No major incidents, hits, or bumps no off roading only drove on city roads and highways. Tread and all rubber on the outside half of the tire has completely seperated from the inner tire on a section.
The worst 2009 Acura MDX problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Electrical18
- Engine11
- Transmission8
- Lights6
- Acceleration5
- Airbags4
- Wheels3
- Locks2
- Seats2
- Steering2
- Suspension2
- Tires2
- Visibility2
- Body1
- Driver assistance1
- Seat belts1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2009 Acura MDX
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Technical service bulletins for the 2009 Acura MDX 35
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Service News
- ServiceNews Article
- These SKUs are Exhaust Manifolds with Catalytic Converters
- Dealer message
- Navigation system information.
- Customer letter
- Reimbursement form
- In cold areas, the front active dampers may be susceptible to leaking
- In cold areas, the rear active dampers may be susceptible to leaking
- 2007?09 MDX and 2010 ZDX Front Active Damper
2009 Acura MDX crash test ratings
Government 5-star crash tests. Higher is safer. Each row is a body style and drivetrain that was tested.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acura MDX 4-DR. w/SAB | Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms. | Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms. | Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms. | 4 |
2009 Acura MDX fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.7L 6‑cyl | 4WD | 15 | 20 | 17 |
What 2009 Acura MDX owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2009 Acura MDX. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of the purchase, the mileage was 117,500. At the time of the vehicle registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 140,223.
On Jan 21, 2025 the drivers side air bag deployed as I was driving. I did not hit or get hit by anyone or anything, I did not run over anything either the airbag deployed on drivers side from the front to the back of my Acura MDX it was sudden it was random Nd damn scary. I was injured from the impact of the air bag ... I have had my car approximately 6 months I am purchasing from Drive now in Wichita, KS and am still making payments on this vehicle..
I just got this car in September and it is now throwing all kinds of different codes to the point where I can’t drive it sh-awd /check charging station / emission light etc
While driving vehicle, all power shut off after all lights(airbag, tire, engine, etc. came on the dashboard) not able to start vehicle now at all. Has power but will not run, turn over, stay running, etc. has brand new battery so that’s not the problem no problems until today.
I was driving onto an exit ramp around 50 to 60 mph on Rt 50 yo 495 south and VSA light appeared on dash. Also steering felt extremely loose. No control to steer and could not accelerate either.
Vehicle produced a dash warning light for airbag/supplemental restraint system on January 29th or 30th, 2022. Went away and back on again 3 times in the following week. No prior issues related to this. Vehicle has never been in an accident. Acura dealer scanned vehicle 2/5/2022 to find vehicle code 11-11, meaning bad airbag and possibly bad cable reel. No recalls or effort by Acura (contacted by me) to assist with fix. Replacement isn't readily available, nor is a dealer loaner. Part is $1202.75. Vehicle is 2009 with only 89,7XX miles.
The battery has been drained on three separate occasions this year (2021). I replaced the battery after the first occurrence. Each time I have had to use a battery jump to restart the vehicle which sufficed to get it operating and return home. On the last occasion, the car started to display dash board warning messages before arriving at home after driving only 15 miles. This came with a fully charged battery installed to get the car restarted. Previously I could see no error codes, but following this latest incident the AWD error code 77-01 is displayed by an OBD reader. The vehicle began to run roughly and flashed many dashboard warnings as the battery began to draw down to zero power. Latest incident required a battery replacement instead of just a jump to restart.
The contact owns a 2009 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and approaching a stop sign, the accelerator pedal was depressed however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact shifted the vehicle to neutral and back to drive and the vehicle responded slowly. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,061.
Low beam headlight is extremely dim, can barely see at night. Changing the light bulb does not solve. Headlight cover is not foggy or cloudy, it is clear. Suspecting internal reflector issue as acura has done recalls on other models for the same issue but not on rdx.
Compare the 2009 Acura MDX
MDX vs BMW X5MDX vs Volvo XC90MDX vs Audi Q7MDX vs Lexus RXMDX vs Mercedes-Benz GLE 350MDX vs Cadillac XT5
Other model years
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Questions about the 2009 Acura MDX
Is the 2009 Acura MDX reliable?
Owners have filed 52 complaints about the 2009 Acura MDX, fewer than a typical MDX model year.
What is the 2009 Acura MDX year score?
The 2009 Acura MDX scores 85 out of 100 (good). The score compares it with the other model years of the Acura MDX: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2009 Acura MDX?
Electrical system, with 18 complaints, typically around 75,000 miles. Next is engine (11).
How many recalls does the 2009 Acura MDX have?
No recalls on record.
Is the 2009 Acura MDX safe in a crash?
The 2009 Acura MDX was crash tested, but no overall score was published. Partial scores: rollover 4 out of 5.
What year does the Acura MDX have the most electrical problems?
The Acura MDX model years with the most electrical complaints are 2025 (54 complaints), 2007 (51 complaints) and 2017 (46 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2009 Acura MDX get?
Official estimates for the 2009 Acura MDX range from 17 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.7L 6-cyl, 4WD) gets 15 city and 20 highway.
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