- The problem
- Honda is recalling certain model year 2012 pilot and acura mdx vehicles. The vent shut float (vsf) valve case in the fuel tank assembly does not meet the design specifications.
- The risk
- As a result, fuel may leak from the tank, increasing the risk of fire.
- The fix
- Honda will notify owners and dealers will inspect the vsf assembly date and, if necessary, replace the fuel tank assembly, free of charge. The safety recall began on march 13, 2012. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009.
Vehicle safety record
2012 Acura MDX Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 76 complaints about the 2012 Acura MDX with NHTSA, most often about the engine & cooling (25) and the electrical system (13). Those complaints describe 4 crashes, 3 fires and 2 injuries. It is covered by 1 recall, the latest in February 2012 for the tank assembly. For comparison, the 2011 has 70 and the 2013 has 30.
NHTSA data checked
AFar fewer problems than a typical MDX year, for its age
#104 most complained-about 2012 vehicle
- Complaints
- 76
- Recalls
- 1
- Crashes
- 4
- Fires
- 3
- Injuries
- 2
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2012 Acura MDX problems
Share of all 76 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2012 Acura MDX recalls 1
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
What owners say
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76 complaints about the 2012 Acura MDX
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 4.
I have a 2012 MDX and it burns an extreme amount of oil. We took our MDX back to the dealership where we purchased it and had the oil issue fixed. Or so we thought. The problem was supposed to be fixed 3 months ago but the car is still burning a lot of oil. We have to add oil every 2 weeks. We did not drive the car much after "getting the oil issue repaired" so we did not realize that the problem still exists. Acura should know how to repair this issue and there should be a recall for this excessive oil...
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consumption. Acura is a luxury brand but they are not taking care of their customers. Also the paint is peeling off our MDX badly. We had a couple of paint touch up jobs but it just keeps getting worst. I am embarrassed driving this car with the continuing paint peeling off. We cannot keep shelling out money to get this vehicle repainted. There should be a recall for the paint peeling also. I had a Honda and the Honda had a lot less issues and cost a lot less. We will not purchase another Acura unless Acura does right by their customers and put recalls out and fix the oil consumption and paint peeling issues.
I bought a 2012 silver Acura MDX on March 3rd in 2022 from our local Acura dealership. Exterior paint was great, hardly any dings, scratches anywhere. I spent over $20,000 for this USED CAR and as of the past two years, the clear coat has worn out in various places on front hood, near the moon roof, near the rear side door windows, near the rack on top, near the back hatch window. It's absolutely embarrassing and I find it interesting/maddening that I have seen two others MDX's around town that have the same issues...
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with paint. WHY IS THERE NOT A RECALL? MY 2011 HONDA ODYSSEY paint doesn't have this issue, why is Acura inferior to Honda? I always thought Acura was higher end. But clearly, they went cheap on paint and want their Acura MDX's to look like trash. WHAT IS A FIX FOR THIS? I CAN NOT AFFORD TO REPAINT CAR ON MY OWN.
2012 ACURA MDX burns extreme amounts of oil between oil changes. Typically a warning indicator comes on about 1,000 miles before oil change is due. I continue to refill oil between oil changes.
our car eats a ton of oil and the piston rings failed, we owe a lot on it and I'm told there is no help for this issue even though there used to be because we are outside the guidelines in terms of mileage and purchase date. our car has 156k its a 2012 MDX. VIN [[redacted]] . Just checking with everyone everywhere to make sure I've exhausted all resources as it will take 13,000 to fix and we owe 12,000. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Oil consumption/burning Cylinder rings
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 126,000 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 159,000.
Does not have anchor for the seat. A recall was placed by NHTSA
See attached document for complaint.
On 11/30/24 I heard a slight whirling sound while driving. On 12/1/24 I drove from Point A towards my home. Along the way the oil light flashed. I stopped at Advance Auto Parts, 15 miles from Point A. I checked the oil and it read as it should on the dip stick. No oil was needed. I drove straight home, a distance of 30 miles, and parked the car. When my son arrived home he started the car and there was a knocking sound. He shut it off. He stated that he felt it to be the rod bearings. He then changed the oil as...
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previously planned as supplies were already in the car. He checked the oil and found a slight glitter in it indicating the rod bearing issue. The car remained parked until 12/26/24 when it was taken to an independent service center, round trip of 18 miles, who confirmed that the rod bearings were the issue. The car was parked again and only started to move about 50 feet into the garage prior to a snow storm. It has not been started since. My safety was put at risk as the engine could have, and will, fail when driving. The engine had previously been repaired at an Acura dealer for an oil consumption issue in accordance with service bulletin 19-006. Honda refused to honor the recall previously offered due to this known failure. The car was picked up on 12/8/22 with 92,954 and purchased finalized on 1/4/23. The oil consumption issue was first noted on 2/12/23 at 97,088 miles. Car was serviced and oil changed on 2/16/23 at which time the oil consumption issue was diagnosed by the selling dealer. Oil was continually added until work was completed on 3/21/23 at 99,425 miles. The new issue with the rod bearings (that were not changed with the first repair as they should have been) was first noted at approximately 137,840 miles. This is now the second engine failure for this car. The car is available for inspection. The car has not been inspected by any entity other than the initial diagnosis on 12/26/24.
The engine consistently consumes too much oil between service events. The low oil light comes on. I had this problem for over 8 years and the dealership said it was not a problem until now and they want me to pay for it. The oil control rings have been clogged since 2016 and progressively gotten worse. The clogged rings cause restriction of oil to return to the crankcase. This causes a decrease in available oil and may cause overheating that could lead to engine fire. Acura should fix the oil control rings to function properly. They have identified this in the past, through a service bulletin (19-006). I have performed 97% of my oil changes at Acura dealerships.
Consistently getting low oil notification shortly after getting oil changes. This has been happening since 2017. Dealer does a oil consumption test and says it is not a problem. However I cannot go between oil changes without getting the notification. I have no oil leaks. Furthermore, I have had 'oil' services done over the past 5 years that never fix the problem. I'm afraid this is doing damage to the vehicle and can put us in danger if oil level is too low. Dealer continues to say it isn't a problem. And when they try to fix it, it doesn't work. This began in 2017
This vehicle unrealistically burns oil. 5-6 quarts of oil is added to engine between oil changes.
This vehicle burns so much oil. I use 5 quarts of oil between oil changes in this vehicle. Unreal! So disappointed in honda.
S25 S25 recall fuel system 2012 Campaign Number 12V063000
DONE everything Dealer suggested and still having problems with random misfires in 1,2 and 3 cylinders, changed spark plugs, fuel injectors, ignition coils and compression test and changed rear CAT. Still check engine light come on sometime then the SUV driving good, and sometimes it drive ruff, check engine light come on then go off then come back on with same codes: random misfire.
My Sunroof exploded.
11/17/2020 Acura battery of our 2012 Acura MDX failed & was replaced under manufacturer warranty, via comp was provided. 6/29/2021 Acura battery failed again. Dealership did not honor warranty claiming manufacturer Acura would not pay for replacement. Dealership said I needed to contact Acura Client Relationship which I did. ACR initially said dealership was at fault & the battery should be replaced under warranty. I asked for a client number & was placed on 10 minute hold. When agent returned she changed her...
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story saying battery was not under warranty even though it had been replaced under warranty in November 2020. Their reason was I 'did not pay for the battery.' This is not true as I did pay a prorate portion of the replacement in November & the original battery I purchased with the certified vehicle purchase. The ACR agent declined to provide me a claim number. I talked to the dealer service manager Andrew Jackson & the service tech writer Tevin Jackson. I requested contact information for an Acura Zone or Regional Manager. Andrew stated he would speak to general manager - Cecil Turner. I followed up with Andrew, was told that Acura Client Relations have no record of my call (I have itemized billing & therefore proof of the call including duration) & he asked me to call back to get a claim number. I did this & obtained a claim number which I provided to Mr. Jackson. I followed up again & was told the Regional representative was going to try & obtain an Acura Loyalty Card. Weeks later I checked on this again & was told they were still trying. While the dealership is not at fault & my claim of Fraud is not directed at Acura of Little Rock or Mr. Tevin, Mr. Andrew or Mr. Cecil (even though as a 21 year customer of this dealership he has not bothered to contact me in any way) I am very dismayed that the manufacturer Acura - an American Honda com. The repeated battery failures are a real & present safety danger. Acura batteries are garbage.
The airbag light is on I went to have the airbag replaced. I was told I couldn't get my airbag replaced because it was a CANADIAN vehicle and they couldn't get the part etc. to replace it. So I have a Canadian vehicle that was not disclosed to me at the time of purchase. What can I do to resolve this issue? I purchased the Suv from Walt Sweeny 6315 Harrison Avenue Cincinnati Ohio 45247Auto Center 877- 300-3930. I spoke with the owner once and other person. No resolution has come about yet.
My airbag light won't go off. Showing an error when hooked up to the machine
About 2 months ago, my suv had a message alert come on while I was sitting still after just starting my vehicle in walmart parking lot after grocery shopping, saying to check the oil level; oil level low. Also, just recently, march 27th I had to add oil to my vehicle again; 3/4 of a quart low on oil. The very next morning, I had another alert come across my message board saying to check the oil level- oil level low. So I checked it again, it showed at the top of the hash marks on the dipstick as it should. So I'm...
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not sure what's going on there unless it's a malfunction of sorts or a sensor issue. I check my oil when I fill up my gas tank. All of a sudden, my suv was burning/ using oil. I have to keep putting oil in due to a low oil level look entirely too often. I've had to put oil in my engine at least twice a month. And I'm not talking about just enough to top it off, I'm talking anywhere from 3/4 of a quart to 3 quarts or more at times. There are no leaks, no puddles or oil splatter on the bottom of my truck or in my driveway. My truck is having a severe oil consumption problem. I know there was an extended vehicle warranty that was supposed to fix this that expired april of 2021-i did not get this vehicle until september of 2020. Also, I did do the thousand mile test and it failed miserably. No one can tell me if it was fixed or not, but obviously, either way, it did not get fixed or the fix did not work. It is a costly fix and it is a manufacturer fail, not mine. This needs to be fixed before it creates any future problems or years up the pistons in my engine or locks up. Any help or assistance would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.
My 2012 acura mdx has an oil consumption issue that acura is aware of being a problem, however it is not offering to cover the cost associated with fixing the issue. My vehicle burned through more than 2 quarts of oil in a matter of 1 month. This needs to be a recall as it's a safety issue with the operation of the vehicle. Lack of oil could cause the engine to fail.
SHUDDERING WHEN GOING BETWEEN 20-40 MILES.
The transmission broke even after the regular maintenance. Spent more than $5,000 with the dealer to fix it.
While driving down the highway my check airbag system indicator light came on. I reached my destination and turned off my vehicle, I then restarted my vehicle and the light was still on. I took a picture of the light for proof. Still on for 3 weeks now. I checked and my vin is not on the recall list for the airbag.
While driving down the road my check airbag system indicator light came on. I reached my destination and turned off my vehicle, I then restarted my vehicle and the light was still on. I took a picture of the light for proof. It did go off later in the day. It has come on intermediately since that day. I checked and my vin is not on the recall list for the airbag.
Acura MDX: every year compared
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 378 | 7 | D |
| 2015 | 71 | 8 | B |
| 2014 | 172 | 9 | C |
| 2013 | 30 | 1 | A |
| 2012 | 76 | 1 | A |
| 2011 | 70 | 0 | A |
| 2010 | 45 | 1 | A |
| 2009 | 52 | 0 | A |
| 2008 | 49 | 1 | A |
2012 Acura MDX vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Acura MDX | 76 | 1 | A | |
| 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Sport | 52 | 1 | C | Compare |
| 2012 Land Rover Range Rover | 45 | 4 | D | Compare |
| 2012 Acura RDX | 15 | 2 | A | Compare |
| 2012 Audi Q5 | 0 | 6 | B | Compare |
| 2012 Audi Q7 | 0 | 4 | A | Compare |
| 2012 BMW X3 | 0 | 2 | A | Compare |
| 2012 BMW X5 | 0 | 10 | C | Compare |
| 2012 Volvo XC60 | 0 | 3 | B | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2012 Acura MDX
Does the 2012 Acura MDX have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 1 recall for the 2012 Acura MDX: tank assembly (February 2012). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Acura MDX?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the engine & cooling (25), electrical system (13), transmission & drivetrain (13).
How many complaints has the 2012 Acura MDX had?
76 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on January 29, 2013 and the latest on July 16, 2026. Of these, 4 describe a crash and 3 a fire, and together they report 2 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2012 Acura MDX a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 80 out of 100 (grade A: far fewer problems than a typical Acura MDX year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Acura MDX years have the most complaints?
2016 (378), 2017 (261), 2020 (228). See every Acura MDX year compared.
What should I do if my 2012 Acura MDX has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data