FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
2012 Acura MDX
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 76 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2012 Acura MDX, most frequently naming the engine, electrical and powertrain (other) categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 87 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2013 | 1 | 1 |
| Feb 2013 | 2 | 3 |
| Mar 2013 | 1 | 4 |
| Aug 2013 | 1 | 5 |
| Oct 2013 | 1 | 6 |
| Feb 2014 | 1 | 7 |
| Oct 2014 | 1 | 8 |
| Nov 2014 | 1 | 9 |
| Apr 2015 | 1 | 10 |
| Jun 2015 | 1 | 11 |
| Mar 2016 | 2 | 13 |
| Jul 2016 | 2 | 15 |
| Oct 2016 | 2 | 17 |
| Dec 2016 | 1 | 18 |
| Jan 2017 | 3 | 21 |
| Feb 2017 | 1 | 22 |
| Jun 2017 | 1 | 23 |
| Jul 2017 | 1 | 24 |
| Aug 2017 | 1 | 25 |
| Jan 2018 | 1 | 26 |
| Feb 2018 | 2 | 28 |
| Mar 2018 | 2 | 30 |
| Jul 2018 | 1 | 31 |
| Aug 2018 | 1 | 32 |
| Oct 2018 | 4 | 36 |
| Jan 2019 | 1 | 37 |
| Feb 2019 | 1 | 38 |
| Mar 2019 | 1 | 39 |
| Apr 2019 | 2 | 41 |
| May 2019 | 1 | 42 |
| Jun 2019 | 1 | 43 |
| Jul 2019 | 1 | 44 |
| Oct 2019 | 1 | 45 |
| Dec 2019 | 1 | 46 |
| Feb 2020 | 2 | 48 |
| Mar 2020 | 1 | 49 |
| Jun 2020 | 1 | 50 |
| Jul 2020 | 1 | 51 |
| Aug 2020 | 1 | 52 |
| Nov 2020 | 3 | 55 |
| Dec 2020 | 1 | 56 |
| Mar 2021 | 1 | 57 |
| May 2021 | 1 | 58 |
| Jul 2021 | 1 | 59 |
| Aug 2021 | 1 | 60 |
| Jun 2022 | 2 | 62 |
| Sep 2022 | 3 | 65 |
| Oct 2022 | 1 | 66 |
| Jan 2024 | 1 | 67 |
| Feb 2025 | 2 | 69 |
| Mar 2025 | 1 | 70 |
| Apr 2025 | 1 | 71 |
| Aug 2025 | 1 | 72 |
| May 2026 | 1 | 73 |
| Jul 2026 | 3 | 76 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Engine2527.5%
- Electrical1314.3%
- Powertrain (other)1213.2%
- Airbags99.9%
- Driver assistance55.5%
- Body & structure55.5%
- Fuel system44.4%
- Other / unspecified44.4%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
1 campaign cover this model year
Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.
Check a VIN on NHTSA.govRecent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
I have a 2012 MDX and it burns an extreme amount of oil. We took our MDX back to the dealership where we purchased it and had the oil issue fixed. Or so we thought. The problem was supposed to be fixed 3 months ago but the car is still burning a lot of oil. We have to add oil every 2 weeks. We did not drive the car much after "getting the oil issue repaired" so we did not realize that the problem still exists. Acura should know how to repair this issue and there should be a recall for this excessive oil consumption. Acura is a luxury brand but they are not taking care of their customers. Also the paint is peeling off our MDX badly. We had a couple of paint touch up jobs but it just keeps getting worst. I am embarrassed driving this car with the continuing paint peeling off. We cannot keep shelling out money to get this vehicle repainted. There should be a recall for the paint peeling also. I had a Honda and the Honda had a lot less issues and cost a lot less. We will not purchase another Acura unless Acura does right by their customers and put recalls out and fix the oil consumption and paint peeling issues.
- NHTSA ID
- 11750952
- Incident
- Mar 2, 2026
I bought a 2012 silver Acura MDX on March 3rd in 2022 from our local Acura dealership. Exterior paint was great, hardly any dings, scratches anywhere. I spent over $20,000 for this USED CAR and as of the past two years, the clear coat has worn out in various places on front hood, near the moon roof, near the rear side door windows, near the rack on top, near the back hatch window. It's absolutely embarrassing and I find it interesting/maddening that I have seen two others MDX's around town that have the same issues with paint. WHY IS THERE NOT A RECALL? MY 2011 HONDA ODYSSEY paint doesn't have this issue, why is Acura inferior to Honda? I always thought Acura was higher end. But clearly, they went cheap on paint and want their Acura MDX's to look like trash. WHAT IS A FIX FOR THIS? I CAN NOT AFFORD TO REPAINT CAR ON MY OWN.
- NHTSA ID
- 11749224
- Incident
- Jun 1, 2024
2012 ACURA MDX burns extreme amounts of oil between oil changes. Typically a warning indicator comes on about 1,000 miles before oil change is due. I continue to refill oil between oil changes.
- NHTSA ID
- 11749222
- Incident
- Jun 1, 2025
our car eats a ton of oil and the piston rings failed, we owe a lot on it and I'm told there is no help for this issue even though there used to be because we are outside the guidelines in terms of mileage and purchase date. our car has 156k its a 2012 MDX. VIN [XXX] . Just checking with everyone everywhere to make sure I've exhausted all resources as it will take 13,000 to fix and we owe 12,000. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- NHTSA ID
- 11739318
- Incident
- May 14, 2026
Oil consumption/burning Cylinder rings
- NHTSA ID
- 11683548
- Incident
- Sep 18, 2024
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 126,000 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 159,000.
- NHTSA ID
- 11656007
- Incident
- Feb 10, 2025
- Mileage
- 159,000 mi
Does not have anchor for the seat. A recall was placed by NHTSA
- NHTSA ID
- 11649927
- Incident
- Mar 22, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
- NHTSA ID
- 11642172
- Incident
- Jan 2, 2025
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
These SKUs are Exhaust Manifolds with Catalytic Converters. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory due to a loss of CARB certification. These SKUs can no longer be sold as they do not meet CARB standards, but parts on vehicles are not effected.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Service Bulletin - Due to high demand for repairs under this warranty extension, pistons and rings required to complete this repair are currently backordered. Acura has provided this service bulletin (19-052) as a mechanism to cover clients that were not able to have repairs completed during the initial 6-month eligibility period on service bulletin (19-006).
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Dealer Message - On January 16, 2019, Acura announced a warranty extension for certain 2009-14 Acura vehicles equipped with a 3.7L V6 engine to address client concerns related to excessive oil consumption. Acura extended the powertrain warranty coverage to address engine issues related to excessive oil consumption from the original 6 years/70,000 miles to 8 years/125,000 miles, whichever comes first. In addition, all vehicles were provided a grace period until August 31, 2019 and were covered regardless of time in service or mileage.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Service Bulletin - The oil control rings may become clogged with carbon deposits. These deposits restrict the ring's ability to scrape and return oil from the cylinder wall to the crankcase, which can result in excessive engine oil consumption that may exceed client expectations.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Service Bulletin - The oil control rings may become clogged with carbon deposits. These deposits restrict the ring's ability to scrape and return oil from the cylinder wall to the crankcase, which can result in excessive engine oil consumption that may exceed client expectations.
ENGINE
Service Bulletin - The oil control rings may become clogged with carbon deposits. These deposits restrict the ring's ability to scrape and return oil from the cylinder wall to the crankcase, which can result in excessive engine oil consumption that may exceed client expectations. To increase client confidence, American Honda is extending the engine warranty related to oil consumption to 8 years from the original date of purchase or 125,000 miles, whichever comes first. This warranty extension does not apply to any vehicle that has ever been declared a total loss or sold for salvage by a financial institution or insurer, or has a branded or similar title under any states law. To check for vehicle eligibility, you must do a VIN status inquiry.
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — |
| 2025 | 78 | 3 | 1 | 61.4 |
| 2024 | 37 | 2 | 1 | 61.0 |
| 2023 | 36 | 2 | 2 | 60.1 |
| 2022 | 140 | 2 | 2 | 65.0 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 2020 | 210 | 8 | 3 | 66.3 |
| 2019 | 183 | 9 | 3 | 65.6 |
| 2018 | 162 | 10 | 3 | 67.8 |
| 2017 | 249 | 8 | 3 | 69.8 |
| 2016 | 364 | 7 | 3 | 68.4 |
| 2015 | 70 | 8 | 0 | 57.7 |
| 2014 | 169 | 9 | 0 | 56.1 |
| 2013 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 43.8 |
| 2012Viewing | 76 | 1 | 0 | 47.6 |
| 2011 | 70 | 0 | 0 | 42.9 |
| 2010 | 45 | 1 | 0 | 47.7 |
| 2009 | 52 | 0 | 0 | 46.0 |
| 2008 | 49 | 1 | 0 | 40.0 |
| 2007 | 99 | 1 | 0 | 39.1 |
| 2006 | 87 | 11 | 5 | 62.8 |
| 2005 | 180 | 13 | 5 | 61.7 |
| 2004 | 171 | 10 | 4 | 62.8 |
| 2003 | 206 | 13 | 5 | 61.6 |
| 2002 | 204 | 4 | 1 | 54.6 |
| 2001 | 224 | 4 | 1 | 54.1 |
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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.