2014 Acura MDX problems: recalls, complaints and whether this is a year to avoid
The 2014 Acura MDX has 172 owner complaints on record with NHTSA, which ranks it 4 of 10 Acura MDX model years by complaint volume. The worst year is 2016 (374); the cleanest is 2013 (30). 9 recall entries cover this year.
Is 2014 a good year for the Acura MDX?
The spread across this nameplate is wide: the 2016 draws 12 times the complaints of the 2013. On a run like that the model year you buy matters more than the badge, and 2014 sits in the middle of it.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recall entries |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 40 | 2 |
| 2023 | 41 | 2 |
| 2020 | 222 | 8 |
| 2019 | 188 | 9 |
| 2018 | 168 | 10 |
| 2016 | 374 | 7 |
| 2015 | 71 | 8 |
| 2014 ← this page | 172 | 9 |
| 2013 | 30 | 1 |
| 2011 | 70 | 0 |
Older years have been on the road longer and collect more complaints for that reason alone, and a year that sold in higher volume collects more while being no worse.
This retrieval holds 10 of the nameplate’s model years. 2012, 2017, 2021, 2022 are absent, which means no records came back for them — not that they were clean. The ranking above is among the years shown.
The 2014 accounts for 12% of every complaint filed against the Acura MDX in this retrieval, which works out to 14.3 complaints per year on the road across the 12 years since it was sold new — the figure to compare against other years, because it removes the advantage a newer car gets simply from having had less time to accumulate reports.
Complaints rose sharply against the preceding year: the 2014 carries 5.7 times the reports of the 2013. A jump that size between consecutive years usually means something changed in the car rather than in how many were sold, and it is worth asking a seller what was done to this one.
Which recalls cover the 2014?
Exterior Lighting
Moisture may enter the tailgate lid lights, possibly causing a loss of the tailgate lid lights and the taillights.
Free remedy: Acura will notify owners, and dealers will modify the tailgate lid lights and install updated gaskets and a wiring sub-harness or will replace both tailgate lid lights. The repairs will be performed free of charge.
Forward Collision Avoidance
In certain driving conditions, the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) may incorrectly interpret certain roadside objects such as metal fences or metal…
Free remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the CMBS software, free of charge. The recall began on July 6, 2015. Owners may contact Acura customer service at 1-800-382-2238.
Equipment
The affected vehicles have air conditioning compressor clutch drive bolts that may not have received the proper anti-corrosion coating.
Free remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the air conditioning compressor clutch drive bolt and install a new clutch plate if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 7, 2015.
Take the campaign number to any franchised Acura dealer. Recall repairs are free with no mileage or ownership limit, and they follow the car rather than the owner, so a used 2014 with an unrepaired campaign is a free repair you can claim. How recalls work.
Recall text is abridged from the NHTSA record. Search the campaign number at nhtsa.gov/recalls for the full notice and affected VIN ranges.
What do owners report on the Acura MDX?
Across every Acura MDX year, not the 2014 alone — NHTSA does not split component totals by model year.
- Power Train — 235 reports
- Engine — 231 reports
- Electrical System — 175 reports
- Unknown or Other — 119 reports
Which other Acura MDX years should you compare?
← 2013 Acura MDX · 2015 Acura MDX → · All Acura MDX years
If you are deciding between years, the table above is the short answer and the Acura MDX page carries the full run with the component breakdown. Before money changes hands, run the VIN for open recalls and read the inspection checklist — ten minutes in the seller’s driveway finds most of what matters.
Check a 2014 before you commit
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