2012 Acura MDX recalls & problems

Safety recalls

Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.

Fuel economy

EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.

What owners report

*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.

Recent owner complaints

• Engine

  I have a 2012 MDX and it burns an extreme amount of oil. We took our MDX back to the dealership where we purchased it and had the oil issue fixed. Or so we thought. The problem was supposed to be fixed 3 months ago but the car is still burning a lot of oil. We have to add oil every 2 weeks. We did not drive the car much after "getting the oil issue repaired" so we did not realize that the problem still exists. Acura should know how to repair this issue and there should be a recall for this excessive oil consumption. Acura is a luxury brand but they are not taking care of their customers. Also the paint is peeling off our MDX badly. We had a couple of paint touch up jobs but it just keeps…

  Mar 2, 2026
• Unknown or other

  I bought a 2012 silver Acura MDX on March 3rd in 2022 from our local Acura dealership. Exterior paint was great, hardly any dings, scratches anywhere. I spent over $20,000 for this USED CAR and as of the past two years, the clear coat has worn out in various places on front hood, near the moon roof, near the rear side door windows, near the rack on top, near the back hatch window. It's absolutely embarrassing and I find it interesting/maddening that I have seen two others MDX's around town that have the same issues with paint. WHY IS THERE NOT A RECALL? MY 2011 HONDA ODYSSEY paint doesn't have this issue, why is Acura inferior to Honda? I always thought Acura was higher end. But clearly,…

  Jun 1, 2024
• Engine

  2012 ACURA MDX burns extreme amounts of oil between oil changes. Typically a warning indicator comes on about 1,000 miles before oil change is due. I continue to refill oil between oil changes.

  Jun 1, 2025
• Fuel/propulsion system

  our car eats a ton of oil and the piston rings failed, we owe a lot on it and I'm told there is no help for this issue even though there used to be because we are outside the guidelines in terms of mileage and purchase date. our car has 156k its a 2012 MDX. VIN [XXX] . Just checking with everyone everywhere to make sure I've exhausted all resources as it will take 13,000 to fix and we owe 12,000. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

  May 14, 2026
• Engine

  Oil consumption/burning Cylinder rings

  Sep 18, 2024
• Electrical system › Instrument panel › Speedometer/odometer

  Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 126,000 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 159,000.

  Feb 10, 2025 · 159,000 miles
• Other/i am not sure

  Does not have anchor for the seat. A recall was placed by NHTSA

  Mar 22, 2025
• Engine and engine cooling

  See attached document for complaint.

  Jan 2, 2025

Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.