Problems with 2001 Acura MDX POWER TRAIN

I purchased my 2001 acura mdx in march 2019. since purchase the car consistently makes a loud clunk when shifting the gear shifter into reverse. it also clunks consistently going from park to drive. there is hesitation in the cars shifting. at times i either have to speed up or let speed off for a transmission shift to occur. the car shudders horribly when braking at low or medium speeds. it feels unsafe and scary and only a matter of time before a complete wipe out occurs. seeing this as a ongoing problem with this vehicle and yet california is not in the vehicle recalls seems ridiculous. these happen on city streets and highways daily while driving said vehicle.

Vibration/shudder/grinding between 20-50 mph while accelerating. it happens every time for the past 5 moths when i accelerate from a dead stop.

The vehicle uncontrollably locked up and vered into the on coming lane of traffic

Srs light is on, engine light is transmission is miss firing, fuel tank has a link. transmission been fix on a recall before

Takata recall i have a 2001 aura mdx and when i first got the vehicle w months ago like 2 weeks after i was on the freeway and the d 5 light started to flash the speedometer went all the way down and the rpm was high then the speedometer went back up it did it a couple of times but i was still going the same speed it jerked a little bit i pulled over tried to put in park but it was stuck so i pushed the shift unlock and i was able to put it in park then everything seemed fine but the check engine light stayed on now a month in a half later it would stall to go when i'm taking off the roads were blocked off so i attempted to do a u turn i pulled in someone's parking lot and tried to reverse out and couldn't it would just rev two guys helped me and pushed it out thank god i had my infant with me and older daughter i was able to go forward to make it back home but the whole way the car was revving loud and the rpm was high and when came to. a stop it would rev then jerk hard and go luckily i didn't crash into the car in front of me there should definitely be a recall on these considering seeing how many people have the same issue ita crazy and i had always thought acuras were very good running cars please fix this issue in overall i love the acura mdx and would have hoped it lasted me longer i hope it is addressed thank you *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 acura mdx. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vtm warning indicator illuminated. the contact also stated that the vehicle hesitated when shifting. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 249,000.

Two issues with drive-train: first is a grind/rumble (like driving over a highway rumble strip) felt at low speeds (20-30 mph) with light acceleration. shakes vehicle slightly. can be reproduced. vehicle can accelerate through the grinding/rumbling by further depressing accelerator and sometimes accelerates through the 20-30 mph range without noticeable grinding/rumbling. if, however, the vehicle is accelerating slowly and it does begin to grind/rumble, maintaining a consistent speed/rpm level (without drastic change in road surface or grade that would cause computer to change gear due to increased/decreased friction) the driver can create a continued duration of the grinding/rumbling until releasing of further depressing the accelerator to change out of that gear/rpm/speed/load combination which results in the grinding/rumbling described above. the second issue is a whirring/lugging during highway speed cruising on level surface with d5 automatic transmission gear engaged. once the vehicle accelerates above around 45 mph, more consistently at speeds above 50 mph, on level terrain at consistent speed via accelerator or cruise-controlled, the vehicle will frequently increase by approximately 200-300 rpm and begin to make a whirring sound which lasts a few seconds then the rpm return to previous speed and the whirring subsides. a few seconds later the same thing occurs and this cycle continues throughout the duration of the maintained speed. the phenomenon is more noticeable with cruise-control as the speed and rpms likely have more computer regulation but it is also noticeable without cruise-control engaged. my concern is that in either situation the transmission internals could be worn in a manner not intended by manufacturer resulting in overheating or breaking of internal components that could cause a sudden and violent reaction of the speeding vehicle.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 acura mdx. while at a traffic light with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle lunged forward. the contact also stated that the supplemental restraint system warning light illuminated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 161,218.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 acura mdx. while driving 45 to 50 mph, the front end of the vehicle jerked and the engine, maintenance required, vtm-4, and air bag indicators remained illuminated. the vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road, restarted, and driven to the contact's residence. the contact referenced nhtsa campaign number: 04v176000 (power train). the manufacturer was notified. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 201,000.

Vehicle/transmission constantly jerks after reading numerous forums of individuals that have spent thousands on replacements for recurring issue...this needs to be recalled and transmission needs to be replaced/repaired. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 acura mdx. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission seized. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 164,000.

Transmission slipping, jerking forward and failing to shift gears. *tr

Car keeps slipping like it's trying shift gears. jerk like when speeding up. now check engine light is on and does not pick up speed. driving on d5. is this a known issue? this is dangerous and can cause accidents. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 acura mdx. the contact stated that the vehicle violently lunged forward intermittently. the dealer stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vin was excluded from nhtsa campaign number: 04v176000 (power train). the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified. the vin provided was invalid. the approximate failure mileage was 137,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 acura mdx. the contact stated that after parking the vehicle, the vehicle independently shifted into drive and rolled down a residential driveway. the rear bumper of the vehicle crashed into a tree. there were no injuries. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis but they were unable to duplicate the problem. the vin was not available. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 118,000. *tr

Transmission failure. *tr

2nd occurrence) during the month of october 2012, i was driving when the speedometer moved up and down really fast. the car felt like it was going to shut off. i had to put the car in park and press the gas pedal to keep in running. on my way to the mechanic the car accelerated really fast with a hard jerking motion. it cut off when i stopped at the street light. i turned the car back on and drove no more than fifteen feet when it started jerking again. the mechanic said i needed to replace the idle unit the valves. 3rd occurrence) during the month of march 2013, i was driving to vegas when the car started smoking i pulled over to let the car cool. i restarted the car and drove a few miles when it began to lose power and smoke and. i called aaa and got towed to a mechanic who told me i needed a new transmission. which he quoted me $3,400 for a one year warranty. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 acura mdx. the contact stated that while driving approximately 10 mph, the gears seized unexpectedly for a brief moment with a loud unusual noise. the failure occurred whenever accelerating from a complete stop. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnosis. the technician stated that the transmission would need to be replaced. in 2006, the vehicle had been repaired under nhtsa campaign id number 04v176000 (power train). the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 acura mdx. while attempting to accelerate from a traffic light, the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle failed to accelerate. the rpms rapidly increased. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the technician diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the contact stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 04v176000 (power train). the approximate failure mileage was 129,000.

2nd occurrence) during the month of october 2012, i was driving when the speedometer moved up and down really fast. the car felt like it was going to shut off. i had to put the car in park and press the gas pedal to keep in running. on my way to the mechanic the car accelerated really fast with a hard jerking motion. it cut off when i stopped at the street light. i turned the car back on and drove no more than fifteen feet when it started jerking again. the mechanic said i needed to replace the idle unit the valves. 3rd occurrence) during the month of march 2013, i was driving to vegas when the car started smoking i pulled over to let the car cool. i restarted the car and drove a few miles when it began to lose power and smoke and. i called aaa and got towed to a mechanic who told me i needed a new transmission. which he quoted me $3,400 for a one year warranty. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 acura mdx. the contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the transmission suddenly shook violently. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician stated that the torque converter needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any further assistance since the vehicle was not included in any recalls. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 82,000 and the current mileage was 93,000. the vin number was not available.

There is a malfunction of the ignition interlock feature. the key can be removed while the transmission is in neutral or drive. the vehicle is at risk of rolling away while unattended. *tr

2001 mdx shudders at 1500 rpm (like running over a speed strip) apparently a faulty torque converter (transmission). *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 acura mds. the contact stated while driving 35 mph the transmission failed. the gears locked between second and third gear and began to shift as if something was popping in the transmission. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who confirmed that the transmission needed to be replaced at the contacts expense. the manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that he would be responsible for the repair cost since there were no recalls or warranty on that vehicle. the failure mileage was 102,350.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 acura mdx. the contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign id number: 04v176000 (power train:automatic transmission). shortly after repairs, the vehicle began to stall sporadically with the illumination of the check engine warning light. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer and they advised him that the transmission would need to be replaced a second time. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance stating that the vehicle was repaired once under the recall. the vehicle was not further repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 137,000.

I have a 2001 acura mdx and in recent days have experienced a fluttering noise coming from the engine compartment at speeds around 30 mph with hesitation in acceleration. the problem has been diagnosed as a bad torque converter. i have done much research and have learned that this problem is alarmingly common and potentially life-threatening. no recalls have been implemented though the risks are severe and the high percentage of incidents certainly qualifies for a recall. not much investigation is needed to determine that action should and must be taken for the safety of the consumer and for the responsibility of the manufacturer. *tr

I have a 2001 acura mdx and i experienced some safety issue on highway a few weeks ago. the transmission had skip/slip problem while i was driving uphill on i-680. all of a sudden, the car transmission couldn't switch gear and caused me almost crashed into another car. i did some research on the internet and found that all acura mdx 2001-2003 have transmission problem even they did recall. but, they didn't make the transmission functioning well after normal use. i contacted acura on 12/2/2010 and they told me that they are not liable to this situation. they don't care about public safety. please invest this problems seriously. i hope that you can order acura to be responsible for this transmission defect and eventually save people's lives from potential accidents on the highway. *tr

We have a 2001 acura mdx which has developed a "speed bump" shudder at around 30 mph. the acura dealer didn't mention that this is a recurring problem as i found out at this link --- http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/webx?14@@.f1775eb/461 --- there are many, many people on this forum discussing this same problem. it appears that this problem is widespread and common. acura's way of fixing the issue was to give us 15% off of a new transmission which is not a very friendly way of fixing a problem which has apparently been in the car's dna since it was built. we then got a software update letter in november of this year from acura for this same problem for a 2005 mdx which we no longer own. one of the key lines in the letter is "this (fix) can help prevent your transmission from being damaged." wow --- will it take a failed transmission and the death of a family as with the toyota debacle to get them to act responsibly and do a voluntary recall on all mdxs??!!

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 acura mdx. the contact was attempting to accelerate from a complete stop yet the vehicle begin to jerk violently. the vehicle resumed normal operation but within two miles, the vehicle began thrusting and jerking again. the vehicle was taken to a local repair facility where the contact was informed that the transmission had failed and would need to be rebuilt. the contact located a recall for the failure (nhtsa campaign id number: 04v176000 -power train: automatic transmission) but was advised by the manufacturer that they would not assist if the vehicle was not serviced by an authorized dealer. the vehicle was in the process of being repaired. the current and failure mileages were approximately 154,000.

Tranmission failure caused by plugged fluid cooler in radiator. following occasional undiagnosed high transmission temperature fluid warnings when towing a trailer, car shifted unexpectedly into 2nd gear at highway speeds. just prior, shifting had become slightly erratic, including sharp engagement above idle when pulling away. erratic behavior was noticeable, but not disconcerting. once the transmission started shifting into 2nd gear at highway speeds, the vehicle was slowed, and pulled off the highway briefly to cool. upon restarting, erratic shifting continued. trip completed by holding car in 2nd gear. vehicle operated normally next morning driving to shop. diagnosis was computer unable to determine what gear transmission was in. shop performed complete transmission overhaul. car then operated normally - until trailer towing again attempted. trailer had been towed with indetical loading for some 6+ years without problems, including mountain passes in 3rd gear. now when towing transmission overheated without warning in cold weather, including over-temperature light, & transmission fluid spraying out, wetting the underside of the car & exhaust system, creating smoke cloud. repeated attempts to fix were unsuccessful until transmission shop finally found fluid cooler integral to the radiator plugged solid, allowing no fluid flow through that cooler or the factory-installed towing package cooler. warning! if you have an older acura that experiences transmission fluid overheating, radiator replacement is likely needed. it is likely that the overheating hastened the failure of the transmission. the severe deceleration of the vehicle when downshifting on its own into 2nd gear at highway speed could easily have resulted in a serious accident. transmission problems are common with this model of vehicle. i am surprised that honda has not done something about it. *tr

Transmission failure caused by plugged fluid cooler in radiator.following occasional undiagnosed high transmission temperature fluid warnings when towing a trailer, car shifted unexpectedly into 2nd gear at highway speeds. just prior, shifting had become slightly erratic, including sharp engagement above idle when pulling away. erratic behavior was noticeable, but not disconcerting. once the transmission started shifting into 2nd gear at highway speeds, the vehicle was slowed, and pulled off the highway briefly to cool. upon restarting, erratic shifting continued. trip completed by holding car in 2nd gear. vehicle operated normally next morning driving to shop. diagnosis was computer unable to determine what gear transmission was in. shop performed complete transmission overhaul. car then operated normally - until trailer towing again attempted. trailer had been towed with indetical loading for some 6+ years without problems, including mountain passes in 3rd gear. now when towing transmission overheated without warning in cold weather, including over-temperature light, & transmission fluid spraying out, wetting the underside of the car & exhaust system, creating smoke cloud. repeated attempts to fix were unsuccessful until transmission shop finally found fluid cooler integral to the radiator plugged solid, allowing no fluid flow through that cooler or the factory-installed towing package cooler. warning! if you have an older acura that experiences transmission fluid overheating, radiator replacement is likely needed. it is likely that the overheating hastened the failure of the transmission. the severe deceleration of the vehicle when downshifting on its own into 2nd gear at highway speed could easily have resulted in a serious accident. transmission problems are common with this model of vehicle. i am surprised that honda has not done something about it. *tr

Have been hearing a noise in the drive train for quite sometime. also hear a thumping noise when 4 wheel drive is engaged and turn sharply. reading different blogs this seems to be a very common problem with the acura mdx, but acura does not have a recall. *tr

1st occurrence) during the month of march 2011, the car started jerking while i was driving. it would speed up then lose power. it was very hard to stop the car. i took it to a mechanic who put it on a machine that showed i needed a new transmission. i paid $2,800 for a rebuilt 90 day warranty transmission. something must be done to bring awareness to this issue along with reimbursing customers for having to spend their money repeatedly for issues that keep occurring. i need help in finding out how i can submit a claim for reimbursement to cover the cost of honda's faulty manufacturer defect. *tr

I purchased my 2001 acura mdx new. i have been the only driver. around 115,000 miles i began to hear this grinding/gurgling noise coming from under the engine compartment. i took it to the acura dealer and during the first visit they ignored the problem and instead suggested replacing engine mounts. after that expansive repair i was still able to hear the grinding noise between 25-30 mile speeds. i took the car back to the dealer and today i found out that is the torque converter. i was told that it will cost me over $2000 . . . highway robbery !!! this model had a recall on transmission in 2004 but the acura seems to be blind to all those claims about failing transmissions and potentially dangerous situations. what does it take to have a recall on all those torque converters? is it going to take someone to lose their life? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 acura mdx. the contact stated that the transmission shuttered while driving 40 mph. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and the contact was informed that the torque converter or the entire transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure had since recurred whenever the vehicle was driven at 40 mph. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 70,000.

Rpm's run high and then sudden engine cut off; in addition, a shudder or vibration develops while driving at speeds between 35 and 40 mph. acura stated a failed automatic transmission torque converter. it is recommend replacing the torque converter and installing an updated powertrain control module (pcm) to correct this concern. there are no check engine lights or codes at this time. transmission was replaced at 140,000 previously. *tr

My dealer serviced 2001 acura mdx has failing engine mounts, and failing transmission at 82,000 highway miles. the dealer (hinshaw acura, seattle) sold it to me, and 100 miles later the check engine and transmission light came on. this must be a defect, and needs to be corrected. i will not pay $6000 for a new transmission at 82k miles from a dealer serviced luxury car. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 acura mdx. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for a routine oil change; however, three weeks after the oil was changed, there was an oil leak in the transmission. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who stated that the transmission housing could possibly be cracked and recommended replacement of the transmission. the vehicle had not been repaired when the complaint was filed. the failure mileage was approximately 82,000. the vin was unavailable.

I am having transmission problem with my 2001 acura mdx. they issued a safety recall. but, i have never been notified even i sent my car for service at acura dealership. the way acura handled this safety recall was not acceptable. i was notified by aamco that i should have been told. can you help me this issue? how can i claim the damage from acura? *tr

Own a 2001 acura mdx (since 105k miles) and i noticed on driving an intermittent - what almost sounded like gear grinding. is that possibly shuttering. the sound comes and goes unpredictably but seems to occur most in the 42-50mph range - without any dramatic rpm changes. normally during shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear, sometimes sound like loud drum brake vibration or shaking, scary and at 150,000 mile when i took it for tradein at buerkley acura mpls mn they admitted it has faulty tc but before that last 6-7 years i took it to white bear acura & so more dealers they completely denied it has any issue with tranny or tc, according to them the tech could not reproduce the noise/vibration, now they are saying just avoid driving in d4 to avoid the issue, im really felt like being cheated by fraud company with poor ethics! *tr

Beginning in the summer of 2009, i heard engine noises while driving around 35-45 mph that sounded like i was driving over the rumble strips at the side of the road. over the months the sounds began to get louder and we took it in to carx, but they couldn't figure out what caused the noise. on 3-29-10 we took my 2001 mdx to acura. the mechanic asked me to drive it at 28 mph so that it was around 1500 rpms. it made the noise numerous times for him and he knew exactly what was wrong. he said it was the torque converter and it would need to be replaced. i've had my 2001 mdx for 3 yrs and it's not under warranty so we replaced the torque converter to a tune of $2,400. i'm not happy about that especially after seeing so many torque converters and transmission problems on this website and other complaint websites. there needs to be a recall and it needs to be corrected. i won't be buying an acura or honda ever again.

When the car nears 45 mph, the transmission starts slipping. the car starts jerking and almost stops. fortunately, i was not making a left turn or merging into traffic when it first occurred. i've been told that others have had complete lockups at 55 mph. i'm wondering if any accidents have occurred as a result of this problem. fortunately, i did not become a fatality. i was very nervous about driving to the repair shop. the transmission is being replaced. *tr

01' acura transmission slipping, sputtering and locking up. 113,000 miles. locked up once on interstate with me and my son in the car, and luckily we weren't in the way of anyone or we could have been hit. found several, several complaints on the internet with people having the same issue. very dangerous!! *tr

Am a second owner of 2001 acura mdx with 84,000 miles, owned since approx 35000 miles. while driving home the automatic transmission began to slip, causing higher than normal engine speed while up shifting. down shifting while slowing to a stop caused sudden and severe engine braking and very rough shifting. this could have easily resulted in an accident. no prior issues noticed, and vehicle had major scheduled service in the past. took to local independent service and was informed transmission was a total loss requiring replacement. contacted acura client services, and took to dealer who will only cover 25% of repair. my cost would be nearly $4000. this transmission had a service recall in 2004, but repair doesn't appear to be a good one. transmission design appears to be defective.*tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 acura mdx. while driving the vehicle, the contact noticed that the check engine light had appeared on the dashboard. the acura dealer informed him that the transmission needed to be replaced due to the torque converter. the vehicle has not been repaired and there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileages were 154000

I own an acura 2001 mdx with a slipping transmission. authorized repair shop says it will cost $3,400.00 to replace (fix)

2001 acura mdx transmission slipping and banging. torque converter surging in first and second gear. bad design, transmission failing too soon. only able to drain 3 quarts out at a time. fluid gets dirty and old too soon between service dates. *tr

Less than 100 yards from where my wife started our 2001 acura mdx while making a left turn and accelerating the vehicle made a loud clunk and slid in the slush to the right. the vehicle was still running but it would not move. would not allow us to shift into reverse or park. in neutral the vehicle would not move either. there has been a transmission recall but acura told me i would need to take it to an acura dealership to research the problem. we live 5-6 driving hours from the nearest acura dealership. it is not logical to try and get it there. our local honda dealership is currently installing a rebuilt transmission should be done today. are honda and acura not one and the same corporation? i'm looking for some assistance with this. it was a safety recall and quite an expensive repair. thank god my wife wasn't going any faster. we are the original owners of the vehicle. thank you for any help you can give us!! *tr

The 2001 acura mdx at approx.110,000 began a growling noise at 30-35 mph and in 5th gear at 1200-1500 rpm. vehicle test driven by lindsay acura in columbus, ohio. rep. advised the torque converter was starting to go bad and it was not a safety issue and it could continue to be driven without problems. repair estimate was $2100. *tr

Transmission failure of 2001 acura mdx at 74k miles. many, many (hundreds) complaints on-line with same issues (mdx and sister vehicle the honda pilot). dealership pretends there is no issue with these cars yet it is documented all over the place. we need a recall, this is terrible. we are out $3000 to fix it with a local transmission shop; acura "offered" to fix it for $3500. they also told us that since we didn't get it serviced at a dealership "we were looked badly upon" when making their "offer". we all want to sue them as this is supposed to be a quality vehicle and acura is not taking any responsibility. we cannot afford this. also, some owners are on their 3rd transmission in these cars b/c it's the same faulty transmission that goes in. we don't feel safe nor do we feel like we can drive it much. we barely drive it at all now. this is well documented in acura forums for 2001-2004 models (not sure about later models) and hundreds of honda pilots as well. help us!!!!! *tr