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Home›Acura›2018 Acura MDX› engine problems
Owner complaints · Engine

2018 Acura MDX engine problems

54 of the 169 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2018 Acura MDX name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). Filed under the same heading: 47 manufacturer bulletins, 2 recalls, 3 NHTSA investigations. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.

54 complaints 32% of this model year’s 2 reports a crash 2 a fire

What owners filed about the engine

Source: NHTSA complaint database
54complaints name the engine

2 of the 54 reports a crash · 2 a fire · 1 injury. Self-reported, unverified.

Filed per year: 2018: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2023: 5 · 2024: 25 · 2025: 12 · 2026: 7

Too few of these complaints carry an odometer reading to say when the problem shows up.

32%of this model year’s complaints

169 complaints in all about the 2018 Acura MDX, 7 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →

Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Engine” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.

Across model years: Acura MDX engine problems, every year on file →

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In owners’ own words

Source: NHTSA complaint database

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.

The contact owns a 2018 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal rattling sound. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring intermittently. There was no warning light illuminated.
Engine at 50,000 miles Mar 11, 2024 NHTSA owner report
The dealership is refusing to fix the issue citing that the parts will not be available until fall of 2024. My vehicle is unsafe to drive
Engine Mar 8, 2024 NHTSA owner report
This acura has always hesitated when pressing the gas. I told my technician two years ago and he claimed to do some type of electronic update. To find out the cause was really the engine/engine shaft is unacceptable. I want my money back on the purchase of a new lemon immediately. What do I need to do?
Engine Jan 6, 2024 NHTSA owner report
My 2018 Acura MDX received an Auto Engine Software update a couple months ago. I took it in "Acura of Johnston" in Iowa due to a recall notice I received that indicated engine could stall when trying to accelerate or may not restart.
Engine Jan 5, 2024 NHTSA owner report
The engien keep stalling, prolem accelerating jurky transmisión and this is the only car I have to go work I take the highway everyday I am cosern that something can happend to me
Engine Dec 28, 2023 NHTSA owner report

What is on file about the engine

Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications

Recalls filed under this heading

NHTSA investigations

47 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading

The 2 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.

Trouble codes named on this system

P0171 P0174 P219A P0441 P0159 P0304 P0430

Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2018 Acura MDX names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.

Other systems with a record on the 2018 Acura MDX

Source: the same files
From here
Every 2027 model on file, by price Compare two vehicles, trim vs trim See what a VIN was priced at See what owners reported

Common questions

Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communications

Are engine problems common on the 2018 Acura MDX?

They are documented: NHTSA holds 54 owner complaints naming the engine on this model year (32% of everything owners filed about it), and 47 manufacturer bulletins, 2 recalls, 3 NHTSA investigations are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.

Is there a recall for the engine on the 2018 Acura MDX?

Yes — 2 campaigns are filed under this heading: 23V751000, 19V298000. A recall is matched by VIN; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

When do engine problems show up on the 2018 Acura MDX?

Too few of the complaints carry an odometer reading to say. The model year's page shows the mileage curve across every system where it can.

What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?

The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.