Research · Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD

2016 Acura MDXRecalls, problems, MPG & safety

NHTSA lists 7 safety recalls and 378 owner complaints for the 2016 Acura MDX. Most complaints involve engine (163) and power train (113). The EPA rates it 21–23 mpg combined, and NHTSA gives it 5 stars overall.

Combined MPG
21–23mpg
EPA · 4 versions
NHTSA overall
5of 5 stars
NCAP crash tests
Safety recalls
7campaigns
Latest Jun 2026
Owner complaints
378
Top: engine
Fuel cost / yr
$3,350est.
EPA estimate, best version
01 —Recalls

Safety recalls

7 NHTSA campaigns · applies to some vehicles, check your VIN

Structure: frame and members

Remedy pending

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.

StructureReported Jun 5, 2026NHTSA 26V365000

Exterior lighting

Free remedy

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.

Exterior lightingReported Apr 18, 2025NHTSA 25V259000

Fuel system

Free remedy

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.

Fuel system, gasolineReported Dec 19, 2023NHTSA 23V858000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 10, 2026 · All recall detailsNHTSA vehicle page
02 —Complaints

Owner complaints by component

378 complaints filed with NHTSA · Jul 2015 – Oct 2026
  1. Engine163
  2. Power train113
  3. Electrical system38
  4. Fuel/propulsion system28
  5. Structure21
  6. Vehicle speed control19
  7. Lane departure14
  8. Service brakes13
  9. Steering12

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

By model year

Complaints for each MDX model year we’ve synced.

View as table
Model yearNHTSA complaints
2001224
2002222
2003212
2004171
2005180
200687
200799
200849
200952
201045
201170
201276
201330
2014172
201571
2016378
2017261
2018169
2019193
2020228
2022162
202344
202441
2025117
20269
Crashes reported
10
Fires reported
5
Injuries reported
5
Deaths reported
0
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026 · Full problem breakdownNHTSA vehicle page
03 —Common problems

What owners report most

Verbatim excerpts from NHTSA complaints, by component

Engine

163 reports2 crashes2 fires
“There is a reaccuring safety defect issue where the engine completely shutts off and stalls without warning when the car comes to a stop. This can be at a stop sign, stop lights, or just stopping the car when in traffic, even on the highway. This is due to the IDS (Auto Idle Stop system). A couple exteme safetyhazards that have occured: The car has repeatedly shut down while we are in the middle of the highway during stop and go traffic leaving us stranded in in live lanes of traffic with the car just completely shutting down and glitching. It would take multiple attempts to turn the car on in order to get out of the situation. There have been close calls on rear-end collisions as a result of this. The issue also progressively worsens during super cold or super hot weather further reflecting the starter/software issues. During other occasions, the car completely failed to restart or delayed restarts that took 5+ hours long once the car "cooled down" from being parked in the sun. We have taken the car to an authrozied acura delarship on atleast two seperate occasion to address the racall issue. On top of these more severe situations, atleast once a week i will…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 20, 2026Power train, Electrical system, EngineODI 11772439

Power train

113 reports1 crash
“Driving home from a trip June 2019 on the highway at 60mph with 3 children and my husband, my 2016 Acura MDX experienced complete engine failure - alarms started to sound and I experienced a loss of acceleration, lights in the dash included Engine Problem, Transmission Problem, Emission System Problem, Critical Failure Detected Stop Driving When Safe etc. The vehicle shifted into neutral. I was able to pull off the road onto the shoulder. The engine was still running but would not shift into park. I contacted Acura TLC to have the vehicle towed but we were stranded on the side of a very busy highway in 90 degree heat with 3 kids waiting. Not only was it unsafe to be driving 60mph and lose engine power, I had to also negotiate three lanes of traffic to safely reach the shoulder. The dealership that serviced my vehicle stated it needed a "software update" - the vehicle was with them the week before this happened for regular maintenance and they failed to do the supposed software update. I complained about engine issue in this vehicle from the first time I took for service and nothing was ever done about my complaints. I have all my service records from Acura…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 12, 2026Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11770575

Electrical system

38 reports1 fire
“I just got back home from Walmart, went in my house to get a few things and head to my camper. I had to get one last thing ,so I started to drive over town I noticed a plastic burning smell ,I thought someone was burning trash, so I keep going ,the smell got worse,so I stopped and was going to check what it was and smoke started coming out of the vents,so I turned around drove car home,as I was pulling into my drive ,I noticed the wiring harness fell from behind glove box ,on fire on the floor. We got car in driveway and got out,tried to extinguish the fire but couldn't, so grab everything out of the car,and the car became totally engulfed in flames,the car was totally gone from this electrical short.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 14, 2026Electrical systemFire reportedODI 11750455
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026
04 —Key specs

Engines, transmissions & drive

4 versions rated by the EPA
EPA class
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
Engines
3.5L 6-cyl
Transmissions
Automatic (S9)
Drive
Front-Wheel Drive · All-Wheel Drive
Fuel
Premium Gasoline

Towing, payload and dimensions aren’t in the EPA or NHTSA data, so we don’t list them.

Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Nov 10, 2026EPA listing
05 —Fuel economy

EPA fuel economy by version

City / highway / combined, annual fuel cost and CO₂
EPA
VersionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yrCO₂ g/mi
MDX 2WD
Auto (S9), 6 cyl, 3.5 L, SIDI; Stop-Start · Front-Wheel Drive
202723$3,350391
MDX 2WD
Auto (S9), 6 cyl, 3.5 L, SIDI · Front-Wheel Drive
192722$3,500406
MDX 4WD
Auto (S9), 6 cyl, 3.5 L, SIDI; Stop-Start · All-Wheel Drive
192622$3,500411
MDX 4WD
Auto (S9), 6 cyl, 3.5 L, SIDI · All-Wheel Drive
182621$3,700415
  • MDX 2WD
    Auto (S9), 6 cyl, 3.5 L, SIDI; Stop-Start
    20 city · 27 hwy · $3,350/yr
    23
    mpg comb.
  • MDX 2WD
    Auto (S9), 6 cyl, 3.5 L, SIDI
    19 city · 27 hwy · $3,500/yr
    22
    mpg comb.
  • MDX 4WD
    Auto (S9), 6 cyl, 3.5 L, SIDI; Stop-Start
    19 city · 26 hwy · $3,500/yr
    22
    mpg comb.
  • MDX 4WD
    Auto (S9), 6 cyl, 3.5 L, SIDI
    18 city · 26 hwy · $3,700/yr
    21
    mpg comb.
Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Nov 10, 2026 · Fuel cost is EPA’s annual estimate (15,000 mi, 55% city)
06 —Safety

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings

2 tested variants
Overall rating
5/ 5
5 of 5
Acura MDX SUV FWD
Frontal crash
5 of 5
Side crash
5 of 5
Side pole
5 of 5
Rollover
4 of 5
Rollover risk
16.4%
Overall
5 / 5
Acura MDX SUV AWD
Frontal crash
5 of 5
Side crash
5 of 5
Side pole
5 of 5
Rollover
4 of 5
Rollover risk
16.4%
Data from NHTSA NCAP Safety Ratings API · synced Nov 10, 2026Vehicle 10027Vehicle 10026
07 —Maintenance

Maintenance basics

General guidance, not the OEM schedule. Check your owner’s manual.
General guidance
ItemMilesTimeNote
Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi6–12 monthsFollow the oil-life monitor if fitted
Tire rotation5,000–7,500 miEvery oil changeCheck pressure monthly
Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi1–2 yearsSooner in dusty areas
Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi1–2 years
Brake fluid—2–3 yearsAbsorbs moisture over time
Coolant60,000–100,000 mi5–10 yearsLong-life coolants last longer
Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi—Iridium/platinum plugs at the long end
12V battery—3–5 yearsHeat shortens battery life
  • Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi
    6–12 months
  • Tire rotation5,000–7,500 mi
    Every oil change
  • Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Brake fluid—
    2–3 years
  • Coolant60,000–100,000 mi
    5–10 years
  • Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi
    —
  • 12V battery—
    3–5 years
Typical intervals for modern cars. Severe service (towing, short trips, extreme heat or cold) shortens them.
09 —FAQ

2016 MDX questions

How many recalls does the 2016 Acura MDX have?

7 safety recalls as of Nov 10, 2026, according to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check your VIN to see whether your car is included and whether the repair was done.

What are the most common 2016 Acura MDX problems?

Owners filed 378 complaints with NHTSA. The most-cited components are engine (163), power train (113), electrical system (38). Complaints are unverified owner reports and aren't adjusted for how many cars were sold.

What MPG does the 2016 Acura MDX get?

The EPA rates the 2016 Acura MDX at 21–23 mpg combined, depending on engine and drivetrain (4 versions rated).

How safe is the 2016 Acura MDX?

NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gives the 2016 Acura MDX 5 out of 5 stars overall.

Data from NHTSA & EPA · synced Nov 10, 2026