Acura MDX grinding brakes problems

Filed Sep 5, 2026 · Engine · KS

"Vehicle experienced a sudden flashing check engine light pulled over checked oil restarted car flashing check engine light went away then started flashing again a few miles down the road (Cylinder 3 misfire) accompanied by severe engine knocking. The engine locked up/seized while hot. car was stuck on the road and was unable to shift to neutral. After cooling down, the engine restarted but produces a heavy metallic scraping and loud squealing noise from internal friction. This matches the exact failure mechanism of connecting rod bearing failure under investigation PE25008, but Honda/Acura has excluded this VIN from active recalls. I was forced to pay $389 out-of-pocket for an emergency tow."

Filed Aug 31, 2026 · Transmission · IN

While driving home on a Sunday afternoon, out of nowhere, a very loud pop sound happened followed by grinding. We were so worried that my husband pulled over thinking we had done major damage to the car somehow. Visual inspection under the car yielded nothing leaving us puzzled. No warning lights came on before, during, or after. We had it taken to the Acura dealership in Fairfield, Ohio. The car was still within warranty at this time, and they found nothing nor could they replicate the sound. My husband explained that it sounded to be transmission related. They chalked it up to a loose tie rod end which they “tightened” to solve all of our problems. We left the dealership and took the car home experiencing no further problems. Fast forward to the winter of that same year we realized that no matter what mode we put the car in we didn’t have AWD. Still no warning lights. The following spring, approximately 20,000 miles after experiencing the first loud pop and grind, we started getting error messages on our user dashboard. “All wheel drive system problem. Only front wheels may be powered. See your dealer”. We immediately scheduled a service appointment with the same Acura dealership. Within minutes of having the car examined on the lift the Acura certified technician found the problem to be the AWD transfer case and additionally the transmission. Stating we would need to replace both. They came back with a quote of approximately $18,000 for a new transmission, transfer case, labor, and all associated materials, for which we declined. Currently seeking help for recall as we do not believe a transmission/ transfer case should fail so quickly under normal driving circumstances.

Filed Aug 11, 2026 · Transmission · 80,000 miles · MA

The contact owns a 2022 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormally rough grinding sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, but the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle operated normally for a while. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer determined that there was a failure within the transfer case, causing the vehicle to be operable only in Front Wheel Drive. Additionally, there was debris inside the transmission. The vehicle was repaired out of pocket. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.

Filed Aug 4, 2026 · Suspension · WI

I received a letter from Acura about a safety recall on the subframe. My car has been making a creaking noise and so I called the number on the letter. The guy gave me the number to Acura, Brookfield WI. I called and talked to someone there today, I think his name was John. I told him I wanted my car checked for the recall issue and I am worried about the noise. He said a subframe won't cause squeaking and I would have to pay $200 for them to look at it. I said I would call back in fall as the letter states but Im still wanting this issue fixed now.

Filed Jul 14, 2026 · Transmission · 97,000 miles · CT

The contact owns a 2022 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, there was an abnormal vibration coming from the front passenger’s side of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The abnormal vibration persisted, and there was a grinding sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the power transfer case spline had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall, and the vehicle was not under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

Filed Jun 29, 2026 · IN

Idle stop not functioning properly. Will get to a stop, and numerous times it will not start back up until you put it in park and restart it several times. Sometimes, it will not start on the 1st try from a cold start, or the starter will grind really slow. We have taken this to Acura several times, and they tell us it is a known problem, but just to turn the idle stop off each time.

Filed Jan 16, 2026 · Engine · CO

On December 4th I noticed a rattling sound when I was driving. It worsened when my car would rev above 2RPMs and before shifting. It also would make a terrible grinding sound when I started the car. I had about 1/4 of a tank of gas and thought that maybe that was part of the issue. After filling up, the sound was not as loud, but was still present when I started the car and upon accelerating. I took my car to my Acura dealership on December 5th. Within an hour of having the car they called to tell me that the engine needed to be replaced due to a connecting rod failure. They told me that the car is no longer safe to drive and that the repairs would be required in order to continue to use the vehicle safely. There was no warning sign. My only other concern is that the downshifters of this vehicle have never worked properly. I have mentioned this to the dealership multiple times and even drove the vehicle with their representative to recreate the issue. The car would accelerate and lurch forward upon utilizing the downshift feature. This would also cause the vehicle to over-rev which I am concerned was problematic to the connecting rod failure. Additionally, the vehicle has always made a grinding noise upon starting the engine, but the dealership assured me this was normal. Acura is unwilling to cover the full cost of replacement even though this vehicle has been maintained per the manufacturer's recommendations. There are approximately 90,000 miles on this vehicle.

Filed Dec 18, 2025 · Seats · NJ

The rear seats for my 2020 MDX are making a loud squeaky noise. The car has all of 47,000 miles and this should not be happening. American Honda wants $4,467 to replace the rear seat that is in a newer car from 2020. I’ve already had to spend over $2,000 last year to replace the drivers seat motor. I’d like to know if this problem is prevalent in the 2020 MDX with other owners? I’d appreciate your insight. Thank you. [XXX] cell [XXX] and [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Dec 5, 2025 · Driver assistance, Electrical · NJ

i purchased the vehicle March of 2025. Since I have been to the dealership on multiple occasions. I was there less than a week after purchase because there was a noise coming from the front tire the dealership balanced the tire. The noise was still there so i returned and the next time they replaced the front wheel bearings. I still have issues with the steering wheel shaking so they replaced all 4 tires. The problem still persists but they don’t know why. the car feels unsafe to drive especially on the highway and in rain. i have had the recall for the brake pin assembly addressed and fixed. I also have issues with the audio shutting off or not responding the dealer did a hard reset and an update to the software that has not resolved the issue. The car would turn off at random times and struggle to turn back on when the idle shut off was activated. the dealer replaced the starter. i have had issues with the car randomly braking when there is nothing in front of me and other safety features either not working at all or working when not needed. dealer advised it was a faulty battery and replaced it. I currently am still having shaking with loud noises especially at higher speed. The engine is very hesitant when accelerating and i struggle to merge onto the highway. It is also extremely jerky at lower gears and its most noticeable in stop go traffic. The brakes are squealing already and the mileage is low. I also sometimes need to press the brakes hard to even stop. The screen often goes black or will not connect to anything and i am unable to see directions or hear music. i feel extremely unsafe in this car and have anxiety every time i need to have anyone in the car with me

Filed Nov 25, 2025 · Brakes, Fuel system · LA

Upon startup the following warning lights come on and remain active: Brake System Problem, Power Steering Problem, Hill Start Assist Problem, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) Problem, Anti-Lock Break System Problem. Additionally, intermittingly a loud grinding noise can be heard from the button of the vehicle.