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2017 Acura MDX acceleration problems

21 complaints (8% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 27,000. 1 crash reported.

owner complaints
21
of this car's complaints
8%
typical mileage
27,000
crashes
1
recalls
0

Which part fails

  • Accelerator pedal
    1

At what mileage

Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.

0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+

Acura MDX acceleration problems in other years

20012005201520202026

Specific symptoms reported on the 2017 Acura MDX acceleration

Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.

Sudden acceleration 6

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

What 2017 Acura MDX owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Jun 24, 2026 · Acceleration · 134,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate and lost motive power. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road and then regained normal operation and accelerated as intended. There were no warning lights illuminated. The failure had occurred three times while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to retrieve a fault code. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.

Filed May 11, 2026 · Acceleration, Driver assistance · KY

While driving on the interstate over 2 hours from home the car put itself into neutral and almost caused us to get into a collision. While accelerating after a construction zone, the lights on the dash of the vehicle lit up with transmission, emissions, electronic parking brake, and more codes. The car shifted itself into neutral while running between 65-70 mph on the interstate. Multiple vehicles were accelerating after the 55 mph work zone area was over, and we had to swerve between cars to get to the shoulder of the road because the vehicle lost all acceleration capabilities. We have taken the vehicle to the dealer for past recalls and software updates and mentioned this issue happening before and were told that the vehicle showed no codes concerning the electronic parking brake issue. Upon further investigation, there are multiple reports and forums of this particular vehicle having the same issue. Its a miracle we didn't get involved in a massive collision with semi trucks and other vehicles amongst us when the vehicle lost all ability to accelerate. This could cause a huge problem if it were to happen again in a more populated area or at increased speeds. We were stuck on the side of the road for 4 hours waiting on a flatbed to tow it because it locks up the AWD system with the electronic parking brake and doesn't allow the wheels to move. This is the second time we've had it towed for this same issue only to be told that it's not a problem. I'm willing to bet that the company knows exactly what the issue is but won't issue a recall because they don't classify it as a safety recall until people start losing their lives or cost the company stockholders money. This problem has the ability to cause major harm or death to people with this vehicle if it were to shift itself into neutral or lock up the electronic parking brake while in a heavy populated area. I hope they issue a safety recall and hold the company accountable before people lose their life.

Filed Apr 4, 2026 · Acceleration, Driver assistance · FL

My 2017 Acura MDX unexpectedly shifts into neutral while I am driving, specifically when slowing down approaching stop signs. When this happens, the vehicle loses power and will not accelerate, creating a dangerous situation in traffic. I have to manually press the Drive button to put the vehicle back into gear while still on the road. This has happened multiple times without warning and no recall exists for this issue. This is a serious safety hazard because the vehicle can lose power in traffic or intersections.

Filed Feb 8, 2026 · Acceleration, Transmission · WI

There were several instances where my vehicle either accelerated or decelerated while I was driving. I first noticed the issue about a week after I purchased the car in May 2022. I took it back to Acura of Brookfield, and they said they couldn’t replicate the issue. I also took my car to Acura of Brookfield in September 2023 for the same jerking issue. They charged me for an update, but the issue did not change. I continued noticing the problem over the years, but it happened more frequently in 2025. In May 2025, I was driving down a hill in Brookfield, Wisconsin, when my car jerked aggressively and then accelerated on its own. Throughout the rest of the year, it would either accelerate or decelerate while I was on the highway. On January 20, while I was on my way to the gym, my car jerked and decelerated while I was on the highway. I was able to pick up speed again and continue driving to the gym. When I came back out, my car started, but it would not shift out of park. I had the car towed to Acura of Brookfield, and they said something about the hydraulics inside the transmission being bad, and that they had to replace the entire transmission.

Filed Jul 25, 2025 · Acceleration · 137,000 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. There was no warning light illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was not provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened and immediately closed a case for the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 137,000.

Filed Jan 28, 2025 · Acceleration, Engine · MD

Car loosing power

Filed Dec 21, 2023 · Acceleration, Transmission · RI

When stopping for traffic or at a light and accelerating for take off the car has a delay. It does nothing. It’s a 2sec delay that will be deadly to someone.

Filed Sep 17, 2023 · Acceleration, Engine · NC

Great hesitation, in acceleration, clicking of gears and drive and while putting in reverse also clicking of the years when accelerating

Filed May 4, 2023 · Acceleration, Fuel system · NC

at highway speeds, the transmission unexpectedly shifts to neutral with no warning. The only indication is unexpected decrease in speed and accompanying engine rev. My typical driver response is to take foot off accelerator, then put back on again. Engine overrevs then shifts in to gear. I'd estimate it's out of gear for ~ 5 seconds, but hard to say in the heat of the driving moment. This happens 1-2X most highway trips, but not occur at lower speeds (it does not shift very smoothly in lower gears at times, but it's not currently a safety issue). I've taken it to my local dealer (Hendrick Acura, Durham, NC) and contacted Acura Customer Care, and am trying to get a diagnostic scheduled (it's been a process). The behavior started to worsen over the past several months (e.g. the slip to neutral has lengthened in time) but shorter slips have been occurring for a longer time period.

Filed Apr 4, 2022 · Acceleration, Transmission · IN

I was driving on the highway at normal highway speeds of 70MPH when the car lost the ability to accelerate, and I was forced to make an emergency stop on the side of the interstate. With the heavy traffic on the interstate, this scenario could have been catastrophic as there is currently construction and no place to pull over for emergencies. The vehicle was towed to Hubler Acura in Greenwood IN where they performed a diagnostic test and no known issues were found on their diagnostic computer. However, the issue is not happening on a computer at the dealer, the issue occurred on the interstate while traveling 70mph. I have read several message boards where the users have posted similar experiences about losing power when accelerating in their 2017 MDX. The dealerships seem to offer a transmission fluid change or a computer reset as a solution. I have previously had the same acceleration issue and had these two items already completed within the past 90 days and neither issue resolved the problem, which further led to the most recent interstate incident. From my online research, Honda is either unwilling or unable to diagnose this common transmission problem and they need to be held accountable for their inaction. This issue needs to be addressed before it creates a scenario with fatalities.

Questions about the 2017 Acura MDX acceleration

Does the 2017 Acura MDX have acceleration problems?

Owners have filed 21 complaints about the acceleration of the 2017 Acura MDX, 8% of all its complaints.

At what mileage do 2017 Acura MDX acceleration problems start?

The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 27,000 miles.

Was there a recall on the 2017 Acura MDX acceleration?

There is no recall for this problem on this model year.

What year does the Acura MDX have the most acceleration problems?

The Acura MDX model years with the most acceleration complaints are 2017 (21 complaints), 2014 (19 complaints) and 2016 (19 complaints).

Other 2017 Acura MDX problems

Engine 97Transmission 65Electrical 46Driver assistance 44Brakes 23Fuel system 19Body 10Lights 7Wheels 4Seat belts 3Seats 3Airbags 2Tires 2Visibility 2Steering 1Suspension 1

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