InsightArise CarsU.S. Owner Complaint Index
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2018 Acura MDX problems, complaints & recalls

Far fewer Steady

NHTSA has received 165 owner complaints about the 2018 Acura MDX, or 19.0 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.45, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 73 model-year 2018 vehicles we track, it ranks #31 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Acura models its rate is 32% lower; against other Luxury SUVs it is 26% higher.

Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count

Complaints filed between 2017-12-08 and 2026-09-01. Median delay from incident to filing: 12 days.

165Complaints
19.0Complaints per year on the road
0.45Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
10Recalls
3.6%Share involving a crash or fire
38Last 12 months

Analysis

The following model year (2019) drew 25.1 per year, more than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2018 model collected 24 complaints, 73% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.

The most common problem area is Engine (32.7% of complaints), followed by Electrical (13.3%) and Fuel system (11.5%). Within Engine reports, owners most often mention “engine cooling”, “engine engine”, “cooling recall”, “gasoline engine” and “numbers fuel”. 6 reports (3.6%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 3 injuries and 0 deaths.

Half of the reported incidents happened within 74 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was after five years (70% of incidents). In the last 12 months 38 new complaints were filed, versus 40 in the 12 months before — a steady pace.

NHTSA lists 10 safety recalls for this model year. 61% of the complaints fall in component areas that a recall addresses. 4 NHTSA defect investigations cover this model year; the most recent is “Engine failure” (opened 2025-08-20, still open).

Complaint index

  • vs. all tracked vehicles0.45
  • vs. other Acura models0.68
  • vs. other 2018 models0.39
  • vs. other Luxury SUVs1.26
  • Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (24)0.27
  • #31 of 73 · 2018Rankings ›

1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road.

Other model years

  • 201819.0 per year0.45
  • 201925.1 per year0.6
  • 202033.0 per year0.78
  • 202236.2 per year0.86
  • 202311.7 per year0.28
  • 202415.0 per year0.36
  • 202555.6 per year1.32

Acura MDX problems, complaints & recalls by model year ›

What owners complain about

  • Engine54 · 32.7% · 1.47×
  • Electrical22 · 13.3% · 0.84×
  • Fuel system19 · 11.5% · 2.67×
  • Driver-assist systems18 · 10.9% · 1.9×
  • Transmission / powertrain14 · 8.5% · 0.73×
  • Body & structure10 · 6.1% · 0.66×
  • Other10 · 6.1% · 3.37×
  • Interior & equipment8 · 4.8% · 0.54×

vs. all vehicles: 1.00 = All-vehicle average

Engine · Common terms in reports

  • engine cooling18
  • engine engine19
  • cooling recall12
  • gasoline engine10
  • numbers fuel8
  • system gasoline12

Electrical · Common terms in reports

  • camera9
  • alarm5
  • light working3
  • unit5
  • reverse5
  • occasionally3

Fuel system · Common terms in reports

  • fuel12
  • gasoline recall7
  • system gasoline7
  • distribution disconnect6
  • received notification7
  • amount recall6

Problem areas: Engine · Transmission / powertrain · Electrical · Interior & equipment · Driver-assist systems · Fuel system · Brakes · Body & structure

When complaints were filed

2017: 1 1 2017 2018: 10 10 2018 2019: 13 13 2019 2020: 3 3 2020 2021: 4 4 2021 2022: 12 12 2022 2023: 16 16 2023 2024: 47 47 2024 2025: 34 34 2025 2026: 25 25 2026
  • Crashes reported: 3
  • Fires reported: 4
  • Injuries: 3
  • Deaths: 0

Vehicle age at incident

  • <1 yr9.7%
  • 1–2 yrs6.7%
  • 2–3 yrs2.4%
  • 3–5 yrs10.9%
  • 5+ yrs70.3%

Median age at incident: 74 months

What owners report

Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.

Segment peers · 2018 · Luxury SUVs

ModelsComplaintsComplaints per year on the roadComplaint index
2018 Mercedes-Benz GLE566.50.15
2018 BMW X5708.10.19
2018 BMW X3738.40.2
2018 Mercedes-Benz GLC9911.40.27
2018 Audi Q714116.30.39
2018 Acura MDX16519.00.45
2018 Audi Q520123.20.55

Safety recalls (10)

STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS Campaign 26V365000 · 2026-06-04

Summary: American Honda Motor Company (Honda) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Honda Pilot, 2017-2023 Ridgeline, 2019-2023 Passport, and 2014-2020 Acura MDX vehicles that were sold in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. The rear subframe may corrode at the suspension mounting points, which can result in rear suspension component failure.

Risk: Failure of rear suspension components, such as the rear control arm, can cause a loss of vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rear subframe and install a rear subframe reinforcement kit and, as necessary, repair or replace the rear subframe components, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed July 27, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in the fall of 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are AOU and AOT. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning June 10, 2026.

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER Campaign 26V332000 · 2026-05-21

Summary: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.

Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING Campaign 25V259000 · 2025-04-17

Summary: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014-2020 Acura MDX vehicles. Moisture may enter the tailgate lid light assembly and wiring harness, which can cause the interior and exterior lights to fail, including the lid lights, position lights, license plate lights and taillights.

Risk: Vehicle lights that fail to illuminate can decrease visibility and increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect the wiring and install a fuse harness, replace the lid light, and repair the body dust sealer, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 30, 2025. Owners may contact Acura's customer service at 1-800-382-2238. Acura's number for this recall is FLI. Vehicles included in this recall that were previously repaired under NHTSA recall number 19V-256 will need to have the new remedy completed.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP Campaign 23V858000 · 2023-12-18

Summary: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL Campaign 23V751000 · 2023-11-13

Summary: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2016 and 2018-2019 Pilot, 2017 and 2019 Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 Odyssey vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the connecting rod bearing in the engine may wear and seize, damaging the engine.

Risk: A damaged engine may run improperly or stall while driving, increasing the risk of a fire, crash, or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair, or replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed March 28, 2024. 2016-2017 Acura MDX owner letters were mailed November 1, 2024. 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed in mid-December 2024. Honda began mailing owner notification letters as of March 18, 2024. 2015-2016 Acura owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-December 2024, 2018 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed the end of March/early April 2024, 2019 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-May 2024, 2020 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-June 2024, and 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed January 27, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XG1 and GG0.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS Campaign 19V298000 · 2019-04-12

Summary: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Acura MDX and Honda Pilot vehicles and 2019 Acura RLX, RLX Sport Hybrid, TLX and Honda Odyssey and Ridgeline vehicles. The timing belt teeth may separate from the belt.

Risk: Teeth separation from the timing belt may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of crash.

Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle and replace any affected timing belt free of charge. Vehicles receiving a replacement timing belt will also have the engine inspected and any damaged components will be replaced for free. The recall began June 7, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is L4M. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is Z4L.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TAIL LIGHTS Campaign 19V256000 · 2019-03-28

Summary: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Acura MDX and 2017-2019 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid vehicles. Moisture may enter the tailgate lid lights, possibly causing a loss of the tailgate lid lights and the taillights.

Risk: Loss of the taillights reduces the vehicle's visibility, increasing the risk of crash.

Remedy: Acura will notify owners, and dealers will modify the tailgate lid lights and install updated gaskets and a wiring sub-harness or will replace both tailgate lid lights. The repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began May 7, 2019. Owners may contact Acura customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is M49.

FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP Campaign 19V060000 · 2019-01-29

Summary: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Acura MDX, 2015-2019 Acura TLX and 2015-2017 Honda Accord vehicles, equipped with a 3.5L V6 engine. Particulates in fuel may adhere to the internal components of the fuel pump, reducing its performance.

Risk: Reduced fuel pump performance can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of crash.

Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the fuel injection engine control unit (FI-ECU) software and, if necessary, replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began March 25, 2019. Owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's recall number for this recall is P3W. Honda's recall number for this recall is N3X.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER Campaign 18V777000 · 2018-11-01

Summary: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Acura MDX, 2017-2018 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda HR-V and Honda Odyssey, and 2016 Honda HR-V vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating, causing gas pockets to form, reducing brake performance. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."

Risk: A reduction of braking performance increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Owners will be notified, and Honda or Acura dealers will bleed the brakes, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are C31 and L30.

SEATS Campaign 18V221000 · 2018-04-05

Summary: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018 Honda Pilot and Ridgeline vehicles and 2018 Acura MDX vehicles. The front driver and passenger powered seats in the Honda vehicles and the driver powered seats in the Acura vehicles may have been assembled with improperly manufactured rivets. In the event of a crash, the rivets can break causing the seats not to be secured to the floor. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems," and 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."

Risk: In the event of a crash, if the seat does not remain secured to the floor, the seat occupant has an increased risk of injury.

Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver seat frame assembly in Acura MDX vehicles, and replace the driver and front passenger seat slide rail frames in Honda Pilot and Ridgeline vehicles, free of charge. The recall began May 30, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall is D0S, and T0T.

How to check whether your car has an open recall ›

Investigations

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints were filed for the 2018 Acura MDX?

165 complaints were filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Acura MDX, or about 19.0 per year on the road.

What is the most common problem reported for the 2018 Acura MDX?

The most common category is Engine, accounting for 32.7% of complaints.

Does the 2018 Acura MDX have any recalls?

NHTSA lists 10 safety recall(s) for this model year. 4 NHTSA defect investigations cover this model year; the most recent is “Engine failure” (opened 2025-08-20, still open).

Is the 2018 Acura MDX still generating complaints?

In the last 12 months 38 new complaints were filed, versus 40 in the 12 months before — a steady pace.

How does the 2018 Acura MDX compare with similar vehicles?

NHTSA has received 165 owner complaints about the 2018 Acura MDX, or 19.0 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 0.45, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 73 model-year 2018 vehicles we track, it ranks #31 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Acura models its rate is 32% lower; against other Luxury SUVs it is 26% higher.