What 168 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid

FLAMES AND FIRE SHOT OUT FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE VENTS AND UNDER THE DASHBOARD AND GLOVE COMPARTMENT, ENGULFING THE VEHICLE INTO FLAMES RESULTING IN A TOTAL LOSS. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A NEIGHBORHOOD STREET.

NHTSA ODI 11234471

I WAS DRIVING ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET BACK HOME WHEN A HAZE STARTED COMING OUT OF THE AIR CONDITIONING VENTS. THAT TURNED INTO BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE, UNDERNEATH/BEHIND THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT. FROM THAT SMOKE, A FIRE STARTED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE, INSIDE THE VEHICLE. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE STREET, TURNED THE CAR OFF, GRABBED MY SON WHO WAS IN A CAR SEAT IN THE BACK AND GOT OUT OF THE CAR SAFELY. NOT A MINUTE AFTER WE GOT OUT OF THE CAR, THE ENTIRE CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DID AN INVESTIGATION AND CLASSIFIED IT AS UNDETERMINED, BUT MECHANICAL IN NATURE. WE BOUGHT OUR ACURA BRAND NEW FROM THE DEALER IN 2014 AND HAVE ONLY HAD IT SERVICED AT THE ACURA DEALER. WE HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED ANY ISSUES WITH THE CAR, OTHER THAN REGULAR MAINTENANCE. I'M EXTREMELY CONCERNED THAT THE CAR WOULD BURST INTO FLAMES WHILE DRIVING.

NHTSA ODI 11230364

DEFECT SHOWS AS IMMEDIATE LOSS OF TOE ALIGNMENT IN BOTH FRONT TIRES, LANE KEEP ASSIST COMPUTERIZED FEATURE IN UNABLE TO TURN STEERING WHEEL RIGHT, AND STEERING WHEEL POSITION SENSOR IS UNABLE TO REMAIN FIXED AT ZERO. STEERING WHEEL POSITION SENSOR: FORCES THE VEHICLE INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC BY AUTOMATICALLY DURING FRONT WHEELS TWO AND FIVE DEGREES WITH MAXIMUM TURNING FORCE APPLIED WHEN THE ROAD PRESENTS ANY COMBINATION OF CURVED, TILTED, AND BUMPY CONDITION. STEERING WHEEL HAND SENSOR ? COMPUTER APPLIED OVER-STEER FORCES THE CAR LEFT OR RIGHT SEVERAL DEGREES DEPENDING ON HAND POSITION. IDS: THREE SETTINGS FORCE STEERING WHEEL SEVERAL DEGREES LEFT OR RIGHT DURING BRAKING DEPENDING ON LAST APPLIED STEERING ADJUSTMENT. WHEN THE ROAD IS A COMBINATION OF CURVED, SUBSTANTIALLY SLOPED, OR BUMPY THE COMPUTER WILL APPLY MAXIMUM COMPUTERIZED TURNING FORCE TO MOVE STEERING WHEEL UP TO 45 DEGREES LEFT INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC EVEN WHEN THE ROAD SLOPES AND/OR CURVES AWAY FROM ONCOMING TRAFFIC. A SERIES OF SOFTWARE COMMAND CONFLICTS AND OVERRIDES BETWEEN IDS, STEERING WHEEL POSITION SENSOR, STEERING WHEEL SENSOR FOR HAND POSITION, RADAR, AND ROAD POSITION SENSOR, AND OTHER-VEHICLE SENSORS ROUTINELY CAUSE THE COMPUTER TO PERFORM UNINTENDED DRIVE INTO INCOMING TRAFFIC WITH MAXIMUM COMPUTER APPLIED FORCE. MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO PROVIDE DEALERS COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT THAT ALIGNS STEERING WHEEL SENSOR WITH NAVIGATION COMPUTER, RADAR, INTERNAL/EXTERNAL SENSORS, IDS, AND STEERING WHEEL HAND SENSOR UNLESS THE CONSUMER IS WILLING TO PAY $700 IN EQUIPMENT TRANSFER COSTS. MANUFACTURER DEMANDS DEALERS DENY SERVICE OR AVOID WRITING WORK ORDERS THAT CONTAIN ANY INDICATION OF A PROBLEM WITH STEERING WHEEL SENSOR, RADAR, COMPUTER-INTEGRATED HARDWARE, OR IDS. INSTEAD VERBALIZE COMPUTER-RELATED ISSUES WITH REPAIR TECHS TO AVOID REGULATORY REPORTING AND CALIFORNIA LEMON LAW REQUIREMENTS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10671950