Car Defect Radar
Built from NHTSA complaints and recalls collected for this model, generated September 22, 2026. Totals reflect what has been collected, not every complaint ever filed.

Recalls

0 total

Safety issues the manufacturer must repair for free. A recall means confirm the fix was done, not walk away.

No recalls on record for this model

No safety recalls were found in this dataset. It is still worth entering the exact VIN on NHTSA before purchase, since recalls can be added at any time.

Owner complaints by system

23 total

Unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA, grouped by the part of the car. Useful for spotting patterns. Open a group to read recent examples.

Engine & powertrain

Minor
19

Most reports here involve transmission slipping.

transmission slipping 10sudden stalling 3fluid leaks 2
A recent report: Reporting an additional case in support of ongoing defect petition investigation DP26001. 2022 Acura MDX Type S SH-AWD, currently at 63,700 miles. While driving and making a turn, I heard a grinding…
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Reporting an additional case in support of ongoing defect petition investigation DP26001. 2022 Acura MDX Type S SH-AWD, currently at 63,700 miles. While driving and making a turn, I heard a grinding noise with no warning lights illuminated. I stopped immediately and shut off the engine but noticed no abnormality. I restarted the vehicle and drove with no further issues or noises. Later, during a scheduled oil change, I discovered that the area between the transmission and PTU was covered in oil. The Acura dealership diagnosed a bad PTU seal and replaced the PTU under powertrain warranty, but completely disregarded my concern regarding investigation DP26001 and the known issue with stripped splines. The leak was repaired, but several weeks later while driving in the rain, the vehicle felt very unstable during acceleration on wet pavement. I raised the vehicle on a lift and engaged drive to inspect AWD function. The rear wheels were not spinning while the front wheels were, and the driveshaft was also stationary. When I brought this to the dealership’s attention, they stated this is normal SH-AWD behavior — however, I have personally observed all four wheels spinning under identical conditions in another Acura of the same model and configuration. I am confident the transmission-to-PTU splines are stripped and am escalating this to Acura corporate for further investigation.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11741389 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Brakes

Worth reading
3

Most reports here involve loss of braking. Of these, 1 mention a crash, 1 mention an injury.

loss of braking 1software faults 1unintended acceleration 1
A recent report: Twice earlier in the year as I was pulling into a parking spot the brakes seemed to have failed, car auto accelerated, but was stopped by a parking block. Air suspension warning light was on, car was…
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Twice earlier in the year as I was pulling into a parking spot the brakes seemed to have failed, car auto accelerated, but was stopped by a parking block. Air suspension warning light was on, car was evaluated three times 6/2023-8/2023, air suspension sensor replaced, Acura reported car was otherwise fine. One week following last evaluation car again auto accelerated, was stopped by parking block. The car again auto accelerated one month later, this time into cement wall, air bags deployed. Issue only happens when coming to a stop, very sporadic and rare, but obviously dangerous.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11556090 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Other systems

Minor
1

Most reports here involve other issues.

other issues 1
A recent report: The vehicle's all wheel drive system has malfunctioned at 77,000 miles with a known all wheel drive system issue. Because we are 7k beyond the power train warranty, Acura is not wanting to cover the…
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The vehicle's all wheel drive system has malfunctioned at 77,000 miles with a known all wheel drive system issue. Because we are 7k beyond the power train warranty, Acura is not wanting to cover the repair even though this is a known issue.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11742445 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Is 23 complaints a lot? They were filed between 2023 and 2026, roughly 7 a year, which is more than the typical model in this dataset. We do not have sales figures for this model, so treat this as a rough volume, not a rate per car on the road. Popular, high-volume models naturally collect more complaints over time.