2012 Acura MDX power train problems

What owners report

• “The engine consistently consumes too much oil between service events. The low oil light comes on. I had this problem for over 8 years and the dealership said it was not a problem until now and they want me to pay for it. The oil control rings have been clogged since 2016 and progressively gotten worse. The clogged rings cause restriction of oil to return to the crankcase. This causes a decrease in available oil and may cause overheating that could lead to engine fire. Acura should fix the …”

  NHTSA complaint · filed 01/24/2024

• “THE TRANSMISSION BROKE EVEN AFTER THE REGULAR MAINTENANCE. SPENT MORE THAN $5,000 WITH THE DEALER TO FIX IT.”

  NHTSA complaint · filed 11/07/2020

• “METAL PIECES WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION FLUID.REGULAR MAINTENANCE DONE WITH ACURA OF WAPPINGER FALLS, NY 12590. SPENT $5190.04 FOR REPLACING TRANSMISSION AND TORQUE CONVERTOR WITH REMANUFACTURED UNIT. FEW YEARS BEFORE HAD ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION ISSUES JUST AT 55,000 AND WAS TOLD THAT INTERNAL GASKET OIL CONSUMPTION WAS NOT PART OF THE ENGINE PROBLEM. *TR”

  NHTSA complaint · filed 06/05/2020

• “EVER SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR I TRY TO TAKE IT BACK TO GET IT WAS BECAUSE THE CAR RPM FLUCTUATE ABOUT 1500-2500 RPM RANGE AND 30-40MPH CAUSES THE CAR TO JERKS LIKE ITS TRYING TO GO AND BRAKING AT THE SAME TIME. IT DOES THIS CONSISTENTLY IN CITY STREETS SOMETIMES IT DOES THAT ON THE HIGHWAY. ESPECIALLY GOING UP HILLS. I JUST DON'T FEEL SAFE AT ALL WHEN THE CAR ACTS UP LIKE THAT. I TAKE IT BACK TO WHERE I BOUGHT IT FROM THEY KEEP SAYING IS NORMAL I EVEN TOOK IT TO ACURA DEALER AND THE TECHNICIAN SAY…”

  NHTSA complaint · filed 02/19/2020

• “WHILE DRIVING MY CAR MY RPMS FLUCTUATE AND MY CAR CAN'T SEEM TO GET INTO GEAR. IT IS ALL OVER THE PLACE AND VERY SCARY AT TIMES. IT SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND ALSO A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. THIS SHOULD NOT BE THE CONSUMERS PROBLEM. ACURA SHOULD BE LIVING UP TO THERE NAME BY FIXING THIS PROBLEM. ACURAS SHOULD NEVER HAVE A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. THATS WHY MY HUSBAND AND I ARE LOYAL CUSTOMERS. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTING.”

  NHTSA complaint · filed 10/30/2018

• “TRANSMISSION SHUDDERS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS BETWEEN 15-55 MPH. MOST SEVERE AT APPROX 35-40 MPH BETWEEN 1500-2000 RPM. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE BY ACURA/AMERICAN HONDA AS EVIDENCED BY SERVICE BULLETIN 16-044.”

  NHTSA complaint · filed 08/20/2018

• “RPM'S FLUCTUATE ON THE TACHOMETER WHILE ACCELERATING. THEY JUMP UP AND DOWN AND YOU CAN FEEL THE VEHICLE HESITATE. BASED ON WHAT I AM READING, THIS APPEARS TO BE A WELL KNOWN ISSUE WITH PROGRAMMING AND WITH THE TORQUE CONVERTER THAT CAN RESULT IN TRANSMISSION DAMAGE. EVEN IF THE TORQUE CONVERTER IS REPLACED, WHICH IS AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR, THIS APPEARS TO BE A RE-OCCURRING ISSUE. OUR 2012 MDX HAS 79,365 MILES ON IT WHICH IS JUST OUTSIDE THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY AND WELL BEFORE A TRANSMISSION SHOUL…”

  NHTSA complaint · filed 01/09/2018

• “VEHICLE HAS BEEN LUNGING AT STEADY RPM OF 1.6. WHEN TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP THEY SAID THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN INDICATING EARLY DEGRADATION OF TRANSMISSION FLUID CAUSED BY SOFTWARE ISSUE WAS CAUSING THE ISSUE. WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIRS UNDER WARRANTY. TSA 16-044 ISSUED IN NOVEMBER OF 2016. CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY WHEN ACURA BECAME AWARE OF ISSUE AND DID NOT NOTIFY CONSUMERS OF ISSUE. HAVE SPENT NUMEROUS PHONE CALLS WITH ACURA AND THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY CANNOT PROVIDE A DATE WHEN SOFTWARE UPDAT…”

  NHTSA complaint · filed 02/14/2017

Unverified owner reports from NHTSA's public complaint database.

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