Acura

MDX

Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD · model years 2001 to 2026

Includes MDX, MDX 2WD, MDX 4WD and 5 more as listed by the EPA.

See all 54 MDX trims All Acura cars

The verdict

Best year: 2026. complaints: 9, below this model's typical 160; recalls: 1, below this model's typical 4.

Worst year: 2003. complaints: 206, about 3.9x this model's typical 53; recalls: 11, about 2.8x this model's typical 4.

Year by year

Year by year summary for the Acura MDX
Year	Trims	MPG	HP	Fuel cost	Recalls	Complaints	Investigations	TSBs	Top complaints
2001	1Gas	17	no data	$4,550	4	224	0	no data	POWER TRAIN 49%, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 7%, SUSPENSION 7%
complaints: 224, about 4.2x this model's typical 53 recalls: 4, in line with this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 10 complaints reporting a fire: 1 Score: 15 of 100, where higher is better.
2002	1Gas	17	no data	$4,550	4	204	0	no data	POWER TRAIN 52%, AIR BAGS 10%, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 6%
complaints: 204, about 3.9x this model's typical 53 recalls: 4, in line with this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 5 complaints reporting a fire: 2 Score: 20 of 100, where higher is better.
2003	1Gas	17	no data	$4,550	11	206	0	no data	POWER TRAIN 41%, AIR BAGS 17%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 7%
complaints: 206, about 3.9x this model's typical 53 recalls: 11, about 2.8x this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 9 complaints reporting a fire: 5 Score: 0 of 100, where higher is better.
2004	1Gas	17	no data	$4,550	8	171	0	no data	POWER TRAIN 32%, AIR BAGS 11%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 9%
complaints: 171, about 3.2x this model's typical 53 recalls: 8, about 2x this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 12 complaints reporting a fire: 4 Score: 0 of 100, where higher is better.
2005	1Gas	17	no data	$4,550	11	180	0	no data	POWER TRAIN 36%, AIR BAGS 16%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 7%
complaints: 180, about 3.4x this model's typical 53 recalls: 11, about 2.8x this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 15 complaints reporting a fire: 1 Score: 0 of 100, where higher is better.
2006	1Gas	17	no data	$4,550	9	87	0	no data	POWER TRAIN 32%, AIR BAGS 13%, ENGINE 8%
complaints: 87, about 1.6x this model's typical 53 recalls: 9, about 2.3x this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 6 Score: 20 of 100, where higher is better.
2007	1Gas	17	no data	$4,550	0	99	0	no data	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 41%, SUSPENSION 10%, ENGINE 9%
complaints: 99, about 1.9x this model's typical 53 recalls: 0, below this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 2 complaints reporting a fire: 2 Score: 47 of 100, where higher is better.
2008	1Gas	17	no data	$4,550	0	49	0	no data	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 13%, STRUCTURE 13%, SUSPENSION 10%
complaints: 49, below this model's typical 53 recalls: 0, below this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 1 complaints reporting a fire: 1 Score: 75 of 100, where higher is better.
2009	1Gas	17	no data	$4,550	0	52	0	no data	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 24%, ENGINE 11%, POWER TRAIN 11%
complaints: 52, below this model's typical 53 recalls: 0, below this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 6 complaints reporting a fire: 1 Score: 69 of 100, where higher is better.
2010	1Gas	18	300	$4,300	1	45	0	51	ENGINE 18%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 14%, STEERING 10%
complaints: 45, below this model's typical 53 recalls: 1, below this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 8 complaints reporting a fire: 4 Score: 67 of 100, where higher is better. Theft rate: 0.6 per 1,000 produced (federal data, last published for 2014).
2011	1Gas	18	300	$4,300	0	70	0	41	ENGINE 32%, POWER TRAIN 9%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 8%
complaints: 70, above this model's typical 53 recalls: 0, below this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 6 complaints reporting a fire: 1 Score: 59 of 100, where higher is better. Theft rate: 0.7 per 1,000 produced (federal data, last published for 2014).
2012	1Gas	18	300	$4,300	1	76	0	53	ENGINE 23%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 13%, POWER TRAIN 13%
complaints: 76, above this model's typical 53 recalls: 1, below this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 2 complaints reporting a fire: 3 Score: 58 of 100, where higher is better. Theft rate: 0.5 per 1,000 produced (federal data, last published for 2014).
2013	1Gas	18	300	$4,300	1	30	0	57	ENGINE 20%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 17%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 11%
complaints: 30, below this model's typical 53 recalls: 1, below this model's typical 4 complaints reporting a fire: 3 Score: 79 of 100, where higher is better. Theft rate: 0.6 per 1,000 produced (federal data, last published for 2014).
2014	2Gas	22	290	$3,500	8	172	0	167	STEERING 15%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 11%, POWER TRAIN 11%
complaints: 172, about 1.6x this model's typical 106 recalls: 8, about 2x this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 9 complaints reporting a fire: 3 Score: 17 of 100, where higher is better. Theft rate: 0.3 per 1,000 produced (federal data, last published for 2014).
2015	2Gas	22	290	$3,500	8	71	0	170	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 15%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 14%, POWER TRAIN 12%
complaints: 71, below this model's typical 106 recalls: 8, about 2x this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 9 complaints reporting a fire: 2 Score: 41 of 100, where higher is better.
2016	4Gas	22	290	$3,500	7	374	3 (2 open)	249	ENGINE 31%, POWER TRAIN 21%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 8%
complaints: 374, about 1.8x this model's typical 213 recalls: 7, about 1.8x this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 5 complaints reporting a fire: 5 open NHTSA investigations: 2 Score: 6 of 100, where higher is better.
2017	5Gas, Hybrid	22	290	$3,500	9	266	4 (2 open)	199	ENGINE 20%, POWER TRAIN 17%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 12%
complaints: 266, in line with this model's typical 266 recalls: 9, about 2.3x this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 4 complaints reporting a fire: 4 open NHTSA investigations: 2 Score: 20 of 100, where higher is better.
2018	5Gas, Hybrid	22	no data	$3,500	10	170	4 (2 open)	125	ENGINE 13%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 10%, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 10%
complaints: 170, below this model's typical 266 recalls: 10, about 2.5x this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 3 complaints reporting a fire: 4 open NHTSA investigations: 2 Score: 21 of 100, where higher is better.
2019	4Gas, Hybrid	22.5	290	$3,425	9	198	4 (2 open)	121	ENGINE 15%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 13%, POWER TRAIN 10%
complaints: 198, below this model's typical 213 recalls: 9, about 2.3x this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 3 complaints reporting a fire: 3 open NHTSA investigations: 2 Score: 22 of 100, where higher is better.
2020	4Gas, Hybrid	22.5	290	$3,425	8	227	4 (2 open)	103	ENGINE 24%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 11%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 11%
complaints: 227, above this model's typical 213 recalls: 8, about 2x this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 2 open NHTSA investigations: 2 Score: 30 of 100, where higher is better.
2022	3Gas	21	290	$3,650	2	154	2 (2 open)	235	POWER TRAIN 30%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 10%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 9%
complaints: 154, below this model's typical 160 recalls: 2, below this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 4 complaints reporting a fire: 2 open NHTSA investigations: 2 Score: 51 of 100, where higher is better.
2023	3Gas	21	290	$3,650	2	41	2 (2 open)	116	POWER TRAIN 17%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 14%, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 12%
complaints: 41, below this model's typical 160 recalls: 2, below this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 2 open NHTSA investigations: 2 Score: 68 of 100, where higher is better.
2024	3Gas	21	290	$3,650	2	40	1 (1 open)	56	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 17%, SERVICE BRAKES 14%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 13%
complaints: 40, below this model's typical 160 recalls: 2, below this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 4 open NHTSA investigations: 1 Score: 74 of 100, where higher is better.
2025	3Gas	21	290	$3,900	3	108	1 (1 open)	23	ENGINE 36%, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 28%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 15%
complaints: 108, below this model's typical 160 recalls: 3, below this model's typical 4 injuries reported in NHTSA complaints: 5 open NHTSA investigations: 1 Score: 65 of 100, where higher is better.
2026	3Gas	21	no data	$3,900	1	9	0	no data	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 21%, UNKNOWN OR OTHER 21%, ENGINE 14%
complaints: 9, below this model's typical 160 recalls: 1, below this model's typical 4 Score: 92 of 100, where higher is better.

How the numbers moved

Combined MPG, median2001: 17 to 2026: 21

Owner complaints2001: 224 to 2026: 9

How we score each year

We compare each year of the Acura MDX to the model's own typical numbers, not to other cars. A year reads solid when its recalls, owner complaints, and federal investigations sit at or below what is typical for this model, mixed when some of those numbers run above typical, and avoid when they run far above it. Deaths, reported fires, and an NHTSA advisory to park outside count against a year no matter what this model's baseline looks like.

A year is scored only when NHTSA has both complaint and recall counts for it. Complaint data often lags for the newest years, so a recent year can read not enough data even while its recall count already shows in the table. When the history is too thin, we say not enough data instead of guessing. Service bulletins are routine maintenance guidance from the manufacturer and do not lower a year's score.

Scores run 0 to 100, higher is better. Recall, complaint, and investigation figures come from NHTSA records. Fuel economy, fuel cost, and horsepower figures come from the EPA, shown as the median across the year's trims.

Information is gathered on a best-effort basis from public sources, may be incomplete or out of date, and is not purchasing or financial advice. Verify with the manufacturer or dealer before buying.