2016 Acura MDX Engine Problems
Owners have filed 162 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2016 Acura MDX, 43% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 60,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “rod bearing” (27% of reports).
- 162engine complaints
- 60,000median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $7,300typical repair cost reported by owners
- 52%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.
- Rod bearing: mentioned in 44 of 162 complaints (27%)
- Knocking noise: mentioned in 13 of 162 complaints (8%)
- Sound engine: mentioned in 13 of 162 complaints (8%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine repair on the 2016 Acura MDX at $7,300, and half of them between $4,700 and $9,600.
Based on 6 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2024–2026), 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 engine problems happen?
Based on 43 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 162 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 2 an injury.
Acura MDX engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 MDX | 2 | 22% | — |
| 2025 MDX | 66 | 61% | 14,000 |
| 2024 MDX | 6 | 15% | — |
| 2023 MDX | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2022 MDX | 9 | 6% | 26,000 |
| 2020 MDX | 84 | 38% | 51,150 |
| 2019 MDX | 48 | 25% | 18,197 |
| 2018 MDX | 35 | 21% | 44,000 |
| 2017 MDX | 78 | 30% | 63,500 |
| 2016 MDX | 162 | 43% | 60,000 |
| 2015 MDX | 7 | 10% | 40,000 |
| 2014 MDX | 26 | 15% | 12,250 |
| 2013 MDX | 9 | 30% | 14,593 |
| 2012 MDX | 23 | 30% | 87,500 |
| 2011 MDX | 28 | 40% | 91,107 |
| 2010 MDX | 11 | 24% | 89,000 |
| 2009 MDX | 8 | 15% | 74,000 |
| 2008 MDX | 3 | 6% | 133,000 |
| 2007 MDX | 11 | 11% | 104,000 |
| 2006 MDX | 9 | 10% | 101,000 |
| 2005 MDX | 7 | 4% | 123,000 |
| 2004 MDX | 13 | 8% | 143,000 |
| 2003 MDX | 10 | 5% | 187,453 |
| 2002 MDX | 5 | 2% | 180,000 |
| 2001 MDX | 3 | 1% | 131,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Engine and engine cooling:engine:hard parts internal/mechanical
Problem: 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.
Risk: A damaged engine may run improperly or stall while driving, increasing the risk of a fire, crash, or injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and repair, or replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed March 28, 2024. 2016-2017 Acura MDX owner letters were mailed November 1, 2024. 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed in mid-December 2024. Honda began mailing owner notification letters as of March 18, 2024. 2015-2016 Acura owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-December 2024, 2018 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed the end of March/early April 2024, 2019 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-May 2024, 2020 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-June 2024, and 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed January 27, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XG1 and GG0.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Driving home from a trip June 2019 on the highway at 60mph with 3 children and my husband, my 2016 Acura MDX experienced complete engine failure - alarms started to sound and I experienced a loss of acceleration, lights in the dash included Engine Problem, Transmission Problem, Emission System…
The contact owns a 2016 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle suddenly lost motive power and failed to accelerate while the accelerator pedal was depressed. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure posed a potential…
Heard a knocking noise in the engine, had it serviced at an independent mechanic (towed as to not create more damage and the knocking noise was louder). Mechanic told me that the rod bearing/engine had failed and would need to be replaced. $7000-$10000 for replacement. He also indicated that this…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2016 Acura MDXs have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 162 owner complaints about engine for the 2016 Acura MDX (43% of the 375 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 2016 Acura MDX engine?
Yes: 1 safety recall list engine. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 60,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine problems on the 2016 Acura MDX?
Owners report a typical cost of $7,300 (half paid between $4,700 and $9,600), from 6 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2016 Acura MDX?
The most frequent phrase is “rod bearing”, in 44 of 162 complaints, followed by “knocking noise” (13).
Other 2016 Acura MDX problems
- Power Train problems (112)
See all 2016 Acura MDX problems or engine problems across all MDX years.