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Acura MDX (pre-2007)

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Comments

  • wmquanwmquan Member Posts: 1,817
    According to Honda:


    http://makeashorterlink.com/?F23B318A1


    Don't know if it's specific to a trim level, or is standard or a dealer acce$$ory.

  • wmquanwmquan Member Posts: 1,817
    A friend of mine who is in the media tells me that Honda claims their seats are designed to 1.5-2.0 times the NHTSA standard for seat strength. That's good, though I think both Volvo and MB go significantly beyond that (I'm trying to find the numbers). Higher seat strength than the federal standard means the ability to handle a larger percentage of rear-end collisions, at least as far as collapsing seats is concerned.
  • andys3andys3 Member Posts: 20
    Latest C & D (2003 car issue) describes increased HP in MDX to 260 as a done deal. They seem to know more than Acura does.....
  • jks320jks320 Member Posts: 7
    Has anyone added an aftermarket air deflector? If so, what brand and how difficult was it to install.

    Thanks
  • xerrtoxerrto Member Posts: 11
    Last update was mid-Sept. Any word on this year?

    Thanks
  • wmquanwmquan Member Posts: 1,817
    Would you mean a front air deflector, or one for the rear?

    If it's a front, quite a few folks have purchased the FormFit Air Deflector. I know hondacuraworld.com sells them and so do a number of other retailers. FormFit's fans think it's more attractive than the Acura OEM unit; slightly lower profile, a bit more angular, and without the green look to it. Folks have installed it on their own without any problems.
  • sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    Anyone have an opinion on which is better? Are the running boards deep enough to stand on and utilize the roof rack?
  • teeveeboy1teeveeboy1 Member Posts: 7
    Just to let everyone know, we traded in our MDX for an Odyssey over the weekend. Got $27,000 for the MDX, which was a base vehicle. Thanks to everyone who offered their opinion on what we'd get for the trade-in. We actually got the highest amount stated in Kelley Blue Book. The values went down recently, or we may have gotten more. And if you want to see what I think about the new Odyssey, check out the Odyssey board. But I warn you, you might not like what you see!
  • bennewmanbennewman Member Posts: 12
    Is there any official word yet on the 2003 changes?
  • rerenov8rrerenov8r Member Posts: 380
    The salespeople/dealers who post here have confirmed that new color combinations are in the system. Also they have confirmed that Navi is ONLY available with Touring. There is as RES option for Touring too.

    Honda has said in an official announcement that XM Radio is also available...

    Other changes that have leaked out through the magazines (and will be confirmed ONLY when the factory feels all 02s are gone...) are a power boost to 260Hp, addition of VSC (electronic stability) "enhanced" transmission, and drive-by-wire throttle. These are all things that should make the 03s even more reliable/desirable than the 02s BUT the competitive products from Volvo, Volkswagen, BMW and others should make it hard for Acura to move prices higher...
  • tblazer503tblazer503 Member Posts: 620
    I wouldn't lock in anything until you drive one. If you want an idea of the difference between drive by wire and regular throttles, check out the Trailblazer/Envoy/Bravada it makes the vehicle seem a little weak, because the PCM will be checking everything and adjusting the throttle so no WOT just by punching the gas... Maybe Acura has a better design for their throttles than chevy, wouldnt surprise me, but I'm just warning you all =o). Maybe in a few years they will have the NSX-T engine in it... hehe... 3.2L VTEC 290HP N/A Now that would be sweet.... All the improvements sounds like they are trying to set it apart from the Pilot... MDX looks better anyways.. =o)
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    said to have a new 5-speed tranny and AWD system too. I believe(?) it was reported in the current issue of C&D.

    Bob
  • angelica2angelica2 Member Posts: 30
    Why isn't the Acura MDX (SUV Board) listed when you first open the consumer discussions. You have to scroll down to "what's being said on this sight" and get to it from there. Just seems strange to change it after all this time. A couple of extra steps to get to the same discussion...
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    We had a similar complaint earlier today and I thought it was a random bug. Guess not!


    I'm assuming you are looking for it in the SUVs topic list and not just trying to find it "the old way"? Getting Started in Town Hall


    Try this link and see if it helps (especially if you have the topic list bookmarked in your favorites):


    /direct/view/.ee92034


    Hope this helps!



    Steve

    Host

    SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Looks like an access switch was set wrong - hopefully it'll show up in all the lists now. Thanks for bringing it to our attention, Angelica2.

    Steve
    Host
    SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
  • johnnyrebjohnnyreb Member Posts: 11
    How about posting the last message first and going backwards from there or giving us the option to do so? Just a thought. Personally I would like this approach much better.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Heh, did you start out on Usenet too? (I still usually read the newsgroups that way). I think the original Town Hallies cut their teeth on BBS's and it never occured to them to let the preferences switch to a reverse read option, although you can change your preferences that way for the discussion list. Sorry!

    (shouldn't you be watching the UofM/UofM game instead of hanging out here anyway? ;-))

    Steve
    Host
    SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
  • wcheungwcheung Member Posts: 2
    I own a '01 MDX and live in the bay area, CA. The other car I drive is a '99 BMW 5 series with xenon headlights which I got used to. Has anyone retrofitted a set of HIDs for the MDX? If so, could you share with me your experience, how much it costs and where can it be done. Thanks!

    Wilson
  • piaa2001piaa2001 Member Posts: 10
    Yes, MDXtrous does have a nice vehicle but he does not have real HID lighting!
    Trust me I know!
    Real Hid kits start at around $500 and can be as much as a $800
    They have a ballast with an HID bulb to create the arc for the light it produces
  • piaa2001piaa2001 Member Posts: 10
    These seem to be all true from what I heard from my local Acura dealer here in NYC!
    There will be an estimate of a 3-4 month waiting list for the 2003 MDX
    The MDX has tied first with the BMX X3 in an all around mid-sized luxury SUV category and it $20,000 less!!
  • bodydoublebodydouble Member Posts: 801
    BTW, is it confirmed that the '03 will have sequential sport shift? Will it still retain the same rather clumsy gated pattern, which IMO is redundant with SS. All they really need is P-R-N-D and the SS gate.
  • wcheungwcheung Member Posts: 2
    maransm, thanks for the website referral. piaa2001 is correct, those are NOT HID lights. Right now I have put piaa extreme white (9006) at my MDX for about $75 a pair. It looks very white and a little brighter than stock halogen, but I would say it's only 50% as bright as my BMW xenons. I'm really looking for real HID conversion. Anyone has dealer info to install a conversion kit?

    Wilson
  • jerrynjjerrynj Member Posts: 11
    Has anyone considered or done purchasing a car from Canada? Is it doable? And what's the pros and cons? Thanks in advance.
  • piaa2001piaa2001 Member Posts: 10
    Here are some very good websites that all carry HID conversion kits for the Acura MDX bulb 9006:
    eautoworks.com
    autotoys.com
    sigmaautomotive.com
    autodynamic.com
    All vary in price depending on manufacturer and kelvin rating
    Hope this helps!
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Check out this article:


    Gray Area What You Need to Know About Canadian Cars in the U.S.




    Steve

    Host

    SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

  • jerrynjjerrynj Member Posts: 11
  • jerrynjjerrynj Member Posts: 11
    I have relatives living in canada. I am thinking of having them buy the car first under their names. Of course, they will have to pay the notorious canada sales tax. But it will still be much lower than what I am going to pay here. Then they drive the car to the states to visit me and have a good vacation. Before they leave, they give me the car as a gift. The only problem I can think of is that the warranty on the car might not be honored here in the states. What do you folks think?
  • rerenov8rrerenov8r Member Posts: 380
    Would probably offset most of the purchase price!

    The recent problem with the water pump (requiring its replacement as well as replacement of the timing belt) would EASILY be several thousand dollars out of pocket!

    The Acura transmissions have logged a small but significant number of claims too (far more in the CL/TL lines) and that could be another KILO-sized chunk of cash...

    Factor in all the things that could go wrong in four years and it seems clear to me that Acura really, really does not any cross boarder sales--

    Looking out further, I suspect that even AFTER the warranty is expired you will see substantial reluctance on the part of dealers to give you a fair price on trade for an MDX that was originally sold in MapleLeafLand. The logical reasons would be that a) it original DID cost less b) it may never have benefited from any factroy service/TSBs c) they do come with a Canadian set of options BUT don't forget that dealers work on emotions and they would try to blame/shame you for the 'shady dealings' of having s gray market vehicle (even though it is 99% the same as those destined for the USA...)
  • lok888lok888 Member Posts: 1,788
    It looks like the 2003 MDX will have a 260 hp engine, new extrior color, new wheel style, and DVD player. I still wish they have HID lights and most important to the production of MDX. I think Honda is playing game on the production of MDX, Pilot and Odyseey, even on the fifth year of Odyseey production.
  • ebluezguyebluezguy Member Posts: 6
    I'm really baffled by so much interest in HID lights. There have been a number of reports (including one on Dateline, 20/20 or one of those) about the dangers of HID lights. They blind other drivers and don't add that much true effectiveness for the driver.
    ???????
  • wmquanwmquan Member Posts: 1,817
    Once many folks drive at night with _well executed_ HID lights, they never want to go back. The difference is almost night and day ;-).

    Many of the complaints are probably people seeing the aftermarket kits, poor aiming, etc. A lot of kits use a vehicle's existing reflector housing that was never designed for HID's in the first place. Not to mention that well-executed HID's on an SUV need an auto-leveling feature. It's no surprise that many of those installations will cause complaints.

    Though it's quite true that some folks really want HID's for the "cool" factor rather than the safety reasons. That's one of the things feeding the aftermarket kits and bulbs, some of which are really poor.
  • diploiddiploid Member Posts: 2,286
    Another thing might be that some people don't know how to use their night mirrors. I'm not kidding - my cousin always complain about HID lights from SUVs blinding him from behind by reflecting in the rearview mirror. I told him to polarize it by switching the little tab and he said something stupid like "but I won't be able to see."
  • andys3andys3 Member Posts: 20
    I have an Audi with HID headlights, and my wife has a 3.2 TL. We both love the headlights, and wondered what we did without them. I have been paying attention to vehicles on the road with and without them and have never had a problem with other people's glare (particularly in the Audis). In fact, she's looking for a new mid-size SUV and is weighing the MDX against the Volvo XC90. One of her bigger concerns is lack of HID lights in the Acura, which I agree is a curious deficiency in this vehicle......
  • wmquanwmquan Member Posts: 1,817
    A number of MDX owners have reported transmission failures. It looks like Honda has confirmed that there has been a problem. Big black eye for Honda/Acura, and they had better step up to the plate and address this issue (e.g. by going beyond the warranty in replacing transmissions).


    http://makeashorterlink.com/?K559111C1


    "Of 1 million vehicles sold in the U.S. with those transmissions ... Honda has replaced the transmissions in about 16,000, or 1.6%."


    "The five-speed models typically were damaged by premature wear of the third-gear clutch pack. As the clutch friction material abraded, it scattered bits inside the transmission case, clogging fluid lines and causing erratic shifting."

  • jeffmust2jeffmust2 Member Posts: 811
    wmquan - looks like a potential repeat of Toyota's PR nightmare with sludge in their popular V-6...except with the Honda A/T going south, you KNOW when you have a problem!

    Be interesting to see if Honda learned from Toyota's mishandling of their nightmare.
  • haironghairong Member Posts: 153
    So that's why Acura says '03 MDX will have an "improved" 5-speed transmission. I was wondering why a 20hp power jump would warrant a new trans.
  • wmquanwmquan Member Posts: 1,817
    Agreed. I am not hopeful of Honda/Acura stepping up to the plate better than Toyota/Lexus did (at least for a while) with the sludge issue. As arrogant as Toyota/Lexus can seemingly be, Honda/Acura is worse IMHO.

    At this point, it is unclear from the comments from the Honda spokesperson about whether the current MDX transmission is affected. Someone in another forum called the Acura client services number and was told that the current (2002, as well as the 2001) MDX does not have the same issues because there are differences in its design. It's hard to say if that is true, because people have been told some strange things at the 800-number. I guess more information will eventually come out.

    While there have been some reports of MDX transmission failures or at least issues, there don't seem to be as many as the 1.6% number would indicate. Though Internet experiences provide poor statistical samples. For now, being on the pessimistic side, I'd presume that the MDX is affected by these issues.
  • sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    They maintain that all manufacturers have 1.6% failures if not more. 98% of all vehicles without a problem is a good success rate.

    Also MDX has a different transmission than the ones mentioned in the article.

    And yes, they probably included many fixes in the new transmission (and all new transmissions) so they can get closer to 100% success rate.

    They at least are on the ball with having answers ready to what they call independent internet sources making data look the way they want it to, not a direct quote but the overall gist.
  • jeffmust2jeffmust2 Member Posts: 811
    ...and Big Problems and I would think a sudden failure of a major driveline component that effectively stops one's vehicle without warning is a BIG problem.

    And anybody that tells you that a 1.6% failure rate (or probably higher) on a million units of relatively new hardware is insignificant must work for the marketing department - they sure never took a statistics class!
  • wmquanwmquan Member Posts: 1,817
    "They maintain that all manufacturers have 1.6% failures if not more. 98% of all vehicles without a problem is a good success rate."

    1.6% catastrophic transmission failure for all manufacturers? Or do they really mean 1.6% transmission problems of any kind (not necessarily catastrophic)? We are talking about 1.6% transmission problem so significant that it requires replacement.

    The Honda spokesperson in the same article is said to say that the 1.6% exceeds Honda's tolerance. That enough says how bad it is. The number of failures has surprised Honda and they were backlogged for parts to fix the issue. That is NOT a good success rate, especially for a Honda/Acura.

    Sounds like spin to me.

    "Also MDX has a different transmission than the ones mentioned in the article."

    Sure it's got to have some differences. But how different is it? The two Honda-admitted problematic transmissions are significantly different, yet both suffer from issues. The real question is, are the same design flaws in the MDX's "different" transmission?
  • aggiebartaggiebart Member Posts: 37
    New model with a new tranny = new problems. Better get the '02 now while you can..
  • haironghairong Member Posts: 153
    aggiebart, what are you talking about?

    "New model with a new tranny = Potentially new problems" But the '02 tranny's already got a problem! I'll bet you money it has the same tranny as '02 Odyssey, which is on the problem list. They may be tuned differently, but mechanically they are the same. Same platform, same engine, a different transmission? Come on. Even the v6 Accord and old Ody shared transmissions.
  • bodydoublebodydouble Member Posts: 801
    If anything people should NOT buy an '02 and wait for the '03.
  • diploiddiploid Member Posts: 2,286
    Not buying an MDX, but just interested on the rumored changes.

    Will the 260hp be matched by torque too?
  • angelica2angelica2 Member Posts: 30
    While at a BMW dealer I was told that California is trying to pass legislation to band HID headlights. Apparently, they are a hazard and have been reported to cause a lot of accidents. If it passes, it will take affect in January 2003. He said all dealers who sold cars would have to replace the lights with no or minimal cost to consumer. REMEMBER: don't know how valid this info is..just thought I'd mention it.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Seems like most of the ban talk was galvanized in a James Healey article in USA Today a year ago. Don't know of any recent ban news or proposed legislation, although the NHTSA may be doing some "rulemaking" about them next year (probably as much related to aiming as intensity though).



    Steve

    Host

    SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
  • will4271will4271 Member Posts: 187
    Isn't the Pilot prone to the same transmission failures as the MDX and Oddy?

    Unless the Pilot already has a redesign?
  • will4271will4271 Member Posts: 187
    I'll put my bet on the '03 MDX. If Honda got it wrong in the '01 and '02, maybe their R&D would have learned something from it. (Researching the failure analysis.)

    Anyone know what mileage usually the transmission decides to go on that vacation?
  • sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    As far as the MDX having a different transmission...that is what they told me...I have no evidence either way. Since the problem is related to the 3rd gear clutch plate, I would imagine most acura transmissions share the same components. Different gearing doesn't make a different transmission. What I wrote were indirect quotes, not my opinions.

    However I am not sure I am going to take 1 article as the final word. It is an interesting piece and since Acura acknowlegdes it, it lends credence to it. '02 vs. '03 I am not going to lose sleep over it...at least it isn't a ford, which might have something like 75% of transmissions fail. :0
  • sjbrodysjbrody Member Posts: 39
    Why doesn't Acura offer day-time running lights? The Canadian models have them as standard equipment, so designing them is not a problem. I really appreciate them on our 2nd car, a Subaru Forester.

    Spencer
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