NHTSA recalls, safety ratings, and consumer complaints for the 2020 Acura Mdx.
| Overall Rating | |
| Frontal Crash | |
| Side Crash | |
| Rollover |
| Overall Rating | |
| Frontal Crash |
Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Acura MDX, MDX Sport Hybrid, RDX, TLX, Honda Accord, Civic Hatchback, Insight, 2019 Acura ILX, Honda Accord Hybrid, Civic Coupe, Civic Coupe Si, Civic Sedan, Civic Sedan Si, Civic Type R, Fit, HR-V, Odyssey, Passport, Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 CR-V vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed May 18, 2021. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-314.
Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Civic, 2020-2023 Ridgeline, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot, and 2020 Acura MDX vehicles. The tie rod fastener that connects the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been improperly assembled during manufacturing, which can cause the brake master cylinder to separate from the booster assembly.
Consequence: Brake master cylinder separation can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are VEU, AEV, and ZET.
On March 3, 2026 my son was driving our 2020 Acura MDX when we lost power in the middle of an intersection. The following day we had it towed to Montanto Acura in [XXX] where we were told we had a blown engine due to a bad crank shaft and possibly engine bearings. Prior to this the car drove fine with no warning signs. My son who was [XXX] old was at a dangerous intersection and had to wait for help to arrive to move the vehicle out of the intersection. We had to pay to replace the engine a total of 8,747.36 for a used engine. Now fearing for our son's safety we decided to sell the car at a loss and buy him something we can reply on and that won't put him in danger. Although Acura has recalled many engines, our VIN did not come up in that recall, however we have now been affected by the same issue many others had the recall performed on. I have all service records from our dealership to prove the condition. It is unacceptable that a Honda Engine would fail with 105,374 miles and all service work done at the dealership. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The motor through a misfire code and began making a noise while vehicle was sitting at a red light. Vehicle lost all power and had to be towed. Was quoted my the Acura dealership $9k. Main reason for addressing this concern is because numerous Acura J35 series motors have already been recalled for engine connecting rod issues. While this motor doesn't apparently fall under that recall, odd that it would essentially had the same issue, when it only had 136k miles and has been maintained to factory standards (or better)
The 2020 Acura Mdx has 6 NHTSA recalls and 196 consumer complaints on file. It received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars in NHTSA crash testing. The high number of complaints suggests potential reliability concerns — review the complaint details above before purchasing. For the most detailed information about a specific vehicle, decode its VIN using our free decoder above.
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| Side Crash |
| Rollover |
Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2016 and 2018-2019 Pilot, 2017 and 2019 Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 Odyssey vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the connecting rod bearing in the engine may wear and seize, damaging the engine.
Consequence: A damaged engine may run improperly or stall while driving, increasing the risk of a fire, crash, or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair, or replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed March 28, 2024. 2016-2017 Acura MDX owner letters were mailed November 1, 2024. 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed in mid-December 2024. Honda began mailing owner notification letters as of March 18, 2024. 2015-2016 Acura owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-December 2024, 2018 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed the end of March/early April 2024, 2019 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-May 2024, 2020 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-June 2024, and 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed January 27, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XG1 and GG0.
Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
Component: AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER
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.
Consequence: An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024, October 18, 2024, and August 2025. 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.
Component: EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014-2020 Acura MDX vehicles. Moisture may enter the tailgate lid light assembly and wiring harness, which can cause the interior and exterior lights to fail, including the lid lights, position lights, license plate lights and taillights.
Consequence: Vehicle lights that fail to illuminate can decrease visibility and increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the wiring and install a fuse harness, replace the lid light, and repair the body dust sealer, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 30, 2025. Owners may contact Acura's customer service at 1-800-382-2238. Acura's number for this recall is FLI. Vehicles included in this recall that were previously repaired under NHTSA recall number 19V-256 will need to have the new remedy completed.
MY car has 39200. Miles acura mdx 2020 tech package. Has a rod knocking sound. There was a recall number 23v751000 that i was never notified about. I cant drive car under this vondition may harm engine further. Question is this recall still valid even if I was mot informed or does my cars acura/Honda warranty covers repairs or replacement
While driving my 2020 Acura MDX A-Spec at approximately 63,744 miles, the vehicle suddenly lost all engine power without warning while passing through a busy multi-lane intersection. The loss of propulsion prevented acceleration and forced us to coast across traffic lanes to reach the shoulder, creating a significant safety hazard. The engine would not restart. The vehicle was inspected on 3/17/2026 by Lyle Pearson Acura (Boise, ID). The dealership diagnosed catastrophic internal engine failure with the following findings: spun rod bearing in cylinder #6, excessive metal debris in the oil pan, and bearing seizure to the crankshaft. The technician stated the failure pattern is consistent with the rod-bearing defect described in Acura Safety Recall / Service Bulletin 24-001. Although my VIN is NOT currently included in the recall population, the confirmed failure mode matches the known defect. This suggests the issue may extend beyond currently identified vehicles that are included in Acura Service Bulletin 24-001 and NHTSA recall 23V-751. The vehicle has a salvage title from prior cosmetic damage only; no engine, drivetrain, or structural components were affected. The vehicle has been properly maintained with documented service history. This failure represents a serious safety risk due to sudden loss of power in active traffic conditions, increasing the risk of collision or injury. I request NHTSA review this incident to determine whether additional vehicles should be included in the recall and to assess the broader safety risk.
connecting rods came apart, needed a new engine. but outside of the recall
The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while attempting to leave a parking lot, the contact was unable to shift the vehicle to drive (D). The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and retrieved information associated with transmission failure for the year and model vehicle. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,400.
The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle shook abnormally with the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the engine seized. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with rod bearing failure and a failure in cylinder #6. The contact was informed there were metal shavings inside the oil pan, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 86,743.
The rear lighting on the left side of the tailgate was accumulating water. Even though it was part of a recall campaign, the period had expired. I had to replace it at my own expense. This could be a broader issue since similar cases may occur for others.
The front camera mounted under the dash stopped working, prompting all of these systems to fail.
During the summer of 2025, the auto idle engine railed to restart while at a stop light. We had to shut off and restart the car. We took it to the car dealer and they did some sort of software update. It happened again in January 2026 while at a stop light off a highway exit ramp. We took it to a different dealer because we were living in a different city at the time. In their computer system, they could see the repair that had been done. They did some sort of other update and submitted it as a warranty repair for Acura (which the other dealer had not done). They noted there was one other repair that could be done, but Acura would not allow them to do both at once and this update usually fixed it. However, it happened again in February 2026. The engine did not restart from auto idle, this time at a stop light toward the beginning of an eight hour road trip back home. Fortunately, turning off the engine and starting it back up worked. We took it back to the second dealer and they did the additional repair authorized by Acura and submitted as a warranty repair. Three incidents of the auto-idle not restarting the engine in less than a year is not acceptable. The car is unrealiable.
Add Auto High Beam problem to the above Adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, and collision mitigation. Suddenly got several warning popups and persistent warning lights on related to the identified issues. We just replaced the battery a few months ago, and didn't have any of these problems until this week. Now, it happens every time we start the vehicle. We did the Recall software upgrade. I suspect these problems are related to that software upgrade. Many people online report identical problems without solutions. Please advise RE next steps for how to resolve.
I start getting every kind of warning on my dashboard - Collision mitigation system problem -Auto Crues Control Problem -Brake system Light on - The Car apply brake on the miidle of street/Highway
The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact stated that the front windshield camera became inoperable. There were unknown warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the control arms failed. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The windshield was replaced with an aftermarket part at an auto body shop. The control arm was replaced at the local dealer. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.
I was driving on a normal sunny day when every light on my dashboard came on. I initially panicked thinking my car was going to shutoff while I was driving it. This is in conjunction with the car stalling out when the auto shutoff feature malfunctions. After researching the issue, I realized the safety camera was no longer working and a major concern. A malfunctioning front camera can prevent the vehicle from automatically braking or maintaining lanes, hence increasing the risk of collision. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate the front multi-purpose camera system on the 2020 Acura MDX for potential defect and safety hazard.
The windshield washer fluid does not come out of the nozzles. On a wintry day, there was a lot of dirt and grime kicked up from other vehicles and I was unable to see out of the windshield and it caused a very dangerous situation. Acura knows this is an issue but does not want to accept responsibility. There is plenty of fluid in the reservoir and I made sure the nozzles were clear of debris. The vehicle has not been inspected by the dealership or anyone else. There are no warning lights.
Showing 15 of 196 complaints