Problems with 2003 Acura MDX POWER TRAIN

Transmission automatically shifts from drive to neutral while going down the highway. it's dangerous to be in traffic and lose the ability to accelerate. i have replaced the shifter and had it adjusted numerous times. acura refuses to accept responsibility for this problem, even though there are innumerous complaints on this very issue. this is a safety concern.

Torque converter failure caused shards of metal to be transmitted into the transmission causing total failure of every gear in the transmission. i was driving on a divided highway at a high rate of speed when i experienced a sudden complete loss of power in high volume traffic. all lights lit up on the dash such as vtm-4, malfunction indicator lamp and gear was flashing. i was almost hit while trying to get to a safe location to pull over. prior to the car dying i never had any indication of malfunction nor any driving issues or problems accelerating.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 acura mdx. the contact stated that once the ignition was turned to the on position, the shift lever failed without warning. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vin was included in nhtsa campaign number: 12v573000 (electrical system). the approximate failure mileage was 200,793.

Torqe converter going out shattering noise third gear 30 to 40 mph about 1500 rpms there has been over 100 complaints online about the same issue

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 acura mdx. while accelerating from a stop light, the vehicle went in reverse with the shifter still in the drive position. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

Failing torque converter. very common problem for this vehicle but honda refuses to recall and stand behind this safety defect.

I think it is about time that we all push nhtsa to make acura/honda recall all these mdx from 2001 to 2012 to have these torque converters and transmissions replaced and fixed once and for all!!! this is very dangerous as there is no sign when these cars are going to lock up and go from 75 mph down to 40 mph and then stays at 40mph till you can get off the highway to an exit. i swear maybe somebody needs to get seriously hurt when they get rear ended by someone that has no clue why you have come to a sudden change of speed. this week it's different then before, now it almost threw me through the windshield had i not had my seat belt on. though when your not expecting a cars transmission to halt so fast it still scares the life out of you and then try and get over to the breakdown lane. this is my 2nd repair or rebuild of all these items and for the cost of these cars when new acura should be sued and made to pay to fix these drive train defaults!!! come on nhtsa you know they are in the wrong and lets get these cars fixed too once in for all before more people are killed or seriously hurt.

When approaching speeds of 35mph, the vehicle would begin to make a rumbling noise from the front and would then start to shake heavily. the shaking of the vehicle would continue until you would go faster than 40mph or slower than 25mph. the vehicle is very distracting when rumbling and creates a safety hazard as attention is taken away from the road and put onto the vehicle. furthermore, you are forced to either speed , up to 40mph or slow down to 25mph to stop the rumbling, interfering with driving and possibly breaking laws.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 acura mdx. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission and the torque converter needed to be replaced. the vehicle was also included in nhtsa campaign number: 15v045000 (air bags). the contact was unable to schedule the recall repair within a reasonable timeframe because the part was unavailable. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 151,000.

Transmission stopped working. failed while i was driving the car. the car basically coasted to a stop. there seem to be numerous complaints about the 2003 mdx transmission failing. acura is reimbursing some drivers, but not others. *tr

While merging onto a highway or passing another car on a two lane road i push the gas pedal hard to accelerate quickly (either to pass quickly or to accelerate beyond a car who is not allowing me to merge onto a freeway). the transmission comes out of gear and just revs as if in neutral. i must release the gas pedal and slowly attempt to accelerate. this causes a huge safety risk while trying to avoid an oncoming car while passing or trying to avoid getting run off the freeway or worse into a barrier when merging onto a freeway. transmission is showing no other signs of transmission failure at all. no slipping, good fluid color, and has been maintained by multiple acura dealerships. acura diagnosed transmission failure and 3rd gear clutch being gone at a repair cost of $6k. acura declined to assist in cost since i am second owner. *tr

Owner of 2003 mdx with 140,000 miles on it. was working perfectly till it decelerate all the sudden while driving in dallas tollway. it felt as if the gear was on neutral and gas pedal was being forced. this would cause the motor to rev up but the transmission was failing and the gear wasn't responding. vehicle came to complete stop, where the driver power off the engine and powered back on to see the difference and the vehicle started moving again for a minute and then back to no power. after taken to a transmission specialist, it was diagnosed as transmission failure. *tr

The transmission on the vehicle when cold functions and shifts normally. once the vehicle has been operating for a short period of time and is warm the transmission, when at a stop sign or traffic light, will drop out of drive and into neutral disengaging the drive train. the only way for the transmission to become reengaged is to shift the transmission into neutral or park and then reshift into drive. this works sometimes and others it does not and has to be reshifted several time for the transmission to reengage. *tr

Vehicle went into neutral when approaching a stop. this repeated several times throughout my trip (approx. 25 miles). i have kept up with transmission services and maintenance schedules since ownership feb of 2012. i have read of several complaints regarding the same symptoms from other owners. why is honda not willing to further investigate ? *tr

While traveling at around the speed limit on a busy freeway the vehicle suddenly started coasting without any warning. stepping on the gas caused the engine to rev but no acceleration, which made it extremely dangerous to try to pull the vehicle to the shoulder with the right lane heavily occupied by 18 wheeler trucks that are long and respond slowly. any speed you loose, particularly after applying some brake to move from one lane to another, cannot be regained to safely maneuver with flow of the traffic and make the subsequent lane change even more dangerous. after towing to an acura dealer it was diagnosed with a failed transmission and costs $6,100 to replace with a rebuilt transmission. although the vehicle is beyond its warranty period, it is nonetheless disappointing to have an acura fail in this fashion considering that there are many lower cost vehicles that easily last beyond 100,000 miles without transmission issues. the vehicle certainly met its warranty requirements, but it is really the sudden nature and crash risk of this failure that is a bigger concern. i later learned from 3 co-workers that had similar transmission experiences with their mdx. two were 2001/2002 mdx with approx 100,000 and 80,000 miles. the 3rd was a 2006 mdx with only approx 55,000 miles. *tr

At approximately 35 mph the car made a vibration or shudder noise for about 10-15 seconds and began to done this from then on at about that speed. i the car to acura to have a recall performed and asked them to check this. i told them that you have to drive the car to feel when is happen. they said that they could not repeat the effect. after picking the car up i felt the same vibration on my way home. i did some web research and found this to be a fairly common issue in models with the engine transmission setup. i would like to know the depth of testing required to trouble shoot this issue and if the car is safe to use? what will the failure mode be? *tr

When i first purchased my mdx (used 32k miles) i had an issue with shuddering between 35-45 and it would feel like it wouldn't go. it took until my car was at 55k miles for a service tech to finally here the problem and diagnose it correctly. i had to replace the torque converter and transmission. then again at 124k miles i heard the exact same noise!! i took the car back to acura and was told they could not duplicate the noise ...of course they couldn't. i said i had this problem before, you replaced my transmission, you know this is a defect of acura/honda. they insisted it wasn't the problem but in fact i needed a catalytic converter. so, i replaced the catalytic converter at $1,100.00 and drove off the lot with same shudder ( it represented itself within the month)!! they said i have to bring back and drive with a tech. i have yet to get it back there because of my work schedule their lack of accommodations for saturdays. now i am at 160k and am trying to get the car back in and they are acting like they have no idea what could possibly be wrong. this is extremely frustrating! out of warranty. working on possibly a 3rd transmission...it is crazy and unsafe! i bought an acura because of the quality reputation they have. i am very disappointed. i have even called honda and they are useless. if you are not constantly buying a new honda product and servicing them at the ridiculous prices they do not find you a loyal customer therefore do not want to help you!!! please make them own their defaults!! *tr

When driving my 2003 acura mdx (suv), last fall, the transmission began to slip out of gear at low speeds. it would be in 3rd gear as i would slow to make a turn or enter a parking area. when i finished a turn and began to accelerate, the car was no longer in gear and the engine just revs as if it was in neutral. in traffic, i would have to bring the mdx to a complete stop (rpm to zero) and then the transmission would re-engage and move forward again. soon, i was having to put the car in a lower gear to get it to move forward and each time the car decelerates, the transmission slips. in moving traffic, having to make a complete stop in the middle of a street or when entering the highway, etc., is dangerous. i have stopped driving the car because i cannot trust it to keep moving in regular traffic. i was not aware of the torque converter bulletin / recall on the car (i am second owner), even though i have kept up with scheduled maintenance. i contacted acura (hoy fox acura, el paso, tx) for assistance, but they were dismissive when they discovered i did not purchase my acura from them. acura north america customer relations has also been contacted, and are telling me the vehicle is out of warranty (it currently has 200,000 miles, but is no longer safe to drive due to the transmission failure). i have reviewed and researched a huge amount of 2003 mdx transmission failures from 45k miles to 200,000 miles (my issue began at about 150,000 miles). documentation online reflects that acura mdx has been plagued with transmission problems. there is also literature and documentation linking transmission failure to the torque converter issues in this model. this is my first acura, and i do like it enough to purchase another one. not sure i will be that "loyal", though, after this situation. many owners suggest filing a complaint with nhtsa. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 acura mdx. the contact stated that while parked and occupied, the vehicle erroneously shifted into neutral and rolled into a pond. the vehicle was destroyed. the manufacturer was not notified. the approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 acura mdx. the contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and unoccupied, it rolled away and crashed into a pond, becoming completely submerged underwater. the vehicle was destroyed and was not diagnosed to determine the cause of the failure. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was 145,000.

Husband drove car, came home, parked the car in driveway. we found car at the bottom of our driveway attached to the front bumper of our neighbor's car. our neighbor's car was damaged. i definitely believe and quite frankly expect honda to refund us our deductible for our insurance company. the exact wording of your recall notice is exactly what happened -- "removal of the ignition key when gear selector with transmission has not been shifted to the park position can allow vehicle to roll away." and roll it did...it rolled us into paying money we didn't expect to have to pay. *tr

For the last two days after driving the car for 5 minutes while driving 30 mph the car would not accelerate and revs at high rpms instead of going into gear. transmission failure. when trying to go up hill at low speed the engine will just rev and not move forward. appears this is an ongoing known issue with the transmission of 2003 mdx vehicles. have contacted acura for assistance. *tr

Took my 2003 mdx to orland park, il acura dealership for oil change and noise under vehicle. the service tech checked the noise and suggested the transmission need to be at $120,000. the vehicle has been properly cared for. as i read thru many blogs i see that acura/honda is totally aware of this issue however when i called honda they would not offer any assistance other than $500 off for an issue that is known by acura that is affecting every 2003 mdx out there. justice need to service and its time for honda to be held accountable for this product they have out on the streets. this is unsafe and can cause death not only to acura customers but customers from other vehicles. *tr

Torque converter shudder or vibration between 35 and 40 mph. ****also transmission slipped while driving on the highway. the suv acted as if it was in neutral and wouldn't move even though i was pushing the gas and the rpms went up. i was almost rear-ended by the driver behind me but he was able to quickly switch into another lane, then miraculously my suv started to go again. it also happened again in the middle of an intersection while i was driving. luckily the oncoming traffic was far enough away and the transmission picked back up in time and i was able to get out of the way. i had my children in the suv, a 6 month old baby girl and a 6 yr old boy. its a seven passenger vehicle so it should be expected that children may be in the suv. i don't think honda/acura should wait until someone is killed or seriously injured to issue a recall. its not even just about the cost of repairs, what about the value of people's lives? does it need to be on the news first for a change to occur? owners of the 2003 acura mdx need to know that there is a potentially deadly safety defect with this vehicle and repairs need to be made asap! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 acura mdx. the contact stated that while parked, the vehicle rolled away into a nearby lawn and came to a stop. there was no property damage or injuries. the contact was a certified mechanic, who replaced the gear shift cable himself, which corrected the problem. the manufacturer was not notified of the defect. the approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

I was putting my car into drive on a hill and it rolled backwards. called a tow truck and had a mechanic look at it and told me i needed a new transmission and i was lucky i didn't hurt anyone. there are a lot of kids in our neighborhood.$3900 later. i have read all sorts of problems with this yr/make with their transmissions. why isn't their a recall? *tr

Vehicle was parked in residential driveway. driver removed key, exited vehicle and remotely applied the door locks. vehicle immediately began coasting down and ultimately off the driveway, down a steep grade into the yard until it struck a tree approximately 50 feet away. resulting significant damage to front of vehicle was appraised at $5900. car could not be removed from its resting place against tree except by tow truck. tow driver indicated that vehicle was still in drive, not park when he extracted it from crash position. tow driver and repair facility indicated that it should not have been possible to remove key from ignition without vehicle being in park, yet that was the specific cause of the crash. *tr

On this date i could not hear an approaching emergency vehicle due to a shudder vibration noise from my power train auto transmission. the emergency vehicle almost crashed into my vehicle and in so doing causing a potentially very serious traffic accident. the shutter noise was the result of a long standing mdx mechanical problem with the transmission ( perhaps torque converter). i have attempted to survive the cause of a recurring mechanical problem by very frequent tran fluid changes over the years but the problem has kept occurring since 40000 miles in year 2007. i remain very afraid that the transmission will fail or hinder me again causing a more critical problem the next time. law enforcement officials considered the noise and shutter as a acura product defect. i respectfully seek goodwill consideration and repair of my transmission malfunction. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 acura mdx. while driving approximately 30 mph, the contact noticed fluid leaking continuously onto the road. once the contact reached their destination, it was determined that a large quantity of transmission fluid had leaked from the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer who advised the contact that the failure was contributed to a faulty part within the radiator causing coolant to leak into the transmission. as a result, the transmission was damaged. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 163,000.

Entering freeway from on ramp vehicle acted like it was in neutral even though it was in drive. as i accelerated from 40 mph the rpm's raced but the car slowed as if it were in neutral. i was almost rear ended thankfully i let off the gas and the tranny then grabbed and i was able to accelerate to freeway speed. i have been told by dealer that both tranny and torq converter are no good. vehicle has been serviced per acura recommended service at same dealer since bought new. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 acura mdx. the contact stated that while driving 65 mph the transmission shifted out of drive. the contact had to merge to the side of the road to restart the vehicle. after restarting the vehicle it failed to accelerate over 30mph. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer to have a diagnostic performed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure and current mileage was 110,000.

This problem started a few years back my wife was driving the vehicle out of the garage at hartford hospital she said she stepped on the gas and the car would not move,this did not happen again for several months,when the weather got colder it started to happen more frequent,then in the spring it went away again i thought it might be a sensor it would never happen when i drove it ,this winter it has done this many times we took it to capitol transmission in hartford last summer they did not find any problems but said it could be the trans or possibly a sensor no definite answer so do i fork up 4 grand or wait till it has a code or blows up while driving the fluid has been replaced almost every year drained and filled with honda fluid this last time i flushed out the whole system ( i am a automotive tech ) i do have some invoices from honda for the fluid. *tr

Car began to shudder at 40 mph, then goes away. recurring more frequently now. took to dealer. car would not shudder when he did test drive. said nothing seems to be wrong. began researching on my own and there are numerous complaints about this problem. torque converter. *tr

Transmission failed suddenly on highway traveling at 65 mph. there was no indication of a transmission problem prior to this incident. this transmission issue seems to be a well known problem with this vehicle, why aren't you helping us? *tr

The locking mechanism that secures the key in the ignition until park is engaged did not work. therefore i unknowingly removed the key from the ignition without having park engaged. the car rolled back from the parking spot into a tree. fortunately, no one was injured and there was no damage to the car. i have reported this problem to acura. it seems similar to the problem currently being investigated for honda odyssey's and pilots from 2003 and 2004 by nhtsa. note that i do not remember the dates/mileage when this first occurred but it is an ongoing problem. i have tried several keys in the ignition and the problem persists. *tr

While crossing an intersection, the transmission suddenly shifted to neutral and the car won't move anymore. me and my family were trapped in the middle of a busy intersection and were almost hit by a truck because of our unexpected stop. we are lucky that the truck missed us. i can't imagine if this happens on a railroad crossing. this problem keeps happening from time to time, all in low speed like coasting to a stop sign or traffic light, also on highways when slowing down for traffic, then the vehicle won't move anymore. i heard that the acura/honda transmissions have serious defects, from lubrication to material used to make gears. especially the material used for 1st gear, which fails prematurely and causes the transmission to malfunction. this is a very dangerous defect that could endanger not only the passengers' lives, but also a public safety issue. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 acura mdx. the contact was driving 10 mph when the transmission began to slip. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection however, they were unable to detect a problem. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the approximate failure mileage was 115,000.

Car just died while i was driving. ended up stopping in a dangerous spot. transmission fluid leaked out of front of car. no warning light came on. *tr

Torque converter and transmission failed at 99600 miles, not to mention two motor mounts. these repairs are between $6-7k. this is unacceptable for a higher end car. car would vibrate and shudder around 40 mph a few years ago with only 35k miles on the car, and of course acura could not replicate. now that it's out of warranty, they hear it. this car is a total lemon- please help protect consumers- honda/acura greed has stopped them from stepping forward and owning a problem they have known about all along. consumers should not be paying for acura's flawed design, that should be coming straight out of their profits. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 acura mdx. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph and attempting to accelerate further, the vehicle would not shift into gear. there was an increase in engine rpms, but the vehicle stalled instead of accelerating. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer and was awaiting a diagnostic test. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure and current mileages were 155,000.

Driving on highway at 65mph and car goes into neutral. had towed and it was a tranny. car had 97k miles. acura said it would not cover the repair and that it would cost me 6k to repair. i had it taken to a local shop and repair cost me 4k. *tr

The ignition park-shift interlock has failed, allowing the ignition key to be removed from the ignition switch without the automatic transmission being shifted to park. *tr

1. while attempting to accelerate at a busy 4-way intersection, my acura mdx refused to go into gear or accelerate. this caused me to obstruct traffic in the intersection, and could have easily caused a multi-car accident. 2. the car has intermittently refused to go into first gear for several months. manually shifting it into gear would temporarily solve the problem. 23. we had the car towed to ron tonkin acura of portland. the service adviser informed us that the transmission needed to be replaced, and he had contacted acura to request a "goodwill" repair. 24 hours later, he called to inform us that acura refused his request due to the vehicle mileage. (120,000). apparently acura's position is that the transmission should only last for 120k miles before needing replacement. *tr

Purchased a used 03 acura mdx from a dealer on 4/22/11. i was driving the vehicle on a toll road (tx 121) and was traveling at around 65mph. car started decelerating and would not go into gear. almost had couple of accidents as there was no power to the drivetrain. cars traveling behind me at 65mph+ were braking hard to avoid me. vehicle towed to a transmission shop and they advised that it was transmission failure. called acura customer care and contacted them also via twitter. they pretended that they did not know of issues with transmission despite my research which points to numerous defects in their transmission. acura indicated initial intent to consider compensate for the cost of transmission repair. after submitting all repair and towing details/invoices, acura representative - sergio ramos - indicates that he will not consider any reimbursement. acura manufactured and sold a vehicle that is known for faulty transmissions that have endangered my safety. i have tried working with acura to amicably solve this issue to no avail. acura mdx is a potential hazard to public safety and potential deadly vehicle which acura fails to acknowledge and fix. *tr

Some gear slippage for a few days prior when first get going in the morning. the day it finally went, it did it suddenly while going about 35 mph. felt like it kicked a gear or two making the car jerk violently almost causing an accident. i was only a block or so away from home, all the way home it would almost rev to redline while going about 10 mph. the vehicle only has reverse now and i'm going to have to have it towed to a shop locally for a very expensive fix. if i would've had some one closer following me that day and with my kids in the far back i'm afraid to think of what might have happened except a lawsuit! *tr

2003 mazda mdx transmission failed, and i was nearly killed when another car barely missed hitting (t boning, my car) my stopped car. my car went to shift into 2nd when the transmission failed, went into neutral, and came to a dead stop. the transmission fluid has been replaced twice in last year, dealer said it was dirty. this didn't make sense since its a closed system. something must be braking down. *tr

2003 acura mdx transmission failure. vehicle started slipping out of gear, rpms shooting up. vehicle jolting forward and then losing power. was travelling with my family when suddenly the vehicle started revving and jumping forward and then bucking losing power. very dangerous situation on main road with busy traffic. was travelling at about 35mph at time of incident. fortunately was able to coast over to side of road avoiding an accident. am now told transmission needs to be replaced. 123,000 miles, have owned for 7 years and 2 months. no longer under warranty. upset that acura seems aware of problems with 2003 transmissions since they had issues with 2001/02 models but will not admit to 03 models. someone could get seriously injured by the way these vehicles malfunction when the transmission goes. please follow up on this, it's a serious problem. *tr

I have a 2003 acura mdx with 108k miles as of dec 29, 2010. two years ago around 80k miles, while my wife was driving with our kid, suddenly the engine lost power on highway 95. she had to rev up to 6000 rpm to keep the speed at 30 mph. acura dealer checked the transmission and said they found metallic particles in the transmission fluid, and the fluid was charred. they also said gear was slightly damaged, but told me to replace transmission fluid very frequently (more than recommendation). no one told me 2003 mdx has faulty transmission system. after 1 year at around 90k miles i changed the transmission fluid again. now, three days ago, same transmission problem. even at 25 mph, the rpm goes suddenly to 5000 rpm at same acceleration pressure level. i checked the transmission fluid immediately. the transmission fluid level is perfectly fine. but fluid is black and charred particles, possibly metallic. not supposed to happen for $40k luxury suv at 80k miles and 108k miles. dropped my car at local acura dealer hoping acura can replace transmission at their own cost. i already spent $1000 first time two years ago. then i spend over $600 for 90k miles regular maintenance that included transmission fluid service. i am not spending again on the same stupid faulty transmission that acura should have notified all its customers in the first place. if they don't fix it at their own cost, i will never buy or recommend acura to anyone. very very disappointed with acura. *tr

Bought used acura mdx 2003 in 2004 from carmax still under manufacturer warranty of 50,0000 miles. have recurrent torque converter/ transmission problems. car periodically grinds, shudders, and hesitates while driving around 25-40 mph.... causing near accidents several times. replaced transmission with refurbished transmissions at approximately 53,000 miles in 2006, and again at approximately 61,900 miles in 2007. now in jan. 2011@ approximately 119,000miles, acura dealer diagnosed the same torque converter problem requiring a third transmission replacement.... basically, this 2003 acura mdx will have four transmissions in it's life time. this vehicle has been serviced per acura service schedule at primarily acura dealers.this is a major safety nightmare waiting to happen and as a concerned consumer and parent, request the government to investigate this safety issue and if warranted, warn the public of potential dangers.

2003 acura mdx. consumer writes in regards to transmission failure while driving. *smd the consumer stated while driving 75 mph on the highway, the vehicle suddenly went into neutral. the consumer stated he/she tried every gear, but the vehicle would not move. the vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the he/she was informed the transmission had indeed failed. the second incident occurred two years later, when all of a sudden, the consumer heard a noise coming from the vehicle. the next day while on the way to the dealer, the vehicle went into neutral again and the consumer had to pull over. the vehicle was towed to the dealer, where they replaced the transmission, torque converter, timing belt, water pump and engine valves.