2023 Acura MDX: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
38 NHTSA owner complaints · 2 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. 2023 specifically: a year the record favours — 38 complaints, score 85/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Acura MDX, RDX and TLX: the years to avoid, including 2023 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 38 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 12.67
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
2023 ACURA MDX TYPE S. 28k miles. While merging onto highway, I sped up and at 25 mph, I heard a loud metal clunk from underneath the car. Car still drove and functioned as a two wheel drive instead of AWD. Went in for service and was told that the transmission and Power train Unit would need to be replaced and will be replaced under powertrain warranty by Acura.
Was driving arround corner and felt a shudder like I had run over something, the felt front tires loosing traction and car jerked into next lane. Took to dealer and they diagnosed a failure of output shaft from transmission to awd transfer case, currently at dealer getting transmission awd assembly replaced.
My 2023 MDX Type S is currently at Mungenast St Louis Acura. Transfer Case and Transmission are both being replaced at roughly 56,000 miles. I made a turn and heard a loud noise. Because I was under acceleration my car was hard to control when it happened. Scared me and immediately let off the gas.
Recalls: 2 campaigns (2 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 25V391000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Pedals And Linkages | 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. |
| 26V332000 | Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification:Front Passenger | 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 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic… |
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 21 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,600
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.
- Power Train10 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Service Brakes8 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Electrical System8 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Forward Collision Avoidance6 complaints · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration (3.0 h labour + parts)$780–$2,160
- Steering4 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Unknown Or Other4 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
Other Acura MDX years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2023 Acura MDX?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Power Train (10 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2023 Acura MDX a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 85/100, computed from 38 NHTSA complaints and 2 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2023 Acura MDX's most common problem?
10 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2023 Acura MDX sit in the Power Train group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is transmission service or clutch-pack repair: about 7.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,290–$4,040 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 2023 Acura MDX cost to run per year?
About $4,930 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $24,652 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 2023 Acura MDX have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for the 2023 Acura MDX, 2 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 12/06/2025. 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 2023 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.
Thin evidence — 38 complaints, 2 recalls on record
- 38 NHTSA complaints on record (12.7/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (19.8/yr)
- 2 recall campaigns, 2 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality