The 2018 Acura MDX is associated with 164 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 10 safety recall campaigns in the federal safety database. The most frequently reported component area is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, accounting for 11 reports (7% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 5 certified vehicle configurations spanning 3L 6-Cyl hybrid and 3.5l 6-cyl configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 21 to 27 MPG combined.

Key Data Findings
  • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 164 reports
  • Safety Recall Campaigns: 10 campaigns
  • Top Reported Defect Area: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE (11 / 7%)
  • Safety Incident Signals: 3 crash / 4 fire / 2 injury reports
  • NHTSA Overall Safety Rating: 5 / 5 Stars
  • EPA Efficiency: 21–27 MPG (5 variants)
Data Note: Compiled directly from official NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, and EPA FuelEconomy.gov databases.
Fuel Economy
21–27MPG
5 EPA certified variants (3L 6-Cyl hybrid and 3.5l 6-cyl configurations)
Reported Complaints
164
164 submitted owner reports
Safety Recalls
10
10 official NHTSA recalls
NCAP Safety Rating
5 / 5 Stars Overall

What is the fuel economy and range of the 2018 Acura MDX?

Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by certified vehicle variant

Variant Engine Drivetrain Transmission City Highway Combined EV Range Est. Annual Fuel Cost
MDX Hybrid AWD Hybrid 3L 6-Cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic (AM-S7) 26 MPG 27 MPG 27 MPG $2,800 / yr
MDX FWD 3.5L 6-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S9) 20 MPG 27 MPG 23 MPG $3,300 / yr
MDX FWD 3.5L 6-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S9) 19 MPG 27 MPG 22 MPG $3,450 / yr
MDX AWD 3.5L 6-Cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic (S9) 19 MPG 26 MPG 22 MPG $3,450 / yr
MDX AWD 3.5L 6-Cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic (S9) 18 MPG 26 MPG 21 MPG $3,600 / yr
Data Boundary Note: EPA specifications are shown by certified vehicle configuration. NHTSA complaints and recall totals are recorded at the model-year level across all configurations.

What are the crash test safety ratings for the 2018 Acura MDX?

Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant Overall Rating Frontal Crash Side Crash Rollover Rating Rollover Risk
SUV FWD 16.400000000000002%
SUV AWD 16.400000000000002%
Sport Hybrid SUV AWD 16.400000000000002%
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as Standard and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as Standard in official NHTSA records for tested 2018 Acura MDX models.
View complete 2018 Acura MDX crash test & safety breakdown →

What defect complaints are reported for the 2018 Acura MDX?

Summary of 164 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
164
Crash Reports
3
Fire Reports
4
Complaints w/ Injury
2
Total Injuries
3

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 11 complaints
Engine 9 complaints
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE 9 complaints
Fuel System 9 complaints
Electrical System 8 complaints

Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.

View all 2018 Acura MDX problems & component breakdown (58 categories) →

Are there open safety recalls on the 2018 Acura MDX?

Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA

NHTSA Campaign #26V365000 Active Recall
Affected Component: STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

Defect Summary: American Honda Motor Company (Honda) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Honda Pilot, 2017-2023 Ridgeline, 2019-2023 Passport, and 2014-2020 Acura MDX vehicles that were sold in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. The rear subframe may corrode at the suspension mounting points, which can result in rear suspension component failure.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rear subframe and install a rear subframe reinforcement kit and, as necessary, repair or replace the rear subframe components, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed July 27, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in the fall of 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are AOU and AOT. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning June 10, 2026.
NHTSA Campaign #26V332000 Active Recall
Affected Component: AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER

Defect Summary: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
NHTSA Campaign #25V259000 Active Recall
Affected Component: EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Defect Summary: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014-2020 Acura MDX vehicles. Moisture may enter the tailgate lid light assembly and wiring harness, which can cause the interior and exterior lights to fail, including the lid lights, position lights, license plate lights and taillights.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: Dealers will inspect the wiring and install a fuse harness, replace the lid light, and repair the body dust sealer, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 30, 2025. Owners may contact Acura's customer service at 1-800-382-2238. Acura's number for this recall is FLI. Vehicles included in this recall that were previously repaired under NHTSA recall number 19V-256 will need to have the new remedy completed.
View all 2018 Acura MDX recalls & campaign history (10 campaigns) →
Official US Government Data Provenance

The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.