Most common 2002 Acura MDX problems
Share of the 205 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Acura MDX complaints by model year
Best MDX years: 2013, 2011, 2012. Years to avoid: 2025, 2022, 2016, 2020, 2017. Compare all years →
2002 Acura MDX recalls (4)
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2001-2002 Acura 3.2CL, 2000-2003 Acura 3.5RL, 2000-2001 Acura 3.2TL, Honda CR-V and Honda Odyssey, 2001-2002 Acura MDX and 2000 Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Coupe, and Civic Sedan vehicles.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air bags in the vehicles, replacing the driver frontal air bag inflator with an inflator of a different design, as necessary, free of charge.
Suspension › Front › Springs › Coil springs
On certain sport utility vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west virginia, wisconsin…
Remedy: Dealers will replace both front springs with improved springs. The recall began on October 11, 2005. Owners May contact Acura at 800-382-2238.
Power train › Automatic transmission
On some Mini vans, sport utility and passenger vehicles, certain operating conditions can result in heat build-up between the countershaft and secondary shaft second gears in the automatic transmission, eventually leading to gear tooth chipping or gear breakage.
Remedy: On vehicles with 15,000 miles or less, the dealer will update the transmission with a simple revision to the oil cooler return line to increase lubrication to the second gear.
Engine and engine cooling › Engine
On certain minivans, sedans, coupes, and sport utility vehicles equipped with v6 engines, a timing belt tensioner pulley on the water pump is misaligned and could cause the timing belt to contact a bolt on the cylinder head. Eventually the belt could be damaged and fail.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the water pump and if it is one of the defective pumps, the water pump and timing belt will be replaced. Owner notification began August 30, 2002.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2002 Acura MDX:
Front coil spring breakage
In an August 29, 2005 letter, Honda notified NHTSA that it had identified a defect in the front coil springs of certain model year 2001 and early-2002 Acura mdx sport utility vehicles.according to Honda, some front suspension coil springs have insufficient corrosion protection and, in areas where road salts are used, May be susceptible to corrosion.rubber sleeves applied near the top and bottom of some springs to…
What 2002 Acura MDX owners say
Transmission & drivetrain all 125 →
The contact owns a 2002 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact stated that she depressed the accelerator pedal and the RPM's revved; however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact pulled over, turned off and restarted the vehicle and started driving; however, after getting up to speed the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact believed that the vehicle had slipped out of gear. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to respond while shifted into drive or reverse. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The contact had driven the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. …
The vehicle's transmission is faulty. I took it to a second-hand repair shop because, while I was driving on the freeway, the speed had been dropping rapidly. I later found out they recalled the transmission for this Acura in 2005. It is 2026. I took it to a dealership and asked about the transmission recall; they said they could close federal safety recalls, so it wasn't valid. I left the dealership and called Acura's client relations line, where they said that because I am the second owner, they would not accommodate the recall request, as it had closed in 05. I googled whether they can close federal recalls, and it said they couldn't. Then they changed what they said and said that because it was over 150,000 miles, it wasn't eligible for a goodwill repair either. …
Air bags all 23 →
The contact owns a 2002 Acura MDX. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V027000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted several times and informed the contact that they did not have the equipment needed for the recall repair. 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 and followed up with the dealer. The contact stated an unknown service light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 230,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2002 Acura MDX. The contact stated that the air bag warning light would illuminate while leaning on the passenger's side front door. The contact stated that the warning light would turn off once the passenger moved away from the door. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Engine & cooling
The contact owns a 2002 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving 10 MPH up an incline, the vehicle stalled. The service engine and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart, but made an abnormal grinding sound while shifting into gear. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the failure could be related to the water pump; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 213,722.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle failed to shift from second gear. Additionally, the engine revved. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was contacted however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 180,000.
2002 Acura MDX engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 21 / 17 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2002 Acura MDX a good car?
Based on 205 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2002 MDX rates avoid: 2.0× as many complaints as a typical year of the MDX at the same age. It is one of the MDX years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2002 Acura MDX?
The transmission & drivetrain — 125 complaints, 61% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the air bags (23) and engine & cooling (19).
How many recalls does the 2002 Acura MDX have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2002 Acura MDX, the most recent from January 17, 2020 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Acura MDX?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2013, 2011 and 2012. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2025, 2022, 2016, 2020 and 2017. See the full Acura MDX years comparison.
At what mileage do 2002 Acura MDX problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 98,000 miles; 13% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.