NHTSA vehicle safety data

2017 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

The 2017 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns and 8 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Acura dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2017 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid, plus NCAP crash-test ratings. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

Pre-purchase inspection checklist → Reliability & 5-year cost forecast →

2017 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid owner complaints

Owners have filed 8 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid, describing incidents dated March 29, 2018 to July 15, 2025.

Most-cited components

Power Train 5 complaints
Electrical System 2 complaints
Fuel/Propulsion System 2 complaints
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) 1 complaint
Engine 1 complaint
Steering 1 complaint

Newest complaints

ODI #11689105 · Filed September 23, 2025
The car has been experiencing roughness and shaking in reverse 50% of the time. Some times it shakes and jerks much more than other times, but either way it seems to be a common problem when searching forums and there doesn't seem to be any solution besides replacing the transmission. The dealership…
ODI #11408329 · Filed April 16, 2021
THE TRANSMISSION WILL JERK WHEN DRIVING UPON ACCELERATION AND HAS A CONTINUOUS SHIFTING SOUND AND FEELING AS THOUGH THE CAR IS IN NEUTRAL OR THE DRIVE MODE IS BEING CHANGED (LIKE THAT WHEN YOU SHIFT GEARS ON A BIKE). I AM UNABLE TO USE ALL DRIVE MODES AS THE ISSUE OCCURS IN EVERY MODE--BUT EVEN MORE…
ODI #11406968 · Filed April 7, 2021
TRANSMISSION WILL JERK HEAVILY WHEN DRIVING AND HAS A CONTINUOUS SHIFTING SOUND LIKE IT STAYS NEUTRAL. WILL JUDDER WHEN THE VEHICLE STOPS AND ON ACCELERATION. THE CAR NEEDS TO BE TURNED OFF AND BACK ON TO RESET. I CAN'T USE ALL DRIVE SETTINGS AS IT HAPPENS MORE FREQUENTLY IN THE SPORT MODES. THE…

Read all 8 complaints

NHTSA defect investigations

NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2017 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid in 1 investigation. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.

Defect Petition DP22-005: Pedestrian alert sounds
Closed August 7, 2023
- Recall 22V-063

Open and recently closed NHTSA defect investigations

Possible Loss of a Tailgate Lid Light

NHTSA #19V256000 · Exterior Lighting — Tail Lights · NHTSA notice

Reported March 28, 2019 · Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

Potentially affected: 322,897 vehicles

Repair completion: 86.28% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Manufacturer campaign M49 · Owners notified May 7, 2019 · Vehicles built July 21, 2015 – September 19, 2017 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Acura MDX and 2017-2019 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid vehicles. Moisture may enter the tailgate lid lights, possibly causing a loss of the tailgate lid lights and the taillights.

Safety consequence

Loss of the taillights reduces the vehicle's visibility, increasing the risk of crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Acura will notify owners, and dealers will modify the tailgate lid lights and install updated gaskets and a wiring sub-harness or will replace both tailgate lid lights. The repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began May 7, 2019. Owners may contact Acura customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is M49.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Coating on Rear Brake Caliper Pistons/FMVSS 135

NHTSA #18V777000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic — Foundation Components — Disc — Caliper · NHTSA notice

Reported November 1, 2018 · Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

Potentially affected: 64,785 vehicles

Repair completion: 91.9% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Manufacturer campaign C31, L30 · Owners notified December 11, 2018 · Vehicles built September 15, 2017 – September 15, 2017 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Acura MDX, 2017-2018 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda HR-V and Honda Odyssey, and 2016 Honda HR-V vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating, causing gas pockets to form, reducing brake performance. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."

Safety consequence

A reduction of braking performance increases the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

Owners will be notified, and Honda or Acura dealers will bleed the brakes, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are C31 and L30.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Misrouted Fuel Feed and Fuel Purge Hoses

NHTSA #17V424000 · Fuel System, Gasoline — Delivery — Hoses, Lines/Piping, and Fittings · NHTSA notice

Reported June 30, 2017 · Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

Potentially affected: 193 vehicles

Repair completion: 100% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated November 3, 2026)

Manufacturer campaign KF8 · Owners notified August 14, 2017 · Vehicles built March 23, 2017 – May 18, 2017 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2017 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid vehicles. The affected vehicles have an engine fuel feed hose and a fuel purge hose that may have been misrouted during vehicle assembly.

Safety consequence

The misrouting can cause the hoses to be damaged from contact with other components, potentially resulting in a fuel leak. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of a fire.

Manufacturer remedy

Acura will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the routing of the fuel feed hose and the fuel purge hose. If misrouted, the hoses will be replaced and installed correctly, free of charge. The recall began on August 14, 2017. Owners may contact Acura Client Relations at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is KF8.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

2017 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid SUV AWD

out of 5

Overall Safety Rating

Frontal Crash

Driver: 5, Passenger: 5

Side Crash

Driver: 5, Passenger: 5

Side Pole

Rollover

16% rollover risk

Safety Technology

Electronic Stability Control Forward Collision Warning Lane Departure Warning

1 investigation

8 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2017 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid.

Power Train

ODI #11689105

Incident: July 15, 2025 · Filed: September 23, 2025

The car has been experiencing roughness and shaking in reverse 50% of the time. Some times it shakes and jerks much more than other times, but either way it seems to be a common problem when searching forums and there doesn't seem to be any solution besides replacing the transmission. The dealership has recommended a full transmission replacement which costs more than the value of the car. There are no lights that come up, but the jerkiness in reverse seems dangerous and there's a chance that if it jerks at the wrong time it can cause an accident.

Power Train

ODI #11408329

Incident: April 14, 2021 · Filed: April 16, 2021

THE TRANSMISSION WILL JERK WHEN DRIVING UPON ACCELERATION AND HAS A CONTINUOUS SHIFTING SOUND AND FEELING AS THOUGH THE CAR IS IN NEUTRAL OR THE DRIVE MODE IS BEING CHANGED (LIKE THAT WHEN YOU SHIFT GEARS ON A BIKE). I AM UNABLE TO USE ALL DRIVE MODES AS THE ISSUE OCCURS IN EVERY MODE--BUT EVEN MORE IN THE SPORT MODES. WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS, I HAVE TO TURN OFF THE CAR AND TURN IT BACK ON AND THAT WILL USUALLY FIX THE PROBLEM--BUT IF I CHANGE IT TO ANOTHER DRIVE MODE OR HAVE IT IN THE SPORT MODES IT OCCURS RANDOMLY. IF I'M ON THE FREEWAY DURING COMMUTE TIMES, I DON'T PULL OVER TO DO SO. THE ISSUE FIRST STARTED AT 15K MILES WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. I WAS UTILIZING ONE OF THE SPORT MODES. IN THE PAST--THE RIDE WAS SMOOTHER, NOW IT'S A HIT OR MISS. IT WAS REPORTED TO THE DEALERSHIP DURING A SERVICE. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN REPORTED A TOTAL OF 6 TIMES TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY HAVE KEPT THE CAR OVERNIGHT, REPLACE THE SHIFT MECHANISM, UPDATED SYSTEM SETTINGS, AND THE GAS PUMP. DURING MY LAST VISIT, THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT NO ISSUE WAS FOUND. THE ISSUE STILL PERSISTS. FROM MY RESEARCH, IT IS A COMMON ISSUE AND SHOULD NOT BE. IT STARTED BACK IN 2018 AND AS LATE AS 4/14/2021.

Power Train

ODI #11406968

Incident: April 5, 2021 · Filed: April 7, 2021

TRANSMISSION WILL JERK HEAVILY WHEN DRIVING AND HAS A CONTINUOUS SHIFTING SOUND LIKE IT STAYS NEUTRAL. WILL JUDDER WHEN THE VEHICLE STOPS AND ON ACCELERATION. THE CAR NEEDS TO BE TURNED OFF AND BACK ON TO RESET. I CAN'T USE ALL DRIVE SETTINGS AS IT HAPPENS MORE FREQUENTLY IN THE SPORT MODES. THE ISSUE FIRST STARTED HAPPENING AT 15K MILES. I HAVE REPORTED IT TO RHE DEALERSHIP SIX TIMES, THE LAST TIME WAS A WEEK AGO. THE DEALERSHIP HAS KEPT THE CAR OVERNIGHT, REPLACED THE SHIFT MECHANISMS, UPDATED SYSTEM SETTINGS, AND THE GAS PUMPS. THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. I ATTEMPTED TO UPLOAD SERVICE RECORDS, MULTIPLE DOCUMENTS.

Vehicle Speed Control

ODI #11361871

Incident: September 3, 2020 · Filed: September 29, 2020

THE VEHICLE CONSISTENTLY IGNORES THE MILES-PER-HOUR SET ON THE CRUISE CONTROLS - - EXCEEDING THE MPH BY OVER 5 MILES PER HOUR OR EVEN MORE. THIS IS A SAFELY HAZARD PLUS CAN EASILY LEAD TO SPEEDING TICKETS. I HAVE NOTICED THIS HAPPENING MANY TIMES ON HIGHWAYS (NORMALLY WITH A SPEED LIMIT OF 55 - 65.

Electrical System

ODI #11342770

Incident: July 18, 2020 · Filed: August 2, 2020

REAR BACK UP CAMERA HAS UP TO 1 MINUTE DELAY IN ACTIVATING WHEN I SELECTED REVERSE. ALSO DELAYS THE SAFETY SYSTEMS ASSOCIATED WITH IT LIKE CROSS TRAFFIC WARNINGS AND COLLISION AVOIDANCE.

Power Train; Electrical System

ODI #11164832

Incident: October 26, 2018 · Filed: January 7, 2019

VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY BREAKS DOWN WITH "POWER SYSTEM" AND "AWD" WARNING LIGHTS TRIGGERING SAFE MODE OPERATION. SAFE MODE LIMITS POWER AND POTENTIALLY CREATES UNSAFE CONDITION AS CAR CANNOT BE OPERATED AT FULL POWER. ACURA REFUSES TO REPAIR. PROBLEM OCCURS BOTH WITH IN MOTION AND WHEN AT IDLE.

Power Train; Engine; Fuel/Propulsion System

ODI #11128155

Incident: September 7, 2018 · Filed: September 7, 2018

UNINTENDED ACCELERATION - WHILE COASTING, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES ON ITS OWN UP TO 30MPH. THIS HAS OCCURRED WHILE APPROACHING TRAFFIC LIGHTS, STOP SIGNS, PARKING LOTS, CROSSWALKS AND PARKING IN THE GARAGE. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WITH TWO DIFFERENT DRIVERS AND EVEN THE DEALER HAS EXPERIENCED THE SAME SYMPTOMS. THE VEHICLE ALSO STALLS WHILE STOPPED IN THE ROADWAY TO TURN. ACURA SENT A REGIONAL SERVICE DIRECTOR TO TEST THE VEHICLE AND MY DRIVING SKILLS AND STATES THAT SINCE THERE ARE NO TROUBLE CODES FROM THE COMPUTER, ALL SYSTEMS ARE OPERATING AS DESIGNED. BRAKING - THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL WILL SENSE LARGE VEHICLES IN ADJACENT LANES AND SMALL VEHICLES ON CURVES AND ABRUPTLY APPLY BRAKES. THE VEHICLE BELIEVES THESE VEHICLES ARE IN OUR LANE WHEN THEY ARE IN FACT IN THE ADJACENT LANE. WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL NEAR MISSES WHERE THE VEHICLE BEHIND US ALMOST REAR ENDED US DUE TO THE IMMEDIATE AND UNNECESSARY APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES. WE HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN THIS VEHICLES TECHNOLOGY TO PERFORM AS INTENDED AND FEAR EVENTUALLY SOMEONE WILL BE HURT OR KILLED AS IT DOES NOT RECOGNIZE PEDESTRIANS EITHER.

Steering; Electronic Stability Control (ESC); Fuel/Propulsion System

ODI #11084738

Incident: March 29, 2018 · Filed: April 12, 2018

THIS CAR HAS SERIOUS ISSUES. THE PREVIOUS BRAKING COMPLAINT IS ABSOLUTELY VALID! THE FIRST TWO ISSUES OUTLINED BELOW ARE MOST PROBLEMATIC AT HIGHWAY SPEED WITH THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL SET. THAT BEING SAID, PROBLEM NUMBER ONE IN PARTICULAR OCCURS ON A REGULAR BASIS WHENEVER THE CRUISE CONTROL IS SET. 1. BRAKING - THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL WILL SENSE LARGE VEHICLES IN ADJACENT LANES AND ABRUPTLY APPLY BRAKES. IT SEEMS THE MDX 'THINKS' THESE VEHICLES ARE IN YOUR LANE WHEN THEY ARE IN FACT IN THE LANE NEXT TO YOU. THE SAME WILL OCCUR WHEN A CAR IN AN ADJACENT LANE DRIFTS NEAR, BUT NOT INTO THE LANE OCCUPIED BY THE MDX. WE HAVE HAD NO LESS THAN THREE NEAR MISSES WHERE THE VEHICLE BEHIND US NEARLY REAR ENDED US DUE TO THE IMMEDIATE AND UNNECESSARY APPLICATION OF BRAKES BY THE MDX. 2. LANE KEEP ASSIST - ON A MULTIPLE OCCASIONS WE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE WHILE REMAINING IN OUR LANE TO AVOID A ROAD HAZARD. THE CAR FIGHTS AGAINST YOU WITH SUCH FORCE AS TO NEARLY MAKE THE VEHICLE NON-MANEUVERABLE. BOTH OF THE ITEMS ABOVE HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO THE DEALER TWICE. IN BOTH CASES WE WERE TOLD THIS IS NORMAL AND THAT WE SHOULD ADJUST THE SENSOR SENSITIVITY. WE'VE TRIED ALL LEVELS OF THE SENSOR SENSITIVITY AND NOTHING HAS WORKED. 3. UNINTENDED ACCELERATION - THIS IS EASILY THE MOST SCARY THING THAT HAS OCCURRED. WHILE SLOWLY DRIVING THROUGH A GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT, MY FOOT WAS HOVERING OVER THE BRAKE. OUR MDX ALL OF A SUDDEN WITH NO DRIVER INPUT AUTOMATICALLY ACCELERATED ABRUPTLY. I IMMEDIATELY HIT THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE RESPONDED. THANKFULLY, NO PEDESTRIAN WAS CROSSING IN FRONT OF ME. I'VE YET TO SEE THIS PROBLEM AGAIN HOWEVER THIS CAUSES SERIOUS CONCERN.

Other Acura MDX Sport Hybrid model years

Check your 2017 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Acura MDX Sport Hybrid at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

Check an Acura VIN