Water leakage into the right tailgate lid light assembly caused it to malfunction. In the photo you can see water pooled in the right lower corner. There is a recall for this specific issue for the year/make/model of my vehicle (the federal safety agency ID 25V259000). However my VIN is not included. I took my vehicle to the dealership and they confirmed that moisture was entering the tailgate lid light assembly which caused the light to fail. There was a warranty extension issued in July 2025 that expired in November 2025 related to this issue that applied to my specific vehicle. However I was not having this safety issue at the time and did not receive notification so I was unaware of the warranty extension. [XXX] I am reporting this as a safety complaint because it is the exact issue for which a recall was issued, yet Acura did not include my vehicle based on its VIN. Therefore it is possible they did not include all vehicles for which this problem may occur. Because the failure of the taillight due to a defect is a safety issue increasing crash risk, this should have been included in the recall rather than just a 6 month warranty extension. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2016 Acura MDX lights problems
11 complaints (3% of all complaints for this car).
- owner complaints
- 11
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 2
Which part fails
Owners did not name a specific part.
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Acura MDX lights problems in other years
Related recalls
Interior lighting
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- Vehicle lights that fail to illuminate can decrease visibility and increase the risk of a crash.
- 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 the federal safety agency recall number 19V‑256 will need to have the new remedy completed.
Recall number 25V259000 · Recall details
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
What 2016 Acura MDX owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
2016 Acura MDX. The red LED section of the inner tailgate taillight (lid light) has failed and no longer illuminates. The white backup bulb in the same assembly still works. The LED section is sealed inside the assembly and cannot be serviced, so the entire lid light must be replaced. This vehicle received safety recall M49 (the federal safety agency 19V‑256) in 2019 for moisture intrusion into the inner taillights. The same failure has now occurred again. Honda's own Part 573 report for recall FLI (the federal safety agency 25V‑259) states that the redesigned assemblies installed under 19V‑256 do not sufficiently prevent moisture intrusion, and that moisture entered through two new pathways: between the gasket and the seal ribs of the lid light, and at the interface between the gasket and the body dust sealer. My failure appears to be exactly that condition. the federal safety agency VIN lookup shows zero unrepaired recalls for this VIN. When I contacted Acura, I was told the issue was repaired in 2019. That response addresses M49, not FLI. I have not been able to get confirmation of whether FLI applies to this VIN or was ever performed. Loss of the rear position lights reduces visibility and is a citable equipment violation.
The contact owns a 2016 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and attempting to open the trunk, the contact became aware that the inner driver’s side taillight was inoperable. The contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 19V256000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The independent mechanic stated that the taillight needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 149,000.
The contact owns 2016 Acura MDX. The contact stated that after the State Inspection was completed, the State Inspector informed the contact that the vehicle had failed the inspection due to an inoperable driver's side tailgate light. The contact was also informed that there was moisture inside the tailgate lid light assembly, and that the failure was related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V259000 (Exterior Lighting, Interior Lighting). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was referred the dealer for the repair. The contact was informed that there might be a reimbursement if the VIN became included in a future recall. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 99,217.
I have a 2016 MDX. The big red light on my tailgate on the passenger side stopped working. I had been driving at night and only found out when a friend mentioned it to me. I al concerned driving due to safety issues with being less visible to other drivers. I tried changing the bulb with two new ones (correct size 7440) and it still does not work. I noticed online that there is a safety recall for such lighting issues, though it is not showing as recall for my VIN. I called Chevy Chase Acura to ask about the recall and they said there are no recalls listed for my vehicle. I made an appointment for 1/7/26 at 1:15pm anyway to have it looked at. Following that, I called Honda's recall department and they said there previously had been a recall in effect but it expired on 11/30/25. I have been out of town caring for my mother who had cancer and recently passed on 12/18/25. I was not previously aware of the recall. From my reading online, due to this being a safety recall, it should still be eligible for recall repairs up to 15 years of the car's age. I am hoping for some assistance in getting this matter resolved.
This specific vehicle has an issue with the starter and flywheel breaking up for no reason. After being replaced twice, they were broken again in three months. The suspension has also been broken many times, and even after replacing the entire four sides, it still did not fix the problem. It also produces a rubber smell when driven over than 1 hour non stop
The contact owns a 2016 Acura MDX. The contact stated that the driver's side rear taillight bulb had burned out. The contact replaced the bulb, but the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the driver's side rear taillight failure was intermittent but was a persistent failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the failure and determined that there was water inside the taillight assembly which caused the bulb to short circuit. The mechanic informed the contact that the taillight assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 25V259000 (Exterior Lighting, Interior Lighting); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 141,000.
Rear inner tail light on driver side is not working (34155-TZ5-H03). There is active recall on models between 2014-2019 but when checked my VIN it shows it is not covered. I went through the detail of recall and it can be clearly seen that the damage is same as shown in the recall. I will appreciate if someone can provide how do we know that my VIN was not impacted as there could be subcomponent which could have led to same issues as others from this period. I will appreciate if a prompt action can be taken and my vehicle can be added to the recall list as well. Thanks!
My vehicle has been going off on its own when it is off, the lights starts to flicker on the outside and on the dashboard, the seats malfunction on its own so does the steering wheel causing the steering wheel to move up and down adjusting on its own, the car alarm will go off all the time, and I hear a noise coming from under the hood. It’s so bad that I have to take out the battery and leave it cause this problem will continue until the battery is dead, sometimes it will cause all the lights to come on and stay on all night, mean while the vehicle is not even turned on when all this is happening, I search couple video and websites only to see other people having the same problem with this specific type of vehicle, this problem been consistent for months and it makes the car unable to drive.
Vehicle acceleration is sluggish at stop and go. During highway speed, if transmission is in low cruising gear and you need to accelerate, transmission is sluggish. Issues was corrected at dealer. Dealer found 1 faulty transmission computer code. New symptoms after computer fix, over acceleration and harsh shift points. Dealer advised to drive 500 mile after computer reflash. Interior light do not dim after a few seconds. Interior lights will not turn off regardless of locking vehicle. Rear suspension has a 0.55 camber difference, vehicle has 26,765 miles. I asked dealership service to look at this issue. Dealer never advised on issues.
Questions about the 2016 Acura MDX lights
Does the 2016 Acura MDX have lights problems?
Owners have filed 11 complaints about the lights of the 2016 Acura MDX, 3% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2016 Acura MDX lights problems start?
Not enough complaints include the mileage to tell.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Acura MDX lights?
Yes, 2 recalls: 25V259000, 19V256000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Acura MDX have the most lights problems?
The Acura MDX model years with the most lights complaints are 2014 (13 complaints) and 2016 (11 complaints).
Other 2016 Acura MDX problems
Engine 173Transmission 113Electrical 38Fuel system 32Driver assistance 26Body 21Acceleration 19Brakes 13Steering 12Suspension 8Airbags 7Visibility 4Seat belts 2Seats 2Wheels 2Tires 1
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