2001 Acura MDX problems & reliability
224 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2001 Acura MDX, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
8 complaints report injuries (10 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2001 Acura MDX vehicles were involved in 19 fatal crashes with 13 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 131 | 58% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 19 | 8% |
| Suspension | 19 | 8% |
| Air Bags | 18 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 12 | 5% |
| Structure | 10 | 4% |
| Electrical System | 6 | 3% |
| Steering | 6 | 3% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 5 | 2% |
| Equipment | 5 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 100,000 miles (middle 50% between 70,928 and 138,000 miles), based on 168 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2001 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle started stalling while attempting to accelerate. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was…”
Power Train · filed Apr 11, 2024
“I was Driving down the HighWay at 70 MPH and the Vehicle is “Jerking” like I am Breaking then proceeded to fail to Accelerate and keep up with my RPMS.”
Unknown OR Other · filed Feb 4, 2023
“The contact owns a 2001 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while he was at a stop light, the vehicle inadvertently switched gears to neutral independently. The contact stated that he switched gears to drive and was able to drive the vehicle; however, the vehicle switched gears to neutral when he made another stop. The…”
Power Train · filed Nov 30, 2021
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- FRONT COIL SPRING BREAKAGE
Preliminary Evaluation PE05040 · opened Jul 14, 2005 · closed Sep 14, 2005 · led to recall 05V385000
Technical service bulletins
184 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2001 Acura MDX. The 10 most recent:
Service Bulletin - Case v. American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Case No. BC 424169 (Third Clutch Transmission Settlement - $25 Credit Vouchers).
B21-022 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 28, 2021
Servicenews article - Is the navigation screen clock reading 00:00? We?re aware of this issue and have it under investigation.
B18010I · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2018
Servicenews article - Is the navigation screen clock reading 00:00? We?re aware of this issue and have it under investigation.
B18010I · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2018
Tech line summary article - Is the navigation screen clock reading 00:00? We?re aware of this issue and have it under investigation.
BTS170801 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 26, 2017
Tech line summary article - Is the navigation screen clock reading 00:00? We?re aware of this issue and are looking for a solution.
BTS170801 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 31, 2017
Sending vehicle data to tech line.
BJA46167 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2017
Service bulletin - navigation system information.
B05-018 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 23, 2016
Special Tool Loan Program: Under TOOLS AVAILABLE FOR LOAN, the list has been updated.
B98015 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 18, 2016
"service bulletin - this bulletin updates the troubleshooting procedures for dtc p1456 (evap control system leakage [fuel tank system]) and dtc p1457 (evap control system leakage[evap canister system]). Depending on the…
B99-040 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 8, 2015
Acura: there are guidelines for various situations and procedures including: tire pressure valve stem installation, trailer stability malfunction light is on, engine oil application guide, new software, new transmission…
SB-0708 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2010
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2001 Acura MDX has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2001 Acura MDX?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 100,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.