2001 Acura MDX Problems, Recalls & Reliability
266 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2001 Acura MDX, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 52/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 104,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2001 sits among all MDX years
What owners report
“Srs light is on, engine light is transmission is miss firing, fuel tank has a link. Transmission been fix on a recall before”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 MDX
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 192 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 100,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 74,000 and 142,631 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2001-2002 Acura 3.2CL, 2000-2003 Acura 3.5RL, 2000-2001 Acura 3.2TL, Honda CR-V and Honda Odyssey, 2001-2002 Acura MDX and 2000 Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Coupe, and Civic Sedan vehicles. These…
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air bags in the vehicles, replacing the driver frontal air bag inflator with an inflator of a different design, as necessary, free of charge.…
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 1998 Acura 2.2CL, 1998-1999 Acura 2.3CL, 1998-1999 Acura 3.0CL, 2001 Acura 3.2CL and Acura MDX, 1998-2000 Honda Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Sedan, Odyssey and Acura 3.5RL, 1999-2000 Acura 3.2TL,…
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver frontal air bag inflator, and replace it if necessary, with an inflator of a different design, free of charge. The recall began October…
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE STATES OF CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OHIO,…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH FRONT SPRINGS WITH IMPROVED SPRINGS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 11, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT ACURA AT 800-382-2238.
ON SOME MINI VANS, SPORT UTILITY AND PASSENGER VEHICLES, CERTAIN OPERATING CONDITIONS CAN RESULT IN HEAT BUILD-UP BETWEEN THE COUNTERSHAFT AND SECONDARY SHAFT SECOND GEARS IN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, EVENTUALLY LEADING TO GEAR TOOTH CHIPPING OR GEAR…
Fix: ON VEHICLES WITH 15,000 MILES OR LESS, THE DEALER WILL UPDATE THE TRANSMISSION WITH A SIMPLE REVISION TO THE OIL COOLER RETURN LINE TO INCREASE LUBRICATION TO THE SECOND GEAR. ON VEHICLES WITH MORE…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 05V385000.
Technical service bulletins
184 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and electrical — are on file for the 2001 Acura MDX. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2001 Acura MDX reliable?
The 2001 Acura MDX drew 266 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 52/100, scored against the model's worst year (2016).
What are the most common 2001 Acura MDX problems?
The top reported problems for the 2001 Acura MDX are transmission & drivetrain (131 complaints), engine (23), and suspension (19).
At what mileage do 2001 Acura MDX problems show up?
Owners most often report 2001 Acura MDX problems around 100,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 74,000 and 142,631 miles.
Does the 2001 Acura MDX have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2001 Acura MDX. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.