2018 Acura MDX: jerking or lurching

Filed Jun 13, 2025 · Engine, Fuel system · 65,000 miles · TN

The contact owns a 2018 Acura MDX. The contact received notifications of the federal safety agency Campaign Numbers: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the vehicle jerked and hesitated and failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. No warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while exiting a parking lot and driving 5 MPH, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated. The contact stated that several minutes later, the vehicle functioned as intended. No warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired after the most recent failure. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

Filed Mar 7, 2025 · Acceleration · 50,000 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2018 Acura MDX. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle failed to respond. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was attempting to pull over to the side of the road and depressed the accelerator pedal, but the pedal went to the floorboard, and the vehicle jerked and suddenly stopped. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for an unknown recall for the fuel pump to be repaired and the contact informed the dealer of the failure the vehicle was experiencing. The vehicle was repaired under recall; however, the failure persisted. The local dealer was contacted two more times for the same failure; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and provided the contact with a case number. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

Filed Feb 14, 2025 · Transmission · 92,365 miles · LA

The contact owns a 2018 Acura MDX. While the contact's wife was driving and stopped at a stop light, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the transmission hesitated, and the vehicle jerked forward. The contact stated that the failure was persistent. In addition, the contact stated that the transmission was shifting abnormally hard. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,365.

Filed Jan 31, 2025 · Acceleration, Engine · NY

Bought vehicle new in 2018. Starting in 2020, brought car to dealership complaining that car, at times, did not accelerate when prompted. Vehicle pauses, then lurches forward. Very dangerous when making left turns and when merging with traffic. My wife (who used to be primary driver of this vehicle), refused to continue to drive it ...and neither I nor my wife would allow our now age 21 daughter to drive it. So this vehicle (as unsafe as it was) became my back and forth to work vehicle. Vehicle was brought to the dealership on at least 4 or 5 times with this complaint - from 2020 through 2024...One time it was at dealership for almost 2 weeks Dealership would never fully admit to the issue - often times one service person, through test driving would notice the issue, only to then be told it was "normal driving" of this vehicle. On a regular basis, car would stop (pause) "in the face of oncoming traffic - my heart would skip a beat, only for the car to then resume accelerating On many occasions, I discussed with service team - always to be told that there were no known issues Fast forward to 2024 - when Acura notified me of a Recall regarding the Fuel Pump....I quickly scheduled an appointment, brought the car in this past week and had the Recall done. Speaking with the Serviceperson when checking the car in, I brought up the past issues that I have had and asked if this Recall was the likely reason.....the service person - without hesitation said "absolutely"......I then asked him, so was "Acura lying to me ll these past visits".....his response was "sounds like it to me" Since getting the car back - the hesitation has stopped. I have paperwork from all my previous visits - with responses from their technicians I am certain there was consumer fraud conducted by the dealership I bought and serviced this vehicle from (Open Road Acura - Wayne NJ). Add to it , the inconveniences I experienced and the fear that my wife and daughter had of the vehicle.

Filed Jan 8, 2025 · Engine, Fuel system · MN

From a stop, the vehicle will lurch forward after 1 second of acceleration without a change in the amount of pressure on the gas pedal, as if there is a delayed input to the throttle position. This only happens from a complete stop, such as at red lights, stop signs, or in heavy stop and go traffic. On multiple occasions I have almost rear ended the vehicle in front of me as a result of this. There are no warning lamps or error messages displayed in the gauge cluster. I have not been able to have this inspected by any of the Acura dealers in a 25 mile radius, because when I called to make an appointment for the connecting rod bearing recall, the earliest opening was March of 2026.

Filed Jun 7, 2023 · Fuel system · NJ

This car has repeatedly had issues with delaying to take off when I touch the gas pedal. Once the pedal is depressed there is a long delay before the car actually moves. Two days ago as I was driving at around 35mph all warning lights came on and the car started jerking as it was trying to slow down or stall. I was able to get back to my home luckily I was only up the street and was able to drive under 30mph and had to pull off the road several times because it kept jerking almost as if someone was repeatedly slamming on the brakes. I had a mechanic hook a reader up and was able to determine it was the high pressure fuel pump. Acura claims my car has no open recalls but I believe although it may not be currently it obviously should be part of the recall involving the same exact issue. The warranty expired 3k miles ago ironically, but given this issue has happened to other cars of the same make and model and given the recall for this same part on other cars like mine just with a different vin I believe it should be covered as it is a major safety concern. The car jerked very hard and luckily I did not have my kids with me and luckily no one was too close to me when my car starting stopping in such an forceful way. If I was on a Highway I would have probably been involved in an accident as the car was attempting to go into limp mode due to the failure of the fuel pump and was aggressively shifting down when I was only going 35mph I can only imagine what could happened if i was traveling double that speed.

Filed Apr 5, 2023 · Acceleration, Transmission · MD

It seems that, from the day we purchased the vehicle, there have been issues with the transmission regarding how it is programmed and how it responds to drive or input through the throttle. This causes the vehicle the occasionally lurch forward under acceleration, especially at low speeds in the parking lot. And times the throttle gets really confused and the transmission fails to deliver power to the vehicle for a second. This has happened to me two or three times. I was turning left when the vehicle lost power momentarily and oncoming traffic was headed straight for me and my vehicle. If the delay had lasted just a while longer, things would have looked very bad. Based on my research online, I am not the only driver experiencing this kind of problem with the transmission.

Filed Mar 14, 2022 · Acceleration, Transmission · GA

When trying to accelerate after braking the vehicle has a MASSIVE hesitation where it just sits there doing nothing literally for a solid second. Not only being very frustrating it's IMO very dangerous. If I'm at a yield and then need to merge quickly, if I'm getting on a highway from a parking lot, if I'm trying to switch lanes in traffic, etc etc the vehicle just bogs down and does nothing for that 1-2 seconds. Drive the vehicle normally, apply the brakes and then right away take your foot off the brake and accelerate. You don't have to mash the accelerator, even with light to moderate pressure you will notice that lag where the vehicle is just sitting there with zero power. If you do accelerate moderately or hard after a second or 2 of doing nothing it will just completely jerk into motion. Does the same thing in all modes, it's actually worse in Sport and Sport+ mode because you get more power after the hesitation After braking moderately hard from 40mph to 15mph because someone cut in front. Then I changed lanes and had to accelerate because that other lane was going quite a bit faster. Hit the gas and nothing for what seemed like the longest 1.5 seconds until the thrust came back online Pattern: From Stop --> Accelerate for about approx 20 MPH -->Release the gas pedal and immediately apply the gas pedal. Another pattern: Travel in about 40 MPH, apply the brakes to a speed below 20 MPH and apply gas pedal. Consulted with the dealer multiple times and they think this is normal for 2018 MDXes. But it is indeed a safety concern. The dealer said they applied TSB 20-015 TCM update and it still has not resolved the problem. THIS IS A HUGE SECURTY ISSUE and DANGER HAZZARD. The issue happens every day. Below reported date is the latest occurrence.

Filed Sep 24, 2019 · Brakes, Transmission · 30,000 miles · IN

6 months after delivery of my vehicle I stated noticing a jerking when my transmission shifts. I have taken my vehicle to the dealer indicating my concern. Each time the dealers said the could not duplicate. The problem continues. The second issue has to do with my brakes . On 9/23/2019 my brakes started emitting a loud persistent squeak. I am scheduling an appointment with my dealer. My vehicle is a little more than a year old and it seems to me that at 30,000 miles constitute premature brake ware.