2005 Acura MDX Transmission & Powertrain Problems
Owners filed 87 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2005 Acura MDX, 48% of all complaints for the year. The dominant pattern is torque converter failure causing vibration, grinding, and noise, typically reported around 79,828 miles. No related recalls are listed for this area.
- Transmission & Powertrain complaints
- 87
- 48% of 180 complaints
- All complaints this year
- 180
- Crashes reported
- 2
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 3
- Median mileage
- 79,828 mi
- Related recalls
- 0
Typical transmission symptoms owners report
- Vibration and grinding or humming noise while accelerating between roughly 20 and 45 mph, often diagnosed as a failed torque converter.
- Rough, noisy shifting accompanied by the VSA warning light coming on, sometimes leading to full transmission replacement.
- Intermittent hesitation or hissing at highway and local speeds that dealers initially could not duplicate before confirming a torque converter fault.
- Grinding noise tied to torque converter problems combined with unrelated starter motor and motor mount failures in the same repair visit.
- One incident where the vehicle unexpectedly shifted gears and surged, causing a crash with airbag deployment and injuries.
When 2005 Acura MDX transmission complaints were filed
First complaint Sep 27, 2007, latest Jul 31, 2025.
Transmission & Powertrain recalls for the 2005 Acura MDX
No safety recalls on record for this model year.
Transmission & Powertrain complaints by MDX model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the most common transmission problem on the 2005 Acura MDX?
- The most reported issue is torque converter failure, described by owners as vibration, grinding, or humming noise during acceleration, typically surfacing around 79,828 miles.
- How many transmission complaints does NHTSA have for the 2005 Acura MDX?
- NHTSA lists 87 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2005 MDX, which is 48% of the 180 total complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there a recall for the 2005 Acura MDX transmission?
- No related recalls are listed in NHTSA data for this transmission and powertrain issue.
- At what mileage do 2005 MDX transmission problems typically appear?
- The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this problem area is 79,828 miles.
- Did any 2005 MDX transmission complaints involve crashes or injuries?
- Yes, NHTSA records show 2 crashes and 3 injuries among the complaints filed in this area, with no fires reported.