2012 Acura MDX Powertrain (other) Problems

The engine consistently consumes too much oil between service events. The low oil light comes on. I had this problem for over 8 years and the dealership said it was not a problem until now and they want me to pay for it. The oil control rings have been clogged since 2016 and progressively gotten worse. The clogged rings cause restriction of oil to return to the crankcase. This causes a decrease in available oil and may cause overheating that could lead to engine fire. Acura should fix the oil control rings to function properly. They have identified this in the past, through a service bulletin (19-006). I have performed 97% of my oil changes at Acura dealerships.

NHTSA ID

11567583

Incident

Jul 29, 2016

SHUDDERING WHEN GOING BETWEEN 20-40 MILES.

NHTSA ID

11375956

Incident

Nov 23, 2020

Mileage

80,000 mi

THE TRANSMISSION BROKE EVEN AFTER THE REGULAR MAINTENANCE. SPENT MORE THAN $5,000 WITH THE DEALER TO FIX IT.

NHTSA ID

11373555

Incident

Nov 4, 2019

Mileage

80,000 mi

METAL PIECES WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION FLUID.REGULAR MAINTENANCE DONE WITH ACURA OF WAPPINGER FALLS, NY 12590. SPENT $5190.04 FOR REPLACING TRANSMISSION AND TORQUE CONVERTOR WITH REMANUFACTURED UNIT. FEW YEARS BEFORE HAD ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION ISSUES JUST AT 55,000 AND WAS TOLD THAT INTERNAL GASKET OIL CONSUMPTION WAS NOT PART OF THE ENGINE PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

11327454

Incident

Dec 16, 2019

Mileage

87,534 mi

EVER SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR I TRY TO TAKE IT BACK TO GET IT WAS BECAUSE THE CAR RPM FLUCTUATE ABOUT 1500-2500 RPM RANGE AND 30-40MPH CAUSES THE CAR TO JERKS LIKE ITS TRYING TO GO AND BRAKING AT THE SAME TIME. IT DOES THIS CONSISTENTLY IN CITY STREETS SOMETIMES IT DOES THAT ON THE HIGHWAY. ESPECIALLY GOING UP HILLS. I JUST DON'T FEEL SAFE AT ALL WHEN THE CAR ACTS UP LIKE THAT. I TAKE IT BACK TO WHERE I BOUGHT IT FROM THEY KEEP SAYING IS NORMAL I EVEN TOOK IT TO ACURA DEALER AND THE TECHNICIAN SAYS ITS NORMAL AND THAT I NEED TO PRESS ON GAS HARDER. THIS IS BULLSH*T.

NHTSA ID

11310054

Incident

Jan 25, 2020

Mileage

113,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING MY CAR MY RPMS FLUCTUATE AND MY CAR CAN'T SEEM TO GET INTO GEAR. IT IS ALL OVER THE PLACE AND VERY SCARY AT TIMES. IT SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND ALSO A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. THIS SHOULD NOT BE THE CONSUMERS PROBLEM. ACURA SHOULD BE LIVING UP TO THERE NAME BY FIXING THIS PROBLEM. ACURAS SHOULD NEVER HAVE A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. THATS WHY MY HUSBAND AND I ARE LOYAL CUSTOMERS. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTING.

NHTSA ID

11144197

Incident

Aug 16, 2018

Mileage

107,000 mi

TRANSMISSION SHUDDERS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS BETWEEN 15-55 MPH. MOST SEVERE AT APPROX 35-40 MPH BETWEEN 1500-2000 RPM. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE BY ACURA/AMERICAN HONDA AS EVIDENCED BY SERVICE BULLETIN 16-044.

NHTSA ID

11121145

Incident

Aug 20, 2018

Mileage

78,000 mi

RPM'S FLUCTUATE ON THE TACHOMETER WHILE ACCELERATING. THEY JUMP UP AND DOWN AND YOU CAN FEEL THE VEHICLE HESITATE. BASED ON WHAT I AM READING, THIS APPEARS TO BE A WELL KNOWN ISSUE WITH PROGRAMMING AND WITH THE TORQUE CONVERTER THAT CAN RESULT IN TRANSMISSION DAMAGE. EVEN IF THE TORQUE CONVERTER IS REPLACED, WHICH IS AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR, THIS APPEARS TO BE A RE-OCCURRING ISSUE. OUR 2012 MDX HAS 79,365 MILES ON IT WHICH IS JUST OUTSIDE THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY AND WELL BEFORE A TRANSMISSION SHOULD BE GOING ON AN ACURA VEHICLE. THIS STARTED HAPPENING A COUPLE MONTHS AGO AND NOW IS A DAILY OCCURRENCE. BEING THIS HAPPENS AT ANY SPEEDS AND WHILE MOVING AND IS DIRECTLY TIED TO THE COMPUTER, THIS COULD LEAD TO FAILURE ON A BUSY ROAD AND A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. BEING A COMMON ISSUE THAT IS WELL DOCUMENTED, I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE COVERED BY WARRANTY AND FIXED BY THE MANUFACTURER.

NHTSA ID

11061527

Incident

Nov 1, 2017

Mileage

69,000 mi

VEHICLE HAS BEEN LUNGING AT STEADY RPM OF 1.6. WHEN TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP THEY SAID THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN INDICATING EARLY DEGRADATION OF TRANSMISSION FLUID CAUSED BY SOFTWARE ISSUE WAS CAUSING THE ISSUE. WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIRS UNDER WARRANTY. TSA 16-044 ISSUED IN NOVEMBER OF 2016. CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY WHEN ACURA BECAME AWARE OF ISSUE AND DID NOT NOTIFY CONSUMERS OF ISSUE. HAVE SPENT NUMEROUS PHONE CALLS WITH ACURA AND THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY CANNOT PROVIDE A DATE WHEN SOFTWARE UPDATE WILL BE AVAILABLE TO FIX THE ISSUE. TEMPORARY SOLUTION WAS TO CHANGE TRANSMISSION FLUID, WHICH I HAD TO PAY FOR. ACURA CANNOT TELL ME OF PERMANENT DAMAGE TO TRANSMISSION DUE TO KNOWN ISSUE WITH SOFTWARE CAUSING EARLY DECAY OF TRANSMISSION FLUID.

NHTSA ID

10954405

Incident

Jul 30, 2016

MY 2012 MDX SUFFERS FROM A TORQUE CONVERTER RUMBLING SOUND AND VIBRATION COMMON TO THE MDX SERIES. AS YOU ACCELERATE THE NOISE AND VIBRATION CAN BE FELT ALMOST LIKE A BEARING NOISE WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY CAUSE A LOCKUP OR FAILURE POSSIBLY RESULTING IN INJURIES TO ANY DRIVERS OR PEDESTRIANS. THE DEALERS ARE SAYING THAT THIS NOISE IS INDIGENOUS TO THE INHERENT HISTORY OF THE VEHICLE . FACT: SO I'M NOT ALONE IN THIS AND I KNOW ANY VIBRATIONS IN THAT AREA WILL DEFINITELY LESSEN THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE AND COST THE CAR OWNERS ! GOD FORBID ! THERE REFUSAL TO SIMPLY REPLACE THE CONVERTER IS A REFUSAL TO SELL GOOD VEHICLES AND THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ASAP ! UPDATED 10/22/13 ACURA CLIENT SERVICES INFORMED THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT ALL THE MDX VEHICLES NEAR THE SAME YEAR, HAVE AN INHERENT DOCUMENTED KNOCK ON ACCELERATION REGARDLESS OF WHAT PREMIUM FUEL IS USED.

NHTSA ID

10933709

Incident

Jul 23, 2016

Mileage

74,000 mi

MY 2012 MDX SUFFERS FROM A TORQUE CONVERTER RUMBLING SOUND AND VIBRATION COMMON TO THE MDX SERIES. AS YOU ACCELERATE THE NOISE AND VIBRATION CAN BE FELT ALMOST LIKE A BEARING NOISE WHICH WILL EVENTUALLY CAUSE A LOCKUP OR FAILURE POSSIBLY RESULTING IN INJURIES TO ANY DRIVERS OR PEDESTRIANS. THE DEALERS ARE SAYING THAT THIS NOISE IS INDIGENOUS TO THE INHERENT HISTORY OF THE VEHICLE . FACT: SO I'M NOT ALONE IN THIS AND I KNOW ANY VIBRATIONS IN THAT AREA WILL DEFINITELY LESSEN THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE AND COST THE CAR OWNERS ! GOD FORBID ! THERE REFUSAL TO SIMPLY REPLACE THE CONVERTER IS A REFUSAL TO SELL GOOD VEHICLES AND THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ASAP ! UPDATED 10/22/13*LJ ACURA CLIENT SERVICES INFORMED THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT ALL THE MDX VEHICLES NEAR THE SAME YEAR, HAVE AN INHERENT DOCUMENTED KNOCK ON ACCELERATION REGARDLESS OF WHAT PREMIUM FUEL IS USED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10547132

Incident

Oct 7, 2013

Mileage

15,100 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 ACURA MDX. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHOOK VIOLENTLY AND THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO RESPOND. A FEW MOMENTS LATER, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, THE ENGINE WOULD EMIT A CLICKING SOUND WHEN IN OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,900.

NHTSA ID

10500178

Incident

Feb 22, 2013

Mileage

14,900 mi