Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: a solid ownership case with specific caveats below.
Owners have filed 99 complaints with NHTSA about the 2025 Acura MDX, and it carries 3 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 20 | 20% |
| Electrical system | 18 | 18% |
| Unknown or other | 14 | 14% |
| Electrical system | 8 | 8% |
| Electrical system | 5 | 5% |
| Electrical system | 5 | 5% |
| Unknown or other | 3 | 3% |
| Engine | 3 | 3% |
| Electrical system | 1 | 1% |
| Electrical system | 1 | 1% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
20 minutes after parking my car, it would not start. Several different codes came up on the gauges - BRAKE issue; hill issue;stabilization issue - multiple icons and warnings. I ended up having to be jumped off.
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
Car at a stop light, went into idle stop, and then shut off with an error message that to continue to drive, depress brake pedal and push switch. Car then needs to be restarted. This has happened 3 times in less than a
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
Occassionally when the "auto stop start" feature is on and I am stopped at traffic light, the engine does not restart when I release the brake and hit the gas pedal. I took my car into my local dealer and they replaced
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
Auto Stop/Start fails to restart intermittently causing dangerous situations stuck at lights unable to move. Sometimes it restarts again after pressing the brake and ignition right away. Sometimes it takes a minute to re
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
I was driving w a passenger on a busy 4 lane road and trying to make a left turn. When I tried to hit the gas after coming to a stop, my car would not move. I did not know what was happening, as it turned out the car had
NHTSA complaint: Engine
I have a 2025 Acura MDX SH-AWD. Several times while stopped in traffic, the Auto Idle Stop system shut the engine off and the vehicle displayed ‘RESTART ENGINE.’ The vehicle did not restart automatically. I'm concerned t
NHTSA complaint: Engine
When at a red light the engine cuts off and does not restart when foot comes off the brake. Sometimes it takes several minutes to start. We were stuck in an intersection and almost were rear ended. Took it ti the dealer
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
The auto shutoff and restart system has failed multiple times causing the car to shutoff in the middle of traffic. This has happened in traffic on the interstate, on surface streets and in the drive thru line. Safety
NHTSA complaint: Power train
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2025 Acura MDX. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2025 Acura MDX vehicles. The touchscreen in the center console may go blank, resulting in the rearview camera image not displaying as intended. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standar
Risk: A rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the center information display unit, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 3, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda'
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Acura TLX, 2023-2025 Acura MDX, and 2023-2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin was not secured properly, which can cause the pedal to shift out of position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicl
Risk: A brake pedal that shifts out of position can prevent the driver from applying the brakes as intended, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the brake pedal assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 29, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022
Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for th
| Reliability raw | 92 | excellent |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 83 | excellent |
| Maintenance | 79 | good |
| Depreciation | 64 | average |
| Performance | 72 | good |
| Efficiency | 33 | below average |
Percentile ranks against other SUVs in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 99 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and engine is the most reported area with 20 of them (20%). There are 3 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 92/100 (excellent) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 83/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2025 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: worth a look, because a solid ownership case with specific caveats below. Its overall ownership score is 76/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.