RoadVitals

2006 Acura MDX Driver assistance Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Driver assistance reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
11
Latest Dec 30, 2022
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
13%
of 87 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1

What this page shows

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2006 Acura MDX submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming driver-assistance

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

BrakesDriver assistanceEngine
Filed Dec 30, 2022

The contact owns a 2006 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and became stiff. In addition, the vehicle stalled, and the brake lights failed to illuminate. The contact stated that the instrument panel warning lights illuminate on and off. The gear stick would not shift gear as needed. In addition, the vehicle stability assist (VSA) warning light was the only warning light that remained illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 281,800.

NHTSA ID
11499490
Incident
Dec 27, 2022
Mileage
281,800 mi
AirbagsBrakesDriver assistance
Filed Jul 12, 2019

I'M LOOKING OVER RECALLS ON KELLEY BLUE BOOK SITE

NHTSA ID
11231391
Incident
Jul 12, 2019
Mileage
147,000 mi
BrakesDriver assistance
Filed Jul 11, 2019

AS I WAS DRIVING IN A PARKING LOT, I WENT TO APPLY MY BRAKES AS I AM TURNING MY CAR. THE BRAKES FELT HARD ALL OF A SUDDEN EVEN THOUGH I BARELY APPLIED PRESSURE. THE BREAK PETAL HAD A GRINDING SOUND AND APPLIED EXTREME PRESSURE TO BREAK MY CAR BY ITSELF. IT FELT AS IF MY CAR WAS BEING THROWN FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES IN PARKING LOTS. THIS HAS ALSO HAPPENED ABOUT 3 TIMES ON THE HIGHWAY. WHILE DRIVING AND GOING DOWN A SMALL HILL ON THE HIGHWAY I BARELY APPLIED THE BREAK BUT THE CAR BREAK FELT HARD AND WEIRD AS I BARELY PRESSED IT. IT FELT AND SOUNDED LIKE A GRINDING LOUD NOISE AND CAUSE MY CAR TO PULL VERY HARD TO THE RIGHT AS IF IT WAS GOING TO THROW ME OFF THE HIGHWAY. THANKFULLY EACH OF THOSE FEW TIMES I WAS DRIVING AROUND 30 MPH. EACH OCCASION THE VSA LIGHT CAME ON AND/OR STARTED BLINKING. I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR TO THE GARY FORCE ACURA DEALERSHIP IN BRENTWOOD, TN ON AUGUST 9, 2019. THEY PROCEEDED TO DO BREAKDOWN OF MY CAR AND TOLD ME I NEEDED A NEW WIRING HARNESS AND CAPACITOR THAT WOULD COST OVER $1500. THEY TOLD ME MY CAR WASN'T INCLUDED IN THE RECALL THAT WAS ISSUED ON MARCH 13, 2013. MY VSA LIGHT CONTINUES TO STAY ON AND I STILL AM EXPERIENCING THESE PROBLEMS. I CAN NOT AFFORD THESE PARTS FOR MY CAR AND FEEL THAT ACURA SHOULD INCLUDE MY VEHICLE IN THIS RECALL. I FEAR FOR THE SAFETY OF MYSELF, MY HUSBAND, AND MY 17 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER AS SHE HAS STARTED DRIVING AND USING OUR ACURA MDX 2006. NHTSA RECALL 13V-092 MFR CAMPAIGN ID S89 RECALL DATE 3/13/2013

NHTSA ID
11230957
Incident
May 1, 2016
Mileage
98,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Mar 29, 2019

VSA STOPPED WORKING AND WHEN YOU PRESS ON THE BRAKE IT DOESN'T LIGHT UP. THE VSA LIGHT TURNS ON WHEN PRESSING THE BRAKE SOON AFTER DRIVING A SHORT DISTANCE.

NHTSA ID
11192365
Incident
Aug 1, 2018
Driver assistance
Filed Apr 21, 2017

MY MDX VSA RANDOMLY CAME ON WHILE DRIVING DOWN INTERSTATE 65 IN NASHVILLE CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WHILE RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE ONLY CERTAIN VEHICLES HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN A VSA RECALL AND UNFORTUNATELY MINE IS NOT ONE OF THEM. THE ENTIRE VSA SYSTEM IN THESE VEHICLES NEEDS TO BE RECALLED TO MAKE THESE VEHICLES SAFE.

NHTSA ID
10979798
Incident
Apr 19, 2017
Driver assistance
Filed Nov 16, 2015

HAD VEHICLE IN ACURA OF WICHITA KS IGNITION SWITCH RECALL AND THE ALSO SAID THEY DID RECALL ON VSA ECU MALFUNCTION RECALL13V-092 ID 589. PROBLEM CAME BACK SHORTLY AFTER VISIT TOO DEALERSHIP ,CALLED THEM AND TOLD THEM ABOUT WARNING LIGHTS STILL ON. THEY SAID ALREADY DONE RECALL. NOT A SATISFIED CUSTOMER AT ALL.IWONDER IF THEY EVEN CHANGED OUT WIRE HARNESS OR MAY OF EVEN INSTALLED USED PARTS. I LIVE 150 MILES FROM THE CLOSEST ACURA DEALER YOU WOULD THINK THEY WOULD OF AT LEAST OFFERED TO CHECK RECALL PART?

NHTSA ID
10790631
Incident
May 13, 2013
Mileage
88,000 mi
Driver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed Jan 8, 2015

WHEN CRUISING 20-30 MILES, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SHUTTER OR MAKE LOUD GRINDING NOISES AND VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE. DEALER COULDN'T DUPLICATE NOISE AND NOTHING WAS DONE UNTIL 2014. TRANSMISSION OIL WAS CHANGED AND IF PROBLEMS COMES BACK, THEY WOULD CHANGE IT. PROBLEM CAME BACK AND NOW MAKES TREMBLING NOISE AND FEEL IT WHEN REACHING SPEED OF 49 EXACTLY AND 1500RPM, DURING SHIFTING GEARS AND COULD GET STUCK. DEALER STATED IS NORMAL SOUND. NOW I HAVE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WITH CODE P0706, WHICH IS OPEN IN TRANSMISSION RANGE SWITCH CIRCUIT PROBABLE CAUSE. SEARCHED AND IT SEEMS THAT THIS YEAR MODEL, ACURA MDX 2006, HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSIONS AND NO RECALLS. CAR MAKES NOISE WHILE THIS IS HAPPENING WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. SOMETIMES THE TRUCK GETS STUCK DOING THIS UNTIL I ACCELERATE OR BRING DOWN THE SPEED ON THE HIGHWAY. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINS WITH THIS ISSUE, AN ACURA HAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM. I AM AFRAID TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT ON THE HIGHWAY OR THE VEHICLE GETS STUCK TRYING TO CHANGE GEARS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10671104
Incident
Apr 21, 2010
Mileage
86,000 mi
Driver assistanceEnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Jul 11, 2014

TRANSMISSION HAS PROBLEM SHIFTING AND DOWN SHIFTS WITHOUT NOTICE EVEN WHEN APPLYING PRESSURE ON GAS - CAUSING CAR TO SLOW. DANGEROUS FOR CARS FOLLOWING BEHIND - ALMOST REAR ENDED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10609928
Incident
Jul 10, 2014
Mileage
75,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Mar 4, 2013
Crash reported1 injury reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 ACURA MDX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKING HER VEHICLE, SHE HEARD A LOUD POPPING NOISE AND THE VEHICLE ERRONEOUSLY ACCELERATED CAUSING HER TO CRASH INTO A BUILDING. THE CONTACT RECEIVED MINOR ABRASIONS. THE POLICE WERE CONTACTED AND A REPORT WAS AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. AFTER DIAGNOSIS, THEY ADVISED HER THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED DUE TO HER POSSIBLY DEPRESSING ON THE ACCELERATOR VERSUS THE BRAKES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 98,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 103,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10501173
Incident
Nov 1, 2011
Mileage
98,000 mi
Driver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed Jan 27, 2011

RECENTLY PURCHASED 06 MDX. DIDN'T NOTICE THE TRANSMISSION ISSUE RIGHT AWAY. ABOUT MONTH AFTER PURCHASE, I NOTICED SHUTTER/GRINDING/JUDDER/WHISTLING COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION. TOOK IT INTO ACURA DEALER. ACURA REPLACED TORQUE CONVERTER AND UPDATED PCM SOFTWARE UNDER WARRANTY. ABOUT WEEK LATER, STARTED NOTICING THE SAME SHUTTERING NOISE COMING FROM TRANSMISSION AGAIN BUT ITS NOT AS NOTICEABLE BUT DEFINITELY NOTICEABLE AND THE PROBLEM IS STILL THERE. ACURA DID NOT "FIX" THE PROBLEM. IT SEEMS ACURA HAD FIXED THE "SEVERITY" OF IT TO THE POINT WHERE YOU CAN ONLY SLIGHTLY HEAR IT. AFTER BEING THOROUGHLY FRUSTRATED WITH THIS ISSUE, I STARTED RESEARCHING THE INTERNET AND FOUND OUT THERE ARE MANY MANY MANY MANY OTHERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. IT SEEMS THAT THERE IS NO PERMANENT FIX. NUMEROUS OWNERS HAVE SAME REPEAT PROBLEMS EVEN AFTER REPLACING THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE THAT OF A "DESIGN" OF TRANSMISSION ERROR BY THE ACURA SO ESSENTIALLY, ONLY PERMANENT FIX WOULD BE TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION WITH THE NEWLY REDESIGNED TRANSMISSION. IF YOU REPLACE THE SAME PARTS OVER AND OVER, YOU WILL HAVE SAME PROBLEMS OVER AND OVER. ACURA FAILS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS. IF YOU TAKE THE CAR TO ANY ACURA DEALER, THEY WILL VEHEMENTLY DENY THERE IS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS(I AM SURE THEY'RE TRAINED BY THE CORPORATE TO DENY, DENY, DENY). UNFAIR. ESSENTIALLY, MY CAR IS A "LEMON" ALBEIT A USED LEMON....

NHTSA ID
10380249
Incident
Jan 17, 2011
Mileage
71,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Sep 15, 2006

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK IN THE DOWN POSITION. AS THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED, THE CONTACT APPLIED THE VEHICLE BRAKES FOR 5 MILES, RESULTING IN THE BRAKES AND ROTORS OF THE VEHICLE BURNING OUT. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNALS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHO WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE PROBLEM, AND CONSIDERED IT TO BE DRIVER ERROR.

NHTSA ID
10168342
Incident
Sep 9, 2006
Mileage
9,000 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

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Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .