Home · 2016 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid · Complaints

What 359 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 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 (359)Crash / fire / injury (15)Engine (153)Transmission & drivetrain (111)Electrical system (37)Fuel system (31)Body & structure (20)Speed control (19)Lane Departure (14)Brakes (13)Steering (12)Driver assistance (9)

3 of 359 complaints match · Brakes · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Oct 26, 2019AirbagsBody & structureBrakesCrash1 injury

I WAS APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT ON A BUSY STREET ON A VERY BRIGHT DAY AND DID NOT SEE THAT THE STOP LIGHT I WAS APPROACHING HAD TURNED RED. WHEN I REALIZED IT WAS RED, I BRAKED RAPIDLY OF COURSE BUT STILL GOING AT A PRETTY GOOD SPEED I HIT THE STOPPED CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THE COLLISION WAS BETWEEN DRIVERS SIDE OF MY MDX AND RIGHT REAR OF A MEDIUM-SIZED WHITE JEEP. MY 17 YR OLD SON WAS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND HIS AIR BAG DEPLOYED, HOWEVER MY DRIVER BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. BOTH SEAT BELTS LOCKED UP. THE IMPACT WAS VERY STRONG ON DRIVER SIDE GIVEN THAT IS WHERE WE HIT. FORTUNATELY, MY SEAT BELT KEPT ME FROM HITTING THE WINDSHIELD. MY ONLY INJURIES ARE NECK ACHE, HEAD ACHE, SEAT BELT BRUISES, AND RINGING EARS. MY CONCERN IS FOR FUTURE USE OF MY CAR. IF THE DRIVER AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY GIVEN THIS HARD OF A HIT, I DO NOT BELIEVE IT WILL DEPLOY IN ANY COLLISION. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH ACURA REQUESTING THEM TO INSPECT THE AIRBAG AND BLACK BOX TO DETERMINE WHY IT DID NOT DEPLOY AND THEY SAID THAT AIRBAGS ARE DESIGNED TO ONLY DEPLOY WHEN NEEDED AND IN THIS CASE THE CARS COMPUTER DETERMINED IT WAS NOT NEEDED HENCE THERE IS NO REASON TO INSPECT IT FURTHER. I BELIEVE THAT IF THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WHERE THE IMPACT WAS LESS THEN THE AIR BAG SHOULD HAVE ALSO DEPLOYED ON THE DRIVER SIDE. MY INSURANCE ADJUSTER ALSO SUPPOSEDLY REQUESTED ACURA TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE AND THEY ALSO DID NOT GET ANY FAVORABLE ACTION FROM ACURA. HONDA/ACURA OF AMERICA RETURNED MY PHONE CALLS TWICE AND SIMPLY SAID THERE IS NO SUPPORTING INFORMATION INDICATING THAT THE AIRBAG OR CARS COMPUTER SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. THEY ALSO DID NOT ASK ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ACCIDENT IN WHICH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION COULD BE PROVIDED. THE ESTIMATED REPAIR ON THE CAR IS OVER $12K.

NHTSA ODI 11271252

Apr 10, 2019BrakesCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 ACURA MDX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH AND MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THE BRAKE PEDAL FAILED TO RESPOND AND THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE. THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE DRIVER WAS SHAKEN UP BY THE INCIDENT, BUT WAS NOT INJURED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY TO RALLYE ACURA (1750 NORTHERN BLVD, ROSLYN, NY 11576, (516) 625-7070); HOWEVER, THE DEALER REFUSED TO INSPECT AND DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE BRAKE FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THAT DUE TO THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT, THE COMPUTER SYSTEM WAS NOT AVAILABLE TO BE ACCESSED TO PROVIDE A TECHNICAL ANALYSIS. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS TO REPAIR THE COLLISION DAMAGES. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT ISSUED ANY BRAKE SYSTEM RECALLS FOR THIS YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE CRASH. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

NHTSA ODI 11195368

Sep 9, 2015Speed controlEquipment Adaptive/mobilityBrakesCrash

FORWARD/FRONT COLLISION MITIGATION BRAKING SYSTEM DIDN'T ENGAGE ENOUGH TO REDUCE OR AVOID IMPACT OF THE COLLISION. MY VEHICLE TOOK A RIGHT TURN AT ABOUT 20-25 MPH AND TRAVELLED LESS THAN 2-2.5 CAR LENGTH BEFORE GETTING ONTO THE CURB AND HITTING AN IRON PILLAR ABOUT 2 FEET HIGH ON SIDE WALK. IT WAS A SIDE FRONTAL COLLISION AND THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WHEEL DIRECTLY HIT THE IRON PILLAR. THE VEHICLE SPEED WASN'T REDUCED TO MITIGATE IMPACT/DAMAGE FROM THE COLLISION AND VEHICLE TOOK FULL IMPACT OF THE COLLISION. THE FORWARD/FRONT COLLISION MITIGATION BRAKING SYSTEM MUST BE EVALUATED TO ASSESS SUITABILITY TO AVOID COLLISION WITH OBJECTS OF LOW HEIGHT.

NHTSA ODI 10762377

Working with the data? Download all 359 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 2016 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid verdict →