2010 ACURA MDX Complaints

ACURA'S MDX HAS INSUFFICIENT BACK-UP LIGHTING, WHICH MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SAFELY BACK UP AT NIGHT. IT ALSO RENDERS THE BACK-UP CAMERA USELESS. THE ACURA SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS UNABLE TO ADVICE ON A SOLUTION; AS THEY TELL YOU TO MOVE THE NAVIGATION DIAL TO BRIGHTEN THE LIGHT, BUT THAT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS PROBLEM ONLY EXISTS IF THERE IS NO ADDITIONAL STREET LIGHTING THAT COULD ASSIST WITH ILLUMINATING THE AREA BEHIND THE VEHICLE. THEREFORE, DRIVERS WHO LIVE IN A WELL-LIT COMMUNITY (CITY) MAY NOT NOTICE THE PROBLEM. BUT BACKING UP ON A COUNTRY ROAD, OR SOMEWHERE WITH NO OTHER ARTIFICIAL (STREET) LIGHTING, THERE'S NO SAFE WAY TO BACK UP MY ACURA. THE BACKUP LIGHTING IS SIMPLY INSUFFICIENT AND DOES NOT OFFER A WAY TO SAFELY BACK-UP THE VEHICLE. *TR

I WANTED TO REPORT A RECENT INCIDENT ON AUG 23RD IN WHICH THE ENGINE OF MY MDX CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT 7:30 PM. I HAD TO PULL THE CAR OVER AND DIALED 911. SUBSEQUENTLY THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT USING A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. ALL OF THIS HAPPENED WITHIN THE SPACE OF 2 MINUTES WITH NO APPARENT REASON. THE CAR WAS TOWED BY THE POLICE AND PLACED IN AN IMPOUND LOT. MY INSURANCE COMPANY GEICO AFTER EXAMINING THE DAMAGE INFORMED ME THAT THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOTALED DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS. THE ENGINE WAS PARTIALLY CHEWED OFF DUE TO THE FIRE. THE CONCERNS I HAVE BASED ON THIS INCIDENT ARE THE FOLLOWING: 1. I DID NOT GET ANY KIND OF WARNING FROM THE COMPUTER OR DASHBOARD WHILE THIS INCIDENT WAS OCCURRING. 2. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. 3. MY CAR WAS SERVICED JUST A WEEK PRIOR AT POHANKA ACURA AND RECEIVED A CLEAN SAFETY RECORD. 4. MY CAR WAS IMPECCABLY SERVICED AND MAINTAINED WITH A MILEAGE OF ONLY 31,000 MILES. 5. I HAVE NOT UNDERSTOOD WHAT CAUSED THIS INCIDENT. I SPOKE TO ACURA AND THE DEALER POHANKA ACURA BUT RECEIVED NO CLEAR EXPLANATION OF WHY THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED. *TR

BEGAN LEAKING FLUID, THE ACURA DEALERSHIP SAID IT IS THE STEERING RACK AND PINION. REPAIR COST $1800!!! THIS IS AFTER HAVING THE POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED X3. I AM NOT IMPRESSED WITH ACURA AT ALL AND WILL PROBABLY TRADE THIS MONEY PIT IN :( I DO NOT KNOW HOW ACURA HAS SUCH A REPUTATION FOR BEING A WELL MADE VEHICLE. *TR

ON 2 DIFFERENT TIMES MY VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. THE FIRST TIME WAS ON OR ABOUT MAY 24, 2011. I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE OF AN APARTMENT COMPLEX. IT WAS AROUND 5:30 PM. I WAS DRIVING SLOWLY (BETWEEN 2-3 MPH) AS THERE WAS A CONSTRUCTION CREW WORKING DIRECTLY BEHIND THE PARKING SPACE IN WHICH I WAS GOING TO PARK. I WAS MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN INTO THE PARKING SPACE. AS I PROCEEDED INTO THE PARKING SPACE MY LEFT FOOT WAS ON THE FLOOR AND MY RIGHT FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE, ALTERNATING BETWEEN BRAKING AND IDLING. I WAS NOT USING THE ACCELERATOR, JUST THE BRAKE AND THE IDLING ENGINE. AS I APPROACHED THE CURB TO MY FINAL STOP, THE CAR SUDDENLY LUNGED FORWARD OVER THE CURB AND HIT A TREE. I REPORTED THESE DETAILS TO THE ACURA DEALERSHIP WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR REPAIRS. I TOLD THE REPRESENTATIVE THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR AND THEY NEEDED TO CHECK THE ACCELERATION. ABOUT A MONTH LATER MY CAR WAS RETURNED TO ME AND THE REPRESENTATIVE AT THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY DID NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH ACCELERATOR. ABOUT 10 MONTHS LATER (MARCH 2013) A SIMILAR ACCELERATION HAPPENED. THIS TIME I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE IN A PARKING LOT. I ENTERED THE PARKING SPACE BY MAKING A RIGHT TURN. MY LEFT FOOT WAS ON THE FLOOR; MY RIGHT FOOT WAS ON THE BREAK. THERE WAS ONLY 1 OTHER CAR IN THE PARKING LOT. IT WAS ABOUT 10:30 AM. I WAS ALTERNATING BETWEEN BRAKING AND IDLING. JUST BEFORE THE FINAL STOP THE CAR LUNGED FORWARD HITTING A BRICK WALL. THE DEALERSHIP RECOGNIZED ME FROM MY PREVIOUS VISIT. I TOLD THE REPRESENTATIVE WHAT HAPPENED. I TOLD HIM THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR IT IS NOT SUPPOSE TO ACCELERATE LIKE IT DID. ONCE AGAIN THE CAR WAS REPAIRED AND I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. I SAID THIS CAR IS A SAFETY HAZARD; I AM NOT GOING TO DRIVE THE CAR. I LEFT THE CAR THERE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING AND PRIOR TO HITTING MY BRAKES, SEVERAL ALERT MESSAGES POPPED UP AND A VOICE STARTED READING THEM OUT. THE MESSAGES ARE STILL SAVED ON THE ACURA'S COMPUTER, BUT SINCE THE CAR IS IN THE SHOP RIGHT NOW, I DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO RECALL THEM EXACTLY. THE ONLY ONE I REMEMBER SAID THAT THE VEHICLE STABILITY ASSIST AND TCS MAY NOT OPERATE AND IT TRIED TO DIRECT ME TO FIND THE NEAREST ACURA DEALERSHIP. THERE WAS ALSO A MESSAGE ABOUT ABS. WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKES, THERE WAS MINIMAL RESISTANCE, AND THE CAR DIDN'T STOP WHATSOEVER. IT DIDN'T SKID OR SLIDE, THERE WAS NO BRAKE PRESSURE AT ALL. I HAD A FEW SECONDS TO DECIDE IF I WANTED TO: PULL INTO A DITCH AND PROBABLY FLIP THE SUV, PULL INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, OR HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME THAT WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. I ENDED UP CHOOSING THE LATTER AND HITTING THE CAR, AFTER MY CAR DIDN'T DECELERATE OR BRAKE WHATSOEVER. THE ALERT MESSAGES REMAINED ACCESSIBLE ON THE COMPUTER OF THE CAR AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND I CAN RETRIEVE THEM AFTER THE CAR IS REPAIRED. THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE FRONT OF THE SUV, BUT I AM OBVIOUSLY MOST CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE CAR BEING THAT THE BRAKES WERE NOT FUNCTIONAL DURING TO THE ACCIDENT WHATSOEVER. THE BRAKES WERE FUNCTIONAL AFTER THE ACCIDENT AND THE CAR HAD BEEN RESTARTED, SO THE PROBLEM IS CONCERNING FOR SURE, BUT INTERMITTENT. *TR

I AM WRITING WITH RESPECT TO A DEFECT IN A 2010 ACURA MDX (VEHICLE ID #: [XXX]) THAT I PREVIOUSLY LEASED. ON AUGUST 27, 2012, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING SAID VEHICLE ON THE MERRITT PARKWAY IN CT. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND ENGINE OF THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION AND MY WIFE LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR AND COULD NOT BRING THE CAR TO A STOP AND EVENTUALLY THE CAR ROLLED TO A STOP. MY WIFE WAS TERRIFIED BY THE INCIDENT AND CALLED 9-1-1. AFTER WAITING A WHILE, THE CAR WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED AND WE BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER WHERE WE HAD LEASED THE AUTOMOBILE. THE DEALER RAN A SERIES OF TESTS BUT COULD NOT IDENTIFY A REASON FOR WHAT HAPPENED, AND DROVE THE CAR FOR SEVERAL MINUTES, BUT TOLD US THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. WE WERE, OF COURSE, NO LONGER COMFORTABLE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND IMMEDIATELY TERMINATED THE LEASE. I SUBSEQUENTLY HAD A SERIES OF COMMUNICATIONS WITH ACURA CLIENT RELATIONS AT 1919 TORRANCE BLVD. M/S 500-2N7E, TORRANCE, CA 90501-2746 (800-382-2238) DURING WHICH I ULTIMATELY LEARNED THAT THERE WERE ADDITIONAL TESTS THAT ACURA COULD HAVE PERFORMED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. I INQUIRED AS TO WHAT THOSE TESTS WERE, WHETHER THOSE TESTS WERE PERFORMED ON THE CAR AND, IF SO, WHAT THE TEST RESULTS SHOWED, AND IF THE CAR WAS ULTIMATELY REPAIRED. HOWEVER, I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY RESPONSE FROM ACURA. ACCORDINGLY, I AM WRITING TO ADVISE THE NHTSA OF THE ABOVE, AND TO SEEK THE ASSISTANCE OF THE NHTSA IN OBTAINING ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE ASKED ACURA. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*TR

EXHAUST ENTERING CABIN WHILE UNDER ACCELERATION OR UNDER LOAD. THE EXHAUST ENTERED CABIN ESPECIALLY WHEN THE HVAC SYSTEM WAS IN "RECIRC" THE DEALER AND ACURA WERE UNABLE TO FIND THE PROBLEM AFTER MULTIPLE VISITS. I DOCUMENTED THAT CARBON MONOXIDE WAS BUILDING UP INSIDE TO ALARMING LEVELS USING A REAL-TIME INDUSTRIAL GAS DETECTOR LEVELS EXCEEDING 160PPM WHILE PULLING A ~3000 LBS BOAT ON THE INTERSTATE WITH A SLIGHT HEAD WIND. (BEING MEASURED FROM FRONT SEAT/ I HAVE VIDEO RECORDINGS OF THIS AND OTHER DOCUMENTATION SHOWING THE BUILDUP AFTER NORMAL ACCELERATION ENTERING INTERSTATE ETC. THE ACTUAL PROBLEM WAS DISCOVERED WHEN I PERSONALLY WAS INSPECTING THE VEHICLE AND FOUND BOTH REAR BODY PLUGS MISSING. THEY ARE AT THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE ONE ON EACH SIDE THAT LEADS TO THE INTERIOR OR THE VEHICLE. ONCE POINTED OUT TO THE DEALER THEY WERE EMBARRASSED AND FIXED IMMEDIATELY. THE PLUGS WERE LOOSE FITTING SO THEY GLUED THEM IN. THE ISSUE NOW SEEMS TO BE RESOLVED. I HAVE NOTICED SEVERAL OTHER INTERNET POSTINGS WITH SIMILAR ISSUES. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE IN MY MIND BECAUSE OF THE CO IF YOUR DRIVING NORMALLY AGAINST THE WIND AND THE HVAC IS IN "RECIRC" THE LEVELS WILL BUILD UP >35PPM ESPECIALLY IN HIGH WINDS OR HIGHER ALTITUDES AND YOU CAN'T SMELL IT. CLIPS THAT ILLUSTRATE HOLE HTTP://YOUTU.BE/SRPUKAXV83O HTTP://YOUTU.BE/1I0AUN8VT4S PARTS TO REPLACE BODY PLUGS GROMMET, SIDE PANEL - 2010 ACURA MDX (74514-STX-A00) ITEM 9 ON THE DIAGRAM HTTP://WWW.ACURAPARTSNOW.COM/PARTS-C...PER/GROMMET-RR THREAD THAT ALLOWED ME TO FIND REAL PROBLEM (BEGINNING AND END IS THE RELEVANT SECTIONS) HTTP://MDX.ACURAZINE.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=867878. *TR

CAR SHUTTERS BETWEEN 1500-1800 RPMS. ALSO "POPS" WHEN IT DOWN SHIFTS. TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THE TORQUE CONVERTER HAD TO BE REPLACED. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS ONLY ONE OTHER VEHICLE THAT THEY KNEW OF THAT THIS HAPPENED TO AND IT WAS ALSO A 2010. SINCE THEN, I WENT ONLINE TO SEE WHAT IF ANYTHING A DEFECTIVE TORQUE CONVERTER COULD DAMAGE AND FOUND OUT THERE WERE MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS FOR YEARS. IT APPEARS THAT ACURA HAS AN ISSUE WITH THE TORQUE CONVERTER THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. *TR

IN THE MIDDLE OF MY ROADTRIP FROM TAMPA TO BUFFALO, IN ONE OF THE REST AREAS CLOSE TO FLORENCE, SC ON I-95 MY STEERING WHEEL WAS HARD TO TURN, REALIZED THAT THE POWER STEERING RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY DUE TO A LEAK IN MY NEW ACURA MDX 2011( ~7000 MILES). FILLED IT UP WITH POWER STEERING FLUID AND DROVE TO AN ACURA DEALER, WHO COULD NOT DIAGNOSE/FIX THE PROBLEM SINCE HE DID NOT HAVE A TECHNICIAN ON SATURDAY, DROVE TO THE ACURA DEALER FALLS CHURCH, VA ( SINCE HE WAS OPEN ON SUNDAY) AND THEY DIAGNOSED THAT THE LEAK WAS FROM THE POWER STEERING RACK AND IT HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE RACK AND IT HAS NOT LEAKED EVER SINCE. THIS IS FOR AN ACURA MDX 2011 ADVANCED PACKAGE ( CANNOT FIND ACURA 2011 INFORMATION ON VEHICLE TAB). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 ACURA MDX. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING DOWN AN INCLINE APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE BRAKES WERE ENGAGED YET THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THE CONTACT VEERED OFF THE ROAD AND TRAVELED OVER A CURB. THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED NUMEROUS TIMES BEFORE THE VEHICLE ENGAGED AND BEGAN TO DECELERATE. THE ENGINE WAS THEN TURNED OFF TO ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE A ROAD TEST AND AN INSPECTION WERE PERFORMED. IN ADDITION, PHOTOGRAPHS WERE TAKEN OF THE VEHICLE. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DETECT THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 9,000.