2012 Acura MDX: owner complaints and recalls

Analysis of 76 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 1 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.

76
Complaints
1
Recalls
4
Crash reports
3
Fire reports
2
Injuries
65.8
Severity index

Severity index 65.8 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.

Among the 129 2012 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2012 Acura MDX ranks 63 of 129 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 51% of its model-year peers. See the full 2012 ranking.

What actually fails

ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints citing it
ENGINE2330.3%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1317.1%
POWER TRAIN1317.1%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1013.2%
AIR BAGS911.8%
STRUCTURE56.6%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM45.3%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING22.6%

The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 23 of 76 complaints (30.3%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.

Complaints filed per year

2013: 62014: 32015: 22016: 72017: 72018: 112019: 102020: 102021: 42022: 62024: 12025: 52026: 413141516171819202122242526
YearComplaints
20136
20143
20152
20167
20177
201811
201910
202010
20214
20226
20241
20255
2026 (year to date)4
Complaint volume is declining, consistent with a defect that was addressed by recall or that affected early builds.

Recall campaigns

CampaignReportedComponentSummary
12V06300017/02/2012FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLYHONDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 PILOT AND ACURA MDX VEHICLES. THE VENT SHUT FLOAT (VSF) VALVE CASE IN THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY DOES NOT MEET THE DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS.
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.