2016 Acura MDX: won't start

Filed Jun 26, 2026 · Engine · TX

I was driving on the highway. All of a sudden, my engine started making knocking noises. Shortly after that, the car started to lose power, and immediately the low engine oil light came on. I pulled over immediately to check the engine oil level. Oil level was normal. I restarted the car, but the mechanical knocking noise was evident and did not sound right. Towed the car to the closest Acura Dealership. Diagnostics states that engine has ceased and would not crank. Replacements engine is required and would costs approx. $4200. Acura has a recall on some 2016-2020 MDX for similar engine issues, but my VIN did not qualified. The symptoms i exprienced is very similar to what was described in the recall. Acura representative denied any goodwill support/help.

Filed Mar 24, 2026 · Engine · CA

Customer reports: - vehicle will not start - died while backing up and wouldn't restart - no warning in car and safety at risk as a result - towed car to auto mechanic who provided this information below Check and advise: - Found starter motor tries to crank the engine over but never completes more than a partial engine revolution during each starting attempt, using jumper packs do not help, fully charged and tested battery and found battery tests bad, installed tester battery for diagnostic purposes and found engine still wont crank, attempted to rotate engine via crank pulley bolt and pry bar and found engine will not rotate indicating engine is seized due to some sort of internal engine issue, suspect possible connecting rod bearing failure but cannot confirm without significant engine disassembly. - This issue (apparently its a widely known problem on this engine and there is an active recall campaign developing): Acura MDX 2016 has a recall but my VIN # is not showing up in it. However, I strongly believe it is the same issue and Acura should expand their recall to include more vehicles, including my own.

Filed Oct 15, 2025 · Engine · NY

Engine cut out on the middle of a pitch black highway in Virginia. Few seconds lights flashing on dashboard check engine light started flashing then low engine oil and then the rest of the standard "CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTS" experience as I was finally able to pull the vehicle over. Vehicle seemed as if it was dead. When got vehicle JUMPED 2 hours later I started engine because it wouldn't start. It was making all the noises consistent with ENGINE recall that MY ENGINE was so conveniently not included in the recall. ACURA WON'T DO ANYTHING for me. I was stuck on the side of the highway in the pitch black with cars and trucks flying by at 70+MPH with my 3 kids and spouse. ENGINE is chattering and has no power. ALMOST ABOUT TO SEIZE. I was stranded in a small town for 2 days with no way to get home no rental companies with cars available. ALL VIDEOS online consistentfor engine recall consistent with my experience. NO lights no hestitation perfect engine oil level filled tank of gas minutes with 93 as always not even 2 minutes before this situation. ENGINE WAS PERFECT. Was glad I wasn't apart of recall initially. I thought I had a "GOOD ONE" then boom complete catastrophe. the federal safety agency NEEDS to expedite this. THIS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE! Acura knows the issue they are running form it. I spent over $1,100 to tow my vehicle home and get my family home safely.

Filed Jul 17, 2025 · Engine · UT

On August 29, 2024 my vehicle stopped working. I was driving through a busy Costco parking lot. We stopped to wait for a car to turn, the auto engine idle turned on. When we removed our foot from the brake that car wouldn't move. It wouldn't start again, everything seized up. We couldn't push the car because the tires locked up. We called a tow truck, luckily we were not in a parking spot because the tow truck driver had to pull it on the bed. The vehicle was towed to Stephen Wade Honda, they have always maintained our vehicle and done the recalls when able to. The nearest Acura dealership is 127 miles away. We were told that the engine suffered catastrophic engine failure. I reached out to Acura and a lady on the phone said she was sorry there was nothing Acura could do. I want to know why my vehicle is not under recall for catastrophic engine failure.

Filed Jun 22, 2025 · Transmission · IL

Car stalled in traffic and would not restart, and couldn’t figure out how to put in neutral. We had good samaritans that wanted to push it out of the way, but no one could figure out how to put the car in neutral. Even the police and tow truck driver couldn’t figure out how to put it in neutral. I found out after research that to put it neutral when it will not start requires a special tool that has to be installed by opening the hood. Acura doesn’t even include this special tool.It costs extra. So if you’re are in traffic and your car stalls there is no way to push it out of the way. This is incredibly dangerous in a traffic situation.

Filed May 30, 2025 · Engine, Transmission · 152,831 miles · TX

Recall 23V‑751 affecting certain or maybe all 2016 Acura MDX SH-AWD connecting rod bearing failure. The vehicle came to a sudden stop on the freeway after a loud terrible sound from the engine. This left my wife and child on a freeway exit ramp with no way to navigate the car to safety. The vehicle won't start, it makes a terrible clanging noise and stops. It has a seized connecting rod bearing and now a broken connecting rod and several holes punched from the broken rod. It was immediately towed to an Acura Service Center where it was confirmed. Recall 23V‑751 described this failure exactly yet my car VIN is not included in the recall even though it is clearly affected by that recall. Acura Client relations refused to add the VIN even after saying they would if the problem was confirmed by an Acura Service Technician which it was but they refuse to add the VIN and repair the SUV.

Filed Jan 30, 2025 · Engine · 115,911 miles · IL

Problem started with Check Engine light coming on, then going off, then coming on again followed by what seemed like all system failure lights getting reported. A clicking/rattling started to be heard in the engine. When driving the vehicle to the dealer to get it inspected the vehicle engine cut out while cruising at 45 MPH. I was able to roll to a stop on the side of the road luckily, it would not start and needed a tow to a more local related dealer (Honda) repair. Honda repair did not move past reading the codes, so I transported the vehicle via a service to the nearest Acura dealer, where they diagnosed the internal rod problem, with the fix being a replacement engine. The vehicle remains at this Acura dealer service.

Filed Jan 2, 2017 · Engine, Fuel system · 16,000 miles · CA

Engine does not start and all the warning lights come up on dashboard. After a few seconds, each of the system comes up as failed. Dashboard shows as acc failed, lane warning failed, emission failed, engine check failed. This is a second failure in last 45 days. First failed on nov 20 and car was in service till dec 21. Again the engine failed on jan 02, not allowing to start at all.

Filed Feb 16, 2016 · Driver assistance · 2,133 miles · TX

Car has less than 3000 miles on it. For the last month, there has been 3 times that the car will not start. First time it was jumped off and driven into the acura dealership..."wire to battery loose". Second time the dealership sent a technician out and the replaced the battery with a new one. Third time car was towed to dealerships as it could not to be started at all. The dealership kept it for almost two weeks and retuned it to me with the explanation "could not find anything wrong with the car". Clearly there is something wrong with the electrical system. The car is driven 5-6 days a week, no accessories left on. Now I am scared it will quit going down the highway and I will lose power brakes and power steering.

Filed Jan 26, 2016 · Electrical · 8,264 miles · WA

Two days after getting our first oil change. The car wouldn't start in our garage. The system flashed on and off rapidly. A tech came out and jump started the engine manually because the computer wouldn't start it. I drove it to a second acura dealership and they stated that the onboard computer randomly sought out a system update so it impacted the engine. I asked what caused this on a new 2016 mdx and they couldn't explain it nor could they promise it wouldn't happen again. If they couldn't predict when the computer does this, then what's to stop it from doing this while the car is in motion? This is a safety issue that needs to be investigated. Thank you.