at intersection. Each time, there was a complete power loss. When the car was moving, it quickly slowed to a stop in the road. In each case, it took a few minutes to get the car restarted due to being startled at what happened. I checked the battery cables, and they are tight. The radio settings were not lost, so I do not think it was a battery connection failure. We are not sure what to do with this as, while there are a lot of similar reports for acuras, there is no consistent diagnosis. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | ENGINE | 2020 Acura MDX, bought this in February of 2021. Issue with the auto-idle completely turning off the engine, when you pull up to a red light or stop sign and the engine goes into Auto-idle, then go into neutral, sometimes showing the battery sign. The car is completely disabled, have to shut off the engine and restart. This happened about 3 times, the last time was with my 2 young children in the car and people honking at me!!!!! Brought it into Acura, when said it was battery issure and replaced the battery in Sept. 2022. August 2023, brought it in for 2 recalls, once was for the idle engine, they service person said the issue was fixed. October 2023, by car did not restart from auto-idle (AGAIN TWICE in less than a week), brought it in again, they said they couldn't find anything wrong with it! Just got my car back, called Acura headquarter, made a complaint! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | VISIBILITY | The contact leased a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact stated that the front driver’s and passenger’s side headlight covers became hazy, causing it to be difficult to see the roadway while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the headlight covers needed to be restored. The contact was informed by the dealer that the failure was a known issue. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number, but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000. The VIN was unavailable. | Crash: No Fire: No | 36,000 |
| Sep 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Purchased used vehicle from dealership last week who completed the outstanding recalls prior to picking it up. Vehicle only has ~7800 miles. Stopped in traffic for red light, engine idle turned on after applying brake fully and car completely died...would not turn back on and nothing worked, not even hazards which made it a very dangerous safety issue sitting in the middle of a busy street. Police would not wait for call to AAA for free tow due to current safety issue and had it towed to local towing company. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | This is happening for the second time. Exactly same thing happened for the first time as well. I stopped a light. The car went to auto idle and shut the engine off. I kept my foot on the break pedal until the green. When I release the pedal, the car didn't restart and it went to neutral. I pushed the drive button but it didn't change. I had to shut off everything by pressing the stop button and I started the car again. I think this also happened to other people based on the posts online: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | Its a known issue with my 2020 Acura MDX it has an issue with the autoidle completely turning off the engine, so you pull up to a red light and the engine goes into Autoidle mode and then completely turns OFF the engine so you are stuck in the middle of the road for a few minutes and then you have to wait for the car to allow you to turn it back on. Acura is aware of the issue and sent a letter to consumers for a mandatory software update to fix the issues. After experiencing this, I took it to the dealership and they completed the software update to fix this issue earlier this year. But my issue is still happening and we got stuck in the middle of a road for 5 mins with a toddler and a teenager. Incoming traffic almost caused a collison because of this. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | Multiple times when I have come to a stop (traffic light, stop sign, etc.) my MDX has shifted itself into "Neutral" and it appears the engine has cut off by the battery power is still on, my MDX will not shift back into "Drive" or "Park"; I then have to press then "Engine On" button multiple times to get the battery power to shut off and then I can restart my MDX and then my MDX will shift into "Drive." I took it to my Acura Dealer and they said they checked it and there was nothing wrong and they also told me there had not been any recalls on my MDX. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | We purchased a certified pre-owned Acura MDX 2020 in Feb of this year. In four separate instances, after the auto engine idle feature is on, the car stalls out and shuts off. Two of the four times this has happened on a highway causing extreme stress. When I lift my foot of the brake to start moving, the car shifts into park and I get a message that I need to start the car before I can move the car back into Drive. I have to keep pumping the breaks and pushing the on button multiple times before the car will restart. This is extremely dangerous, especially with our two little girls in the car. When trying to restart the car, a red battery light will show up on the screen very briefly but goes away. After the car is successfully started, there are no battery warnings. In normal situations, the car starts with no issues. We have a service appointment tomorrow to have this checked by Acura. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |