Visibility, brakes and speed control issues among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
Driving the family around in a luxury SUV is everyone’s dream, which is why many consumers opted to purchase the 2019 Acura MDX. This model is hailed as having “supercar handling in a luxury SUV,” but consumers are finding something completely different. From not being able to see out of the windshield to defective brakes and malfunctioning vehicle speed control, this SUV is a dangerous automobile for any busy family.
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When a driver gets behind the wheel, it’s naturally expected that it will be simple to see out of the windshield, yet MDX owners are finding something entirely opposite.
One NHTSA review documents the experience perfectly. It states, “The front windshield is distorted on both the driver and passenger side, pillar areas. When looking through the windshield at these points, the glass is extremely distorted and causes nausea. This portion of the glass is unavoidable as you need to view the entire windshield in order to check for pedestrians, vehicles, or other objects. It appears this is a flaw with many of the 2019 Acura MDX’s and should be addressed appropriately.”
Driving the MDX literally makes people want to throw up. That’s not a positive that should be boasted about. But, more importantly, the windshield design is causing dangerous driving conditions. If not being able to see out the windshield isn’t scary enough, how about adding defective taillights to the mix? NHTSA Campaign Number 19V256000 discusses a recall that affects over 300,000 vehicles. It appears that moisture can get into the tailgate lid and cause the lights to malfunction. Basically, this “supercar” causes drivers to operate the vehicle blindly, while other people can’t see the SUV at night.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Engine | |
| Electrical System | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | |
| Power Train | |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Visibility/wiper |
When the gas pedal is pressed, a vehicle should move. When the brakes are depressed, the vehicle should stop. However, simple operations, such as controlling speeds, are anything but normal with the 2019 Acura MDX.
Just read this documented NHTSA complaint. “The contact owns a 2019 Acura MDX. While driving various speeds, the vehicle accelerated on its own. The failure occurred while slowing down and approaching a stop light and also while driving at highway speeds. The vehicle was taken to [dealer], but the failure could not be duplicated and the cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided case number: 09964379. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 1,000.”
Unfortunately, the automaker has yet to comment publicly on what could be causing vehicle speed control issues, but it’s not a random concern. Many owners are taking to the Internet to complain about the exact same condition. It’s clear that something wasn’t manufactured correctly in this luxury SUV. Maybe the system is taking on that “supercar” persona and attempting to go faster than it should.
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With all of the speed issues, it becomes more important than ever to have functioning service brakes, but this is yet another area that the MDX fails in.
Another NHTSA user commented, “After vehicle powered off and after couple of hours later, the brake pedal gets very stiff. So, tremendous force needs to apply to start the engine. After around 600 miles of driving this new vehicle, this problem happened. My wife is primarily driving this vehicle. And thus she is getting knee pain issues to stiff brake pedal. Acura confirmed this is a known issue but they denied to fix it.”
It appears that drivers of the MDX experience one extreme or the other. While this complaint discusses trouble pushing the brake pedal, a recall talks about reduced brake performance in general. According to NHTSA Campaign Number 18V777000, it appears more than 64,000 vehicles were sold with an insufficient brake caliper piston coating that causes air pockets to form, leaving owners in danger. Of course, even when the brakes are applied in this vehicle, others can’t see it when the tail lights stop working. Whether it’s the visibility, brakes or speed control, this luxury SUV needs to be called a lemon instead of a supercar. It’s a danger waiting to happen on America’s roadways, and most people don’t realize the depth of all the problems.
Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes Acura pay legal fees. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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I have a 2019 Acura MDX and the transmission is slipping and safety features are not working properly. I’ve taken it to the dealer twice and the issues have not been resolved. I’ve only had the car for 31 days.
Windshield distortion is total nitpicking. “fly by wire” acceleration, though serious, is an easy fix if the technician knows what he is doing.