Most common 2010 Acura MDX problems
Share of the 45 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 →
2010 Acura MDX recalls (1)
Air bags
Honda is recalling certain model year Acura 2010 mdx vehicles manufactured between October 7, 2009 and November 14, 2009. A bolt used to attach an interior trim piece to either the driver's or passenger's side a-pillar May not have been installed during manufacturing.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the interior trim piece of the a-pillar and if a bolt is missing it will be installed free of charge. Four vehicles were purchased before the stop-sale was issued and all the vehicles have been…
What 2010 Acura MDX owners say
Engine & cooling
My wife went to the grocery store and turned the car off. And upon doing so the car started smoking and she opened the hood and it was on fire. She opened the hood and put out the fire.
Engine has quit suddenly without warning while driving on 3 or 4 occasions. Have been able to restart by turning ignition switch to off (which requires vehicle to be put into park) then turned back to start. Latest incident was on a divided city street yesterday while stopped at a traffic light just past a railroad crossing; vehicle behind me had stopped on the railroad track. As the traffic light changed to green a train was approaching...with crossing gates coming down and red lights flashing. That's when my engine just suddenly stopped running. Driver behind me started frantically blowing his horn. Luckily I was able to restart the engine and drive away which allowed the car behind me to get off the track. Outside temperature in the area was 80 degrees per nws. …
Electrical system
My wife went to the grocery store and turned the car off. And upon doing so the car started smoking and she opened the hood and it was on fire. She opened the hood and put out the fire.
I wanted to report a recent incident on aug 23rd in which the engine of my MDX caught fire and burned while I was driving at 7:30 pm. I had to pull the car over and dialed 911. Subsequently the fire was put out using a fire extinguisher and the fire department. All of this happened within the space of 2 minutes with no apparent reason. The car was towed by the police and placed in an impound lot. My insurance company geico after examining the damage informed me that the vehicle had to be totaled due to safety concerns. The engine was partially chewed off due to the fire. The concerns I have based on this incident are the following: 1. I did not get any kind of warning from the computer or dashboard while this incident was occurring. 2. The air bags did not deploy. 3. My car was serviced just a week prior at pohanka Acura and received a clean safety record. 4. …
Steering
While making left turn into a road at a signal traveling at 30 MPH - 35 MPH in motion, engine running - all of a sudden vehicle steering locked and couldn't straighten again. My wife ended up crashing into a road divider luckily it was around 10:30 pm in the night and didn't have vehicles either oncoming or behind. She turned off the vehicle and restarted again, vehicle acted normal. She pulled over to the curb for safety. Dealers reported they couldn't reproduce this issue. But dealer said control arm was visibly bent and need to be replaced without linking reason for the main issue. I spoke to Acura client relations to hear they cannot do much either since dealer cannot reproduce. It seems like there May be a manufacturing defect with this vehicle and no one at home wants to drive this vehicle after this incident.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 Acura MDX. While attempting to start the vehicle, an abnormal cranking sound was heard coming from the steering wheel. In addition, the contact noticed sparks coming from the steering wheel. On the third attempt to start the vehicle, it failed to operate. The vehicle was towed to an unknown dealer, but was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 99,200. The VIN was not provided.
2010 Acura MDX engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.7L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | AWD | 16 / 21 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2010 Acura MDX a good car?
Based on 45 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2010 MDX rates better than average: 58% fewer complaints than a typical year of the MDX at the same age. 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 2010 Acura MDX?
The engine & cooling — 11 complaints, 24% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the electrical system (9) and steering (6).
How many recalls does the 2010 Acura MDX have?
There is 1 recall for the 2010 Acura MDX, the most recent from January 4, 2010 (air bags). 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 2010 Acura MDX problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 71,000 miles; 40% 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.