2017 Acura MDX Engine Problems

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  823%
• 25k–50k
  26%
• 50k–75k
  514%
• 75k–100k
  720%
• 100k–150k
  1029%
• 150k+
  39%

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 driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal knocking sound. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop onto the highway the following day, several unknown warning lights were illuminated, and a message advising to park the vehicle was displayed. The contact stated that while attempting to make a turn to drive back to the residence, the vehicle stalled in the middle of the road. The contact and her children, who were occupying the vehicle, were significantly frightened. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts; however, the vehicle made an abnormally loud grinding sound. The contact was able to drive back to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine was damaged due to rod bearing failure. …

The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH on an interstate, the engine made an abnormal knocking sound, and the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was able to restart, but the vehicle failed to exceed 40 MPH, and the engine continued to make an abnormal knocking sound while driving. The contact drove to the nearest independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the vehicle could not be serviced. The contact stated that the failure occurred while driving out of State, which required the contact to stay in a hotel overnight. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, 500 miles away. The dealer determined that the cylinder #3 crankcase bearing had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. …

2017 Acura Mdx. Earlier this year I suspected something was wrong with the car so we took it to Acura in weir canyon to get it checked out. They figured it was the throttle body so they replaced it and then about 2 weeks later the engine had a catastrophic failure. I was driving the car coming out of the freeway and right before I turned right the engine made a huge noise. We tried asking Acura for goodwill assistance but they did not offer anything at all because I bought the car used. I always took the car for its maintenance while the time I've had it. Acura then quoted me for around an 8 thousand dollar repair and then took it to a mechanic and they said its better to get the whole engine replaced at that point and so I did. I've always had Honda cars my whole life and they have been nothing but good but this was something different. …

The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated that the dealer recommended that the timing belt be replaced. After the timing belt was replaced, there was a ticking sound coming from the vehicle while being started. The sound occurred while driving at various speeds or while the vehicle was idling. The check engine warning light was illuminated while driving approximately 60 MPH. The contact pulled over, turned off, and restarted the vehicle, and the warning light was no longer illuminated. The vehicle was returned to the dealer, who diagnosed that the short block, bearings, and the oil pan needed to be replaced. The dealer recommended that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact learned of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. …

The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 20 MPH uphill, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact observed a clanking noise emanating from the engine compartment and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was not able to be restarted. Additionally, the contact observed condensation underneath the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 112,000. The contact stated the reason for the engine seizing was due to broken connecting rods #2 & #5. …

The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at approximately 65-70 MPH on the highway, the engine seized after pulling into a parking lot. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined there was a knocking noise from the underside of the engine. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rod bearing was damaged and was fractured. The dealer informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the local dealer and opened a case, confirming there was no open recall on the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 149,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 35 MPH, the check engine warning light was displayed, and the vehicle was driving rough and failed to properly accelerate. The vehicle was slowly driven to the nearby local dealer who examined the engine and discovered metal shavings inside the oil pan. The contact was informed that the engine rod bearings had failed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 111,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, there an abnormal sound coming from the engine. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the connecting rod bearing, resulting in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that three years prior the vehicle was diagnosed with connecting road bearing failure. The vehicle was under warranty and the engine was replaced. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the connecting rod bearings, resulting in damages to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 91,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle continuously jolted and jerked, prompting him to pull to the shoulder of the roadway to turn off the vehicle. After restarting the vehicle, the failure persisted. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed failures with the crankshaft position sensor and connecting rod bearings. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 120,000.

Related recalls

NHTSA investigations

Engine complaints in other MDX years