2022 Acura MDX: What to check before buying

The splines between the transmission and transfer case strip, which cuts power to the rear wheels and leaves the SUV in front-wheel drive. Most reports mention no warning light. Drivers notice slipping, pulling or sway in snow and rain, or a dealer finds the damage during routine service. Some report popping on takeoff, RPM surges, or about 5 seconds with no acceleration while merging. Failures cluster between 60K and 84,000 miles. The fix is a new transmission and transfer case, with repair bills over $13,000. Other reports describe jerking just before a stop.

Power steering cuts out or the wheel locks while driving. This usually comes with a flood of warnings for brakes, stability control, lane keeping and collision mitigation. Brakes may feel stiff, and the car can slow by itself. Restarting often clears the fault, and dealers often cannot reproduce it. Repairs mentioned include a new battery or a steering rack. One report describes a crash into a wall after the wheel locked. Other complaints cover a grinding vibration when the power column extends or retracts, which continued after a column replacement, and a steady pull to the right.

Batteries drain and fail early, and some owners have replaced them twice in two years. A weak battery can set off a cascade of system warnings, cause a stall after auto idle stop, or stop the car from restarting for several minutes. Other reports cover low-speed braking control slamming on with nothing in the way, a brake warning light that keeps coming back, a failed roof sunshade motor tied to a service bulletin, and a driver-side water leak that disabled keyless entry at 7k miles.

The brakes feel stuck or fail to stop the car. There are two crash reports, each with an injury. One owner tied a crash to recall campaign 25V391000. The other crash happened while shifting from reverse into drive at 17,956 miles. Other complaints cover reduced-braking warnings, auto brake hold not holding, rear brakes that squeal and grab, and brief seizing or shudder at 40 to 65 MPH. A single front pad and rotor wearing out early shows up at 8K and 21k miles.

Collision mitigation braking slams on with nothing ahead. It happens on open highways around 50 mph and on empty residential streets below 30 mph. Drivers report near rear-end collisions with cars behind them. One report has the car stopping in the middle of a busy intersection. Another says the accelerator stopped responding while the system braked on and off. A dealer suggested metal guardrails could cause interference. None of the reports describe a fix.

A front air strut can burst while driving. That corner of the car drops about 6 inches and a string of warning lights comes on. The replacement part was backordered, which kept the car off the road. A Type S owner says the air suspension absorbs nothing over potholes and expansion cracks. The tires and rims take the hit, and one tire and two rims have been replaced. Other reports cover a failed lower ball joint and a clicking tie rod end that was never torqued down.

The capless filler neck grabs the fuel nozzle and can pull loose from the vehicle when the nozzle is removed. One owner says this happens about 75% of the time. Other reports cover a fuel door that will not open electronically, which leaves only the manual release behind a cargo-area panel. Owners also report higher than expected fuel use. In another case, a dealer refused the product update for cars that may not restart after auto idle stop because the vehicle came from Canada.

Airbags did not deploy in a high-speed rear-end crash that pushed the car into a truck and totaled it. That report also lists a fire and an injury. A second complaint covers recall campaign 24V064000, where the repair part was not yet available and the wait dragged on. A third links brake warnings and phantom braking at 41,000 miles to the side airbag sensors. A software update fixed it.