Engine completely seized due to connecting rod bearing failure. This happened while driving, and I was stuck in traffic for almost an hour due to the vehicle being inoperable. vehicle was unable to be put in neutral due to a special tool being needed. Technicians from a third-party shop and Acura dealership stated this part does not break very often. The Vin does not fall in the parameters for…
2017 Acura MDX engine problems
moderate 69 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $3,100 · see engine across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
69
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$3,100
When does it fail?
Of the 69 engine complaints filed for the 2017 Acura MDX, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 25,000-50,000 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
Owners have filed 69 engine complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
Among the 15 model years of Acura MDX in our records for engine problems, this one ranks #2 by owner-complaint volume.
The failure pattern owners describe
Buyer takeaway: A 2017 Acura MDX can experience catastrophic engine failure due to connecting rod bearing defects starting around 54,000 miles, even with proper maintenance—and Acura's recall doesn't cover all affected VINs. Evaluate any used 2017 MDX carefully; get a pre-purchase inspection including engine compression and oil analysis, and understand that a full engine replacement ($25K+ out-of-pocket) is a real risk if your VIN falls outside the recall range.
Owners of 2017 Acura MDX vehicles are reporting catastrophic engine failures tied to connecting rod bearing defects—the same issue named in NHTSA Recall 23V-751—yet many affected vehicles fall outside the recall's VIN range. Failures strike across a broad mileage spectrum, from 54,000 to 160,000 miles, with no warning in many cases. Owners consistently report a loud knocking or ticking sound seconds or hours before complete engine seizure while driving at highway speeds. The check engine light illuminates, sometimes flashing, accompanied by a cascade of dashboard warnings. Engines lose power abruptly, forcing owners to coast to safety. Dealerships and independent mechanics confirm the diagnosis universally: connecting rod bearings have seized on the crankshaft, metal shavings contaminate the oil, and the engine cannot be repaired—only replaced at $25,000-plus or through a salvage unit. Owners report meticulous maintenance and oil change intervals yet still face failure. Acura has refused to expand the recall despite NHTSA's ongoing Investigation PE25008, which documents 414 reports outside the original recall scope. Dealers have reportedly stated the company will not broaden coverage. Some owners received partial goodwill assistance (25–50%), but most paid full freight. Additional concerns include camshaft machining defects, engine stalling during auto idle-stop at traffic lights, sudden power loss during acceleration, and transmission faults. Recall parts remain unavailable months after notification for affected vehicles.
Same Acura MDX engine reports on nearby years: 2016 · 2018 · 2019 · 2020
Failure modes owners describe
Connecting Rod Bearing Failure
The connecting rod bearings in the J35Y5 3.5L V6 engine are failing prematurely, often without warning. When bearings fail, they seize on the crankshaft, creating metal shavings that contaminate the oil and cause catastrophic internal engine damage. Some owners report a spun bearing in a specific cylinder, while others report multiple bearing failures. The failure is indistinguishable from the defect covered under NHTSA Recall 23V-751, yet many affected VINs fall outside the recall's range. Owners describe the failure as catastrophic—engines completely seize mid-drive, requiring full replacement.
When: Failures occur across a wide mileage range: from 54,000 to 160,000 miles, with most clustering between 65,000 and 140,000 miles. No correlation to maintenance history—owners report religiously following service intervals.
Symptoms owners cite: Loud knocking or ticking sound from the engine compartment, especially under load or at higher RPMs; Sudden loss of engine power while driving at highway speeds (typically 35–70 mph); Check engine light and multiple dashboard warning lights illuminating; Engine rough running, jerking, or jolting; Vehicle refusing to accelerate beyond 40–50 mph; Engine stalling completely while driving or at stop lights; Metal shavings visible in the oil pan
Codes mentioned: P0369, Check engine light (code not specified in most narratives)
Repairs/costs cited: Full engine replacement required. Dealers and independent mechanics confirm the rods cannot be repaired—only engine replacement resolves the failure. Replacement engines are either OEM (new, ~$25.7K) or used salvage units with warranty (typically 12 months/12,000 miles). Extended warranties may cover part of the labor. Acura has offered some owners 25–50% goodwill assistance, but most repairs are owner-funded.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall 23V-751 covers certain 2016–2020 Acura MDX VINs for connecting rod bearing failure, but the recall does not cover all affected vehicles. Acura has refused to expand the recall despite NHTSA Investigation PE25008 identifying 414 additional reports outside the original recall range. Dealership engineers have reportedly told owners the recall will not be expanded. Acura has denied goodwill coverage for most out-of-recall vehicles, citing manufacturing facility (engine sourcing plant) as the exclusion criterion. Some owners received 25–50% goodwill assistance, but this was not consistent. No TSB found in narratives for expanding repair coverage.
Camshaft and Timing System Failures
Some owners report camshaft and timing system failures, including a known issue with camshaft machining defects mentioned in a 2018 dealership notice. One narrative (#3) explicitly references code C0369 and notes that a 2018 notice documented 'substandard machining spec issues which will cause the shaft to erode.' Another narrative (#26) mentions timing chain failure with a leaking cover. Narrative #44 reports a camshaft failure requiring replacement, and #31 describes a camshaft malfunction at 54,000 miles.
When: Failures occur at lower mileages in some cases (54,000 miles reported), with another cluster around 67,000–93,000 miles. One vehicle experienced failure after timing belt replacement by the dealer.
Symptoms owners cite: Ticking or knocking sound while starting or at various speeds; Check engine light illuminating; Loss of power or reduced acceleration; Rough running or stalling
Codes mentioned: C0369
Repairs/costs cited: Camshaft replacement costs reported at ~$4,000. One narrative mentions the dealership repair involved replacing the short block, bearings, and oil pan. The 2018 notice referenced in narrative #3 states that the part 'should be replaced' rather than repaired due to substandard machining.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: A 2018 dealership notice apparently documented this as a known issue with substandard machining specifications, yet no recall or TSB was issued to owners. Acura has not acknowledged or expanded coverage for this defect. One narrative states the vehicle was out of warranty by only 6,800 miles at the time of failure.
Engine Auto Stop (Idle Stop-Start) Stalling
The engine's auto idle-stop feature (fuel-saving automatic engine shutdown at stop lights) is causing the vehicle to stall unexpectedly and enter neutral while stopped in traffic. The feature cannot be permanently disabled by owners, forcing them to manually restart the engine repeatedly.
When: Occurs sporadically at stop lights and busy intersections. One owner reports it happens approximately once per week.
Symptoms owners cite: Engine shuts off unexpectedly at traffic lights; Vehicle automatically shifts from Drive to Neutral; Engine restart requires placing vehicle in Park; Multiple restart attempts sometimes required
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No fix or TSB identified in narratives. Owners report this is listed as a 'known issue' on MDX forums without real solutions from dealership mechanics.
Unexpected Power Loss and Limp Mode
Vehicles are experiencing sudden loss of power while driving at highway speed, triggering check engine lights and multiple warning messages. The vehicle enters a severely restricted operating mode (limp mode), forcing drivers to slow to 40–50 mph or less. In some cases, the issue clears after engine restart, but recurs unpredictably. One narrative describes the vehicle failing to accelerate properly even after restart.
When: Occurs at highway speeds (40–70 mph) and in stop-and-go traffic. One owner reports three separate incidents over two years.
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden loss of engine response to throttle input; Check engine light flashing or illuminating; Multiple warning lights (transmission, emissions, parking brake, blind spot info); Vehicle slowing to 40–50 mph without driver input; Rough running or hesitation before power loss; Vehicle operating normally after engine restart (temporary resolution)
Codes mentioned: Emissions system problem, Transmission system problem, Electric parking brake problem
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers have been unable to diagnose root cause in some cases—no error codes stored after restart. One owner suspects fuel pump or fuel injector issue; another wonders if it is related to the check engine light recall (fuel pump).
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Acura issued a recall for the fuel pump on 2017 MDX but refused repair for at least one owner due to lack of stored computer codes. Dealership technicians have failed to replicate the failure or identify the underlying cause in some instances.
Transmission and Shift System Malfunction
Vehicles are experiencing transmission-related faults, including failure to shift properly or unexpected transmission behavior. In one narrative, the vehicle refuses to move out of park gear and becomes stuck; in another, the transmission reverts automatically from Neutral back to Park, making towing extremely difficult.
When: Occurs while stopped at lights or when attempting to move the vehicle from park.
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle refusing to move out of Park gear; Transmission reverting from Neutral to Park unexpectedly; Dashboard displaying transmission system problem warnings; Abnormal shifting behavior or inability to engage Drive
Codes mentioned: Transmission system problem
Repairs/costs cited: One narrative mentions a special tool is required to move a transmission stuck in Park. No repair costs provided.
Recall Parts Availability Delays
Multiple owners received notification of NHTSA Recall 23V-751 but the dealership was unable to perform the repair because parts were unavailable. The delays exceeded what owners consider a reasonable timeframe, leaving their vehicles in a known-defect state.
When: At the time of notification and for an extended period thereafter (timeframe not specified in narratives).
Symptoms owners cite: No failure yet experienced, but vehicle notified as affected by recall
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Parts unavailable; manufacturer and dealers confirmed the delay. No timeline provided for parts arrival.
Synthesized from 69 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 7 most recent
Second motor is experiencing connecting rod bearing noise, replaced 3.5 Litre motor with salvage yard replacement, just coming up on 99k, and noise is back similar to what I heard and had Acura dealer diagnosis before replacing with a used motor.
My engine is making noise and has a slight rattle when idling.
My 2017 Acura MDX has an engine failure due to connecting rod bearing seizure in the 3.5L V6 engine. Recall 23V-751 covered model year 2016-2020 Acura MDX vehicles and mine is a 2017. But, my VIN is not in Honda's recall range. The ODI had apparently received 414 reports of connecting rod bearing failures in the 3.5L V6 engine that are outside of 23V-751. There is now an ODI Resume with number…
Tl* the contact owns a 2017 Acura mdx. The contact stated that the vehicle did not start when the push start button was depressed. After 45 minutes, the vehicle started. The contact also stated that the failure occured sporadically for approximately six months. The vehicle was taken to Acura of thousand oaks (3945 auto mall dr, thousand oaks, ca 91362) four times, but they were not able to…
Prior to this incident, we had no major issues with the car and performed all necessary oil changes. While driving 30 mph the car began to brake and stutter by itself and every emergency light came on the dash. The car behind us almost hit us from the car randomly braking. We took the car to the Acura dealer and they reset the computer and charged us $435. We drove off the lot and 15 miles later…
All lights lit up on dashboard with no previous sounds, knocking, or issues. Upon getting the vehicle towed, the dealership said that the CAM Shaft and sensor needs to be replaced. Which is approximately a 4K dollar repair. Upon further inspection. The dealership showed me a copy of a 2018 notice where this was a known issue with a specific code of C0369 where it states that there should be no…
Had engine trouble with your 2017 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 2017 Acura MDX?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 69 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 25 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most engine failures cluster between 64,000 and 129,000 miles, with the median around 105,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 64,000; a quarter make it past 129,000. 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/2017/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.