Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Acura MDX owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I have a 2012 MDX and it burns an extreme amount of oil. We took our MDX back to the dealership where we purchased it and had the oil issue fixed. Or so we thought. The problem was supposed to be fixed 3 months ago but the car is still burning a lot of oil. We have to add oil every 2 weeks. We did not drive the car much after "getting the oil issue repaired" so we did not realize that the problem still exists. Acura should know how to repair this issue and there should be a recall for this excessive oil consumption. Acura is a luxury brand but they are not taking care of their customers. Also the paint is peeling off our MDX badly. We had a couple of paint touch up jobs but it just keeps getting worst. I am embarrassed driving this car with the continuing paint peeling off. We cannot keep shelling out money to get this vehicle repainted. …
The engine consistently consumes too much oil between service events. The low oil light comes on. I had this problem for over 8 years and the dealership said it was not a problem until now and they want me to pay for it. The oil control rings have been clogged since 2016 and progressively gotten worse. The clogged rings cause restriction of oil to return to the crankcase. This causes a decrease in available oil and may cause overheating that could lead to engine fire. Acura should fix the oil control rings to function properly. They have identified this in the past, through a service bulletin (19-006). I have performed 97% of my oil changes at Acura dealerships.
Consistently getting low oil notification shortly after getting oil changes. This has been happening since 2017. Dealer does a oil consumption test and says it is not a problem. However I cannot go between oil changes without getting the notification. I have no oil leaks. Furthermore, I have had 'oil' services done over the past 5 years that never fix the problem. I'm afraid this is doing damage to the vehicle and can put us in danger if oil level is too low. Dealer continues to say it isn't a problem. And when they try to fix it, it doesn't work. This began in 2017
our car eats a ton of oil and the piston rings failed, we owe a lot on it and I'm told there is no help for this issue even though there used to be because we are outside the guidelines in terms of mileage and purchase date. our car has 156k its a 2012 MDX. VIN [redacted] . Just checking with everyone everywhere to make sure I've exhausted all resources as it will take 13,000 to fix and we owe 12,000.
DONE everything Dealer suggested and still having problems with random misfires in 1,2 and 3 cylinders, changed spark plugs, fuel injectors, ignition coils and compression test and changed rear CAT. Still check engine light come on sometime then the SUV driving good, and sometimes it drive ruff, check engine light come on then go off then come back on with same codes: random misfire.
On 11/30/24 I heard a slight whirling sound while driving. On 12/1/24 I drove from Point A towards my home. Along the way the oil light flashed. I stopped at Advance Auto Parts, 15 miles from Point A. I checked the oil and it read as it should on the dip stick. No oil was needed. I drove straight home, a distance of 30 miles, and parked the car. When my son arrived home he started the car and there was a knocking sound. He shut it off. He stated that he felt it to be the rod bearings. He then changed the oil as previously planned as supplies were already in the car. He checked the oil and found a slight glitter in it indicating the rod bearing issue. The car remained parked until 12/26/24 when it was taken to an independent service center, round trip of 18 miles, who confirmed that the rod bearings were the issue. …
Tl* the contact owned a 2012 Acura MDX. The contact stated their spouse attempted to reverse of their driveway. The contact's wife was driving and they heard an abnormal whistling sound. After that the vehicle began to produce smoke. The contact's wife placed the vehicle in drive and exited the vehicle. They heard an abnormal cracking sound and the vehicle caught on fire. The fire department was called. The fire department put the fire out. A police report was not made. There were no injuries. The vehicle was deemed totaled by the contact's insurance. The contact called mungenast Acura of st.louis (13720 manchester rd, manchester, mo 6301[phone]) where the vehicle was diagnosed and the test read that a new alternator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 82,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Acura MDX. For the past three years, the contact noticed an oil consumption issue with the vehicle. The contact researched and discovered that the manufacturer issued technical service bulletin (TSB) number: b19-006 on May 18, 2019. The TSB was a warranty extension titled 'engine oil exceeds client expectations'. The contact took the vehicle to crown Acura richmond (8704 w broad st, henrico, va 23294) for an oil consumption test and was informed to come back when the oil was low after driving 3,000 miles. The contact took the vehicle back to the dealer on October 17, 2019 and was informed that nothing could be done since it was close to 3,000 miles. The contact spoke with the manufacturer about the oil consumption failure over the past three years and felt like they and the dealer were not helpful once the oil consumption failure was discovered. …
My 2012 Acura MDX has an oil consumption issue that Acura is aware of being a problem, however it is not offering to cover the cost associated with fixing the issue. My vehicle burned through more than 2 quarts of oil in a matter of 1 month. This needs to be a recall as it's a safety issue with the operation of the vehicle. Lack of oil could cause the engine to fail.
Motor is consuming 1.5 to 2.5 quarts of oil every 1000 miles. There are no leaks and Acura has replaced the piston and rings once but the problem has continued and Acura is now claiming this normal for the vehicles.
Engine complaints in other MDX years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2012 Acura MDX?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2012 Acura MDX, 33% of the model year's 76 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2012 Acura MDX engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2012 Acura MDX, though it has 1 recall 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 2012 Acura MDX engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 85,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 2 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling 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.