2017 Acura MDX: jerking or lurching

Filed Sep 13, 2026 · Fuel system · TX

When making a slow turn or rolling stop, the vehicle hesitates on light throttle and then experiences a sudden, jerky surge when the pedal is pressed further. This is very unsafe and scary for people around at school crossing and highway crossings

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 6, 2025 · Transmission · 84,542 miles · FL

On [XXX], while driving from Orlando, FL to Atlanta, GA, I experienced one of the most terrifying moments of my life. I was traveling on the freeway at approximately 80 MPH, in lane 3 or 4, when my vehicle suddenly began to hesitate and lose power without any warning. In that moment, fear and panic took over. Cars were flying past me, and I could feel my truck rapidly decelerating. I immediately turned on my hazard lights and began honking to alert other drivers, praying they would give me space to move over. Thankfully, I was able to carefully navigate across lanes and reach the far-left shoulder. Once I got into the acceleration/deceleration lane, the vehicle suddenly lurched forward and began accelerating again—completely on its own. I knew I couldn't risk staying on the road, so I exited at the next ramp and pulled into a gas station, still shaken. After refueling, I attempted to restart the truck, but it would no longer shift into Drive or Neutral. The truck was stuck in Park and completely inoperable. A roadside mechanic responded to my call for help and made several attempts to restore mobility, but nothing worked. I spent the evening stranded and alone, unsure of what to do next. The following day, [XXX], I had the vehicle towed to Honda South near Atlanta, GA. After inspection, I was informed that the issue was a complete transmission failure. In addition to needing a new transmission, the vehicle also required replacement of critical sub-assembly components, including the transmission control module (TCM). This situation was not just a mechanical failure—it was a serious safety event that put my life and the lives of others at risk. I’m still shaken by what happened and deeply concerned about how such a failure could occur so suddenly and without warning. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jun 8, 2025 · Transmission · CA

We purchased vehicle in Sept 2020. The vehicle has always had a rough jerk or rough shift when initially moving at stop lights or any stop and as vehicle is accelerated and to shifting to next gear. It is not a smooth transmission shift from initial start to first few gears. Just seems that at any time transmission may fail and vehicles behind may run into it.

Filed Nov 15, 2024 · Transmission · 135,000 miles · OR

The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated that after a routine transmission flush, while driving approximately 40 MPH, the transmission was hesitating before shifting. The contact stated that vehicle was jerking into gear and made an abnormal banging sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had reoccurred. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, and the transmission started to jerk while shifting into gear, while shifting lanes. The contact pulled off the highway and observed that numerous warning lights were illuminated. The check transmission message was displayed. The contact was able to shift to park(P) and turned the vehicle off several times. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to be shifted to drive(D); however, when the accelerator pedal was depressed, the engine revved, and the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that numerous warning lights were illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to the same dealer where the service was performed. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.

Filed Aug 16, 2024 · Engine · 120,000 miles · KY

The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle continuously jolted and jerked, prompting him to pull to the shoulder of the roadway to turn off the vehicle. After restarting the vehicle, the failure persisted. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed failures with the crankshaft position sensor and connecting rod bearings. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 120,000.

Filed Jan 23, 2024 · Engine · 105,000 miles · NJ

The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and was jerking. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to a local mechanic to be diagnosed. The mechanic retrieved DTC code: P0369 (Reduced Engine Power). The mechanic replaced the camshaft and the sensors. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 105,000.

Filed Jun 5, 2023 · Transmission · MA

While in a residential area we were accelerating from a slow speed as we were leaving one corner and preparing to enter a second corner. The car then suddenly lurched forward followed by the drivetrain immediately entered into neutral - losing all forward power. We were able to coast across the end of a residential driveway. (The owner wasn’t thrilled about that at first but understood after an explanation.) We then turned the car off, ans waited about 15 minutes before restarting the car. At that point everything worked normally with no indication of a continuation of the problem. The car was in the comfort dynamic mode at the time. Although the transmission went into neutral during the incident the shift clearly remained in the drive position. We were very careful about checking to see if we had somehow been at fault - bit this was definitely not driver’s error. We were fortunate on two fronts. Firstly, had an adult or child been in the crosswalk we were approaching at the time it could have ended badly. Secondly, we were at slow speed in modest traffic and had enough momentum to safely coast out of traffic. However, the incident was unsettling and we remain highly cautious about driving the car now. Later that evening we drove the car for about 30 minutes attempting to recreate the incident or see if we noticed anything odd at all about the transmission, shift, or electronics. We did this on a secluded road, using each of the car’s dynamic modes, at varying speeds, and changing acceleration. However, we were not able to recreate the incident. We did not notice anything odd about the car and no warning lights came on. There were also no warning lights leading up to or during the incident. The vehicle is available for inspection if requested. To be fair, we have not yet contacted the dealership. However given the seriousness of this issue and potential danger we felt it was important to report it right away.

Filed Jun 5, 2023 · Transmission · MA

While in a residential area we were accelerating from a slow speed as we were leaving one corner and preparing to enter a second corner. We were in comfort dynamic mode at the time. The car then suddenly lurched forward followed by the drive-train immediately entering into neutral - losing all forward power. We were able to coast across the end of a residential driveway. We then turned the car off, and waited about 15 minutes before restarting the car. At that point everything worked normally with no indication of a continuation of the problem. Although the transmission went into neutral during the incident the shift clearly remained in the drive position. We were very careful about checking to see if we had somehow been at fault - bit this was definitely not driver’s error. We were fortunate on two fronts. Firstly, had an adult or child been in the crosswalk we were approaching at the time it could have ended badly. Secondly, we were at slow speed in modest traffic and had enough momentum to safely coast out of traffic. However, the incident was unsettling and we remain highly cautious about driving the car now. Later that evening we drove the car for about 30 minutes attempting to recreate the incident or see if we noticed anything odd at all about the transmission, shift, or electronics. We did this on a secluded road, using each of the car’s dynamic modes, at varying speeds, and changing acceleration. However, we were not able to recreate the incident. We did not notice anything odd about the car and no warning lights came on. There were also no warning lights leading up to or during the incident. The vehicle is available for inspection if requested. To be fair, we have not yet contacted the dealership. However given the seriousness of this issue and potential danger we felt it was important to report it right away.

Filed Apr 12, 2023 · Transmission · AR

On a 2,000 mile family road trip the car shifted to neutral two times at highway speeds. Fortunately, I didn't lose my power steering or power brakes. The car remained on but I had no power. Then the car jerked, the rpm's dropped to 1,000 and then jumped around a little and the car took off again.

Filed Nov 22, 2021 · Transmission · CA

Vehicle has ongoing rough transmission shifting issues. It jerks between gears when accelerating at stop signs or stop lights. I have also received a letter from attorney alleging ongoing transmission issues with this model - 2017 MDX. Car has only 23k miles. I used your website to search for possible recalls and did not see any. However, I wanted to share my experience to hopefully help others or perhaps hope of others reporting same mechanical issue.

Filed Oct 8, 2021 · Transmission · 70,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2017 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle started to jerk back and forth. The vehicle inadvertently shifted to neutral causing the loss of motive power. The contact exited the vehicle and pushed the vehicle to the side of the road. The contact had the vehicle towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.