I have had a problem with the "Auto Idle Stop" in my 2025 Acura MDX. While at a stop light 2 different times and at a stop sign 1 time the car engine shut off as it should. Upon letting off the brake and pressing the gas the car would not go. It stayed in Park and I could not get it to go. The engine would not turn back on. I received a warning light that said "depress brake and push start". Upon doing this the car still would not start. I had to open the door, shut door, push brake and then start the car. Dealer confirmed that this has been an issue.
Acura MDX won't start problems
62 of the 3,340 owner complaints about the Acura MDX describe won't start, most of them for the 2025 model year.
- owner complaints
- 62
- worst model year
- 2025
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,350
- typical mileage
- 65,925
Is there a fix? There are 3 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Stalling 9Start-stop 7Engine failure 7Knocking 5Check engine light 5Loss of power 4Warning lights 3Fire or smoke 3
Trouble codes mentioned
P07E4 1
What owners say
20 minutes after parking my car, it would not start. Several different codes came up on the gauges - BRAKE issue; hill issue;stabilization issue - multiple icons and warnings. I ended up having to be jumped off.
The car was being driven as normal and while at a stop light the car shut off and alerted the driver with a transmission error code. The car would not start for about 30 mins after the incident. When we took it to be looked at by the dealership we were told that it was related to code P07E4. The dealership reset the system and the code and returned the car back to me. They stated that if this happened again they would need to replace the transmission. My concern is that this happens again while driving at a higher speed or in an area where it is not safe such as a highway or major intersection or road. It's also concerning that a major component of a vehicle would need replacement at normal mileage which is currently at 111,400 miles.
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.
I was driving on the highway. All of a sudden, my engine started making knocking noises. Shortly after that, the car started to lose power, and immediately the low engine oil light came on. I pulled over immediately to check the engine oil level. Oil level was normal. I restarted the car, but the mechanical knocking noise was evident and did not sound right. Towed the car to the closest Acura Dealership. Diagnostics states that engine has ceased and would not crank. Replacements engine is required and would costs approx. $4200. Acura has a recall on some 2016-2020 MDX for similar engine issues, but my VIN did not qualified. The symptoms i exprienced is very similar to what was described in the recall. Acura representative denied any goodwill support/help.
the car shuts off at a red light, fails to auto-restart, forces the car into Park, and requires a full manual reboot or jumpstart while stuck in moving traffic. It also struggles to turn on at times mimicking a drained battery. I am needing to deactivate the auto start/stop feature in order for the vehicle to properly function. Vehicle will not start when parked at times.
While stopped at a red light at a busy intersection near an airport, the vehicle's Auto Idle Stop (AIS) system engaged and shut off the engine. When I attempted to restart by pressing the brake pedal — as instructed — the vehicle failed to restart. The dashboard displayed an error message reading "Idle Stop Function: Press Brake to Restart." My foot was on the brake pedal at the time; pressing it did not restart the engine. I then manually shut off the vehicle using the Engine Start/Stop button and attempted to restart it. The vehicle would not start. I remained stranded at the intersection for approximately 10 minutes before the vehicle finally restarted and allowed me to shift into Drive. I was the first car in the lane, so people kept piling up and honking behind me.
Description of Incident: While stopped at a red light at a busy intersection near a shopping district, the vehicle's Auto Idle Stop (AIS) system engaged and shut off the engine. When I attempted to restart by pressing the brake pedal — as instructed — the vehicle failed to restart. The dashboard displayed an error message reading "Idle Stop Function: Press Brake to Restart." My foot was on the brake pedal at the time; pressing it did not restart the engine. I then manually shut off the vehicle using the Engine Start/Stop button and attempted to restart it. The vehicle would not start. I remained stranded at the intersection for approximately 10 minutes. I had to call the cops for a patrol car because other cars were piling up behind me and I had my 6 month old son in the vehicle. Safety Impact: During this time, I was unable to move the vehicle from a live traffic intersection. This created an immediate safety hazard to myself, my family, and other drivers.
I am reporting a recurring safety issue following the Acura rod bearing recall repair on my 2019 Acura MDX SH-AWD. The original recall resulted in catastrophic engine failure and Acura replaced the long block assembly. Since that repair, the vehicle has repeatedly failed and returned to the dealership multiple times for the same issue pattern. Symptoms include: * “Emissions System Problem” warning * SH-AWD, brake, and traction control warnings * strong raw gasoline odor * vehicle becoming undriveable/no-start Timeline: * Recall repair completed with long block replacement * Vehicle failed again the next day * Dealer repaired vehicle * Vehicle failed again about one month later * Dealer repaired vehicle again * Vehicle failed a third time about one week later during normal commuting The recurring failures are accompanied by a strong gasoline smell, creating concern about fire risk and vehicle safety. I regularly transport children in this vehicle and no longer have confidence in the safety or reliability of the recall repair. The dealership has continued repairing the vehicle and providing loaners, indicating the issue is related to the original recall repair, but the underlying problem has still not been resolved despite multiple repair attempts. I am submitting this report because the recall repair has not resulted in safe and reliable vehicle operation.
While stopped at a traffic light, the vehicle had auto shut off normally. However when I released the brake and pushed the gas it unexpectedly stalled and shut off without warning. When attempting to restart the vehicle, it would not start again. There were no prior warning indicators or messages suggesting an imminent issue. This created a hazardous situation as the vehicle was disabled in an active traffic lane. After several attempts, the vehicle either restarted after having set the emergency brake. The failure appears to be sudden and without driver input, raising concerns about reliability and safety in traffic conditions.
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling: engine: hard parts internal/mechanical
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2016 and 2018-2019 Pilot, 2017 and 2019 Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 Odyssey vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the connecting rod bearing in the engine may wear and seize, damaging the engine.
- Risk
- A damaged engine may run improperly or stall while driving, increasing the risk of a fire, crash, or injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and repair, or replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed March 28, 2024. 2016-2017 Acura MDX owner letters were mailed November 1, 2024. 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed in mid-December 2024. Honda began mailing owner notification letters as of March 18, 2024. 2015-2016 Acura owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-December 2024, 2018 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed the end of March/early April 2024, 2019 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-May 2024, 2020 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-June 2024, and 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed January 27, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XG1 and GG0.
Recall number 23V751000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: engine: gasoline: belts and associated pulleys
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Acura MDX and Honda Pilot vehicles and 2019 Acura RLX, RLX Sport Hybrid, TLX and Honda Odyssey and Ridgeline vehicles. The timing belt teeth may separate from the belt.
- Risk
- Teeth separation from the timing belt may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of crash.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle and replace any affected timing belt free of charge. Vehicles receiving a replacement timing belt will also have the engine inspected and any damaged components will be replaced for free. The recall began June 7, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's number for this recall is L4M. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Acura's number for this recall is Z4L.
Recall number 19V298000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: engine
- What is wrong
- On certain minivans, sedans, coupes, and sport utility vehicles equipped with v6 engines, a timing belt tensioner pulley on the water pump is misaligned and could cause the timing belt to contact a bolt on the cylinder head. Eventually the belt could be damaged and fail.
- Risk
- If the timing belt breaks, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the water pump and if it is one of the defective pumps, the water pump and timing belt will be replaced. Owner notification began august 30, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact honda at 1‑800‑999‑1009 or acura at 1‑800‑382‑2238.
Recall number 02V226000 · Recall details
Questions about the Acura MDX won't start
Which Acura MDX years have won't start problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2025 (13 complaints), 2016 (10 complaints) and 2014 (7 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix won't start on the Acura MDX?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,350 (median of 6 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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