Problems · NHTSA complaints

2003 Acura MDX problems

Owners filed 212 complaints about the 2003 Acura MDX with NHTSA between Jul 2002 and Apr 2025. The most-cited component is power train (104).

Complaints
212
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
13
Reported by owners
Fires
5
Reported by owners
Injuries
13
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Power train104
  2. Air bags44
  3. Electrical system18
  4. Engine and engine cooling16
  5. Seat belts12
  6. Engine10
  7. Vehicle speed control7
  8. Fuel/propulsion system5
  9. Equipment5
  10. Service brakes, hydraulic5
  11. Steering4
  12. Structure3
  13. Service brakes3
  14. Tires3

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20021
200314
20049
20055
20063
20075
200810
200916
201027
201116
201212
201316
201417
201523
201618
20172
20187
20191
20206
20212
20220
20231
20240
20251

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Power train

104 reports4 crashes
“Driving up a hill in this 2003 Acura MDX and the TRANSMISSION failed. Came to a stop in the middle of the street. Several cars almost hit me. Checked online and this vehicle has a known problem of the transmission going out around 70,000 miles. A mechanic started changing it out in my driveway .then winter came. It's been sitting in my driveway ever since.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 30, 2025Power trainODI 11657788

Air bags

44 reports5 crashes1 fire10 related recalls
“I WRECKED ON 8/24/2020. THE CAR SAYS THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AND MY SEATBELTS LOCKED UP. BUT MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY! I REAR ENDED SOMEBODY GOING ABOUT 20 MPH ON A CITY STREET.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 18, 2020Air bagsCrash reportedODI 11359861

Electrical system

18 reports1 crash3 fires1 related recall
“ON APRIL 7 2021 ARRIVED ABOUT 10:45 A.M. I DROVE TO MCGRATH ACURA DEALER AT 9105 WAUKEGAN ROAD, IN WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS FOR A POWER STEERING FLUSH, THAT EMPLOYEE INSTRUCTED ME WALK WITH HIM TO OBSERVE A UNDERNEATH INSPECTION REAR AND FRONT I NOTICE THAT REAR FRAME IS COMPLETELY RUSTED INCLUDED SHOCKS SURROUNDING THE FRAME, THROUGH OUT THE VEHICLE IT WAS ONA HYDRALIC JACK. SEE IMAGES ME AND EMPLOYEE LOOKING UNDERNEATH.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 11, 2021Electrical system, Structure, Service brakesODI 11407465

Engine and engine cooling

16 reports
“WHILE DRIVING MY 03 MDX AT 20 MPH AROUND A CORNER, IT JUST STOPPED ACCELERATING. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS THAT MY CAR WOULD STOP, IT JUST STOPPED ACCELERATING. I WOULD NOT MOVE IN D5, D4 OR D3, SO I HAD TO DRIVE IT IN D1TO THE DEALERSHIP AND LEFT IT OVERNIGHT. THE NEXT DAY THEY TELL ME I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. TWO MONTHS BEFORE THAT, MY CAR WAS LEAKING OIL AND I TOOK IT IN TO GET THE LEAK FIXED. THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS A LEAK IN THE REAR MAIN AND IT WOULD COST $1000 TO FIX. IT WAS SUCH A HIGH COST DUE TO THEY HAD TO REMOVE THE TRANSMISSION AND THE ENGINE TO GET TO IT. TWO WEEKS AFTER IT WAS FIXED, I HEAR A KNOCKING NOISE UNDER MY HOOD AND FIND OUT I NEED NEW MOTOR MOUNTS (HMMM.. ACURA HAD TO MOVE THE MOUNTS TO GET THE ENGINE OUT).. $400 LATER, AFTER I REPLACED THE MOUNTS., I WAS GOOD TO GO. A MONTH LATER, NOW THE TRANSMISSION THAT ACURA HAD TO REMOVE IS NOW COMPLETELY SHOT AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED ($5200) ARE YOU KIDDING ME ACURA. I HAVE NO FAITH IN THEIR SERVICE DEPT OR MY 03 MDX WHICH IS ALWAYS SERVICED AT THE DEALERSHIP. EVERYTHING THAT HAS EVER BEEN DONE TO THAT CAR HAS BEEN DONE AT THE DEALERSHIP FROM OIL CHANGE TO TIMING BELT REPLACEMENT, AND IT FEELS…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 17, 2014Engine and engine cooling, Vehicle speed controlODI 10572749

Seat belts

12 reports1 crash1 fire
“Unknown, but since I bought the car I encountered a problem with the rear seatbelts, they do not work and I am about to be a grandmother and it is important and is a safety issue,”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 11, 2021Seat beltsODI 11428639

Engine

10 reports
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 ACURA MDX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE LOSS MOTIVE POWER AND STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. ADDITIONALLY, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION SEEMED AS IF IT WAS SLIPPING WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 265,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 2, 2020Power train, EngineODI 11377546
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.