UsedScore

2022 Acura MDX: Avoid

Owners filed 176 complaints with NHTSA about the 2022 Acura MDX in its first five years on the road, about 353 for every 100,000 sold: 4.0× the rate of a typical MDX year. That's more than twice a typical year, across more than one problem area.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is the powertrain (transmission and drivetrain) (48% of complaints, median 97,000 miles).

Complaint index
4.0×
per vehicle sold, vs. a typical MDX year
Rank
14th of 14
1st = fewest complaints
Complaints
176
first five years; 353 per 100,000 sold
Recalls
4
campaigns
4th generation, 2022–today (first year of the generation; redesign years often run worse) · Updated November 9, 2026 · How we rate
2022 Acura MDX A-Spec

Photo: 2022 Acura MDX A-Spec · Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Powertrain48% · 85 complaints · median 97,000 miles
  2. Brakes11% · 20 complaints · median 41,000 miles
  3. Electrical12% · 21 complaints
  4. Driver assistance11% · 19 complaints
  5. Steering11% · 19 complaints
  6. Air bags3% · 5 complaints
  7. Engine5% · 9 complaints
  8. Suspension6% · 10 complaints
  9. Speed control4% · 7 complaints
  10. Body and structure4% · 7 complaints

Bars rank problem areas by complaints weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries and deaths count more). A complaint can name more than one area. Mileage is reported on about half of complaints.

What owners describe

Brakes

Owners of the 2022 Acura MDX describe brakes that sometimes warn of reduced performance, engage suddenly on their own, or fail to stop the car when needed. Repairs have ranged from pad and rotor replacement to software updates, though some say dealers couldn't fix or explain the issue.

Warning signs:
Many report brake warning lights, sudden hard stops or phantom braking, screeching or squealing noises, and jerking or lurching just before stopping.
What shops did:
Dealers have replaced brake pads and rotors, recalibrated sensors, performed software updates, or in some cases could not find or resolve the problem.
Mileage:
most between 20,000 and 45,000 miles, among 5 complaints that give it

“as I was pulling into a parking spot the brakes seemed to have failed, car auto accelerated, but was stopped by a parking block”

“the vehicle may lurch forward by a few inches unless the brakes are applied firmly”

Electrical

Owners of this MDX report sudden dashboard warnings and loss of power steering, braking assist, or battery power while driving, sometimes forcing the car to slow or stop unexpectedly. Repairs have included battery, sensor, or wiring harness replacement, though some owners say the problem returned.

Warning signs:
Dashboard warning lights for brake system, power steering, stability assist, and battery flash on before or during stalling or steering/braking loss.
What shops did:
Dealers replaced batteries, suspension sensors, or wiring harnesses, recalibrated sensors, or found no cause and returned the vehicle without a permanent resolution.

“Electronic steering suddenly stopped working and vehicle slowed down forcibly until its stop in the middle of the highway.”

“I lost the ability to steer, the Brake, TSA, and Steering system warning lights flashed on the dashboard”

Powertrain

Owners of this MDX widely describe a drivetrain problem where splines linking the transmission to the transfer case wear out or shear, causing loss of all-wheel drive, fluid leaks, and sometimes sudden loss of power. Many say it happened without warning lights, requiring costly transmission and transfer case replacement, and several mention an open NHTSA investigation into the issue.

Warning signs:
Many report loud bangs, clunks, popping or grinding noises, rough shifting, RPM surges, torque steer, reduced traction in rain or snow, and fluid leaks, often with no warning lights.
What shops did:
Dealers typically diagnosed stripped or sheared splines and replaced the transmission and transfer case (or power take-off unit), sometimes under warranty and sometimes at owner expense.
Mileage:
most between 70,000 and 110,000 miles, among 7 complaints that give it

“they found the transmission splines stripped out that drive the rear wheels. There was no warning lamps or indication that anything was broke”

“heard a loud bang and the car drivetrain started to wobble . Next noticed more torque in front wheels . Transfer case failed internally”

Summaries are written with AI from the owner complaints shown on NHTSA's site and checked against them; quotes are word for word.

Recalls (4)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›
  • NHTSA 26V721000October 2026635,808 vehicles

    Steering: electric power assist system

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Acura TLX, 2022-2024 Acura MDX, and 2023-2025 Pilot vehicles. The software for the electric power steering (EPS) assist may cause the EPS system to enter a failsafe mode, resulting in a loss of power steering assist.

    Risk: A loss of power steering assist can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

    Fix: Dealers will reprogram the EPS control unit, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 26V332000May 202698,892 vehicles

    Air bags: sensor: occupant classification: front passenger

    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.

    Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 25V031000January 2025294,612 vehicles

    Electrical system: software · Fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system

    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.

    Risk: An engine stall or loss of power can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

    Fix: Dealers will reprogram the FI-ECU software, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 24V064000February 2024750,114 vehicles

    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.

    Risk: An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.

    Fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge.

A recall only helps if the repair was done. Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup before you buy.

Service bulletins

Acura sent NHTSA 256 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2022 MDX. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • B24-047 · December 2024A coaxial cable terminal was not manufactured to proper specifications.
  • B24-058 · December 2024Under certain circumstances when reversing near a chain-link fence or highly reflective surfaces, a parking and back-up sensor system abnormal message may be displayed in the multi-information…
  • ONL6M309172024 · September 2024Owner Notification Letter - A coaxial cable terminal was not manufactured to proper specifications.
  • B24-025 · June 2024Customers may experience screeching, squeaking, rubbing, or scraping from the rear wheel area due to rocks getting caught between the rear brake disk and splash guard.
  • B23-033 · February 2024Customers are experiencing a popping or cracking from speakers, a blank display, or no sound from the audio system.
  • B23070AV2 · August 2023Service News - Dealerships are finding uneven brake wear during vehicle inspections and/or if a customer complains of brake noise, vibration, or other brake-related concerns.
  • B23-013 · July 2023The client may notice a loss of auto function, or no function, of the sunroof glass/sunshade due to a Motor-Control Unit error code in the clock frequency check falsely detecting a failure.
  • B22-005 · February 2022Brake Warning Message: Clients may complain of a brake warning message in their gauge cluster accompanied by other warning lights.

All 2022 MDX bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2022 Acura MDX reliable?
Owners filed 176 complaints with NHTSA about the 2022 Acura MDX in its first five years on the road, about 353 for every 100,000 sold: 4.0× the rate of a typical MDX year. That's more than twice a typical year, across more than one problem area. Ratings compare MDX years with each other using complaints filed with NHTSA; they don't measure every problem owners have.
What are the most common 2022 MDX problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve the powertrain (transmission and drivetrain) (48%), the brakes (11%) and the electrical system (12%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2022 Acura MDX been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2022 Acura MDX, the most recent in October 2026 (steering). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.

Sources

Owner complaints, recalls and manufacturer communications from NHTSA's public data files, as of November 9, 2026. Complaints are counted once each, over the model year's first 60 months on the road. UsedScore is not affiliated with NHTSA or Acura. The 2022 Acura MDX on NHTSA.gov · How we rate