I purchased the vehicle new, in late march 2018; I believe we took delivery on march 29, 2018. We have had an ongoing issue with the memory positioning of the steering wheel. Our vehicle has the advanced package. Intermittently, the seat will go to the memorized position, but the steering wheel will stay in the position for exiting the vehicle. That position is in the highest position the steering wheel can be placed in. We have had the vehicle at bakersfield acura four separate times to correct the issue. Bakersfield acura has been unable to duplicate the issue while the vehicle is at their facility. Their service writer, omar, actually witnessed the malfunction when I dropped the vehicle on july 16, 2018. I have filed a complaint with acura client relations, case number 08936387. Acura refuses to do anything about the issue. I have explained that this is a very serious safety issue. When the steering wheel stays in the highest position, it is very difficult to see over the steering wheel, blocking our vision of the road. My wife and I just get in the vehicle, start it up and take off. Normally, it is not until we are driving that we notice the issue. At that point, we are fumbling around trying to locate the lever to manually adjust the steering wheel. At 65 MPH on the freeway, that is very distracting and dangerous. A split second of distracted driving can cause a very serious accident. Tiffany at acura client relations, and david, the service manager at bakersfield acura have both admitted that they are aware of the problem, but contend it only happens when both driver one and driver two keys are present. Apparently, they have no intention of correcting the malfunction. To be clear, it happens when only one key is present as well as when both keys are present.
The worst 2018 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Visibility1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Visibility1
Recalls 2
Exterior lighting
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Acura MDX and 2017-2019 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid vehicles. Moisture may enter the tailgate lid lights, possibly causing a loss of the tailgate lid lights and the taillights.
- Risk
- Loss of the taillights reduces the vehicle's visibility, increasing the risk of crash.
- Remedy
- Acura will notify owners, and dealers will modify the tailgate lid lights and install updated gaskets and a wiring sub-harness or will replace both tailgate lid lights. The repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began May 7, 2019. Owners may contact Acura customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Acura's number for this recall is M49.
Recall number 19V256000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: caliper
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Acura MDX, 2017-2018 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda HR-V and Honda Odyssey, and 2016 Honda HR-V vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating, causing gas pockets to form, reducing brake performance. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
- Risk
- A reduction of braking performance increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Owners will be notified, and Honda or Acura dealers will bleed the brakes, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are C31 and L30.
Recall number 18V777000 · Recall details
See all 2 recalls for the 2018 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid
Defect investigations
Pedestrian alert sounds
the federal safety agency received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, the federal safety agency opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified the federal safety agency he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by the federal safety agency regarding the subject matter of the petition.
DP22005
Technical service bulletins for the 2018 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid 21
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- An uneven sealing surface allows moisture to enter the inner taillight(s), causing one or both of the...
- Owner Notification Letter
- Recall update for 2014
- Due to a problem with the detection logic in the multipurpose camera software, the vehicle's LKAS, ACC, or...
- Owner notification
- Owner Notification Letter
- When the PCM detects a malfunction in one of the odd number transmission gears, it will set one of the...
- Dealer Message
- The bolt holes for the replacement second row seat frames are not threaded and require special...
- The Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) may illuminate and set DTC P061B (PCM internal malfunction torque...
What 2018 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
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Questions about the 2018 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid
Is the 2018 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid reliable?
Owners have filed 1 complaint about the 2018 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid, fewer than a typical MDX Sport Hybrid model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid?
Windows, wipers and visibility, with 1 complaint.
How many recalls does the 2018 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid have?
2 recalls, covering exterior lighting and service brakes, hydraulic.
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