Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||||
| 804 | 08/16/2004 | 10014095 | Engine coolant leak. *sc | 04/28/2005 | |
| 804 | 08/16/2004 | 10014090 | Dtc (diagnostic trouble code) p1457 (evap leak at canister) *sc | 04/28/2005 | |
| 11012004 | 11/01/2004 | 10010923 | Alternator is the root cause of adverse engine condition. this may include battery light on or flashing the engine not running or dim lights. request for visit. alos includes 2005 acura tl. *eh | 12/16/2004 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||||
| 09012002 | 09/01/2002 | 10009287 | Outside temperature indicator logic. acura. servicenews. *tt | 09/21/2004 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| 307 | 03/16/2007 | 10021343 | Rough idle, stalls at stops, and dtc's p0172 or p0175 appear when inspected. *kb | 04/05/2007 | |
| 1006 | 10/16/2006 | 10021177 | Trouble shooting b-can and f-can dtc's. *kb | 03/19/2007 | |
| 06028 | 07/13/2007 | 06028 | 10020481 | Mil comes on with dtc and the engine runs roughly or stalls. *kb updated 08-15-07. *kb | 10/26/2006 |
| 505 | 05/16/2005 | 10016260 | Cranks won't start, immobilizer light flashes. *tt | 09/06/2005 | |
| 1203 | 12/16/2003 | 10014160 | Updating replacement ecm/pcm software. *nm | 04/28/2005 | |
| 1203 | 12/16/2003 | 10014157 | Cranks, won't start, immobilizer light flashes. *nm | 04/28/2005 | |
| 105 | 05/16/2004 | 10009012 | Diagnostic trouble code p2195 or p2197, air fuel sensor lean. tech line summary. acura. *tt | 09/08/2004 | |
| 06282004 | 09/16/2004 | 704 | 10008052 | Engine coolant leaks. *mj dealer visit request summary. *tt | 07/20/2004 |
| 020204 | 02/02/2004 | 10006742 | Broken head bolt(s). request for parts. *tt | 05/11/2004 | |
| 111303 | 03/26/2004 | 032604 | 10005344 | Request for visit. engine oil leaks. *tt | 02/23/2004 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||||
| 602 | 06/16/2002 | 637623 | Subject regarding timing belt tensioner bolt torque specification. *tt | 12/03/2002 | |
| 01041 | 02/20/2004 | 01041 | 626267 | V6 engine oil leaks. *jb this bulletin supersedes 01-041, dated 10/29/2001. *tt | 12/13/2001 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE - BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | |||||
| 010702 | 07/01/2002 | 636799 | Subject regarding torque specifications missing for timing belt tensioner. *tt | 11/14/2002 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||||
| 09012004 | 09/01/2004 | 10013827 | While trying to troubleshoot dtc p0497 (evap system low purge flow) check for a twisted evap purge hose. *nm | 04/26/2005 | |
| 03036 | 12/19/2003 | 10008534 | Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) on with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0456. *tt | 08/04/2004 | |
| 03035 | 01/08/2004 | 03035 | 10008532 | Emissions recall: evap control system. *tt this bulletin supersedes 03-035, dated 12/15/2003. *tt | 08/04/2004 |
| 060103 | 06/01/2003 | 10002692 | Information on finding a vehicle's emission type or group. *tt | 09/11/2003 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | |||
| 02/27/2013 | 149000 | ||
| Torque converter shudder or vibration between 35 and 40 mph. ****also transmission slipped while driving on the highway. the suv acted as if it was in neutral and wouldn't move even though i was pushing the gas and the rpms went up. i was almost rear-ended by the driver behind me but he was able to quickly switch into another lane, then miraculously my suv started to go again. it also happened again in the middle of an intersection while i was driving. luckily the oncoming traffic was far enough away and the transmission picked back up in time and i was able to get out of the way. i had my children in the suv, a 6 month old baby girl and a 6 yr old boy. its a seven passenger vehicle so it should be expected that children may be in the suv. i don't think honda/acura should wait until someone is killed or seriously injured to issue a recall. its not even just about the cost of repairs, what about the value of people's lives? does it need to be on the news first for a change to occur? owners of the 2003 acura mdx need to know that there is a potentially deadly safety defect with this vehicle and repairs need to be made asap! | |||
| 09/18/2012 | 163000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 acura mdx. while driving approximately 30 mph, the contact noticed fluid leaking continuously onto the road. once the contact reached their destination, it was determined that a large quantity of transmission fluid had leaked from the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer who advised the contact that the failure was contributed to a faulty part within the radiator causing coolant to leak into the transmission. as a result, the transmission was damaged. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 163,000. kmj | |||
| 09/18/2012 | 163000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 acura mdx. while driving approximately 30 mph, the contact noticed fluid leaking continuously from the vehicle onto the road. upon reaching residence, there was a large amount of transmission fluid that leaked onto the ground. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer who stated the failure was contributed to a faulty part within the radiator. the coolant leaked into the transmission which caused damage. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 163,000. js | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 08/01/2010 | 90000 | ||
| The vehicle starts shaking, feeling like i am running over metal bumps in the road. i believe that the torque converter is the problem and that all of the larger honda/acura vehicles have a defective torque converter. it needs to be recalled before engine failure occurs and injuries/death are imminent. | |||
| 02/11/2010 | 87100 | 1 | |
| I just bought an used 2003 acura mdx on jan 30th with 87,000 mile on it. just after 11 days on feb 11, 2010, i noticed that some brown colored fluid is leaking from the front passenger side. it's not just dipping, there were lot of fluids coming out. i opened the hood and notice that the fluid was overflowing from the radiator reservoir. next morning when i start the car and tried to run it just stopped in the middle of the road and engine light came on. i had to tow the car to a dealership. they said somehow internally transmission cooler was busted and the transmission coolant was mixed with the engine coolant. therefore i had to replace the whole radiator, need to flush transmission fluid, and flush the radiator. it cost me $1000. now, my car is not smooth as it was before. transmission is not shifting properly. i am really worried driving this car. i saw that mdx has a lot of transmission problem. i think they should change the transmission for free and they should also take care of this fluid mixing problem. i'd appreciate if you guys investigate this problem. *tr | |||
| 11/26/2008 | 105000 | 1 | |
| During regular service dealer inspection reports front motor mount is leaking and the side motor mount is cracked. never heard of a 5-year old car needing motor mounts replaced. especially when car is driven 100% on paved roads by a conservative 40+ year-old driver. *tr | |||
| 03/19/2007 | 1 | 11/10/2002 | |
| Acura mdx year 2003. dealer discovered during regular maintenace that two of engine mounts broke. parts were relaced at total of $650.00. i think thiswas a defective design ,and noticed many similar problems on the website. acura should replace all engine mounts with updated design at no cost to customers. i owned many other vehicles and i never had to replace engine mounts.*ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||
| 02/11/2010 | 87100 | 1 | |
| I just bought an used 2003 acura mdx on jan 30th with 87,000 mile on it. just after 11 days on feb 11, 2010, i noticed that some brown colored fluid is leaking from the front passenger side. it's not just dipping, there were lot of fluids coming out. i opened the hood and notice that the fluid was overflowing from the radiator reservoir. next morning when i start the car and tried to run it just stopped in the middle of the road and engine light came on. i had to tow the car to a dealership. they said somehow internally transmission cooler was busted and the transmission coolant was mixed with the engine coolant. therefore i had to replace the whole radiator, need to flush transmission fluid, and flush the radiator. it cost me $1000. now, my car is not smooth as it was before. transmission is not shifting properly. i am really worried driving this car. i saw that mdx has a lot of transmission problem. i think they should change the transmission for free and they should also take care of this fluid mixing problem. i'd appreciate if you guys investigate this problem. *tr | |||
| 07/17/2009 | 68000 | 1 | |
| On april 7, 2009 took my 2003 acura mdx into local dealer for it's 60,000 mile service (odometer read 63,438). no problems brought to my attention. june 16, 2009 (odometer 67,608) a/c stops working. pay over $1300 to have a/c compressor, clutch, stator & hi pressure hose replaced. get car back on june 18, 2009. july 1, 2009 check engine light comes on (odometer 68,219). am told that car needs a valve realignment - all gaskets and spark plug seals replaced ($600). get car back on july 2, 2009. july 3, 2009 burning smell coming through a/c vents. am told that it's residue from v/c gaskets from the valve realignment job- supposedly residue removed. get car back july 6, 2009. july 17, 2009 notice oil in front passenger side wheel well. pop hood, notice radiator overflow container is overflowing, radiator is very mobile and overflow container is black at the bottom. have car towed to dealership. am told that the radiator cracked internally and that the coolant and transmission fluid were mixing together - therefore have to flush the transmission and replace radiator for another $900. this just didn't feel right to me. started researching and am being told that these are not normal repairs on this model for so few miles on it and that the burning smell was most likely the mixing of the coolant and transmission oil not residue from the valve realignment. dealership isn't accepting responsibility. acura customer services is saying there's nothing they can do either because the dealership has followed all procedures. i really feel like they are trying to covering up a defect or mechanic error . *tr | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 07/17/2009 | 68000 | 1 | |
| On april 7, 2009 took my 2003 acura mdx into local dealer for it's 60,000 mile service (odometer read 63,438). no problems brought to my attention. june 16, 2009 (odometer 67,608) a/c stops working. pay over $1300 to have a/c compressor, clutch, stator & hi pressure hose replaced. get car back on june 18, 2009. july 1, 2009 check engine light comes on (odometer 68,219). am told that car needs a valve realignment - all gaskets and spark plug seals replaced ($600). get car back on july 2, 2009. july 3, 2009 burning smell coming through a/c vents. am told that it's residue from v/c gaskets from the valve realignment job- supposedly residue removed. get car back july 6, 2009. july 17, 2009 notice oil in front passenger side wheel well. pop hood, notice radiator overflow container is overflowing, radiator is very mobile and overflow container is black at the bottom. have car towed to dealership. am told that the radiator cracked internally and that the coolant and transmission fluid were mixing together - therefore have to flush the transmission and replace radiator for another $900. this just didn't feel right to me. started researching and am being told that these are not normal repairs on this model for so few miles on it and that the burning smell was most likely the mixing of the coolant and transmission oil not residue from the valve realignment. dealership isn't accepting responsibility. acura customer services is saying there's nothing they can do either because the dealership has followed all procedures. i really feel like they are trying to covering up a defect or mechanic error . *tr | |||
| 12/01/2008 | 86500 | 1 | |
| State inspection failed due to defective motor mounts 86,000 miles on vehicle that otherwise runs like new, we're the original owners, find it unusual to need motor mounts replaced, never needed to replace in other vehicles, i think this is a manufacturers defect. *tr | |||
| 09/23/2008 | 85000 | 1 | |
| I have a very well kept 2003 acura mdx touring luxury suv that retails at more than $45,000 when new. the engine is mounted on 3 engine mounts and i just discovered that 2 of the 3 engine mounts are broken. if the 3rd mount had broken, the engine could shift position resulting in serious consequences. this vehicle was used for normal highway and city driving (no off highway driving). after doing some research, it appears acura under-designed this part making these engine mounts very prone to failure. some people reported having to replace engine mounts every 30,000 miles. to make the problem worse, the cost of repair is about $1,000 which makes it likely for people to postpone repairs until a crash happens. i firmly believe that this problem should be part of a safety recall campaign. *tr | |||
| 06/23/2003 | 928 | 16 | 04/19/2003 |
| While waiting at a stop light and without warning vehicle surged forward while driver's foot was on the brake pedal. *ak failure also occurred by a stop sign at an elementary school. the problem was an air intake leak, which began approx. three weeks after consumer purchased the vehicle and still exist today. the engine died and the check engine light illuminated. the consumer made several attempts to have the vehicle repaired, but to no avail. the consumer would like her monies reimbursed or a brand new mdx with the same options and color of her choice. *ph *nlm | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM | |||
| 10/15/2002 | 0 | ||
| Noxious odor inside and outside vehicle due to catalytic converter overworking. acura insists this is normal and has advised us to continue driving car while causing my family to become nauseous and sick from the smell. they insist that hydrogen sulfide is environmentally safe but research indicates that this chemical causes damage to the respiratory system. acura has refused to correct this problem and has advised us to pursue litigous means. i do not understand why my car smell is so potent while other mdx's do not smell. | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | |||
| 01/31/2003 | 2573 | 1 | 10/17/2002 |
| Noxious odor inside and outside of vehicle. acura has refused to repair vehicle, insisting odor is normal. catalytic converter has been replaced twice, problem still persists. hydrogen sulfide is proven to cause damage to the respiratory system. smell has not subsided. acura refuses to repair to customer satisfaction. dealership has tried to help but acura corp. will not allow them to go any further. car now has 15, 000 miles and still has persistent odor coming from catalytic converter. acura has advised us to pursue litigious means. *jb | |||
| 07/16/2003 | 500 | 1 | |
| Noxious sulfur odor inside and outside the vehicle which is likely related to the catalytic converter. i was first advised that acura knew of this problem which was related to a new pellet inside of the converter. acura now says that there is no problem. i am being advised that this terrible odor is normal on this vehicle.*ak | |||
| 10/17/2003 | 1 | 10/17/2003 | |
| Noxious odor inside and outside vehicle due to catalytic converter over working acura insists this is normal and has advised us to continue driving car while causing my family to become nauseous from the odor. manufacturer has advised us to pursue litigious means. *jb | |||