2008 Acura MDX: problems, recalls and reliability
1 recall and 49 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is electrical system (15% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · latest recall Feb 2008
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 49 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“My car exterior paint has poor quality. It has been for years. It clear coat peeling and bubbling due to poor factory adhesion between paint layers, Fading & Chalking. This happens for so many years ago but I don't know this happened because the manufacturers problem until recently a friend told me this”Owner report · Structure · Jan 2026
“About maybe 2 months ago my tailgate open light comes on. When the exterior light is left on when I get in the car. .. it will go out but the tailgate light open will come on while driving and you will a ding then the light comes on while drive ng. As a result the car alarm.goes.off several times. I have checked the tailgate and it is closed I have taken it in but they can't find the reason why this happening. I have been on other forums and this appears to have been a problem.with.other Acura 2008 MDX,s.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Mar 2025
“I was at stoplight waiting to make a right turn and the Check Air Bag System turned on. No accident, just the error came on for no reason. This is safety issue and it should have lifetime warranty! I called the dealer and they told me that its will cost me $295 just to diagnose the error. I feel like this should be recall. I understand that it's an electronic device and could failed. But it should have lifetime warranty.”Owner report · Air Bags · Mar 2023
Show 7 more owner reports
“Had front collision with another vehicle and hit their passenger side of the vehicle and their Airbags Deployed on that side but my Airbags didn't Deploy in the Front. I suffered injuries because it didn't work.”Owner report · Air Bags · Apr 2022
“My vehicle was parked in a parking lot and the engine caught on fire. The engine was not running, it seams to spontaneously caught fire.”Owner report · Structure · Mar 2021
“The clock in the 2008 Acura MDX stopped working over 18 months ago. This occurred after an Acura Day-light-Savings time update. In order to check the time now you have to take your eyes off the road. There are thousands of Acura vehicles with this problem. ACURA REFUSES TO HELP. They state there is no solution to the problem. They caused the problem!”Owner report · Electrical System · Mar 2021
“"check airbag system" light came on. No accidents, nothing that should have caused the light to come on. It was stationary when it came on, parked in driveway. *tr”Owner report · Air Bags · May 2020
“An airbag system warning message appeared out of nowhere when I turned my parked 2008 acura mdx on in my driveway. My car had/has not been in an accident or hit. It seems like it should be policy for an acura dealer to diagnose the problem for free but I've been told I'll be charged for a diagnosis. Please advise.”Owner report · Air Bags · Jul 2019
“This vehicle is having electrical issue in which is affect various parts, including the deceleration of the vehicle. There are times in which the brake is pressed and instead of the vehicle does not respond to start to slow down. The brakes on the truck have replaced along with tires and yet the problem does continues. This a daily thing that happens it is more noticible when the vehicle reached above 65 and above miles. I have almost got into an accident due to this.”Owner report · Electrical System · May 2019
“I have a mdx with sport suspension. I recently visited my mechanic to discover that both of my rear shocks are blown. After looking into fixing it, I noticed that there are so many people experiencing the same issue prematurely. Not only is it a common issue with this vehicle trim, the parts are very expensive due to the electronic components. With so many people experiencing the same issue, it seems the core root of the problem may be a faulty design of the shocks. My concern is replacing a faulty products with another faulty products, and experiencing the same issue all over again shorty.”Owner report · Suspension · Jun 2016
When filing, owners marked a crash in 2 of these complaints and injuries in 1 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 1 campaign
HONDA IS RECALLING 2,032 HITCH STYLE BIKE RACKS SOLD AS AFTERMARKET FOR USE ON MY 2003-2007 AND SOME MY 2008 HONDA PILOT, RIDGELINE, AND ACURA MDX VEHICLES. A PINCH BOLT EXISTS BETWEEN THE BIKE ARM BRACKET AND THE UPRIGHT ASSEMBLY OF THE "HITCH" STYLE BICYCLE RACK.
Remedy: OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT THULE AT 800-THULE91 (800-848-5391) TO OBTAIN A FREE REPAIR KIT ALONG WITH REPAIR INSTRUCTIONS OR OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA AT 1-800-999-1009 OR ACURA AT 1-800-382-2238 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2008 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact MDX by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2008 Acura MDX reliable?
NHTSA has 49 owner complaints and 1 recall campaign on record for the 2008 Acura MDX. The most complained-about area is electrical system (15% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2008 Acura MDX problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 56,500 miles or less.
Does the 2008 Acura MDX have open recalls?
1 recall campaign has been issued, the latest concerning equipment:mechanical:carrier/rack. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.