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

OnXXX I was sold an “As is” vehicle under a Christmas special that was deemed unsafe to drive by a licensed mechanic a week later because of the rear subframe is bent from premature corrosion the dealer denied knowing anything about it but i submitted a case with FLHSMV because under the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA): For consumer sales, even in "as-is" transactions, sellers must disclose known material defects that substantially impact the vehicle’s value or safety but the claim was denied and ruled non-jurisdictional so im in the process of going civil. The total price the licensed mechanic gave me was 3,246 so ive been trying to mitigate this for months but i recently just seen a Major recall was just issued which is the NHTSA campaign #26V367000 which is the same exact problem my vehicle that was sold to me was & is currently experiencing but my state which is [XXX] was excluded from the Recall list because it isn’t classified as a Salt bath state but since im experiencing the same issue and i don’t live in one of those states im just making this formal complaint to see if i can get some help to mitigate this situation to get the recall extended to more states since its not just affecting the north united states its down south as well so if someone could please help me or get back to me to point me in the right direction to get this situation mitigated it’ll be greatly appreciated thank you and have a great day. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11743848

my daughter drove the vehicle for an appointment. Parked it went in and upon return, started it but could not turn the steering wheel. It was nearly impossible to turn the wheel. When turned with force, it would vibrate. Message popped up stating "Power Steering System (EPS) Problem". I had it towed to my mechanic who identified the problem but wasn't able to obtain the parts due to non-availability. I had the vehicle towed to the dealership (McGrath Acura of Libertyville) where it still remains. It has been there for about two weeks as of Dec. 17, 2025 and still not updates on when the issue would be fixed. I made a phone call complaint to Honda of America three days ago. They left a message today asking me to call back stating a recall (I don't find any EPS recalls while I've found others who have had the same issue. The dealer did quote me a cost of $1247.25 to fix the problem the day after I dropped it with them. Since then absolutely no response. I called Honda of America to follow up on their call but was not able to talk to the person as it went to their voicemail. I left a message and will follow up again tomorrow. I am the original owner of the vehicle and the vehicle has always been serviced on time based on the manufacturer's recommendations with the dealer and an independent mechanic. Thank you.

NHTSA ODI 11705732

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.

NHTSA ODI 11701519

The car is un safe to drive, the RPM fluctuations, gos up and down at low speed, doesn’t potential problems with the torque converter clutch, is juddering and unstable RPMs, noticeable during acceleration or deceleration

NHTSA ODI 11646883

The EPS system failed while driving on a major highway. I was in the passing (left) lane, and had to manually steer the vehicle. I had to have the vehicle towed to the dealership. The service department has had the vehicle for almost 2 weeks. They said that when they ran the diagnostic, there was a code. They cleared the code, and drove the vehicle. They were unable to duplicate the incident. The service advisor said it may have been a “glitch.” That’s an extremely dangerous “glitch.” I have read that many other people have had the same issue with the same vehicle. This may have fatal consequences. If I had not been strong enough to steer the vehicle, I may have experienced a relatively high-speed collision.

NHTSA ODI 11635766

Upon engine start noticed vibration buzz noise and steering wheel locked, very difficult to steer. Turned off the ignition and waited 20 min, steering wheel was back to normal. Upon driving in the road for approximately 5-10 min, the wheel locked up with notification alert of "Electrical Power Steering Failure" It was very difficult to maneuver the steering wheel and manage to pull into a parking lot. Turned the ignition off and waited again another 5min and Upon restart, wheel was back to normal. As we were on our way home, the same alert came with steering wheel locked and difficult to turn. We managed to get home with difficulty turning. Car was towed to Acura Plesanton and was reported no recalls for this issue.

NHTSA ODI 11612438

The contact owns a 2014 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving at 15 MPH, the steering wheel jerked to the left. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11586699

The contact owns a 2014 Acura MDX. The contact stated that when starting the vehicle, she heard an abnormally loud noise and the steering column was inoperable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 152,000.

NHTSA ODI 11550679

On numerous occasions the Electric Power Steering, Lane Departure Warning, and Lane Keeping Assist problem lights illuminate on the dash and I lose all power steering. My car becomes extremely difficult to turn, particularly at lower speeds. This is a major safety hazard and warrants a recall. Had my wife been driving when this occurred she would not be able to turn the vehicle. This has happened on several occasions over the past 2 weeks. The car is being taken to the dealership tomorrow. Note: it appears that Acura and Honda have extended the warranty on several models for a similar issue, but not the 2014 Acura MDX.

NHTSA ODI 11482462

WHILE PARALLEL PARKING, THE POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING (CAR WAS STOPPED OR GOING <3 MPH). IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE WHEEL. NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. I CHECKED TO BE SURE NOTHING WAS STUCK IN THE WHEEL WELLS OR OTHERWISE BLOCKING THE TIRES. AFTER PULLING OUT OF THE PARKING SPOT, POWER STEERING RETURNED TO NORMAL. IT HAPPENED AGAIN WHEN RE-TRYING TO PARALLEL PARK, BUT THEN POWER CAME BACK TO NORMAL. I HAVEN'T TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER YET. IT STARTED ALL OF THE SUDDEN TODAY AND APPEARS TO HAVE RESOLVED SPONTANEOUSLY. BUT I WORRY THAT IT WILL RETURN, PERHAPS LEADING TO AN ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ODI 11397166

ON 7/22/2020, AFTER FILLING UP AT GAS STATION, STEERING WHEEL WAS LOCKED AND EPS LIGHT CAME ON. RESTARTED CAR 4 TIMES AND STILL LOCKED. WHEN TOW TRUCK ARRIVED AN HOUR LATER, CAR DROVE AND STEERED FINE. TOWED TO BERGMAN ACURA IN APPLETON, WI AND THEY FOUND NO PROBLEMS. PICKED UP CAR ON 7/27/2020. IT DROVE FINE FOR 2 DAYS. AFTER BEING PARKED IN A FRIEND'S DRIVEWAY FOR 2 HOURS ON 7/29/2020, UPON STARTING STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND EPS LIGHT CAME ON. HAD IT TOWED AGAIN TO BERGSTROM ACURA AND THEY SAID EPS SYSTEM WAS FRIED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

NHTSA ODI 11343721

THE STEERING AND THE WHEELS LOCK WHEN TURNING. IT GOES INTO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING

NHTSA ODI 11341860

VEHICLE WAS STOPPED IN THE #2 LANE OF THE FREEWAY DUE TO HEAVY TRAFFIC. A LANE CHANGE WAS MADE TO THE LEFT (TO THE #1 LANE) FROM A STOP. AFTER EXITING THE LANE THE STEERING WAS SLOW TO RESPOND WHEN TRYING TO STRAIGHTEN OUT (TURNING RIGHT) AND ALMOST RESULTED IN HITTING THE CENTER DIVIDER.

NHTSA ODI 11317299

EPS ! POP UP AS I TRY TO START MY CAR. POWER N LIGHT IS ON AS NORMAL BUT WON'T START, STEERING WHEEL LOCK

NHTSA ODI 11279731

POWER STEERING IS REDUCED AND THE STEERING WHEEL IS HARDER TO TURN THAN NORMAL. PROBLEM USUALLY BEGINS EARLY IN THE MORNING. OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE DOES NOT SEEM TO MATTER. THIS PROBLEM MAY GO AWAY IF CAR IS TURNED OFF THEN RESTARTED BUT SOMETIMES IT WILL TAKE SEVERAL STOPS AND RESTARTS TO GO BACK TO NORMAL. AT FIRST THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL WEEKS APART BUT NOW MAY IT HAPPEN TWO OR THREE TIMES A WEEK. DISTANCE DRIVEN DOES NOT SEEM TO CURE THE PROBLEM, ONLY A RESTART OR SEVERAL RESTARTS RETURN STEERING TO NORMAL. CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY 44,500 MILES AND NOW IS AT 45,400 MILES. THIS IS AN ELECTRICAL POWER STEERING YSTEM SO NO POWER STEERING FLUID CHECK IS POSSIBLE. I AM AFRAID THE POWER STEERING WILL COMPLETELY FAIL SOMEDAY SOON.

NHTSA ODI 11277494

PLACED VEHICLE IN "PARK", AND THE EPS LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING POWER STEERING PROBLEM. DROVE VEHICLE HOME AND STEERING WAS VERY HARD.

NHTSA ODI 11189958

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

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

POWER STEERING (EPS) SYSTEM PROBLEM. IS A MESSAGE BEING DISPLAYED ON THE CAR DASHBOARD. THE CAR WILL NOT START. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN 2 YEARS WHERE WE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. THIS PROBLEM MAKES THE CAR DIFFICULT TO DRIVE AND CONTROL.

NHTSA ODI 11047342

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 ACURA MDX. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, THE POWER STEERING FAILURE ERROR MESSAGE DISPLAYED AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,000.

NHTSA ODI 10980411

POWER STEERING EPS PROBLEM WHILE DRIVING AND LOOSING STEERING. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10930249

INTERMITTENT MOTOR NOISE FROM BEHIND DASH WITH RECENT 3 SECOND SIMULTANEOUS STEERING WHEEL LOCKUP RESULTING IN MY LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. REPORTED THE ISSUES TO DEALER TWICE, BUT THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE ISSUE AND CONCLUDED NO ISSUE IN MY CAR.

NHTSA ODI 10898574

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 ACURA MDX. WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, A SUDDEN CLICKING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY BECAME LOCKED AND COULD NOT BE TURNED TO THE RIGHT. THE DRIVER IMMEDIATELY DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE LUNGED TO THE RIGHT AND HIT THE CURB. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,000. UPDATED 10/26/16*LJ *TR

NHTSA ODI 10894456

THE STEERING APPEARS LIKE IT IS RUBBING AGAINST SOMETHING WHILE BACKING OR DRIVING FORWARD AT LOW SPEEDS. THE TRANSMISSION STEP DOWN RANDOMLY AS IF SOMETHING IS SLIPPING OUT. HAVE NOTICED IT WHEN TURNING AND ACCELERATING MOST OF THE TIMES.

NHTSA ODI 10749685

ALL DASH LIGHTS CAME ON AND POWER STEERING WENT. DEALERSHIP SAYS IT IS OKAY AND A MISFIRE. 2/2/15 SAME THING HAPPENED, AWD, POWER STEERING, AND BRAKES WENT. THEN THE CAR STOPPED RUNNING AND WOULDN'T START. AN HOUR LATER IT STARTED AGAIN AND ALARMS WERE OFF. THE DEALERSHIP ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AT 4K MILES. CAR DOESN'T SENSE KEY SOMETIMES AND WON'T START. LOCKS ON ITS OWN. HEATED SEATS WON'T TURN ON/OFF. CAR MAKES WEIRD NOISE WHEN MAKING SHARP TURNS AND WHEELS PULL STRAIGHT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10680723