Reliable Auto DB

2020 Acura MDX reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2020 Acura MDX has 221 complaints with NHTSA after 7 years, or 7 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most MDX years here — under the median of the other years, which is 11. NHTSA has 8 recalls on file, including Frame, Front passenger seat weight sensor, and Exterior lighting.

2012 Acura MDX
Photo by Navigator84, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0
Complaints

221

Per year

7

Recalls

8

Years on the road

7

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (82 of 221), then Electrical system (39) and Forward collision avoidance (37). Those filings include 4 that report a crash and 1 that reports an injury.

Next to 2019 and 2021

The 2019 MDX has 188 complaints, 11 per year, and the 2021 has 0 complaints, 0 per year. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2021.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2020 Acura MDX. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (8)

Recall structure, frame 2026-06-04 · NHTSA campaign 26V365000
Summary American Honda Motor Company (Honda) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Honda Pilot, 2017-2023 Ridgeline, 2019-2023 Passport, and 2014-2020 Acura MDX vehicles that were sold in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. The rear subframe may corrode at the suspension mounting points, which can result in rear suspension component failure.
Remedy Dealers will inspect the rear subframe and install a rear subframe reinforcement kit and, as necessary, repair or replace the rear subframe components, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed July 27, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in the fall of 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are AOU and AOT. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning June 10, 2026.
Recall Front passenger seat weight sensor 2026-05-21 · NHTSA campaign 26V332000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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.
Recall Exterior lighting 2025-04-17 · NHTSA campaign 25V259000
Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014-2020 Acura MDX vehicles. Moisture may enter the tailgate lid light assembly and wiring harness, which can cause the interior and exterior lights to fail, including the lid lights, position lights, license plate lights and taillights.
Remedy Dealers will inspect the wiring and install a fuse harness, replace the lid light, and repair the body dust sealer, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 30, 2025. Owners may contact Acura's customer service at 1-800-382-2238. Acura's number for this recall is FLI. Vehicles included in this recall that were previously repaired under NHTSA recall number 19V-256 will need to have the new remedy completed.
Recall Front passenger seat weight sensor 2024-02-01 · NHTSA campaign 24V064000
Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.
Remedy Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.
Recall Fuel pump 2023-12-18 · NHTSA campaign 23V858000
Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Remedy Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
Recall engine and cooling, engine, internal engine parts 2023-11-13 · NHTSA campaign 23V751000
Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2016 and 2018-2019 Pilot, 2017 and 2019 Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 Odyssey vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the connecting rod bearing in the engine may wear and seize, damaging the engine.
Remedy Dealers will inspect and repair, or replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed March 28, 2024. 2016-2017 Acura MDX owner letters were mailed November 1, 2024. 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed in mid-December 2024. Honda began mailing owner notification letters as of March 18, 2024. 2015-2016 Acura owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-December 2024, 2018 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed the end of March/early April 2024, 2019 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-May 2024, 2020 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-June 2024, and 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed January 27, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XG1 and GG0.
Recall Brake master cylinder 2023-06-29 · NHTSA campaign 23V458000
Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Civic, 2020-2023 Ridgeline, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot, and 2020 Acura MDX vehicles. The tie rod fastener that connects the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been improperly assembled during manufacturing, which can cause the brake master cylinder to separate from the booster assembly.
Remedy Dealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are VEU, AEV, and ZET.
Recall Fuel pump 2021-03-25 · NHTSA campaign 21V215000
Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Acura MDX, MDX Sport Hybrid, RDX, TLX, Honda Accord, Civic Hatchback, Insight, 2019 Acura ILX, Honda Accord Hybrid, Civic Coupe, Civic Coupe Si, Civic Sedan, Civic Sedan Si, Civic Type R, Fit, HR-V, Odyssey, Passport, Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 CR-V vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Remedy Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed May 18, 2021. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-314.

Complaints by component (221 total)

Engine
82
Electrical system
39
Forward collision avoidance
37
Powertrain
21
Lane departure
19
Engine and engine cooling
18
Fuel and propulsion system
15
Service brakes
14
Speed control
14
Fuel system, gasoline
8
Exterior lighting
7
Air bags
5
Steering
4
Back-over prevention
3
Seats
3
Suspension
3
Tires
2
Visibility
2
Visibility and wipers
2
Wheels
2
Hydraulic brakes
1
Interior lighting
1
Seat belts
1
Structure
1
Show 16 more Show less
Crash-flagged

4

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

1

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

92021132022272023582024682025462026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating. The contact stated that later, while parking the vehicle, the vehicle unintended…"
    Air bags, Speed control · filed 2026-09-14
  • "LKAS, forward collision, high beam all alerts are going off and have been told it's a camera system that gets over heated. This is not a easy fix and needs to be recalled to clear up the codes and alerts."
    Lane departure, Forward collision avoidance · filed 2026-09-13
  • "The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while idling and driving on several occasions at various speeds, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-11
  • "The contact owns a 2020 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the oil light illuminated. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, while driving, the vehicle failed to properly…"
    Engine and engine cooling · filed 2026-09-09
  • "Engine seized multiple times. Completely broken now. Online it says many people have these problems."
    Engine · filed 2026-09-05

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2020 Acura MDX SPORT HYBRID SUV AWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2020 Acura MDX SUV AWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2020 Acura MDX SUV FWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
MDX all-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (9-speed) All-wheel drive 19 26 22 MPG $3650
MDX all-wheel drive A-SPEC 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (9-speed) All-wheel drive 19 25 21 MPG $3800
MDX front-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (9-speed) Front-wheel drive 20 27 23 MPG $3450
MDX hybrid all-wheel drive 3L, 6-cyl Automatic (AM-S7) All-wheel drive 26 27 27 MPG $2950

Specs and fitment

3rd generation (YD3), 2014–2020
Body styles SUV
Oil 0W-20 (3.5L V6) , 4.5 qt capacity
Tire size 265/45R20, 245/50R20, 245/60R18 (trim dependent)
Towing capacity 5,000 lbs

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA safety recall 21V215000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Acura MDX, MDX Sport Hybrid, RDX, TLX, Honda Accord, Civic Hatchback, Insight, 2019 Acura ILX, Honda Accord Hybrid, Civic Coupe, Civic Coupe Si, Civic Sedan, Civic Sedan Si, Civic Type R, Fit, HR-V, Odyssey, Passport, Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 CR-V vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail. Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed May 18, 2021. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-314.

Compare

Previous year 2019 Acura MDX See every Acura MDX model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2020 Acura MDX reliable?

The 2020 Acura MDX has 221 complaints with NHTSA after 7 years, or 7 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most MDX years here — under the median of the other years, which is 11. NHTSA has 8 recalls on file, including Frame, Front passenger seat weight sensor, and Exterior lighting.

What are common problems with a 2020 Acura MDX?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (82 of 221), then Electrical system (39) and Forward collision avoidance (37). Those filings include 4 that report a crash and 1 that reports an injury.

Is the 2020 Acura MDX more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2019 MDX has 188 complaints, 11 per year, and the 2021 has 0 complaints, 0 per year. The 2020 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019. The 2020 has more complaints per year than the 2021.

Has the 2020 Acura MDX been recalled?

The 2020 Acura MDX has 8 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2020 Acura MDX?

Owners have filed 221 complaints about the 2020 Acura MDX with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2020 Acura MDX get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2020 Acura MDX is 23.3 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a Acura MDX use?

US MDX manuals specify 0W-20 for recent V6 engines unless another grade is listed for your model year.

What generation is the 2019 Acura MDX?

3rd generation / YD3 (2014-2020).

What tire sizes does an Acura MDX use?

Sizes vary by generation and trim; examples include 255/55R18, 245/60R18, and 255/50R20.