RoadVitals

2013 Acura MDX

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints 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.
29
Latest Jun 14, 2026
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Dec 18, 2023
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
3

Overview

Our database contains 29 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2013 Acura MDX, most frequently naming the engine, electrical and driver assistance categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 88 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.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Engine1026.3%
  • Driver assistance513.2%
  • Powertrain (other)410.5%
  • Exterior lighting37.9%
  • Steering37.9%
  • Visibility12.6%
  • Fuel system12.6%

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.gov

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

Dec 18, 2023
2,490,460 units potentially affected
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
The risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)Manufacturer number KGC, KGDView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Driver assistanceExterior lighting
Filed Jun 14, 2026

The car is giving external right head light issue. The light turns off suddenly at night which we need to turn on again after 2 minutes. This happens frequently and we have to turn on the lights very often. The dealer examined the issue and he expressed regret in repairing the vehicle and estimated price of $2.500.The Service Manager though stated that the issue is same as it pertains to the rear lighting issue for Acura 2014 to 2020 Models. We paid $100 just to examine the lighting issue to the dealer. We are senior citizens at advanced stage and it is becoming increasingly difficult to take out the cars at evenings for fear of proper and reliable lighting in the car.

NHTSA ID
11744051
Incident
Jan 15, 2026
EngineFuel system
Filed Jun 20, 2025

Unknown

NHTSA ID
11668249
Incident
Aug 27, 2024
Airbags
Filed Jan 21, 2025

Warning message appeared 1/17/25. Inspected by Price Acura service department 1/20/25. Checked online recall for airbags. Multiple airbag recalls are mentioned for Acura, including my make and model. This vehicle has approximately 92,000 miles and I am the original owner. Would like to know if this $1800 charge would be covered under recalls already listed as this is apparently a problem existing in many other similar vehicles.

NHTSA ID
11637389
Incident
Jan 17, 2025
Electrical
Filed Nov 7, 2023
Fire reported

The contact owns a 2013 Acura MDX. The contact stated that he was about to drive the vehicle when he noticed the front passenger-side headlight was flickering. The contact stated he decided not to drive the vehicle. The contact stated when he looked at the vehicle again he noticed the vehicle was on fire from the passenger side headlight. The contact stated a fire report was filed and the contact was informed that the fire origin was due to an electrical malfunction. There were no injuries reported. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 158,000.

NHTSA ID
11554069
Incident
Nov 4, 2023
Mileage
158,000 mi
EnginePowertrain (other)
Filed May 24, 2023

The 2013 Acura MDX has a problem with the pistons in the engine which causes excessive oil consumption. This was the subject matter of a class action suit described in the website entitled Acura Oil Consumption Settlement. This defect should be subject to a recall and American Honda should be required to repair or replace the pistons.

NHTSA ID
11523749
Incident
Mar 8, 2019
Engine
Filed Nov 7, 2022

I changed the oil in my car with synthetic 4k miles ago. About 1k miles ago I started getting an error that said low oil level. I went back into the lube shop to see what was going on, they said there was no leakage or issues there but there was hardly any oil in my car and that it was probably burning oil. I searched for issues with my 2013 MDX burning oil and an issue in 2019 with clogged oil control rings came up but said that the warranty extension would only be good to 2021. I found out this will be $5k to fix. I was never alerted of this issue and would like to submit a complaint about not being notified that this was even an issue in my car. I would like Acura to fix my vehicle since I never received the alert that this was a known issue in my car.

NHTSA ID
11492600
Incident
Nov 7, 2022
Engine
Filed Oct 25, 2022

It is having oil consumption issues .

NHTSA ID
11490753
Incident
Jan 12, 2022
Driver assistanceElectrical
Filed Jul 25, 2022

During driving, Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) will activate and "BRAKE" light will blink, indicating that you should apply brakes. This happened multiple times. Finally the CMBS warning light came on permanently. I took my car to Acura Dealership for repairs. They informed me that it was a software issue and update of the software should resolve this problem.

NHTSA ID
11475781
Incident
Jul 14, 2022

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

DOR-M9J4S-07

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.

B19-052

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).

BBOM08312019

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.

B19-006

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.

B19-006

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.

B18-009

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

Acura MDX by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026610
2025783161.4
2024372161.0
2023362260.1
20221402265.0
2021001
20202108366.3
20191839365.6
201816210367.8
20172498369.8
20163647368.4
2015708057.7
20141699056.1
2013Viewing291043.8
2012761047.6
2011700042.9
2010451047.7
2009520046.0
2008491040.0
2007991039.1
20068711562.8
200518013561.7
200417110462.8
200320613561.6
20022044154.6
20012244154.1

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.