2020 Acura MDX
Complaints about this year name restart far more often than the other years of this generation — 25% of them, about 7× the usual rate of 3.5%.
Last year of its generation. This Acura MDX ran from 2014 to 2020, so it had the whole run for its faults to be found and fixed. Last years are usually the most sorted of a generation.
NHTSA opened a defect investigation into this model year.
| Complaints filed | 216 |
|---|---|
| Median for this model | 80 |
| Involving a crash | 3 |
| Recalls | 8 |
| NHTSA crash rating | 5/5 |
| EPA combined | 22.5 mpg |
What the complaints were about
- shut — 17.6% of this year's complaints, against 6.5% across the other years of this generation (2.7×). Owners wrote it as: shut, nothing wrong, pressing, poses.
- aware issue — 9.3% of this year's complaints, against 2.1% across the other years of this generation (4.5×). Owners wrote it as: aware issue, distribution, disconnect, parts distribution.
- occasions — 11.6% of this year's complaints, against 4.5% across the other years of this generation (2.6×). Owners wrote it as: occasions, fortunately, several occasions, cause accident.
Words owners used for the same problem are counted together, so a fault written four different ways is measured once. Grouped by which complaints they appear in, not by a list anyone wrote in advance.
Also unusual this year
- idle — 17% of complaints, 8× usual
- auto idle — 8% of complaints, 20× usual
- idle stop — 11% of complaints, 7× usual
What owners wrote
Engine shuts off at red light as auto idle stop got activated. Then at green light when I press the accelerator my car was in”neutral”mode and it didn’t allow me to move. I had to put my car into parking then switch it off and restart it. People behind me were…
On multiple occasions when the car is stopped at a light, in traffic or at a stop sign and the auto idle stop feature is engaged the car will shut off and not restart for up to 1 minute. We have always been able to get it to restart but feel it is dangerous to…
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint filings, with identifying details removed.
Recalls for this year
- 21V215000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE Fixed free of charge.
- 23V458000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC Fixed free of charge.
- 23V751000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING Fixed free of charge.
- 23V858000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE Fixed free of charge.
- 24V064000 AIR BAGS Fixed free of charge.
- 25V259000 EXTERIOR LIGHTING Fixed free of charge.
- 26V332000 AIR BAGS Fixed free of charge.
- 26V365000 STRUCTURE Fixed free of charge.
How this was worked out
Every year of the Acura MDX was compared against its own history rather than against other cars, which removes popularity and age from the answer — a common car draws more complaints at equal reliability, and an older one has had longer to accumulate them. A year is flagged when it drew at least 2.5× this model's median and at least 50 complaints.
This is a fault record, not a review. Nobody files a federal complaint to say the car was fine, so it shows what tends to go wrong — not whether owners liked it, and not whether it is a good car.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations, retrieved . Look this vehicle up directly on NHTSA's site to check anything here.
Own a 2020 Acura MDX? What happened to yours?
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