2022 Acura MDX: problems, recalls and reliability
3 recalls and 176 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is power train (49% of complaints); the 2023 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · 16 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall May 2026
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 176 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“I was driving and my AWD sistem made a shader sound and right after that the vehicle went on two wheel drive, the clang it made cause the vehicle to swerve in the highway which could have caused an accident. Yes the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The vehicle hasn't been inspected by the dealer or anyone yet, but the SH-AWD light came on after the sound and the vehicle stayed on front wheel drive only. If this system fail the way it fail on my vehicle at a higher speed it could have caused a fatal accident!”Owner report · Power Train · Sep 2026
“The contact owns a 2022 Acura MDX. The contact noticed quite a bit of water leaking into the trunk of the vehicle. The contact stated she was able to find a smell of mildew. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a leak coming from the trunk was confirmed. The dealer diagnosed the failure to be caused by defective drain tubes on both sides of the trunk. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.”Owner report · Structure · Sep 2026
“The splints that control the SH-AWD have stripped out and I'm being told tge transmission and transfer case need to be replaced. I've had all the services done on-time with the dealership I purchased it from.”Owner report · Power Train · Sep 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
“Engine compartment started emitting smoke and hot air coming out of the vents instead of cold air while driving. Smoke partially obstructed my view. I had to stop on the side and look where smoke is coming from. Smoke is coming from AC compressor inside the engine compartment. Vehicle is less than 5 years old and has 47129 miles on it. Defective AC compressor caused a safety issue.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Sep 2026
“Discovered leaking fluid on 9/12/2026. Scheduled service with local Acura dealer on 9/15/2026 and found that the leak is AFT from unserviceable seal between the transmission and transfer case. The recommended repair from dealer is to replace both transmission and transfer case for $15,000. This is a significant issue for a vehicle that had been well maintained.”Owner report · Power Train · Sep 2026
“Heard a loud clunk followed by several small clunks when accelerating. Dealer confirmed the transmission & PTU are damaged and the car is no longer AWD. This issue is becoming more widespread with Acura MDXs and is a very expensive repair. From dealer: "FOUND DRIVESHAFT CAN TURN IN PARK WITHOUT TURNING FRONT WHEELS. THIS INDICATED TRANSMISSION AND PTU SPLINES ARE DAMAGED"”Owner report · Power Train · Sep 2026
“Factory seal allows water to seep into the internal coupling cavity. The water mixes with the factory grease, creating a rusty, muddy brown fluid that eventually washed out and leaks from the casing. Over time, this moisture causes the interfacing splines between the transmission and the transfer case to strip and shear off completely.”Owner report · Power Train · Aug 2026
“At 75,000 miles I noticed that the vehicle was losing fluids on the bottom. The fluid color was a reddish color. I took it into Acura for a diagnosis and I was told that the seal between the drivetrain and transmission has worn and is causing all of the fluids to be leaked out of the car. They told me it would be $10,000 to replace the drivetrain and transmission because the a repair cannot be made.”Owner report · Power Train · Aug 2026
“Vehicle lost rear traction and leaking fluid from the transmission or front differential. Brought vehicle to dealer. They replaced transmission and transfer case.”Owner report · Power Train · Jul 2026
“The splines to the transmission and front transfer case are worn and stripped and that is causing a bad transmission fluid leak. The fix for this unfortunately is to replace the Transmission and the Transfer case assy. I am not getting any support from Acura, as this is a known problem according to the dealer. Acura is not cooperating and the cost to repair is $14,000. I noticed a transmission fluid leak, so I took the vehicle into the Acura dealership. No check engine light came on, no notification that there was a catastrophic failure occurring to my car. I've been reading that this is happening to several other Acura vehicles as well.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jul 2026
When filing, owners marked a crash in 7 of these complaints and injuries in 5 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 3 campaigns
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2022-2025 Acura MDX Type-S, 2023-2025 Honda Pilot, and 2021-2025 Acura TLX Type-S vehicles. A software error in the fuel injection electronic control unit (FI-ECU) may cause an engine stall or a loss of power.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the FI-ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 17, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are EL1 and AL0.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2022 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Counts are not adjusted for time on the road here - see all MDX years ranked fairly for the age-adjusted comparison.
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 2022 Acura MDX reliable?
NHTSA has 176 owner complaints and 3 recall campaigns on record for the 2022 Acura MDX. The most complained-about area is power train (49% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2022 Acura MDX problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 51,290 miles or less.
Does the 2022 Acura MDX have open recalls?
3 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning air bags. 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.