2005 Acura MDX Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 87 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2005 Acura MDX, 48% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 79,828 miles. The words owners use most often: “torque converter” (44% of reports).
- 87power train complaints
- 79,828median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $4,450typical repair cost reported by owners
- 13%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Torque converter: mentioned in 38 of 87 complaints (44%)
- Grinding noise: mentioned in 11 of 87 complaints (13%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the 2005 Acura MDX at $4,450, and half of them between $4,200 and $5,750.
Based on 10 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2009–2016), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 79 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 87 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 2 an injury.
Acura MDX power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 MDX | 1 | 11% | — |
| 2025 MDX | 5 | 5% | — |
| 2024 MDX | 2 | 5% | 9,747 |
| 2023 MDX | 11 | 26% | 57,592 |
| 2022 MDX | 69 | 44% | 97,000 |
| 2020 MDX | 21 | 9% | 26,000 |
| 2019 MDX | 31 | 16% | 26,520 |
| 2018 MDX | 23 | 14% | 40,000 |
| 2017 MDX | 64 | 25% | 37,000 |
| 2016 MDX | 112 | 30% | 31,002 |
| 2015 MDX | 12 | 17% | 52,000 |
| 2014 MDX | 27 | 16% | 27,500 |
| 2013 MDX | 4 | 13% | 47,457 |
| 2012 MDX | 13 | 17% | 78,000 |
| 2011 MDX | 8 | 11% | 44,390 |
| 2010 MDX | 5 | 11% | 29,612 |
| 2009 MDX | 8 | 15% | 51,415 |
| 2008 MDX | 3 | 6% | 53,000 |
| 2007 MDX | 8 | 8% | 93,000 |
| 2006 MDX | 38 | 44% | 69,450 |
| 2005 MDX | 87 | 48% | 79,828 |
| 2004 MDX | 77 | 45% | 91,000 |
| 2003 MDX | 104 | 50% | 109,000 |
| 2002 MDX | 125 | 61% | 97,500 |
| 2001 MDX | 131 | 58% | 104,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 2005 Acura MDX. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2005 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked and failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist) warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of…
Vehicle suddenly brakes at freeway speeds and sways to one side. VSA light and warning light comes on. After couple of seconds, vehicle resumes freeway speed. This has happened few times in last 2 weeks. It causes the SUV to sway and can easily lose control or drift into adjacent lane causing…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 ACURA MDX. THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED BY SAFELITE GLASS AFTER A TREE LIMB HAD FALLEN ONTO THE WINDSHIELD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VIEW FROM THE REPLACEMENT WINDSHIELD WAS DISTORTED. ADDITIONALLY, THE CONTACT STATED THE GEAR SHIFTER FAILED TO…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2005 Acura MDXs have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 87 owner complaints about power train for the 2005 Acura MDX (48% of the 180 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2005 Acura MDX power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 79,828 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the 2005 Acura MDX?
Owners report a typical cost of $4,450 (half paid between $4,200 and $5,750), from 10 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2005 Acura MDX?
The most frequent phrase is “torque converter”, in 38 of 87 complaints, followed by “grinding noise” (11).
See all 2005 Acura MDX problems or power train problems across all MDX years.