Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Acura MDX owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2005 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked and failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist) warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was able to restart after several attempts; however, the failure recurred after driving a short distance. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the OG sensor and the PMP sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure had progressively worsened, and the 4WD warning light was constantly illuminated. …
Vehicle suddenly brakes at freeway speeds and sways to one side. VSA light and warning light comes on. After couple of seconds, vehicle resumes freeway speed. This has happened few times in last 2 weeks. It causes the SUV to sway and can easily lose control or drift into adjacent lane causing accident. After stopping and restarting the warning lights go away.
Auto parked, foot on brake, moved gear shift to park, foot off brake,car lurched forward with great velocity, hit concrete wall, ricochede off wall, started running backward. Put foot on emer. Brake car stopped. Airbag deployed but improperly inflated. Cuts and abrasions and bruising on left hand and right.airbag did not deploy into chest or face. Called aaa to have towed/called 21st century ins. For name of collision yard they worked with. Tow truck arrived_too big to get into parking lot. Driver asked for my keys -told him the car with physically disabled after airbag deployment and could not be driven. He took my keys,started the car and drove off. Not supposed to happpen. Went to emergent care and my primary physician and had cat scans run. New driver seat airbags are defective.
Tl contact owns a 2005 Acura MDX. While driving in reverse, the contact heard a clunking noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle jerked backwards and struck a concrete pole approximately 2 feet away. The vehicle automatically shifted into drive, surged forward, and struck another concrete pole. Both air bags deployed. The passenger in the front of the vehicle was trapped and unable to open the door. The police, ambulance, and fire departments arrived at the scene. A police report was filed. The contact had burns and cuts on her arms and face and a swollen right knee. She will have to undergo therapy on her neck and knee. The passenger was badly bruised. The contact spoke with Acura on September 17, 2007 and they stated that their legal department would be in touch with her, however, they have not responded as of yet. This was the second time this failure has occurred. …
The transmission gear shifts not smoothly, d4/d5 light blinking, won't excel when gas is applied, had to cut the car off, wait 5min, to drive for two blocks before having to repeat this process to get it home 12 blocks away, only would excel 20mph (bought it on Wednesday, on Tuesday of the next week, the problem began). The car has 127,000 miles and history of oil change/transmission services. After seeking answers, per repair pal, there's an issue with transmissions with all years of this model, some people have had to get the transmission repaired/replaced several times. Please recall before someone gets hurt or worse dies.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Acura MDX. The contact stated the front windshield was replaced by safelite glass after a tree limb had fallen onto the windshield. The contact stated that the view from the replacement windshield was distorted. Additionally, the contact stated the gear shifter failed to operate as designed. The windshield was replaced by an independent mechanic. The vehicle was taken to Acura of ocean (909 nj-35, ocean township, nj 07712, [phone]) however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000. The VIN was not available.
The transmission cooler connection blew out of the radiator, unfortunately there is no oil pressure switch for transmissions so I had no idea that the trans fluid was pouring all over the road. Lucky for me I was just leaving the house and my friend saw it and stopped me. Upon looking at the part -it has only 3 threads and I have found out this is a common thing for MDX and pilot SUV's. I could have been in an accident due to the transmission failure that has resulted from this failure by others as I have seen on your site example:. ( pilot ex-l 244hp 3.5l sohc 24-valve automatic transmission failure).
The car jumps into neutral at anytime while driving the vehicle. If you come to a stop or even trying to accelerate while attempting to merge into traffic it will just stop and the RPM will rev up. You will have to come to a complete stop and then place in neutral and then back in drive and it May go or May not go... Really just depends on how the car wants to act that day. It happens all the time, city street, parking lot, highway, when coming to a complete stop, low speeds during school zone or residential area.
I pulled car out of driveway and as I reacher speed of 25 miles it started jerking badly. It stopped after speed increased. Did not happened again for few days and from that day it is getting worse day by day. Lot of noise sometimes when its shifting gear. Also when I get on highway I can smell some fluid burning. Sometimes it jerk very badly on curves.
This is the second transmission I put in my car , warranty expired and car is starting to jerk and make noise when accelerating. It cost way to much money to keep replacing a transmission if all the transmissions are having the same problem . Way to many people are having this issue . Why hasn't this been recalled yet?
Transmission complaints in other MDX years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2005 Acura MDX?
NHTSA has 87 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2005 Acura MDX, 48% of the model year's 180 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (43 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Acura MDX transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2005 Acura MDX, though it has 11 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2005 Acura MDX transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 3 injuries to transmission & drivetrain problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.