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Transmission and drivetrainPart report

2023 Acura MDX Type S Transmission and drivetrain Problems

Complaints
5about this part
Share
100%of 5 total for the year
Median mileage
50,000miles
Trend
Too newThis model year is less than 4 years old, so a trend is not meaningful yet.

NHTSA recorded 5 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2023 Acura MDX Type S, 100% of the 5 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 50,000 miles.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“While making a left turn from an on-ramp, I heard a loud crunch from the drivetrain and experienced a momentary loss of power. Immediately afterward, the front tires began spinning under acceleration. I realized the vehicle was no longer sending power to the rear wheels and had effectively lost its all-wheel-drive capability. The instrument display continued to indicate that power was being sent to the rear wheels even though the rear wheels were not receiving power. This gave an inaccurate indication of the vehicle’s operating condition. …”

NHTSA complaint #11751644, filed 2026-07

“While making a left turn into a parking lot my car exhibited a loud bang noise. It felt as if the car had been hit from the rear. While applying the gas the car jerked and popped in the rear. I had the car towed to a dealership where I was informed the transfer case had Destroyed itself . The gears broke apart internally. I was also informed that the transmission power take off was destroyed.The car only has 87000 miles on it and has been serviced at recommended intervals. The dealership quoted 19000.00 dollars to repair. The car was out of Acura s powertrain warranty. …”

NHTSA complaint #11700964, filed 2025-11

“The contact owns a 2023 ACURA MDX. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 45 MPH an abnormal sound was emitted from underneath the vehicle, and the vehicles steering was being pulled to the right, no warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed and the contact was advised that that the PTU/PTO was faulty as metal shavings were found in the transfer case and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.”

NHTSA complaint #11750629, filed 2026-07, 50,000 miles

“There was a loud noise from under the car, and the car suddenly started to experience wheel spin. It's AWD and should not be spinning the tires. Suddenly losing AWD is dangerous when you expect the car to perform like an AWD car. Dealership said the transmission spline is stripped and needs replaced under warranty. Car has currently been at the dealership for 50 days. There is no known ETA on replacement parts. No warnings on anything, the car's power distribution meter still shows power going to the rear wheels even though it is not. …”

NHTSA complaint #11738699, filed 2026-05

Transmission and drivetrain: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
20235100%
20222087%

← All problems reported for the 2023 Acura MDX Type S

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology