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2015 Acura MDX

Buyable, but go in with open eyes: this car has specific known issues to check before money changes hands.

Recalls, complaint breakdown & inspection checklist, all in a shareable PDF

69 owner complaints · 8 recalls · data verified July 11, 2026 · source: NHTSA

Cautionwillitcar.com

Why caution?

8 recall campaigns (3 safety-critical). Confirm every one shows "remedy completed" on the seller's VIN.

Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.

The math, shown

Full methodology →
Complaint volume (40%)100
Severity (30%)80
Recall load (20%)43
Trend (10%)67

Complaints filed per year

Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.

20142026

The road ahead

What breaks on a 2015 Acura MDX, plotted where owners report it happening.

030k mi60k mi90k mi120k miSteering~61k mi · 8 reports

Also reported (mileage varies): Electrical system (15) · Transmission & drivetrain (12) · Body & structure (8) · Lights (6)

Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.

Electrical system

22%

15 complaints · 3 in the last 2 years

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2015 Acura MDX. It was later discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of pu…

Transmission & drivetrain

17%

12 complaints

WHILE CAR IS SHIFTING IDLE HANGS AND SHUTTERS AROUND 1600-2000 RPM. LEFT FRONT AND REAR SHOCKS HAVE LOUD NOISES WHEN TRAVELING OVER BUMPS.

Body & structure

12%

8 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years

Paint peeling on roof (white diamond pearl paint).

Steering

12%

8 complaints · typically near 61k mi

ON 01/18/2020. I CAN NOT START MY 2015 ACURA MDX ANYMORE WHEN I WAS ON THE WALMART PARKING LOT, POWER STEERING SYSTEM ( EPS) PROBLEM " LIGHT WAS ON, THE STEERING WHEEL…

Recalls (8)

Safety recall repairs are free at the brand’s franchised dealers. Before buying, run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and make the seller show the work was done.

Structure · 26V365000

American Honda Motor Company (Honda) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Honda Pilot, 2017-2023 Ridgeline, 2019-2023 Passport, and 2014-2020 Acura MDX vehicles that were sold in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. The rear subframe may corrode at the suspension mounting points, which can result in rear suspension component failure.

Risk: Failure of rear suspension components, such as the rear control arm, can cause a loss of vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

Fix: Dealers will inspect the rear subframe and install a rear subframe reinforcement kit and, as necessary, repair or replace the rear subframe components, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are AOU and AOT. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning June 10, 2026.

Exterior Lighting · 25V259000

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014-2020 Acura MDX vehicles. Moisture may enter the tailgate lid light assembly and wiring harness, which can cause the interior and exterior lights to fail, including the lid lights, position lights, license plate lights and taillights.

Risk: Vehicle lights that fail to illuminate can decrease visibility and increase the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will inspect the wiring and install a fuse harness, replace the lid light, and repair the body dust sealer, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 30, 2025. Owners may contact Acura's customer service at 1-800-382-2238. Acura's number for this recall is FLI. Vehicles included in this recall that were previously repaired under NHTSA recall number 19V-256 will need to have the new remedy completed.

Fuel System, Gasoline · 23V858000

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.

Exterior Lighting · 19V256000

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.

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

Fix: 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.

Fuel System, Gasoline · 16V417000

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2015 Acura MDX 2WD and MDX 4WD vehicles, 2016 Acura MDX 4WD vehicles, 2015-2016 Honda Odyssey vehicles, and 2016 Honda Pilot 2WD and 4WD vehicles. The affected vehicles have fuel tanks that were manufactured with insufficient welds which may separate and allow fuel to leak out.

Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.

Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tanks, free of charge. Owners may contact Honda/Acura customer service at 1-888-234-2138. The recall began on July 29, 2016. Honda's numbers for this recall are KA9 (Honda vehicles) and KB0 (Acura vehicles).

Equipment · 15V417000

American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Acura MDX and MDX AWD vehicles manufactured April 23, 2013, to December 16, 2014. The affected vehicles have air conditioning compressor clutch drive bolts that may not have received the proper anti-corrosion coating.

Risk: If a bolt was not coated, it may corrode and break as a result. If the bolt breaks, the compressor clutch plate may separate from the vehicle, possibly becoming a road hazard.

Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air conditioning compressor clutch drive bolt and install a new clutch plate if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 7, 2015. Owners may contact Acura client relations at 1-800-382-2238. Honda's number for this recall is JQ7.

Forward Collision Avoidance · 15V301000

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Acura MDX 2WD and AWD, RLX and 2014 Acura RLX Hybrid vehicles. In certain driving conditions, the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) may incorrectly interpret certain roadside objects such as metal fences or metal guardrails as obstacles and unexpectedly apply the brakes.

Risk: If the CMBS unexpectedly applies emergency braking force while driving, there is an increased risk of a crash.

Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the CMBS software, free of charge. The recall began on July 6, 2015. Owners may contact Acura customer service at 1-800-382-2238. Honda's numbers for this recall is JQ4, JQ5 and JQ6.

Seat Belts · 14V639000

American Honda Motor Company (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Acura MDX vehicles manufactured April 23, 2013, to August 25, 2014, and 2014 Acura RLX vehicles manufactured November 5, 2012, to November 25, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the driver and front passenger seat belt may not extend or retract in low temperatures.

Risk: A seatbelt that does not function increases the risk of injury in a crash.

Fix: Honda has notified owners, and dealers will replace the driver and front passenger seat belts, free of charge. The recall began in November 2014. Owners may contact Acura customer service at 1-800-382-2238. Honda's number for this recall is JK7 for the MKX, and JK8 for the RLX.

Before you hand over money

Verify the recall work was done

NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.

Free NHTSA VIN check

Get a pre-purchase inspection

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What owners say

Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.

The fine print: this verdict is computed from public NHTSA complaint and recall records for the 2015 Acura MDX as a model, not for any individual car. A well-maintained example of an “Avoid” can outlast a neglected “Buy”. Informational only, so always get a professional pre-purchase inspection.