Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2014 Acura MDX owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
ABS VSA malfunction light comes up constantly and car rattles when brakes are used. It's constantly turned on even with good road conditions. There are millions of customer complaints on the web about this issue and I believe this should be logged as a major issue which should be logged a recall and offered as a fix to customers who have these car models and issues. My daughter was driving the car and experienced issues on freeway when braking. The car slipped to the side when brakes were pushed and the whole car was shaking and unstable.
Upon startup the following warning lights come on and remain active: Brake System Problem, Power Steering Problem, Hill Start Assist Problem, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) Problem, Anti-Lock Break System Problem. Additionally, intermittingly a loud grinding noise can be heard from the button of the vehicle.
Unintentional acceleration and failure of collision mitigation system 2014 Acura MDX advanced. Accident occurred at a strip mall parking lot located 1 mile from my residence where I was grocery shopping. Weather 65 f sunny. Heavy pedestrian and vehicular traffic. I was parked head in diagonally. I placed my right foot on the brake pedal,placed the SUV in reverse,lifted my right foot from the brake pedal, depressed the accelerator pedal and slowly backed out of the parking space,straightening the wheels in the process.I placed my right foot on the brake, shifted to drive, and placed my right foot on the accelerator pedal and without actually depressing the pedal the engin reved uncontrollably and the SUV surged forward 100 ft at increasing speed before colliding in a domino fashion with a row of 6 vehicles pushing one of the vehicles over one of the adjacent vehicles before veering off …
This is about brake warning system and not about actual brakes.have experienced brake warning light coming on in instrument panel at least 15 times since feb 2014. Activates for no apparent reason. It comes on when there is no traffic in front of me in my lane and no traffic in other lane coming towards me. Has come on when at stop light and start to accelerate. Dealer cannot duplicate when car there overnight. Have talked with Acura cust svc and they say they have experienced same in the vehicles they drive from time to time, and have documented some cases from other customers.they seem to indicate sensor is over sensitive and will not replace it. There is a switch to left of steering column where you can turn brake warning system off. Although they state this is not Acura's policy and are not telling me to turn it off, it is in reality what they are telling people. …
Drove the vehicle (22,000 miles) on the highway through death valley in September with temperature about 105 f. On the downward side of a pass on hwy 395 and was driving about 45 MPH, came into a view area and used the brakes. The vehicle violently shook with a loud noise engaged also used the emergency brake and it continued to roll forward. I did get it stopped and it sat for about 15 minutes while I was out taking pictures. Got back in and slowly started down the road and there was a very small feel of vibration within the next 10 minutes and then it was normal again. Since it wasn't an immediate issue after I got back didn't immediately take it to the dealer as it wasn't been used. The dealer is 115 miles away so it takes a schedule to turn it in. …
I am 27 years old female that was in a car accident with my boyfriend and his mom. My boyfriends mom was the driver, I was the front seat passenger and my boyfriend was in the back seat. Both my boyfriends mom and I were wearing our seatbelts. After hanging out for the day my boyfriends mom was dropping us off at home and that was when it happened. As she was backing up out of the driveway, the accelerator must have gotten stuck because the car flew across the driveway down a hill over a basketball court and directly into a tree! Thinks the vehicle was going 30-40 MPH and both front airbags deployed. After the accident I had been injured and after going to the hospital and having x-rays done, the doctors have said I have a fracture (l2) to my spine. Thank god no surgery was needed although it really sucks to have a compressed vertebra now! …
I got into a parking space, and pushed the brake but the car jumped onto the sidewalk. I removed my foot from the brake and then the car started speeding up. The car crashed through the window of an empty store. I tried to push the brake even harder but it did not work. The car finally stopped when it hit the wall inside the store. I was in a shock. Luckily, nobody was injured. I found several similar complaints on the internet but could not find a recall for a similar issue. One of the previous claims states: "Acura is claiming that no problem can be found with our vehicle." this is an extremely serious safety concern and could result in fatalities. Is there anything else I need to do in order this issue to be investigated seriously?
Forward collision warning (FCW) system: sometimes going on a smooth road FCW activates all of a sudden and flashed in the dashboard with an alarm. You have to press brakes in order to ensure that you are getting into an accident. Acura need to fix this warning system and ensure its more reliable. Brakes and rotors are warped at 13000 miles. Went to dealer and they told that it needs resurfacing. Continuous whistling noise from engine when your foot is on gas and when its off it stops. Acura hasn't been able to figure out where is the problem
The 2014 Acura MDX had a sudden inadvertent braking issue with simultaneous vehicle stability assist (vsa) light and brake light on when the car was in motion. The screen panel was automatically shut down. I heard a deep sparking sound (like a minor explosion sound). This situation happened several times when the auto was either running on a highway (60-70 mile/hour) or on the local driving (20-40 mile/hour) even without any vehicle in front of the MDX. It seems that the issue has no any association with weather conditions.
Tl* the contact owns a 2014 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while parked, another vehicle slightly bumped the contact's vehicle and caused it to roll away in reverse and down a hill. The contact's vehicle then crashed into another vehicle. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was not inspected or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 2,000.
Brake complaints in other MDX years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2014 Acura MDX?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the brakes of the 2014 Acura MDX, 15% of the model year's 172 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2014 Acura MDX brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2014 Acura MDX, though it has 8 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 2014 Acura MDX brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 10,000 miles, and 86% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to brakes 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.