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Acura MDX Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • jmpage2jmpage2 Member Posts: 268
    The dealer has offered to replace the seat cover which was a nice gesture on their part. I will still have to be extremely careful with these seats as they seem far more delicate than anything I am used to.
  • brahda808brahda808 Member Posts: 25
    I live in Hawaii. The best price I got for the MDX is $45,508. Am I getting a fair price? This is for the Sport/Entertainment Package.
  • jmpage2jmpage2 Member Posts: 268
    You might get more response if you posted in the thread for prices, this is the warranty thread.

    Invoice on a Sport+Ent is found here http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/2008-acura-mdx-2.htm

    It's about $43,500 + destination charge which might be higher in Hawaii so it's hard to tell how high it will really be.

    Generally though I don't think that's a very good deal, but Hawaii is a weird market when it comes to car buying.

    Also, having driven in Hawaii extensively I don't know that I see the benefit in the sports suspension, you would probably be able to work a better deal on the TECH+ENT model.
  • moriartymoriarty Member Posts: 1
    Your not alone. I don't want to dis the 08 MDX already but I've had various problems. Steering wheel ripped, headlight had water in it, and I have a constant thumping riding on bumpy roads since day 1. Went out to dinner with another couple the other night and I almost couldn't hear conversation from the noise. Service has also been great but I'm already tired of loaners. My wife dosen't seem bothered but I'm going to have it checked out. Was your clunk or rattle sound like what I'm talking about?
  • srad911srad911 Member Posts: 5
    New 08 and at night sometimes only the radio lights will not illuminate until five minutes later after starting vehicle. Does anyone know of the this problem and what was the fix for it? I saw ther was some post in 06 for 07 models but they were vague. I would appreciete any info before I call the dealer.
    Thanks, Kevin. srad911@aol.com
  • jt10jt10 Member Posts: 2
    Kevin,

    I have the same problem on my wife’s 08 with 1900 miles, and what I would like to know from you is if it has also affected your radio preset memory and also the settings for bass, treble etc… Every time the radio lights go out all radio settings default back to the factory settings. For ex; all FM stations go back to 87.1 and sound settings default back to center (“C”). And yes just like you it doesn’t happen all the time, it is very intermittent and the last time the lights went out was interesting.

    Was driving for about 30 mins everything working, stopped for gas and of course shut off the engine and pulled the key. Got back in, started the engine and the radio lights were out. After about 10 mins of driving hit a slight bump in the road and the radio lights came back on. Another thing, how is your Bluetooth, does it cut out often? Mine does and since it is tied into the radio I wonder if this is all the same problem.

    Since this is our second MDX, had a 2004 that the 2008 replaced I have a pretty good rapport with my service advisor so I called him. He told me that he hasn’t had anyone else complain about this problem yet, so lucky me my MDX will be the first one that my service department will get to troubleshoot with this problem. He said that it sounds like a lose wire that is sometimes not making contact, or maybe a bad ground and will also check the Bluetooth when I bring it in. I haven’t taken it to the dealer yet, and probably won’t have time until maybe next month, but will post what the out come is.
  • srad911srad911 Member Posts: 5
    Our problem is only illumination, the problem has only happened at night obviosly and it is when you enter vehicle and lights come on except for the radio control buttons do not illuminated until around 4 minutes after entering the car and always running but not necessarily driving. They will come back on if you are parked for 4 minutes as well. This has happened to us about 6X in 2months of ownwership 2K miles. No other memory or bluetooth problems have happened thank god! I feel your frustration and I am sorry to hear your problems but we need to get our luxurious cars to the dealer so they can make us think we are nuts but instead they will be the lemons when they are replacing my car under lemlaw ;)

    I think it is a computer/control problem that controls the lighting for day/night adjustments. Remember there is a photo-electric sensor that is centered on top of the dash that controls when to switch between your day-time running lights that are below headlamps- then at night the car switches to head lamps and fog light only.
    And also switches inside control lights on wheel and all of the dash to either- Off for day ,dusk they are dimmed or bright for night-time visibility(all sensor controlled)
    For a brand new car I just don't want a non-experienced tech to pull apart dash on a quessing game to put back and take apart and put back and then later find scratches and rattles from broken clips and pins! They add all the fancy electronic goodies to make it luxurious but do they really train mechanics in electronics to repair them when they mal-function or will I have to take it to RADIO SHACK?
    Calling the dealer now. Good luck
  • upstatedocupstatedoc Member Posts: 710
    jt10 wrote:

    "Since this is our second MDX, had a 2004 that the 2008 replaced I have a pretty good rapport with my service advisor so I called him. He told me that he hasn’t had anyone else complain about this problem yet, so lucky me my MDX will be the first one that my service department will get to troubleshoot with this problem"

    If I had a dime for every time I heard my service manager say "I've never heard anyone else complain about this" I'd be.....well......I'd have a few dimes.

    I think they're trained to say this whether they heard the complaint 100 times or not.

    Luckily, we haven't had any electrical problems in our '07 but if we did, it would be parked right in front of the service bay with the horn honking. :P
  • rxm1rxm1 Member Posts: 3
    I had this problem with the A/C buttons not illuminating, just as you described. They would comeon automatically after a few minutes. The only way I could prove that to the dealer was by snapping a picture with the A/C lights off with my cell phone. You cannot manually switch off those lights.

    So, after seeing the picture, the dealer contacted Acura. They then replaced the radio panel and I havent had that problem since then.
  • srad911srad911 Member Posts: 5
    O.K. - so they figured it was actually the unit for what the lights on the buttons control interfering with everything illuminating properly. Thanks for info and I had as well taken a picture to show to the dealership.
    How long has it been since the replacement with no problems? Did the dealer do nice clean work taking apart dash and putting it back to new?
    Thanks for posting,
    Kevin.
  • judgmentbuyjudgmentbuy Member Posts: 27
    Have a first-year MDX, drivers and passengers side windows squeek a lot when going
    up and down. Dealer said it's normal. Local auto shop said we could oil it but would streak - what do the wise people here think, what's the solution?
  • mecheng1mecheng1 Member Posts: 161
    I understand you to say you have a 2001 MDX.
    Window glass rubbing against seals can squeak and if oiled would tend to streak, etc. (This would tend to go away over time as the glass and the seal "wear in")
    Window mechanisms can also squeak and can be lubricated/greased without streaking the glass. Hard to tell which is which unless you can see it or take the door apart.
  • brahda808brahda808 Member Posts: 25
    I got an 08 MDX Sport/Entertainment. On both the driver and passenger b-pillar, right behind the window is a black plastic trim. I think it is stickered on. Any ways, the bottom half of this trim is bowing outward. You can press it down with your finger, but it will pop back up. Is anyone else having this problem? It's weird that both doors have this problem. Maybe that's the way it is? Am I being to meticulous?
  • brahda808brahda808 Member Posts: 25
    Hey, got another problem on my 08 Sport/Enter. After turning off the vehicle and exiting it. I used the remote to open the rear lift gate and nothing happens. Am I doing something wrong?
  • crowncitycrowncity Member Posts: 7
    I have a 2007 MDX that had a very squeaky driver's side window (started a few months after purchase). It went away on its own a few months later. It's been almost a year free from the problem.
  • crowncitycrowncity Member Posts: 7
    All the passenger doors must be unlocked. You must also hold the remote button down for an extended period of time. If you've tried this and it doesn't work, I'd wonder if your car has the remote tailgate feature hooked up. It doesn't come standard on most models. I was given a loaner without the ability. I don't know if the feature is activated at the dealer or factory.
  • dms9dms9 Member Posts: 137
    So, a couple people have asked for an update on my car, here goes. . .

    I was told I had a computer virus, which I found interesting. There is only one way to infect a car that I am aware of . . . at the factory. I use the bluetooth, but I use a blackberry platform, so it is highly unlikely that had anything to do with it and no one at Acura has said anything to that effect.

    They reset the entire computer system (what a pain to reprogram everything) and replaced a bad amplifier in the stereo. It seems to have done the trick, for now. It took 10 days to get the part. I have no additional information on the computer virus, but again they seemed to have fixed this most recent problem and I have had only one minor problem since then. The sensor telling me the gas cap was open indicated it was open when it was not. But it only did it one time. And, before you ask, yes I had turned it past at least 3 clicks. It came on after 150 miles of driving after the fill up, so I am confident it wasn't "user error".

    I wrote a long letter to Acura and heard promptly from them. I had two concerns, the repeated problems and the issue of the rear crash test results (see that thread if you are interested). A very nice person called me. She reminded me that they have fixed everything that broke on the car, which is true. I just want them to send a factory rep out to look at my car carefully. My dealer has been fantastic, but this is an Acura problem, not a dealership problem. They don't seem too interested. The response I continually got was "we will continue to honor the Acura Limited Warranty that came with your vehicle". I am sure it was written on the page in front her and she isn't allowed to say anything else, but you would think they could be a little more creative in responding to a customer who just spent a lot of money for a vehicle that has too many problems. I am confident that if an Acura big shot had taken my car to drive, he/she would have returned it a long time ago and picked up something else. I don't have that luxury. So, for those of you who are interested. Acura customer service is very prompt, very friendly, and very useless.

    If my car is in the shop 10 days more in the next 5 months, it will be a lemon under my State's lemon law. If it breaks again, they can have it. If not, well maybe they fixed everything and it will be a good car. Or, maybe they factory workers were training the day they made mine.

    The sad thing is that I have taken my wife's cars the last three times when she has needed new ones (for various reasons) and this was my first "new" car since 1996. I was so excited. What a complete dissapointment. I am still reasonably hopeful that it will serve me well for a few years.
  • dms9dms9 Member Posts: 137
    Yes, they finally fixed it by putting a listening device on the car and isolating the sound. The '07 had a service order on it, they had to replace bolts holding the struts together. That didn't fix mine. They found that I had a bad rear strut (I have a Sport). In addition, there was rattle from the muffler, one of the interior baffles on one of the mufflers was broken. I was making a racket and was replaced. How that got through their theoretical "quality control" is beyond me.

    I know there are couple of people who are diss'ing the MDX on this thread. For the record, I am not one of them. I really love(ed) this car and was very excited to buy it. I just want it to work without having to wonder every time I start it what will break today. I think it is a great platform and the engineers did a fantastic job making a 4,000 truck drive like a sport's sedan. But, at least with mine, there was just NO quality control when it was constructed.
  • srad911srad911 Member Posts: 5
    Follow -Up.... Dealer said I have a bad radio and is replacing it and hopefully problem will go away for good! Thanks again for replies and good luck!
    Kevin L.
  • rmohammadrmohammad Member Posts: 1
    Well. unfortunately, my problem is back. Same as before.

    I called the dealer and they are being absolutely non-cooperative.

    They say they have to be able to duplicate the problem....
  • jmpage2jmpage2 Member Posts: 268
    Why don't you take a video camera and film the problem, then you can put it on a DVD and show it to the dealer so that they can get it resolved?
  • seanz1seanz1 Member Posts: 1
    has anyone been able to solve this problem yet? does replacing the solenoid work?
  • vaughn4vaughn4 Member Posts: 106
    I finally dumped my 07 MDX - Just had too many issues. This vehicle was a miserable experience - A $40K mistake!!! Good riddance!!!

    :lemon:
  • upstatedocupstatedoc Member Posts: 710
    What did you end up trading it for?
  • vaughn4vaughn4 Member Posts: 106
    08 Acura TL Type S - So far it has been an exceptional vehicle. This could be in part because it's been built for a while and the kinks have been worked out. I'd stay away from the new generation 09 TL for at least a couple of years - First year vehicles have issues!

    In my opinion the 08 TL Type S is just a much better put together machine than the new generation MDX. Note I said the "new generation". We have an 05 MDX and it has been bullet proof. The new MDX while technologically more advanced than the previous version, is just not put together well and plagued with a plethora of issues some of which I consider major ones. From looking through this forum I think a lot of other owners would agree. Too bad, this SUV has potential but Acura corporate needs to get its act together and listen to their customers instead of being so arrogant and condensing.
  • jmpage2jmpage2 Member Posts: 268
    Reliability on the new MDX is very good as rated by consumer reports and others. It sounds like you got a lemon. Also you demonstrate why I never buy a new model the 1st year it is out. All the bugs aren't worked out yet.
  • gjpearcegjpearce Member Posts: 4
    just bought a new MDX Sport. Next day, the airbag message came on. Took it to the dealer and he diagnosed a faulty airbag seatbelt sensor. He said car was safe to drive. Nine days later he got the part in. He replaced it in a 90 minute service. So I am driving home (a 40 mile trip) and light comes back on. Next day I called dealer yelling and screaming- he brings me a loaner. Two days later, returns my car and now we are waiting to see if everything is OK. Anybody else with airbag warning lights?
  • brahda808brahda808 Member Posts: 25
    Thanks, you're right. I unlocked the doors first, and now the tailgate opens and closes.
  • donmatteodonmatteo Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2001 model MDX and have been less than thrilled with the purchase myself. I bought it used with 80K miles on it and within 2K miles, had to replace the transmission. Acura Corp helped with 1/2 of the cost, which I thought was fair. I was only out $1800.

    Then the Engine Mounts broke, $900 repair.

    Then the buttons on the overhead light broke. $300 unit replacement.

    Now the driver door won't open, even though it's unlocked. Neither the interior nor exterior handle will get it to work so I have to climb in & out of the passenger door. Looks like my "accentuator" might be out too. I saw a Google posting on the same problem and in that case, the dealer couldn't fix it so he sent it to a body shop to have the door sawed off and the entire handle assembly replaced.

    The MDX is a nice ride but the headaches aren't worth it. My other car give me much fewer problems and guess what... it's American made.
  • un_sidiqun_sidiq Member Posts: 31
    Hi
    I am looking for a reliable shop/mechanic(preferably Acura Certified) to work on MDX, someone i know who took his MDX for the 15000 miles service and was given a estimate of $900, i was wondering if someone knows of a place in Plano/Richardson/Allen TX area ? Also for the oil change do the quick lube shops use the "crush washer" that the dealership puts so much stress on when doing oil change ?
    Thanks
  • jas8jas8 Member Posts: 8
    In the past, I have used Danny's Import Service. (He did my 30,000 and 45,000 service for my 02 MDX). It is a little farther away than you are looking - but he does great work. He is in Lewisville (121/35 area). www.dannysimport.com.
  • barb36jack31barb36jack31 Member Posts: 34
    The dealer says that the differential oil must be changed every 15000 miles. The manual says that if you drive a lot at slow speeds in the mountains or tow a trailer, change the diff.oil at 7500 mi and at 15000 mi. intervals after that. It makes no mention of how often to change the diff.oil if you drive normally with no special loads being placed on the car.

    Comments please.

    Jack H.
  • bill124bill124 Member Posts: 246
    Anyone have any issues with windshield? Got a slight ding within first few weeks. Now in a different and unrelated area it cracked. Told it was a tiny pebble by glazier. Never had this happen with any other car and realize it could just be bad luck. Getting it replaced tomorrow. Thanks in advance.
  • herberthherberth Member Posts: 2
    I have the same problem with our '07 MDX. I bought the car back in May '07 and the radio channels intermittently reset to 87.7 on FM1 and FM2. (I don't use AM, but I'm sure they get reset too.) When this happened 6 plus times, I brought the MDX into the dealer in mid February '08 and they could not replicate the problem. They said that Acura HQ is aware of the problem and even quoted a T-Line reference #2555821. The dealer said that in a month or two, they should have a fix.

    It is 3 months and the radio channels have preset 4 times. It is extremely annoying. I called the dealer to inquire about the fix and they now tell me that it may take upwards of 6 months to diagnose the problem. I think this sounds way too long. :(

    Is there some law as to how long they can take in finding a solution? Also, does anyone have access to the Acura T-Line and look up that reference number?

    Thanks.
  • jt10jt10 Member Posts: 2
    I took the MDX in for service and believe it or not the radio lights actually went out when the Shop Foreman was testing driving it. I can’t tell you how happy I was that finally the dealer was able to replicate the problem. The service advisor said that the radio lights were going out due to a bad relay, and it was replaced. It has been 2-weeks and so far the radio lights have not gone out again.

    However, I am still loosing my radio presets AM & FM and all sound settings (bass, treble, subwoofer etc) default back to center (“C”). The service department has been great but is puzzled. Now they think it may be a problem with the remotes because most of the time when we lose the radio settings it is when switching between the Driver 1 & 2 remotes.

    For example, I will use my remote all weekend without a problem. Come Monday morning my wife will use her remote (#1) and all settings will reset. When I go to use my remote (#2) again later in the week (Thurs, Fri) 9 out of 10 times all settings will reset again. This process repeats itself over and over.

    I think I may “unlink” the remotes to the MDX and only use the memory buttons on the drivers door for a while to see what happens. My thinking is if all presets stay to what I set them to in the memory 1 & 2 presets then it’s the remotes. If all settings reset even though the remotes are not linked then who knows.

    I am going to mention the Acura T-Line reference #255821 to my service department to see if this helps.

    Good Luck!
  • hotch41hotch41 Member Posts: 61
    Just picked up my 2008 MDX Sport w/Power Tailgate this past Saturday. I've been experiencing an odd problem with my center console and wanted to see if anyone else had this happen to them. I've opened the center console door after driving for a while and when I went to grab something out of it, it was extremely hot inside. This morning it was cool (the inside of the console) when I drove to work and by the time I arrived, it was getting hot again. I already called my salesman and he asked the service guy if there was a technical/service bulletin with this and they said there wasn't. Don't ask me how I find these things/problems...maybe some people don't care about something like this, but since it's a $47K Acura, they better find a way to fix it. There's no reason for this.....agreed? Any feedback/comments would be appreciated. Thank you all.
  • upstatedocupstatedoc Member Posts: 710
    I've seen this issue here before, but I can't find it on a discussion search. The heat and a/c ducts run underneath the center console. Do you use the rear hvac controls? Try turning off the rear controls altogether. Mine does the same thing.
  • hotch41hotch41 Member Posts: 61
    Thanks, upstatedoc, but I double-checked to see if it the rear hvac was on but it wasn't. So are you saying anytime you have the a/c or heat on, even it's just for the front passengers, the inside of the center console will get hot? I'll have to try to find that discussion you mentioned if I can find it. I hope this is not a design issue b/c I don't think it's right to accept this heat issue and just live with it. Thanks again.
  • sanjaysdcasanjaysdca Member Posts: 269
    There is a "small" thread with few entries on this
    No resolution though

    link title
  • dkny1dkny1 Member Posts: 8
    Got my 08 mdx on Feb. Everything is working normal. But I live in NYC where streets are not very smooth and my MDX makes so much noise in the back when the road is a little bit rough that I took it to service 4 times. the have replace shocks , but still makes the same thumping noise as before. I am really considering of changing my MDX if they dont come up with a solution. Anybody with same complain ?????? :mad:
  • vaughn4vaughn4 Member Posts: 106
    Yep, had the same problem in addition to the front suspension lower control arms making horrible cracking/knocking noises. Unfortunately there is no fix - I know as my 07 MDX was constantly in the shop to no avail. They still haven't addressed the problem on the 08's either. I drove an 08 and same issues.

    I finally traded the 07 MDX - Couldn't stand all the noises on a $40K + vehicle. Acura will tell you it is a normal characteristic. It is horrible - sounds like the suspension is about to break apart.

    In my opinion the new generation MDX is a :lemon: .
  • dms9dms9 Member Posts: 137
    I had the same thing on my 2007 as well. They did a couple of things and it is fixed. First, there was service instruction for the dealer to change the bolts holding the rear struts on. Second, they actually replaced the rear struts (I have a Sport). Then they replaced one of my rear mufflers, which had a broken baffle in it. There is a tool they can stick in the rear of the MDX that has a sensitive listening device attached to it. The tool will tell the tech exactly where the noise is coming from. If your dealer can't fix it, it is time for a new dealer or a call to Acura. It can be fixed, but it is a very common problem on the MDX.
  • dkny1dkny1 Member Posts: 8
    thanks dsm9 for your response. Actually I was about to trade in my base MDX for the Sport . But it seems that you had the same problem with yours (Sport). The thumping It's really annoying and it's driving me crazy. Did you call Acura to solve this issue ? I went to 2 dealers already and it seems nobody knows how to solve this problem. Please I need more advice !!! I will call my dealer tomorrow to find out about this listening device. Again ......thank you
  • dms9dms9 Member Posts: 137
    It took a couple tries but my dealer took care of it. I use Pohanka in Northern Virginia. One thing you may want to immediately try, which took care of a large amount of the noise is the license plate bracket. Most don't have holes for bottom screws, which the MDX uses on the license plates. Thus, the bracket bangs up and down against the plate/screws everytime you go over a bump. If you have that type of bracket (most dealers use the cheap ones, including Pohanka), take it off and see if that helps a lot. They should be able to use the listening device and find the rest of it.

    The entry on the warranty service ticket was "install chassis ear to pinpoint location of noise" code 311099

    Hope that helps. If they don't know what you are talking about, call Acura, but I am betting that won't do much good. The National Customer service is useless.
  • jscorp1jscorp1 Member Posts: 3
    My tranny finally died on 2/10/08. I had to get a new transmission but it worked out better than I thought. I have suspected something was wrong with the transmission for a while. It starting making noises around 4th gear so I took it in to a transmission guy. He changed the fluid and found metal in the pan. He suggested that I take it to Acura since he beleives that they have exteded the warranty. I took it and Acura said the transmission and motor mount needed to be replaced and the warranty was not extended for the 2003 MDX. The cost was going to be over $6,000. I was shocked and told myself there was no way I would or could drop 6K on this car. I told my service person to see what he could do since I reported an issue before 50K back in 2006. He got back to me a few days later with good news. The manager said he would knock 75% off the service. I said go ahead and fix the car. When the car was done I was ready to pay and the invoice was much lower than was quoted earlier. They actually put me under a warranty and all I had to pay was a $250 fee for the tranny. I did pay full price for the motor mount and labor, but thanks to Acura I was able to keep my MDX
  • acuraman8acuraman8 Member Posts: 1
    :sick: My NAV, Radio, and 12 V power adapters went out last night on my 2005 MDX. I checked the radio and ACC fuse, but they looked fine. Anyone know what fuse(s) might cause these to go out or how can this be fixed.

    All other power seems to be fine. Headlights, windows, locks, heater, dash lights. Everything seems okay and the car is drivable. They only thing that appears to be affected is....

    GPS screen is off
    Radio does not power on
    12 V power on dash and in center console glove is not working.

    The little red security LED on the radio still blinks though. Seems like this is more than a fuse, but what electrical links all of these? Some relay blew out or something?
  • gerrygr1gerrygr1 Member Posts: 3
    The exact same thing happened to me. I plugged in a bad cell charger and it probably shorted something out. The memory seats also don't operate. All the fuses seem ok.

    I have a Blitzsafe auxiliary input wired in, so I'm guessing that could be the issue. Will know more tonight after I get behind the console.
  • hemorsehemorse Member Posts: 34
    Acuraman8: I am in desperate need of a source to make the side mirrors fold electrically on my 2008 MDX. I don't mind aftermarket products, mirrors from other vehicles that would fit, mirrors that would need to be painted, etc. While you have your thinking cap on, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

    I am also experiencing a thumping sound or rattle in the rear left when I go over some bumps, but not always. I noticed some forum members had mentioned this. Is there a known fix that I can suggest to my dealer?

    You're the man!
  • mfredmfred Member Posts: 1
    I'm the proud owner (hopefully) of a 2008 base MDX black/black with about 1600 miles. I have a concern that would like to see if anybody has similar problem or answer to. Since about 200 miles, I have had an intermittant annoying clicking or low popping noise from the rear hatch area primarily at a complete stop or sometimes from starting or slowing down to a stop. It sound like gravel being thown against the back door or in the fenderwell. It is not constant, nor can I relate it to any bumps in the road, etc. I don't hear it at freeway speeds. I am taking it into the dealer for the second time, they are responding to typical TSBs (07-033 to start), but I don't think the problem fits. Any ideas?

    Thank you
  • redlohredloh Member Posts: 1
    I recently bought a 2008 MDX in the US and imported it into Canada. Any idea on how to change the outside temperature and internal cabin temperature readings from Faranheit into Celcius?
    Also, what about changing the trip computer and odometer from miles into kilometers?
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