Verdict
2021 Acura MDX: Complaints, Recalls & Known Issues
What the public record actually says about the 2021 Acura MDX — every figure below is a NHTSA or EPA number, not an opinion.
The read
Not enough federal data to rank this one yet.
NHTSA has no owner complaints on record for this model year — which can mean a quiet car or simply a rare one. No safety recalls on record.
Based on NHTSA complaint volume against 2021 SUVs, not adjusted for how many were sold. It describes the model year, not the individual car you are looking at.
Complaints filed
0
Reports to NHTSA, 2021
Safety recalls
0
NHTSA campaigns on record
NHTSA crash test
Not rated
Overall NCAP rating
Combined MPG
No data
EPA estimate
Zero reports is not a clean bill of health; rare or lower-volume cars can simply have less owner data.
Complaint volume vs. segment peers
Fewer complaints than 100% of 2021 SUVs
The bar is this car's percentile among 2021 SUVs by complaint volume — a full bar means the fewest complaints in its class. Not adjusted for sales.
Known issues
No component pattern to show: there are no owner complaints in the current data. That is not proof the car is problem-free.
Recalls
0 recalls — none issued for this model year as of Jul 2026. Recall records can change as NHTSA publishes new campaigns.
A campaign can apply to this model year without being incomplete on a specific vehicle. Check the VIN with NHTSA or a dealer to confirm whether a particular car needs repair.
Investigations
1 NHTSA investigation on record
Investigations are agency reviews, not findings that a vehicle is defective.
On June 3, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE22005 after the agency received VOQs and several field reports concerning the Auto Idle Stop (AIS) feature on 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles. The complaints allege that the engine fails to restart on its own from a complete stop at a traffic light or road intersection with the AIS function engaged. The subject vehicles are equipped with a 3.5L engine with a 9-speed automatic transmission. On January 6, 2023, Honda released service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009. These service bulletins address the failure to restart issue in the 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles, as well as the 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2019-2022 Honda Passport, and 2020-2023 Honda Ridgeline vehicles. The repair outlined in the service bulletins is a two-stage countermeasure to remedy the issue. The first stage is a Programmed Fuel Injection (“PGM-FI”) software update. The second stage is only deployed if the software update fails to remedy the issue. The second stage, depending on the model and model year, consists of replacement of the starter assembly, starter relays, and a valve adjustment. Additionally, Honda extended the warranty coverage to 10 years with unlimited mileage for vehicles requiring the second stage component replacement. ODI continues to receive complaints of the AIS failure to restart, with many complainants alleging the campaign countermeasures had been completed.NHTSA has reviewed Honda's Information Request Letter responses involving warranty claims, lawsuits, and consumer complaints in addition to ODI's own data. This Engineering Analysis is being opened to further consider the potential safety defect, including gathering additional data regarding Honda’s service campaign efficacy. ODI is additionally expanding the scope to encompass all vehicles addressed in Honda’s service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009 as well as newer model year vehicles, which are substantially similar to the vehicles covered by the service campaign. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Crash-test ratings
No NHTSA crash test is on record for this year. Some vehicles and model years were not tested or do not have a published NCAP result.
Fuel economy by trim
No EPA fuel-economy record is available for this model year. Some trims and older vehicles were not tested or are not in the current EPA feed.
Before you buy
Useful next checks
Federal records tell you about patterns. These checks can tell you more about the specific car in front of you.
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Compare model years
"Fewest reports" and "most complained" describe raw NHTSA complaint totals, not vehicle reliability. The last few model years are left unlabelled because they have had less road time.
2021 Acura MDX: frequently asked
What does the complaint record show for the 2021 Acura MDX?
NHTSA has no owner complaints on record for the 2021 Acura MDX in the current data. That is not a guarantee of reliability, especially for a lower-volume model.
What are the most common problems on the 2021 Acura MDX?
NHTSA has no component pattern to show for the 2021 Acura MDX because there are no owner complaints in the current data. A quiet record is not proof that every car is problem-free.
How many recalls does the 2021 Acura MDX have?
No safety recalls are on record for the 2021 Acura MDX as of Jul 2026.
What gas mileage does the 2021 Acura MDX get?
EPA fuel-economy figures for the 2021 Acura MDX aren't available yet.