Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2017 Acura MDX owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate and lost motive power. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road and then regained normal operation and accelerated as intended. There were no warning lights illuminated. The failure had occurred three times while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to retrieve a fault code. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. There was no warning light illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was not provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened and immediately closed a case for the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 137,000.
I was driving on the highway at normal highway speeds of 70MPH when the car lost the ability to accelerate, and I was forced to make an emergency stop on the side of the interstate. With the heavy traffic on the interstate, this scenario could have been catastrophic as there is currently construction and no place to pull over for emergencies. The vehicle was towed to Hubler Acura in Greenwood IN where they performed a diagnostic test and no known issues were found on their diagnostic computer. However, the issue is not happening on a computer at the dealer, the issue occurred on the interstate while traveling 70mph. I have read several message boards where the users have posted similar experiences about losing power when accelerating in their 2017 MDX. The dealerships seem to offer a transmission fluid change or a computer reset as a solution. …
There were several instances where my vehicle either accelerated or decelerated while I was driving. I first noticed the issue about a week after I purchased the car in May 2022. I took it back to Acura of Brookfield, and they said they couldn't replicate the issue. I also took my car to Acura of Brookfield in September 2023 for the same jerking issue. They charged me for an update, but the issue did not change. I continued noticing the problem over the years, but it happened more frequently in 2025. In May 2025, I was driving down a hill in Brookfield, Wisconsin, when my car jerked aggressively and then accelerated on its own. Throughout the rest of the year, it would either accelerate or decelerate while I was on the highway. On January 20, while I was on my way to the gym, my car jerked and decelerated while I was on the highway. …
Driving East on Interstate 20/59 10 miles East of Meridian, MS November 17, 2021 around 2:00 PM. A lot of trucks on the road. Had speed control set at 69 MPH. Came up behind a semi doing about 65, pulled over to the left lane to go around him. When I got about half way all of a sudden all hell breaks loose. Vehicle goes in into emergency stop with lights flashing all over the dash. Vehicle brakes to around 30 MPH within a couple of hundred feet with semi's and cars beside and behind me. Finally got the vehicle over to the side of the rode without and accident. (A miracle inself). Code DTC P0716. After about an hour of shutdown, started engine and all messages were gone. Took it to the Acura dealer and they, evidently, updated the TCM software. I had not been notified that it needed and update which is negligence on Acura. …
at highway speeds, the transmission unexpectedly shifts to neutral with no warning. The only indication is unexpected decrease in speed and accompanying engine rev. My typical driver response is to take foot off accelerator, then put back on again. Engine overrevs then shifts in to gear. I'd estimate it's out of gear for ~ 5 seconds, but hard to say in the heat of the driving moment. This happens 1-2X most highway trips, but not occur at lower speeds (it does not shift very smoothly in lower gears at times, but it's not currently a safety issue). I've taken it to my local dealer (Hendrick Acura, Durham, NC) and contacted Acura Customer Care, and am trying to get a diagnostic scheduled (it's been a process). The behavior started to worsen over the past several months (e.g. the slip to neutral has lengthened in time) but shorter slips have been occurring for a longer time period.
My 2017 Acura MDX unexpectedly shifts into neutral while I am driving, specifically when slowing down approaching stop signs. When this happens, the vehicle loses power and will not accelerate, creating a dangerous situation in traffic. I have to manually press the Drive button to put the vehicle back into gear while still on the road. This has happened multiple times without warning and no recall exists for this issue. This is a serious safety hazard because the vehicle can lose power in traffic or intersections.
While driving on the interstate over 2 hours from home the car put itself into neutral and almost caused us to get into a collision. While accelerating after a construction zone, the lights on the dash of the vehicle lit up with transmission, emissions, electronic parking brake, and more codes. The car shifted itself into neutral while running between 65-70 mph on the interstate. Multiple vehicles were accelerating after the 55 mph work zone area was over, and we had to swerve between cars to get to the shoulder of the road because the vehicle lost all acceleration capabilities. We have taken the vehicle to the dealer for past recalls and software updates and mentioned this issue happening before and were told that the vehicle showed no codes concerning the electronic parking brake issue. …
On August 21, 2018 I pulled into a parking stall, and realized I was not aligned properly. I clicked on reverse so that I could realign within my designated space, and the car lunged forward jumping the curb and hitting the building approximately 4-5 feet in front of me. Both driver side airbags deployed. $13,000 worth of damage to my car. Within the first week of getting this car is 2017, I've had many issues such as failure to start and brake warning light coming on randomly while driving. Had to have the vehicle towed at least 3x to the dealer, for which they could not replicate the issues.
We own a 2017 Acura MDX, my wife was driving the SUV attempting to park when the vehicle briefly accelerated. I was driving the SUV at low speed when it briefly accelerated, I was kind of stunned, and asked did you feel that, she said yes, and then stated I guess I wasn't imaging it when it happened to me, these were separate issues at different times and dates. The vehicle was brought in for service and this issue was mentioned, the service writer explained that Acura is aware of this and it's an intermittent issue and Acura has no fix, it was asked why Acura hasn't warned owners of the potential problem and the service writer explained it's a intermittent issue that hasn't been replicated in service and doesn't happen to all the vehicles. …
Acceleration complaints in other MDX years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2017 Acura MDX?
NHTSA has 21 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2017 Acura MDX, 8% of the model year's 260 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2017 Acura MDX acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2017 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 2017 Acura MDX acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 27,000 miles, and 45% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to speed control & acceleration 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.