2016 Acura MDX: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
367 NHTSA owner complaints · 7 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2016 to 2020 MDX, where the 2016 scores 49 on 367 complaints and the 2020 scores 47 on 215, with the 2017 to 2019 CAUTION at 58, 66 and 59, and avoid the 2025 at 39 on 94 complaints in its first year. Buy a 2011 to 2013, which score 95, 92 and 94 on 70, 76 and 29 complaints, or a 2015 at 80. Read the full note on the model page. 2016 specifically: this is one of the years the note above says to approach with care — 367 complaints on record, verdict AVOID.
Read the guide
Used Acura MDX, RDX and TLX: the years to avoid, including 2016 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 367 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 36.7
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The engine in the car caught fire and subsequently destroyed the vehicle. The car was parking in a shopping center parking lot at the time.
On August 3rd the vehicle began making a loud clicking/knocking noise from the engine area of the car. Took the car to Richard Bailey Automotive on August 4th for diagnosis. Was informed a week later the engine needed replacement. Have owned the car for 3 months. No warning lights except to clean the backup camera. All maintenance has been performed on the vehicle.
The contact owns a 2016 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The dealer was not made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.
Recalls: 7 campaigns (3 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 26V365000 | Structure:Frame And Members | 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,… |
| 16V417000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly | 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. |
| 23V751000 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Hard Parts Internal/Mechanical | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2016 and 2018-2019 Pilot, 2017 and 2019 Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 Odyssey vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the connecting rod bearing in the engine may wear and seize, damaging the engine. |
| 25V259000 | Exterior Lighting | 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. |
| 23V858000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump | 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… |
| 19V256000 | Exterior Lighting:Tail Lights | 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. |
| 19V060000 | Fuel System, Other:Delivery:Fuel Pump | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Acura MDX, 2015-2019 Acura TLX and 2015-2017 Honda Accord vehicles, equipped with a 3.5L V6 engine. Particulates in fuel may adhere to the internal components of the fuel pump, reducing its performance. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size premium car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 23 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,300
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Engine157 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Power Train111 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Unknown Or Other39 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System37 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Fuel/Propulsion System27 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Structure20 complaints · typical job: Body, subframe or corrosion repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,070–$2,920
Other Acura MDX years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2016 Acura MDX?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (157 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2016 Acura MDX a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 49/100, computed from 367 NHTSA complaints and 7 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2016 Acura MDX's most common problem?
157 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2016 Acura MDX sit in the Engine group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is cooling-system or timing-drive repair: about 6.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,040–$2,220 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2016 Acura MDX cost to run per year?
About $6,067 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $30,335 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2016 Acura MDX have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 7 recall campaign(s) for the 2016 Acura MDX, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 04/06/2026. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other luxury midsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2016 Acura MDX really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 367 complaints, 7 recalls on record
- 367 NHTSA complaints on record (36.7/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (19.8/yr)
- 7 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems