KnownCarProblems2002 Acura Mdx Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 205 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Acura Mdx, most often about the transmission (61% of complaints, typically around 97,500 miles). It is 6th of 25 Mdx model years by number of complaints and has 4 recalls.
Most common 2002 Acura Mdx problems
Transmission
125 complaints · 61%Half of these problems showed up before 97,500 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission.
Tl contact owns a 2002 Acura Mdx. The contact has experienced multiple failures with the vehicle shifting into neutral. While driving various speeds, the vehicle will shift into neutral. The vehicle will then resume normal operation and drive in the correct gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they determined…
Tl contact owns a 2002 Acura Mdx. While driving 65 MPH and changing lanes the transmission down shifted and almost shut the vehicle off. The check engine light illuminated and the d5 light started flashing on the instrument panel. The vehicle was not safe to drive and will be towed to the dealer. There was only…
Air bags
23 complaints · 11%Half of these problems showed up before 140,000 miles. Parts named most often: frontal.
My daughter was living in michigan and the SRS light came on and she did not know what to make of it and there was no Acura dealership around where she lived. She continued to drive the car and then moved back to ca. I saw that it was on so I contacted an Acura dealership and they informed me that it had been under an…
Srs device failed, leaving air bags inoperable. Dealer asked factory rep to authorize service. Denied by Acura. This is a safety hazard. Research indicates identical problems in other vehicles, a prior class action settlement and other complaints. Srs warning light stays on. Both dealer and independent garage tested…
Engine
19 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 73,500 miles. Parts named most often: engine, exhaust system.
Tl contact owns a 2002 Acura Mdx. The contact stated that there were recalls on his vehicle to replace the timing belt and the water pump. Nhtsa campaign id number 02v226000 (engine and engine cooling:engine) was referenced. The dealer stated that they replaced the water pump and the timing belt, but could not provide…
I had just traveled 19 miles on the freeway and had stopped at the red light on the offramp. Shortly after making the turn, the car stalled without warning, the engine just stopped. I coasted, all the warning lights were on. I had to stop, put car in gear, and eventually restarted the car. This is the second incident…
Electrical
12 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 140,000 miles.
Srs device failed, leaving air bags inoperable. Dealer asked factory rep to authorize service. Denied by Acura. This is a safety hazard. Research indicates identical problems in other vehicles, a prior class action settlement and other complaints. Srs warning light stays on. Both dealer and independent garage tested…
The contact owns a 2002 Acura Mdx. The contact stated that while the vehicle was unoccupied and parked, it rolled away and then crashed into two other parked vehicles. A police report was filed. There were no personal injuries. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, who stated that the ignition switch cylinder…
Speed control
12 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 96,500 miles. Parts named most often: accelerator pedal.
My Acura Mdx 2002 had a frozen/stuck accelerator pedal that caused the vehicle to throttle high speed upto 50 MPH within 30 secs. The car went out of control and could not stop instantly when hit the brakes. Crash caused the property,vehicle damage and accident reported to police and dmv.
The contact owns a 2002 Acura Mdx. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle erroneously accelerated and the RPM increased excessively. The brakes were depressed very hard and the stopped in an open field. The vehicle was towed to a private mechanic who was unable to duplicate the failure. The…
Body and structure
7 complaints · 3%Parts named most often: frame and members, body.
Consumer concerned about potential design problem with honda & Acura vehicles re towing vehicle behind a motorhome, 2002 Acura Mdx broke loose fm motorhome at the unibody frame.
Consumer concerned about potential design problem with honda & Acura vehicles re towing vehicle behind a motorhome, 2002 Acura Mdx broke loose fm motorhome at the unibody frame.
Brakes
6 complaints · 3%Parts named most often: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, foundation components.
Steering
5 complaints · 2%Half of these problems showed up before 30,500 miles. Parts named most often: rack and pinion, hydraulic power assist system.
The contact owns a 2002 Acura Mdx. The contact stated that the steering was extremely rough and the service engine sensor illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that the torque converter and clutch solenoid was defective and needed to be replaced. The…
Upon starting the vehicle, there was a noise which also occurred while driving. The automatic transmission had to be replaced because it failed. Also, the rack and pinion had to be replaced at 12,000. The vehicle is still having problems with the rack and pinion.
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2002 Acura Mdx recalls
Air bags: inflator module
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, an inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants. An underinflated air bag cushion may not properly protect the occupant. These scenarios increase the risk of serious injury or death.
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. The recall began october 1, 2020. Owners may contact american honda's customer support & campaign center at 1-888-234-2138.
Full defect summary
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 vehicles may have received a replacement driver frontal air bag module as part of a vehicle repair. Due to a manufacturing issue, the replacement nadi inflator may absorb moisture, causing the inflator to rupture or the air bag cushion to underinflate.
Suspension: coil springs
Risk: Excessive corrosion can cause spring failure and a broken spring could puncture a front tire, which increases the risk of a crash.
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.
Full defect summary
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, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west virginia, wisconsin and the district of columbia. In areas where large quantities of road salt are used, the front suspension coil springs have insufficient corrosion protection, and may be susceptible to corrosion.
Transmission: automatic transmission
Risk: Gear failure could result in transmission lockup, which could result in a crash.
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 than 15,000 miles, the dealer will inspect the transmission to identify gears that have already experienced discoloration due to overheating. If discoloration exists, the transmission will be replaced if discoloration is not present, the dealer will perform the revision to the oil cooler return line. The recall began on april 21, 2004, for pilot, odyssey, and mdx owners. Owners of the accord vehicle
Full defect summary
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 breakage.
Engine
Risk: If the timing belt breaks, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the water pump and if it is one of the defective pumps, the water pump and timing belt will be replaced. Owner notification began august 30, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact honda at 1-800-999-1009 or acura at 1-800-382-2238.
Full defect summary
On certain minivans, sedans, coupes, and sport utility vehicles equipped with v6 engines, a timing belt tensioner pulley on the water pump is misaligned and could cause the timing belt to contact a bolt on the cylinder head. Eventually the belt could be damaged and fail.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Front coil spring breakage
Summary
In an august 29, 2005 letter, honda notified NHTSA that it had identified a defect in the front coil springs of certain model year 2001 and early-2002 acura mdx sport utility vehicles.according to honda, some front suspension coil springs have insufficient corrosion protection and, in areas where road salts are used, may be susceptible to corrosion.rubber sleeves applied near the top and bottom of some springs to eliminate noise can trap salt water, increasing the potential for excessive corrosion.over time, excessive corrosion can cause spring failure.in some cases, a broken spring could puncture a front tire, which increases the risk of a crash.evidence of tire damage was identified in at
Questions about the 2002 Acura Mdx
- What are the most common problems with the 2002 Acura Mdx?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: transmission (125 complaints, typically around 97,500 miles); air bags (23 complaints, typically around 140,000 miles); engine (19 complaints, typically around 73,500 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2002 Acura Mdx have?
- 4 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from January 17, 2020 (air bags). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2002 a bad year for the Acura Mdx?
- It is 6th of 25 Mdx model years by number of complaints, with 205 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.