2026 Acura MDX
Gas Compact SUV
The 2026 Acura MDX is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 3 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the MDX FWD, is EPA-rated at 22 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 7 complaints, most often about unknown or other. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MDX FWD | Gas | FWD | 3.5L 6-cyl | 19 | 26 | 22 | $3,500 |
| MDX AWD | Gas | AWD | 3.5L 6-cyl | 19 | 25 | 21 | $3,700 |
| MDX AWD Type-S | Gas | AWD | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo | 17 | 21 | 19 | $4,100 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
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Recalls (1)
Air Bags
highProblem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
Owner complaints
7 complaints filed
0 involved a crash, 0 a fire, 0 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2025: 3 · 2026: 4
Most-cited components
- Unknown Or Other — 2
- Electrical System — 2
- Lane Departure — 2
- Engine — 1
- Vehicle Speed Control — 1
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUV FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 15% |
| SUV AWD | not rated | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | not rated | 15% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.
Other MDX model years
2025 MDX
4 recalls · 96 complaints
C2024 MDX
3 recalls · 41 complaints
C2023 MDX
3 recalls · 44 complaints
C2022 MDX
3 recalls · 171 complaints
F2020 MDX
8 recalls · 217 complaints
F2019 MDX
9 recalls · 185 complaints
F2018 MDX
10 recalls · 164 complaints
F2017 MDX
8 recalls · 253 complaints
F2016 MDX
7 recalls · 371 complaints
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 49439, 49471, 49560). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.