Acura MDX Maintenance and Repair

dmortaz

In Califormia, the mechanic shop has to produce the replaced parts and owner has the right to take them or request for them to be recycled or thrown out. It's the law. Also, most states will require a written explanation as to why the odometer reading is not accurate. You need to get documentation to prove that you have not tampered w the odometer which again is illegal.

Whatever your dealer does has to be clearly documented so when you resell the car there would be easy to trust the miles shown on the odometer and those miles make sense on a CarFax report.

kadeni

I was told the same thing today for my 2008 MDX. I thought that if we used premium gas we should be good.

cb22222222

I have an 01 MDX with 135k miles that still looks and drives fine. I will need the following:
-Timing belt
-Front Engine Seal
-Strut replacement
- Broken Control Arm on the front
and the warranty on my rebuilt Acura Transmission runs out this month.

My mechanic says I am looking at around $2,800 to do the repairs ( non-dealer). I fear I will make the repairs and the transmission will break again ($5,000). Retail Blue Book is around $6,000.

Should I sell it/ send it to the junkyard or fix it and hope for the best? I can afford a new car, if necessary.

dmortaz

Sell and get out!! We did and I can now start breathing again since I don't live in fear of a transmission failure which would have forced us to spend $4K on car which is worth $9k max!!
Especially since my loved one were traveling in it from home to school and back!

Aside from the transmission what annoyed me about our MDX were lousy gas millage, audio reception, unreliable electronics of the engine computer and other "quality & finish" issues compared to Lexus. Even Korean brands are much better than Acura!

Just 3 months ago (December 2012) there was a warranty recall notice for a part on the Transmission which I noticed when I ordered a CarFax during our marketing on the car for sale! Dealer had no help when we tried to have the work done, claiming that they don't have the part for servicing the warranty repair. So, I had to create an addendum to the sale contract that we had notified the buyer.....etc.

Even our experience with our Jeep Grand Cherokee was much less harrowing that an Acura MDX. We sold 2004 MDX with only 117,000 miles on it! I had the timing belt replaced last year.... but was just living on constant fear of something else breaking on that car!

I am thrilled to be rid of our MDX and will NEVER buy or recommend a 6 cylinder Honda or Acura to anyone including my enemies.

dmortaz

Sorry to hear about your MDX problem. Ours was a 2004, but we were extremely disappointed with the starter computer even after we replaced the EGR valve after 100,00 miles. And if you have an mDX you live in constant fear of a transmission failure.

Lexus folks gave us 4 brand new Michellens on a LEASED car when I complained about the noise from the worn out OEM tires. Compared that to Acura Customer Service folks who refused to wave the $1500 fee for a rebuilt transmission!!

Bottom line, compared to other luxury brands, Acura has a still a long long way to go. So, we are thrilled to have sold our 2004 MDX and will never buy or recommend an Acura to ANYONE including our enemies.

Mr_Shiftright

I would question the diagnosis you got--if you had a "broken control arm" the car would not be drivable.

As for the front engine seal, unless it was anything more than a little seepage, I wouldn't bother with it.

If the struts aren't making noise, or visibly leaking, and the tires aren't "cupping", and the ride is acceptable to you, I'd pass on those, too.

As for the transmission, keep your fingers crossed.

cb22222222

Thanks, I forgot the last thing, at least one motor mount is broken and the engine moves around quite a bit. My mechanic says he will not know how many are broken till he lifts the engine up. Am I right in assuming that this has to be fixed?

Mr_Shiftright

There are 3 mounts for the engine and two for the transmission, so he'd have to determine what was bad.

Replacing the 3 engine mounts is 3.5 hrs of labor plus parts of about $325.

Engine mounts are quite important, so if any are actually broken, there's no avoiding replacing them.

If they aren't broken but merely a bit flexible, that may not be doing any harm.

proger

My 04 Acura MDX engine mounts had just been replaced last month, good thing I have an extended warranty.

bostonsteve1

I have a 2004 MDX. The design flaw where the transmission fluid line runs through the radiator and eventually fails,...(unless you proactively decide to replace your radiator) causes a situation where there is a mix of transmission and radiator fluid and the transmission seems to fail. My mechanic said my transmission on my MDX was toast,...wanted $5,000 to fix it. My father has a former Acura/Honda dealer mechanic who has been working on his Hondas for years,...swears by him as the only honest one. I brought the car to him, and he told me anyone who tells you the transmission is bad is full of it. You have no idea until you replace the radiator, flush the transmission, replace the fluids in both (He flushed the new radiator and lines twice) I paid $400,...not $5000 to fix the radiator and the car has been fine since. I have 173,000 miles on it. DON'T TAKE YOUR MECHANICS WORD ON THIS ISSUE!!! My NEW mechanic told me that there is no way to tell if there is any damage unless they drop the transmission to assess it. That is a major job so mechanics just say it's toast! The risk is that you put in a new radiator,..flush the system, spend $400 and there is actually major damage so you are out $400. So far my NEW mechanic has not had one MDX or Pilot that has had this issue where replacing the radiator and flushing out the mixed fluids has not worked. Don't trust your mechanic on this issue unless you really believe you damaged it and understand the signs of REAL damage. Small risk, big reward...

proger

I have the same model and year (MDX, 2004}. So far no tranny problem at 100,000 miles. So for maintenance purposes, I would then have my tranny flushed and so with my radiator in the near future. Thanks for the info.

newbie03

Hey Everyone! I'm kind of new at all this (so please bare with me) :|.. lol! I have a *2008 Acura

MDX* and I wanted to know a little more about what other Owners were paying for maintenance

fees. Usually the men of the house take care of details such as these, however I've been challenged

to tend these matters on my own -- also for future purposes, I would like to take circumstances

into my own hands so I'm better equipped to deal with such aspects if need be . Recently, I

received a *B1* service message and was wondering pricing quotes others have recieved ?! Also,

there has been issues with the *battery dying*, as of late, and it continues to be an on going issue

even after the vehicle has been jump-started. If one doesn't drive the truck for a day -- it'll be dead!

Lastly, I was wondering how much it would cost for a *wheel alignment* and having your *break

pads* changed ?! One other piece of information: I'm from the Vancouver area in Canada --

Thank-You to all of you in advance .

asp_mdxowner

Guys, need your help. Recently, got new MDX and want to keep in pristine condition as long as I can. To keep paint protected - which is better way -
1. paint protection film
2. Nose Mask
3. Just repaint bumper after few years of use.

Also, I have to part the car outside, so is it worth to buy car cover., if yes, which ones good ones out there.

Thanks for your time.

Mr_Shiftright

If you're going to keep the car outside, the goal of 'pristine' isn't really feasible. Your car will over time show small signs of wear and tear if kept outdoors.

My opinion is that 'paint films' or coatings are a waste of money, and that having the car waxed 2X a year is about the best you can do.

Nose masks can protect paint but also cause problems for paint, so it's a trade-off of sorts--you may end up with less chipping but more discoloration over time.

Repainting the bumper shouldn't be necessary unless you are hit while parked--a little chipping in the front bumper can be dealt with by using a touch-up stick from the dealer.

Car covers can be a real pain but they certainly will keep the car cleaner. The downside is when it rains and they get wet--how do you dry them if you've taken them off to drive the car---and putting a wet cover back on a dry car creates a mess----and the wind blows them off. You don't want a water proof cover because that traps moisture, so a "breathable' cover would be best. They do make them in hi-tech materials and probably, if you don't mind all the hassles that go with covers, it's the best thing for protecting your car from UV light, airborne debris, air pollution, and animals.

But "pristine" isn't going to happen with an outdoor car.

asp_mdxowner

Thanks for your reply.

I agree that by keeping it outside not going to help.

Regarding Paint Protections Films (XPEL or 3M), I read that they can protect from chips, bugs highway driving. I am kind of leaning towards them. XPEL says it has even self healing mechanism. My concern is that will it create lines on paint and how easy its to remove or replace.

On car cover I read about getting scratches while taking it on - off.

regarding wax -- which wax are good out there.

Mr_Shiftright

This ARTICLE on waxes vs. sealants might be helpful!

racquelrene1

I was reading in the forum and I believe someone said that their 2004 mdx had a transmission recall. I was wondering if anyone else has this information because the dealer has no idea what I am talking about.

nitolinmdx

please i need your help badly. i have the clunking noise problem on my acura mdx. but i cannot open the link that you posted. please can you tell me what the bulletin said. thank you

stever

Try searching for it at bbbind.com. You have to register but it's free and they usually have the full text TSBs.

joryan

Has anyone heard a griding/low belching type noise at low speed? Mine happens at low speed, typically less than 20 MPH just prior to the car shifting to 2nd gear, or sometimes when I slow down to 2nd gear and then lightly hit the throttle at around 20 MPH. It's not the same tapping ABS system check that happens. I can feel it just under the floor of the driver's side. It's not violent at all. I'm always very light on the throttle, and this is when it happens. The sound is a single, 1/4 second or so noise. The pitch of the noise is the same every time. I have tried to hear it/feel it when accelerating a little harder, and it doesn't happen. I have read up on some torque converter issues, and am thinking maybe that is what is starting to go bad. I have 65K miles on it and have changed all fluids many times.

joryan

Does any know how to get the swirl scratches removed from the interior black wood panels? Any particular product to use to get the swirls out without damaging the clear coat?

quackquackqua

What range are people getting for the remote start? Mine will start if I am standing next to it (which is how the dealer demonstrated it when I took delivery), but not from 10 feet away and certainly not from inside the house. Anyone getting different / better remote start?

topoff

My new RDX had the same problem. Sometimes 50 feet, sometimes zero feet. The remote needed a new battery. We got maybe 10 starts at most. The red alarm worked but nothing else.

Good luck!

iceliam21

I’m having the same issue! I have a 2009 MDX and the driver side vent tab broke a couple of months ago! Now, my passenger side vent tab just broke when a passenger readjusted the vent for their comfort! I am extremely disappointed in Acura’s quality as I paid over $40,000 for my 2009 MDX SH-AWD Technology vehicle! For those of you that haven’t really called to get a quote; I was quoted two different prices from the only Acura Dealerships in my area (Buffalo, NY and Rochester, NY). One quoted $262.20 and the other was $312 including tax and labor with an install time of 1 hour for both vents! Are you kidding me?! I then sent an e-mail and complaint letter to Acura Client Relations: [email protected] 1919 Torrance Blvd. M/S 500-2N7E Torrance, CA 90501-2746 (800) 382-2238 and (310) 783-3535 Fax. I sent my complaint by fax and e-mail and received a response a couple of weeks later. I spoke to a Jenine and she seemed really nice. I was advised on every call that “calls will be monitored for quality purposes”….. She said that she would try and resolve this issue. I informed her that I did not want to pay for this! She said she understood and that she would talk to the Service Managers at Acura to see if there was anything they could do. I also was advised that I couldn’t get a quote over the phone and that I would have to get an “estimate” from one of the Acura Dealerships. They price still ended up being the same. Jenine called me back yesterday to let me know that they would be able to knock $100.00 off the bill if I went in to get both vents fixed! Are you kidding me?! I advised her that this is a huge issue ergo the countless blogs/ posts of complaints on these air vent tabs. I also asked if the models they were replacing were better or up to date. She said she couldn’t give me 100% clarity if they changed the model to fix the issue. I also asked if there was any type of warranty that would cover the tabs since I was going to have to pay for them again as they were included with my purchase of the car. She stated “unfortunately not.” I informed her that I would have to think about it further. This is ridiculous! I have never had so many issues with a car. This is my first luxury vehicle and I’m extremely disappointed! We need to write Acura and let them know of our frustrations and aggravations over this crap! With the economy continuing downhill, we don’t have this type of cash to just throw around and hope that the problem gets fixed!!