These SKUs are Exhaust Manifolds with Catalytic Converters. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory due to a loss of CARB certification. These SKUs can no longer be sold as they do not meet CARB standards, but parts on vehicles are not effected.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2011 Acura MDX engine problems
moderate Owners of the 2011 Acura MDX have filed 22 NHTSA complaints about the engine, typically surfacing around 92,000 miles at roughly $3,100 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See engine across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
22
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$3,100
| Model year | engine complaints |
|---|---|
| 2007 MDX | 6 |
| 2009 MDX | 6 |
| 2010 MDX | 5 |
| 2011 MDX (this page) | 22 |
| 2012 MDX | 19 |
| 2013 MDX | 5 |
| 2014 MDX | 9 |
| 2015 MDX | 3 |
When does it fail?
Of the 22 engine complaints filed for the 2011 Acura MDX, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 100,000-125,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Engine accounts for 31% of every owner complaint on file for this vehicle — the dominant problem area across 7 categories tracked.
No new NHTSA engine complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 10 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering engine on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
These SKUs are Exhaust Manifolds with Catalytic Converters. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory due to a loss of CARB certification. These SKUs can no longer be sold as they do not meet CARB standards, but parts on vehicles are not effected.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Service Bulletin - Due to high demand for repairs under this warranty extension, pistons and rings required to complete this repair are currently backordered. Acura has provided this service bulletin (19-052) as a mechanism to cover clients that were not able to have repairs completed during the initial 6-month eligibility period on service bulletin (19-006).
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Dealer Message - On January 16, 2019, Acura announced a warranty extension for certain 2009-14 Acura vehicles equipped with a 3.7L V6 engine to address client concerns related to excessive oil consumption. Acura extended the powertrain warranty coverage to address engine issues related to excessive oil consumption from the original 6 years/70,000 miles to 8 years/125,000 miles, whichever comes first. In addition, all vehicles were provided a grace period until August 31, 2019 and were covered regardless of time in service or mileage.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Service Bulletin - The oil control rings may become clogged with carbon deposits. These deposits restrict the ring's ability to scrape and return oil from the cylinder wall to the crankcase, which can result in excessive engine oil consumption that may exceed client expectations.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners consistently report the 2011 Acura MDX burns or consumes oil at abnormally high rates, typically starting around 80,000 to 90,000 miles. The problem progressively worsens—one owner documented consumption accelerating from 1 quart per 1,000 miles at 90,000 miles to 1 quart per 250 miles by 117,000 miles. Some must top off oil between scheduled maintenance intervals or change oil every 1,000 miles instead of the normal 3,000 to 5,000-mile interval.
The oil disappears internally without external leaks, smoke at the tailpipe, or visible stains on the undercarriage. Owners report a burning odor from the engine, particularly during highway driving, and some describe engine shaking or vibration during acceleration. The check engine oil warning light comes on frequently and sometimes the check emissions system light illuminates.
Acura initially told owners that consuming 1 quart per 1,000 miles is acceptable within Acura guidelines. However, the company later acknowledged a defect in some 2011 MDX units and issued a warranty extension. One mechanic's diagnosis attributed the issue to cylinder wall scratches requiring approximately $4,000 in repairs. Owners report that Acura has not provided a fix for a separate low-RPM engine knock some vehicles experience. A significant complaint is that many owners have been denied warranty repairs because their claims fell outside the limited coverage window.
Same Acura MDX engine reports on nearby years: 2012
Failure modes owners describe
Excessive oil consumption / burning
Engine burns or consumes oil at abnormally high rates, ranging from 1 quart per 1,000 miles to 1 quart per 250 miles depending on mileage. Consumption worsens progressively. No external leaks, smoke at tailpipe, or visible oil stains reported. Some owners report oil not returning to the pan and being burned internally. Owners describe having to add oil between oil changes or perform oil changes more frequently than normal intervals.
When: Begins around 80,000–90,000 miles; some owners notice it earlier with used purchases; accelerates with higher mileage (progressive from 1 qt/1000 mi at 90k to 1 qt/250 mi at 117k in one case)
Symptoms owners cite: Oil level drops rapidly between oil changes; Check engine oil warning light illuminates; Burning odor from engine, especially during highway driving; Engine shaking or vibration, particularly during acceleration; Smell entering the cabin during extended highway periods
Codes mentioned: Check engine oil warning light, Check emissions system
Repairs/costs cited: One independent mechanic quoted approximately $4,000 to repair cylinder wall scratches. Some owners report warranty extension offered by Acura for affected units, but parts availability has been problematic with wait times of 1–4 months reported. Short block replacement mentioned as potential fix by one owner.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Acura dealer initially told owners consuming 1 quart per 1,000 miles is 'normal and acceptable' under Acura guidelines. Acura later acknowledged a defect in some 2011 MDX models and issued a warranty extension; however, owners past the warranty window were denied coverage even when the defect was confirmed. Owner reports Acura reference to a prior Honda recall of 1.6 million 3.5L engines for the same issue. One owner received a recall notification letter but was denied repair because the claim was made 11 days after the warranty window closed.
Engine knock / pinging at lower RPM
Low-RPM engine knock or pinging noise described as sounding like a diesel truck. Acura service technician confirmed Acura is aware of the issue but has no fix. Owner reports progressive loss of engine power accompanying the noise.
When: Reported during normal driving; no specific mileage provided
Symptoms owners cite: Pinging or knocking noise at lower RPM; Noise sounds like a diesel truck; Perceived loss of engine power during acceleration
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Acura service technician confirmed Acura is aware of the problem but has no fix. Acura customer service representative told owner they are aware but engineers have not created a solution.
Oil seal / cylinder seal failure
Faulty seals in cylinders allow oil leakage into combustion chambers, leading to excessive consumption and internal burning without external leaks or tailpipe smoke. One mechanic diagnosis attributed the problem to cylinder wall scratches.
When: Not specified; one case at 88,515 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Burning odor from engine; Engine shaking and vibration; Oil consumption without external leaks; No visible exhaust smoke
Repairs/costs cited: Independent mechanic diagnosed oil leakage due to faulty seal; estimated repair cost approximately $4,000 for cylinder wall damage repair.
Synthesized from 22 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 9 most recent
Vehicle purchased used with 47k miles on it. By the time I noticed the oil consumption problem (which I certainly didn't expect) the used car warranty had expired. I am currently burning 1 qt of oil every 1k miles. As the vehicle has a factory 70k powertrain warranty I brought it to my local Acura dealer and was told that this was normal and acceptable under Acura guide lines. I explained in my…
Engine excessively consumes oil. No issue to the engine whatsoever no smoke at exhaust no burning oil. Check my oil after about 1000 miles and I’m missing a quart of oil. There was once a recall for this issue but the window to get repaired has expired. That does help people that purchased this car after the window. Issue need to be a permanent recall and not a temporary.
Burning excessive amount of oil. I check it every two weeks and every time I have to top off.
The vehicle is consuming too much oil. Dealership made us go through oil consumption test and confirmed this is an issue and included us in their warranty extension to do the repairs. However, its been more than a month and there is no timeline on even when the parts will be available and it could be another month or 2 or 4 months. I called dealer several times as well as Acura with no different…
Excessive oil consumption. Acura claims burning 1 qt every 1,000 miles is acceptable. Based on web search many other owners of the same vehicle are having the same problem. My guess is that it's a rather prevalent problem given how few people actually regularly check their oil and I'm certain the service technicians aren't informing the customer when the oil level is unacceptably low. *tr
This car burns oil at an insane rate. I have to go to Jiffy Lube after only 1500 miles, and they are in shock when they top me off each time. Two of the employees have said that my engine is at trial of exploding because this car burns through oil so fast. Your website says that there is no recall, but there actually WAS a recall for this car, but I was NEVER NOTIFIED about this dangerous issue.…
Using oil, no leaks, no smoke. Less than 1000 miles putting more oil in. Need to recall these engines
Excessive oil consumption. I have the oil changed when the maintenance minder gets to 10%. Usually this is about 5,000 miles between oil changes. I will add oil to the engine at 50% oil life or 2,500 miles. I have contacted Acura and they are unwilling to address this problem. These engines need to be recalled. This is a reoccurring event.
On sept 11 2019 my mechanic notified me of a problem with my 2011 Acura mdx. He said it was excessively burning oil. He said to contact Acura/Honda because they identified it as a problem with some of their cars. I called that same day and was told that yes, there is a defect in my make and model car and that had issued a warranty to cover the repairs, but unfortunately, because I was 11 days…
Had engine trouble with your 2011 Acura MDX?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the engine problem on the 2011 Acura MDX?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 22 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $3,100 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the engine typically fail?
Across the 11 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most engine failures cluster between 62,000 and 120,000 miles, with the median around 92,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 62,000; a quarter make it past 120,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $3,100 for engine repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to engine?
No active recalls currently cover engine issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2011/Acura/MDX.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.