Home · 2014 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid · Complaints

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

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (168)Crash / fire / injury (14)Steering (38)Electrical system (27)Brakes (26)Engine (26)Transmission & drivetrain (26)Speed control (19)Body & structure (14)Lights (13)Fuel system (9)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (5)

5 of 168 complaints match · Electronic Stability Control (esc) · clear filters

Jul 9, 2019Electrical systemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Fire

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

Apr 19, 2018Electronic Stability Control (esc)Brakes

THE 2014 ACURA MDX HAD A SUDDEN INADVERTENT BRAKING ISSUE WITH SIMULTANEOUS VEHICLE STABILITY ASSIST (VSA) LIGHT AND BRAKE LIGHT ON WHEN THE CAR WAS IN MOTION. THE SCREEN PANEL WAS AUTOMATICALLY SHUT DOWN. I HEARD A DEEP SPARKING SOUND (LIKE A MINOR EXPLOSION SOUND). THIS SITUATION HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES WHEN THE AUTO WAS EITHER RUNNING ON A HIGHWAY (60-70 MILE/HOUR) OR ON THE LOCAL DRIVING (20-40 MILE/HOUR) EVEN WITHOUT ANY VEHICLE IN FRONT OF THE MDX. IT SEEMS THAT THE ISSUE HAS NO ANY ASSOCIATION WITH WEATHER CONDITIONS.

NHTSA ODI 11088946

Dec 28, 2017SteeringElectronic Stability Control (esc)Engine

VEHICLE WOULD NOT START INITIALLY AND DISPLAYED SEVERAL ERROR CODES ONCE IT FINALLY STARTED. ONCE I BEGAN DRIVING IT DID NOT HAVE NORMAL STEERING CONTROL AND SEEMED AS THE TRANSMISSION HAD PROBLEMS. IT WOULDN'T ACCELERATE NORMALLY AND THE RPMS RAN HIGHER THAN USUAL. THERE WAS NO DIFFERENCE WHEN I SWITCHED BETWEEN NORMAL AND SPORT MODE LIKE USUAL. THE N ORLANDO AUTO NATION ACURA STATED THE ISSUES WERE CAUSED BY A BAD BATTERY BUT IT WAS SERVICED A WEEK PRIOR AT AUTO NATION HONDA AND THE BATTERY TESTED GOOD (SEE ATTACHED IMAGE). THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY AND CLEARED THE ERROR CODES BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE STEERING IS STILL LOOSE AND STILL HAS POOR ACCELERATION COMPARED TO BEFORE THE ISSUE WITH THE ERROR CODES. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THESE ISSUES FOR THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY. IT HAS BEEN TWO DAYS SINCE THE BATTERY HAS BEEN REPLACED AND PLAN TO RETURN TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES SOON AS POSSIBLE. PLEASE SEE ATTACHED PHOTOS.

NHTSA ODI 11057252

Dec 28, 2017SteeringElectronic Stability Control (esc)Engine

VEHICLE WOULD NOT START INITIALLY AND DISPLAYED SEVERAL ERROR CODES ONCE IT FINALLY STARTED. ONCE I BEGAN DRIVING IT DID NOT HAVE NORMAL STEERING CONTROL AND SEEMED AS THE TRANSMISSION HAD PROBLEMS. IT WOULDN'T ACCELERATE NORMALLY AND THE RPMS RAN HIGHER THAN USUAL. THERE WAS NO DIFFERENCE WHEN I SWITCHED BETWEEN NORMAL AND SPORT MODE LIKE USUAL. THE N ORLANDO AUTO NATION ACURA STATED THE ISSUES WERE CAUSED BY A BAD BATTERY BUT IT WAS SERVICED A WEEK PRIOR AT AUTO NATION HONDA AND THE BATTERY TESTED GOOD (SEE ATTACHED IMAGE). THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY AND CLEARED THE ERROR CODES BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE STEERING IS STILL LOOSE AND STILL HAS POOR ACCELERATION COMPARED TO BEFORE THE ISSUE WITH THE ERROR CODES. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THESE ISSUES FOR THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY. IT HAS BEEN TWO DAYS SINCE THE BATTERY HAS BEEN REPLACED AND PLAN TO RETURN TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES SOON AS POSSIBLE. PLEASE SEE ATTACHED PHOTOS.

NHTSA ODI 11057254

Sep 15, 2015SuspensionElectrical systemElectronic Stability Control (esc)

I BOUGHT 2014 ACURA MDX BRAND NEW AND AFTER 2000 MILE A NOISE CAME OUT FROM ENGINE I WENT DEALER THEY ORDERED THE PART AND FIXED AND THE SAME PROBLEM HAPPENED AFTER 5000 MILES. I HAVE LOTS OF HEADACHES SINCE I BOUGHT THIS CAR. THE SUSPENSIONS ARE VERY BAD EVEN WHEN I BOUGHT IT FROM THE DEALER AS A FIRST DAY. AND NOW I HAVE ALL LIGHTS ON SUCH AS BATTERY, BRAKE, HILL STABILITY PROBLEM, STEERING WHEEL PROBLEM, ENGINE EMISSION STABILITY PROBLEM WRITING, SHOWN ALL WHEEL DRIVE PROBLEM. WHENEVER I GO TO DEALER THEY RESET THE SIGNS AND SAY ITS OK NOW. THEY CHARGE ME BUT AFTER A WHILE AGAIN HAPPENS AND THIS TIME SAYING DIFFERENT PROBLEM.. REALLY HAS TOO MUCH PROBLEM. SUSPENSIONS AND BRAKE A WORST. NOW I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR WITH MY LITTLE BABY AND FAMILY. 100% I BELIEVE CAR STOPS IN MIDDLE OF THE WAY.. ITS VERY DANGEROUS. . PLEASE INFORM ACURA BECAUSE THEY AREN'T CAREENING AND ESPECIALLY EVERY NEW MDX DRIVERS HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THIS BRAND NEW EXPENSIVE CARS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND UNDERSTANDING US. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10763772

Working with the data? Download all 168 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 20, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2014 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid verdict →