Acura bulletin BBOM09152020
What it saysDealer Message - Today, September 15, 2020, Acura is announcing a stop sale and emissions recall for certain 2017-2020 MDX Sport Hybrid and 2014, 2016-2020 RLX Sport Hybrid vehicles that may not properly clear specific… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Acura filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Sep 15, 2020, received Sep 22, 2020, about the electrical system. It names 9 model years (2016–2020). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationDealer Message - Today, September 15, 2020, Acura is announcing a stop sale and emissions recall for certain 2017-2020 MDX Sport Hybrid and 2014, 2016-2020 RLX Sport Hybrid vehicles that may not properly clear specific diagnostic trouble codes (DTC). Presence of these codes may prevent the vehicle from passing a smog test. Refer to your eResponsibility report or do an iN VIN status inquiry to determine which units in your inventory are affected.
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BBOM09152020 | Service bulletin | Sep 15, 2020 | 10180020 | PDF, 51 KB |
The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
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Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 9 model years this bulletin names have filed 892 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 632 of them name Engine, Electrical System, Power Train — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
On the 2017 Acura MDX, the 36 owners who gave an odometer reading for Engine reported it at a median of 86,000 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
Our Acura MDX has continued to have Auto Idle Stop issues since we purchased the vehicle. Sometimes the vehicle would not restart after being stopped at a traffic light. Most recently, an accident almost occurred when the vehicle stuck behind us at the traffic light tried to go around us while we were trying to get the engine started and…
2020 Acura MDX · Engine · filed with NHTSA May 23, 2023 · ODI 11523509
The contact owns a 2018 Acura RLX. The contact stated while driving her vehicle at an undisclosed speed, stated that the vehicle would not start up, and noticed every single waring light illuminated up on her dash. The vehicle was taken to a dealer twice, first time it was diagnosed to have a crank sensor failure, it was replaced.
2018 Acura RLX · Engine · filed with NHTSA May 18, 2026 · ODI 11738529
The first time I heard the engine noise was on . I brought the vehicle to the Schaumburg Muller Acura dealership and dropped it off on May 20. On May 21, the dealership performed an initial inspection and informed me that they needed authorization to further disassemble the engine in order to determine the cause of the problem.
2018 Acura RLX · Engine · filed with NHTSA Jun 2, 2026 · ODI 11741672
In depth: 2020 Acura MDX engine problems → · 2019 Acura MDX engine problems → · 2018 Acura MDX engine problems → · 2017 Acura MDX engine problems →
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the electrical system
Source: same model, same component group23 other manufacturer communications filed against these Acura models under the same component group (electrical system), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Acura list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| BBTS30565 | Other | Apr 7, 2026 | Tech Line Summary - The vehicle's infotainment system displays previously viewed SMS messages upon each ignition cycle, when the customer's… |
| 8A050-TYA-A017 | Over-the-air update | Mar 10, 2026 | Over The Air System Updates - Vehicles equipped with the System Updates application are capable of downloading and installing Over the Air S… |
| 8A050-TYA-A016 | Over-the-air update | Jan 17, 2026 | Over the Air System Update - System updates contain upgrades that fix operational errors and/or provide a variety of enhancements, which add… |
| BB29050 | Other | Aug 4, 2025 | Tech Line - Customers may experience error code S001 with their audio unit. The vehicle may also have DTC B2B05-92 CAN Gateway error stored… |
| B23-002 | Service bulletin | Jul 7, 2025 | Service Bulletin - Under certain circumstances, after coming to a stop and engaging idle stop the vehicle may not restart automatically due… |
| BTI&05162025901 | Other | May 16, 2025 | Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2025 MDX’s with a client complaint of no sound while making A… |
| B24-047 | Service bulletin | Dec 18, 2024 | Service Bulletin - A coaxial cable terminal was not manufactured to proper specifications. An improperly manufactured terminal may lead to p… |
| B24-058 | Service bulletin | Dec 17, 2024 | Service Bulletin - Under certain circumstances when reversing near a chain-link fence or highly reflective surfaces, a parking and back-up s… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Acura, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Acura BBOM09152020 a recall?
No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the BBOM09152020 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way. Every Honda warranty extension on file lists the ones Honda has filed.
Which vehicles does BBOM09152020 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 9 model years: 2020 Acura MDX, 2019 Acura MDX, 2018 Acura MDX, 2017 Acura MDX, 2020 Acura RLX, 2019 Acura RLX and more. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.