Owners have filed 29 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the electrical, transmission, and brakes. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2023Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2023 Acura MDX: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/2
Engine off, key in hand0/1
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/1
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/5
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
These years share the 2023's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2023 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2023 Acura MDX. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6-cyl | AWD | 19 mpg |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | AWD, FWD | 21–22 mpg |
NHTSA complaints for the 2023 Acura MDX, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
A sudden cascade of warning lights is the main complaint. Brake, power steering, AWD, lane keeping, adaptive cruise, automatic emergency braking and parking assist alerts appear at once. Some cars go into limp mode, refuse to accelerate, or lose steering assist. The power tailgate may also act up. Dealers have blamed a failed wheel sensor with incomplete calibration, and in another case a loose cable. Problems often come back within days. A rear parking sensor failure left one car waiting at the dealer for a part that was not available.
Transfer case failure is the most serious pattern. Reports describe fluid leaks, fluids mixing, and internal gears breaking apart with a loud bang. That damage can take out the transmission too, and one dealer quoted $19,000 for the repair outside warranty. Separate reports describe a transmission that suddenly stops upshifting while the engine revs high, then clunks and drags. There were no warning lights. A high-pitched whistle around 57 to 63 mph also comes up, and dealers call it normal.
Automatic braking that grabs hard at parking speeds throws passengers into their seat belts, and the problem repeats. Other reports describe a spongy brake pedal that sinks to the floor with no warning light, starting at about 3,000 miles. Replacing the brake reservoir and cap under warranty did not fix it. One complaint links unintended acceleration to the brakes failing to stop the car. Another blames a sticking rear caliper for uneven pad wear that ended in a full rear brake job.
Power steering can cut out after a bump such as railroad tracks or a manhole cover. The car becomes hard to steer, and a long list of driver-assist and braking warnings appears that clears only after a restart. Owners link this to a faulty wheel speed sensor. A second pattern is a ticking or clicking noise when turning the wheel. Dealers have kept cars for weeks without finding a cause, swapped hardware that did not help, or called the noise normal.
False collision warnings and phantom automatic braking happen with nothing ahead, in clear weather and at various speeds. In one case the car braked to a near stop at about 25 mph and nearly caused a rear-end collision. Dealers report no fault codes. Repositioning the front camera and removing a windshield sticker did not stop the problem, and no permanent fix is described.
Excerpts from complaints MDX owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
Safety systems failure . Awd lane keeping adaptive cruise automatic emergency brake tailgate can’t open . Est about 8 to 10 failure. And that is 2nd in a week . On march 4 same problem . Dealer said is a cable not plug tight . Got it back on Monday than happen again . Feel not safe when I driving it . Lucky was on local rd when happens .if high way might be a big diff .
Filed with NHTSA, March 2023
-Alerts for all safety systems going offline appeared. Also said AWD is not working. Car would turn off with on push of ignition. -tailgate went haywire. When opening it just went up and down and halfway. Had to push it close Both issues went away, for now, after several restarts
Filed with NHTSA, November 2022
I hear a high-pitched whistle when I the speed reaches around 57-63MPH. I've taken it to the dealer a couple of times, and they said it's normal. I am really disappointed that Acura didn't fix it...
Filed with NHTSA, March 2025
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2023 ranks seventh for owner complaints among 8 MDX years, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2023 is the second model year of the MDX's fourth generation (2022–2023).
Acura updated the MDX for 2025, so a 2023 does not have those changes.
What changed for 2025 (not on a 2023)
Recall repairs are free at any Acura dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Acura TLX, 2023-2025 Acura MDX, and 2023-2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin was not secured properly, which can cause the pedal to shift out of position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment" and 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems.".
Risk: A brake pedal that shifts out of position can prevent the driver from applying the brakes as intended, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the brake pedal assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 29, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are FLX and XLY.
Cars shoppers compare with the Acura MDX, with their own 2023 checklists.
2023 owner complaints, side by side
