2002 Acura MDX recalls and problems

The 2002 Acura MDX has 4 recalls and 206 owner complaints on file with NHTSA; the most reported problem area is power train.

Pictured: a 2001 model; the 2002 may differ in details. Photo: 2001 Acura Mdx by Clock38030, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How the 2002 compares

High

Fewest complaintsMost complaints

High complaint count among 25 MDX model years — 5th most.

4recalls

206complaints

11crashes

2fires

5injuries

98,000median miles

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not verified and not adjusted for sales. Ranking compares this model's own years only.

Does your car have an open recall?
Recalls apply to specific vehicles. Only a VIN lookup on NHTSA's official site shows whether yours is affected and still unrepaired.

Check your VIN →

4 recalls

Air Bags

Jan 17, 2020 · NHTSA campaign 20V027000 · 875,966 vehicles

Problem: 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.

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.

Remedy & notes

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.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Suspension

Sep 1, 2005 · NHTSA campaign 05V385000 · 22,861 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Original NHTSA wording

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.

Risk: Excessive corrosion can cause spring failure and a broken spring could puncture a front tire, which increases the risk of a crash.

Original NHTSA wording

EXCESSIVE CORROSION CAN CAUSE SPRING FAILURE AND A BROKEN SPRING COULD PUNCTURE A FRONT TIRE, WHICH INCREASES THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy & notes

Dealers will replace both front springs with improved springs. The recall began on October 11, 2005. Owners May contact Acura at 800-382-2238.

Honda/Acura recall no. P92.customers May also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov.

Power Train

Apr 15, 2004 · NHTSA campaign 04V176000 · 1,099,796 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Original NHTSA wording

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.

Risk: Gear failure could result in transmission lockup, which could result in a crash.

Original NHTSA wording

GEAR FAILURE COULD RESULT IN TRANSMISSION LOCKUP, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

Remedy & notes

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 vehicles will start receiving letters on June 28, 2004, and on June 29, 2004, for owners of the tl and cl vehicles. Owners should contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009 or Acura at 1-800-382-2238.

Honda recall nos. P30 (odyssey and pilot),P31 (mdx), P38 (accord) and P39 (Acura).customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

Engine

Aug 28, 2002 · NHTSA campaign 02V226000 · 17,551 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Original NHTSA wording

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.

Risk: If the timing belt breaks, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Original NHTSA wording

IF THE TIMING BELT BREAKS, THE ENGINE WILL STALL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy & notes

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.

Also, customers can contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

Recall text as published by NHTSA and the manufacturer.

What owners complain about

Power Train126

Air Bags23

Engine19

Electrical System12

Vehicle Speed Control12

Unknown or other6

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA; one complaint can name several areas. Not verified by NHTSA.

Complaints by year filed

NHTSA investigations

FRONT COIL SPRING BREAKAGE

PE05040 · opened Jul 14, 2005 · closed Sep 14, 2005 · led to recall 05V385000

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 LEAST 4 (29%) OF THE SPRING FRACTURE REPORTS AND 13 (21%) OF THE WARRANTY CLAIMS.ONE REPORT ALSO INDICATED THAT A FRACTURED SPRING DAMAGED A BRAKE LINE FAILURE, RESULTING IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. TO CORRECT THE CONDITION, HONDA IS RECALLING APPROXIMATELY 22,861 MDX VEHICLES SOLD 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 WHERE LARGE QUANTITIES OF ROAD SALT ARE USED (HONDA RECALL P92, NHTSA RECALL 05V-385).THERE WERE NO COMPLAINTS OR WARRANTY CLAIMS INVOLVING VEHICLES FROM OUTSIDE THE RECALL REGION.DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH FR…

2002 vs. other Acura MDX years

Owner complaints by model year; the darker bar is the 2002. Click a bar to switch year.

Questions

Does the 2002 Acura MDX have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns covering the 2002 Acura MDX, the latest from Jan 17, 2020 (air bags). A recall applies to specific vehicles: enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours is affected and still open.

What are the most common problems with the 2002 Acura MDX?

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA most often mention power train (126), air bags (23), engine (19). Complaints are consumer reports and are not verified by NHTSA.