2011 Acura MDX Engine Problems

Check engine light continues to come on after repair, lack of power and transmission skip at times. Reverse light dark, unable to see at all.

NHTSA ID

11687765

Incident

Aug 30, 2025

Unknown

NHTSA ID

11683178

Incident

Jun 1, 2025

2011 Acura MDX Engine Oil Leak from Pan. Oil change and dip stick completely dry after 2 days. Many complaints of this common issue on 2011-2013 Acura MDX and no Recall. Reverse Lights not set properly When going in reverse it's remains dark and hard to see.

NHTSA ID

11647285

Incident

Jan 1, 2023

Vehicle lost power- all lights came on. After being towed to two separate mechanics, found out engine blew. Had to replace the following: Engine Radiator Motor mounts Timing belt Thermostat

NHTSA ID

11626892

Incident

Dec 3, 2022

Engine excessively consumes oil. No issue to the engine whatsoever no smoke at exhaust no burning oil. Check my oil after about 1000 miles and I’m missing a quart of oil. There was once a recall for this issue but the window to get repaired has expired. That does help people that purchased this car after the window. Issue need to be a permanent recall and not a temporary.

NHTSA ID

11560490

Incident

Dec 16, 2023

This car burns oil at an insane rate. I have to go to Jiffy Lube after only 1500 miles, and they are in shock when they top me off each time. Two of the employees have said that my engine is at trial of exploding because this car burns through oil so fast. Your website says that there is no recall, but there actually WAS a recall for this car, but I was NEVER NOTIFIED about this dangerous issue. Acura refuses to honor the recall because they say the window to get the car fixed has expired. This is ridiculous and unsafe.

NHTSA ID

11487564

Incident

Sep 28, 2022

The SUV was taken to an Acura dealer Ponce P.R. for inspection due to the fact that the engine was consuming too much oil and they didn't bother to check it as they told me that the warranty period had expired. The MDX had 75,000 miles and 10 years when I took it for inspection.

NHTSA ID

11446592

Incident

Aug 11, 2021

Excessive oil consumption. I have the oil changed when the maintenance minder gets to 10%. Usually this is about 5,000 miles between oil changes. I will add oil to the engine at 50% oil life or 2,500 miles. I have contacted Acura and they are unwilling to address this problem. These engines need to be recalled. This is a reoccurring event.

NHTSA ID

11434526

Incident

Sep 26, 2021

Car was going at 75 miles down to 40 miles then engine died.

NHTSA ID

11432074

Incident

Sep 7, 2021

BURNING EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF OIL. I CHECK IT EVERY TWO WEEKS AND EVERY TIME I HAVE TO TOP OFF.

NHTSA ID

11374711

Incident

Jul 11, 2020

Mileage

107,000 mi

USING OIL, NO LEAKS, NO SMOKE. LESS THAN 1000 MILES PUTTING MORE OIL IN. NEED TO RECALL THESE ENGINES

NHTSA ID

11361967

Incident

Sep 1, 2020

I CHANGE ENGINE OIL EVERY 3,000 MILES, BUT I HAVE TO CHANGE EVERY 1,000 MILES IN THE LAST YEAR. EXPLAIN TO THE TECHNICIAN EVERY TIME THAT IT IS BECAUSE THE OIL CIRCULATES AND DOES NOT RETURN AND BURNS OUT IN THE MIDDLE AND DISAPPEARS. SO I CHECK THE AMOUNT OF OIL ONCE A WEEK AND ALWAYS REPLENISH THE AMOUNT. ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING OVER LONG DISTANCES, IT'S SO ANXIOUS, YOU CAN'T STOP THE ANXIETY THAT THE OIL BURNS OUT AND STANDS ON THE STREET OR THE ENGINE ITSELF BURNS OUT AND BECOMES USELESS.

NHTSA ID

11340015

Incident

Jun 1, 2019

Mileage

130,000 mi

I'VE HAD A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH OIL BURNING THROUGH AT A MUCH FASTER RATE THAN EXPECTED. FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS SINCE MY LAST OIL CHANGE WITH AN ACURA SERVICE/REPAIR CENTER, THE OIL INDICATOR LIGHT HAS COME ON REPEATEDLY. ALSO, THE 'CHECK EMISSIONS SYSTEM' HAS ALSO DISPLAYED AFTER DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. IT SMELLED LIKED SOMETHING WAS BURNING IN THE ENGINE. I CHECKED THE OIL ONLY TO FIND OUT NO OIL WAS EMPTY. I ADDRESSED THE OIL INDICATOR LIGHT TO ACURA SEVERAL MONTHS AGO DURING A PREVIOUS OIL CHANGE. THEY TOLD ME EVERYTHING IS FINE. I TALKED TO A SEPARATE MECHANIC AND HE STATED HE HAS SEEN PROBLEMS WITH THE MDX ON OTHER MAKES AND MODELS OF CARS WHERE SCRATCHES ON THE CYLINDER WALL WERE CAUSING THE INCREASED OIL USAGE. IN ORDER TO FIX IT WOULD COST AROUND $4,000. I'VE BEEN LOYAL TO ACURA IN SERVICING MY CAR. NONE OF THEM HAS STATED THAT THIS COULD BE AN ISSUE. ALSO, SHOULDN'T A PROBLEM LIKE THIS WARRANT A RECALL? JUST LOOKING FOR SOME ANSWERS ON AN ISSUE I THINK IS WRONG IN THE WAY CUSTOMERS HAVE BEEN INFORMED AND TREATED ALONG WITH POTENTIALLY A SAFETY ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

11319087

Incident

Mar 22, 2020

CHECK AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ON AT ALL TIMES. CAR CONSUMES WAY TOO MUCH OIL. CLOSE TO 3.5 QUARTS BETWEEN OIL CHANGES

NHTSA ID

11308464

Incident

Dec 2, 2019

Mileage

140,000 mi

I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED AND DISSATISFIED WITH THE 2011 ACURA MDX I PURCHASED NOVEMBER 2018 THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD ALL TYPE OF PROBLEMS FROM THE START FROM OIL ISSUES TO NEEDING THE ENGINE REBUILT TO NOW TIMING BELT ISSUES AND THE ONLY THING THAT IS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY IS THE REBUILD AND IT IS NOT LIKELY TO HAPPEN UNTIL EARLY 2020 AND THE ONLY THING I'M GETTING IS QUOTES OF 1200 DOLLARS AND SORRY YOUR GOING THRU THIS I AM TIRED OF THAT FROM ONE OF MOBILE MOST RESPECTED DEALERSHIP I WANT IMMEDIATE ACTION ESPECIALLY WHEN IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN INSPECTED BEFORE IT BECAME A SELLABLE VEHICLE I AM ALSO SENDING THIS RESPONSE TO ACURA AND THE BETTER

NHTSA ID

11280552

Incident

Nov 6, 2019

Mileage

90,213 mi

THE VEHICLE IS CONSUMING TOO MUCH OIL. DEALERSHIP MADE US GO THROUGH OIL CONSUMPTION TEST AND CONFIRMED THIS IS AN ISSUE AND INCLUDED US IN THEIR WARRANTY EXTENSION TO DO THE REPAIRS. HOWEVER, ITS BEEN MORE THAN A MONTH AND THERE IS NO TIMELINE ON EVEN WHEN THE PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE AND IT COULD BE ANOTHER MONTH OR 2 OR 4 MONTHS. I CALLED DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AS WELL AS ACURA WITH NO DIFFERENT ANSWER.

NHTSA ID

11279941

Incident

Aug 14, 2019

Mileage

120,000 mi

ON SEPT 11 2019 MY MECHANIC NOTIFIED ME OF A PROBLEM WITH MY 2011 ACURA MDX. HE SAID IT WAS EXCESSIVELY BURNING OIL. HE SAID TO CONTACT ACURA/HONDA BECAUSE THEY IDENTIFIED IT AS A PROBLEM WITH SOME OF THEIR CARS. I CALLED THAT SAME DAY AND WAS TOLD THAT YES, THERE IS A DEFECT IN MY MAKE AND MODEL CAR AND THAT HAD ISSUED A WARRANTY TO COVER THE REPAIRS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, BECAUSE I WAS 11 DAYS TOO LATE, THEY WOULD NOT FIX THE CAR. I HAVE ASKED FOR AN EXTENSION TO AT LEAST GET THE OIL CONSUMPTION TEST DONE (THAT I WOULD PAY FOR) TO SEE IF MY CAR HAS THE DEFECT. THEY SAID THAT I AM FREE TO GET THE TEST DONE ON MY OWN AND EVEN IF THE CAR IS DEFECTIVE THEY WILL NOT FIX IT. ALL I AM ASKING IS FOR THEM TO FIX THE DEFECTIVE CAR. I NEVER RECEIVED THE LETTER AND THEY CANNOT VERIFY WHETHER THEY SENT IT TO ME.

NHTSA ID

11255809

Incident

Sep 11, 2019

Mileage

127,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME, AN UNIDENTIFIABLE BURNING ODOR WAS EMITTED INTO THE CABIN. TYPICALLY PULLING OVER AND ALLOWING FOR IT TO COOL DID THE TRICK. EVENTUALLY THE SMELL RETURNED. THIS TIME THE SCENT GOT UNBEARABLE AND THE ENGINE AND CAR BEGAN VISIBLY SHAKING, ESPECIALLY WHEN ACCELERATING OR SLOWING DOWN. MECHANIC REVEALED THERE WAS AN OIL LEAKAGE IN THE CYLINDERS DUE TO A FAULTY SEAL, THUS LEADING TO EXCESS OIL CONSUMPTION.

NHTSA ID

11220700

Incident

Jun 15, 2019

Mileage

92,000 mi

EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION, IT BURNS AT LEAST 1 QT PER 1000 MILES.

NHTSA ID

11196903

Incident

Nov 6, 2017

THE ENGINE IS CONSUMING MORE OIL THEN IT SHOULD BE. THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND ACURA STILL HAS YET TO RECALL THEIR ENGINES. THIS PROBLEM IS UNSAFE DUE TO HAVING TO ACCELERATE TO MERGE ON THE HIGHWAY AND NOT KNOWING THERE ISN'T MUCH OIL IN THE ENGINE TO GIVE IT POWER THE CAR IMMEDIATELY LOOSES POWER AND DROPS SPEED RESULTING IN A ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN DUE TO NO POWER IN THE ENGINE TO SPEED UP WHILE MERGING LANES ON THE FREEWAY. THIS IS NOT SAFE !

NHTSA ID

11058430

Incident

Dec 4, 2017

THE VEHICLE STARTED CONSUMING OIL AROUND 80,000 MILES. AT 90,000 MILES THE ENGINE WAS CONSUMING 1 QUART EVERY 1,000 MILES AT 110,00 IT WAS CONSUMING 1 QUART EVERY 500 MILES. AT 117,000 MILES THE VEHICLE CONSUMES 1 QUART EVERY 250 MILES. IT IS NOT BURNING THE OIL. NO SMOKE AT THE TAILPIPE. NO SMOKE STAINS ON THE BUMPER. NY STATE EMISSIONS TEST IS FINE WHEN INSPECTED. IT IS NOT LEAKING THE OIL. NO OIL PUDDLES UNDER THE CAR. NO HEAVY ACCUMULATION OF OIL ON THE UNDERCARRIAGE. HAVE NOT YET TESTED ENGINE COMPRESSION. WILL DO THAT SOON

NHTSA ID

11005020

Incident

Jul 22, 2015

Mileage

80,000 mi

EXCESSIVE ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION

NHTSA ID

11000839

Incident

May 20, 2017

Mileage

56,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 ACURA MDX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE OIL WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED UPON ACCELERATION, THEY HEARD A RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT STATED UPON INSPECTION THEY NOTICED THAT THE ENGINE OIL DIPSTICK WAS ALMOST DRY. UPON TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE LOST APPROXIMATELY 3 QUARTZ OF OIL WHILE APPROXIMATELY 40% OIL LIFE LEFT. THE OIL WAS CHANGED HOWEVER THE CHECK ENGINE OIL INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC PERFORMED OIL CONSUMPTION TEST WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD 70% OIL LIFE AND APPROXIMATELY 2 QUARTS LOW. THE VEHICLE HAD AN OIL CHANGE PERFORMED HOWEVER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT STATED UPON TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER THEY DID AN OIL CONSUMPTION CHECK WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THE OIL WAS CLOSE TO A QUART LOW AND THAT WAS AN ACCEPTABLE RANGE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 88,515.

NHTSA ID

10980465

Incident

Dec 14, 2016

Mileage

88,515 mi

EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. THE CAR HAS NO LEAKS. I HAVE HAD IT CHECKED OUT BY A FEW DEALER. CAR HAS 96,000 MILES. AFTER AN OIL CHANGE, THE OIL LEVEL WOULD BE CONSUME BACK DOWN TO CLOSE TO LOW WHEN RECHECK AFTER DRIVING 1500 MILES IN 2 MONTHS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10944380

Incident

Dec 12, 2016

Mileage

95,000 mi

EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION. ACURA CLAIMS BURNING 1 QT EVERY 1,000 MILES IS ACCEPTABLE. BASED ON WEB SEARCH MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME VEHICLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. MY GUESS IS THAT IT'S A RATHER PREVALENT PROBLEM GIVEN HOW FEW PEOPLE ACTUALLY REGULARLY CHECK THEIR OIL AND I'M CERTAIN THE SERVICE TECHNICIANS AREN'T INFORMING THE CUSTOMER WHEN THE OIL LEVEL IS UNACCEPTABLY LOW. *TR

NHTSA ID

10920340

Incident

Oct 25, 2016

Mileage

62,000 mi