2003 Acura Mdx Problems

Above Average Complaints

Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2003 Acura Mdx. Part of Generation 1 — 2001–2006.

20022004
Complaints
259
Crashes
12
Fires
6
Injuries
12
Fatalities
Recalls
11

Worst 2003 Acura Mdx Problems

Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.

#156 complaints

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Avg mileage:100,475 mi
Crash-related:1
#249 complaints

POWER TRAIN

Avg mileage:126,160 mi
Crash-related:3
#342 complaints

AIR BAGS

Avg mileage:100,061 mi
Crash-related:3
Fires:1
Considering a 2003 Acura Mdx?

Check the actual VIN — every car is different.

This page shows the model year's reputation. The VIN tells you about this specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer rollbacks. Full report just $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).

Check VIN Free

All Problems by Category

Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2003 Acura Mdx.

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
56
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
100,475
POWER TRAIN
49
complaints
Crashes
3
Fires
Avg Miles
126,160
AIR BAGS
42
complaints
Crashes
3
Fires
1
Avg Miles
100,061
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
14
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
3
Avg Miles
141,171
ENGINE
10
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
168,064
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
10
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
132,776
SEAT BELTS
9
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
1
Avg Miles
146,571
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
8
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
124,787
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
7
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
72,300
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
5
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
143,958
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
4
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
60,107
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
90,967
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
1,536
SERVICE BRAKES
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
82,545
STEERING
3
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
172,500
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
77,550
EQUIPMENT
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
36,500
STRUCTURE
2
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
114,000
CHILD SEAT
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
121,000
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
61,000
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM(GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM)
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
75,000
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
150,000
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:SWITCH
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
15,000
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
145,000
PARKING BRAKE
1
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
108,000
SEAT BELTS:FRONT
1
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
11,400

Search Owner Complaints

Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2003 Acura Mdx. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.

Recalls for 2003 Acura Mdx

11 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~16,022,814 vehicles.

19V501000AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
~1,657,752 affected

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2012 RL, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with passenger frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

19V499000AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
~3,947 affected

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2003-2006 MDX, 2001-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot and 2006 Ridgeline vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with driver frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

19V182000AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
~1,101,534 affected

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The affected vehicles received a replacement driver air bag inflator as part of a previous Takata inflator recall remedy or a replacement driver air bag module containing the same inflator type as a service part. Due to a manufacturing error, in the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver frontal air bag, these inflators may explode.

16V344000AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
~1,790,894 affected

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2011 Acura RL, 2005-2006 Honda CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2003-2008 Pilot, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2006-2011 Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or that have ever been registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Honda is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2008 Acura RL, 2005-2006 Honda CR-V, 2003-2008 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2003-2008 Pilot, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2006-2008 Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or that have ever been registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Lastly, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Honda is recalling model year 2002-2004 Odyssey and model year 2003-2004 Acura MDX, Honda Element, and Honda Pilot vehicles originally sold, or registered, in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

15V370000AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
~3,498,481 affected

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 Honda Civic vehicles manufactured March 21, 2000, to January 20, 2005, 2001-2004 Honda Civic GX vehicles manufactured June 14, 2000, to August 19, 2004, 2003-2005 Honda Civic Hybrid vehicles manufactured February 24, 2002, to January 18, 2005, 2003-2007 Honda Accord vehicles manufactured February 21, 2002, to August 28, 2007, 2002-2004 Honda CR-V vehicles, 2002-2003 Honda Odyssey vehicles manufactured June 19, 2001, to July 12, 2003, 2003 Acura MDX vehicles manufactured September 19, 2002, to June 19, 2003, 2003 Honda Element vehicles manufactured June 25, 2002, to July 31, 2003, and 2003 Honda Pilot vehicles manufactured November 26, 2001, to August 21, 2003. The affected vehicles have a passenger side frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion which, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture upon its deployment.

15V320000AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
~6,281,043 affected

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2001-2007 Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2001-2004 Honda Civic GX, 2003-2005 Honda Civic Hybrid, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, 2006 Ridgeline, 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2003-2006 Acura MDX, and 2002-2003 Acura 3.2TL vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that may be susceptible to moisture intrusion and other factors, including manufacturing variability that, over time, could cause the inflator to rupture.

15V045000AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
~374,177 affected

Honda is recalling certain model year 2003-2004 Honda Odyssey vehicles manufactured February 13, 2002, to August 13, 2004, and 2003 Acura MDX vehicles manufactured February 21, 2002, to September 23, 2003. Due to electrical noise, a component in the air bag control module may fail, causing the front air bags, side air bags, and/or seatbelt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operated.

14V700000AIR BAGS
~0 affected

American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 Honda Civic, 2003-2004 Civic CNG and Element, 2002-2005 CR-V, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2005 Accord, Pilot, Civic Hybrid, and Acura MDX, 2005 Acura RL and 2006 Honda Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in geographic locations associated with high absolute humidity. Specifically, vehicles sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Saipan, Guam, and American Samoa are addressed by this recall. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

14V353000AIR BAGS
~133,207 affected

American Honda Motor Company, Inc.'s (Honda) is conducting a limited regional recall for certain model year 2003-2005 Accord, Civic, CR-V, Pilot and Acura MDX, model year 2003-2004 Odyssey and Element, and model year 2005 Acura RL, and 2006 Honda Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in California, and equipped with Takata-brand air bag inflators. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

13V412000AIR BAGS
~374,618 affected

Honda is recalling certain model year 2003 and 2004 Odyssey and model year 2003 Acura MDX vehicles. Due to electrical noise, a component in the air bag control module may fail causing the front air bags, side curtain air bags, and/or seatbelt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operated.

+ 1 more recalls

Other Acura Mdx Years

Wider context: See the full Acura Mdx reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.

Check Your Specific 2003 Acura Mdx

Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud.

Check Any VIN — $4.99