YearToAvoid

2020 Acura MDX Transmission & Powertrain Problems

NHTSA lists 21 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2020 Acura MDX, 10% of its 221 total complaints for the year. Owners most often describe the vehicle unexpectedly shifting into neutral at stops, with a median failure mileage of 26,000. No related recall is on file.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints
21
10% of 221
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
0
Median mileage
26,000 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical transmission symptoms owners report

  • Vehicle unexpectedly shifts into neutral while stopped at a light or stop sign and will not go back into drive until the engine is turned off and restarted.
  • At low speeds after coming to a stop, the engine appears to cut off or idle-stop and the transmission drops to neutral instead of resuming drive.
  • Owners report hesitation or delayed response when pressing the accelerator, sometimes worsening over time and causing the car to slip into neutral while decelerating.
  • Some drivers describe sudden unintended acceleration or the engine continuing to run at high RPM after releasing the gas pedal.
  • Dealers in several cases could not duplicate the neutral-shift or hesitation problem during inspection.

When 2020 Acura MDX transmission complaints were filed

First complaint Jan 8, 2021, latest Aug 14, 2026.

2020 Acura MDX transmission & powertrain complaints: complaints filed per month2Jan 2021Apr 2022Aug 2023Oct 2024Apr 2025Mar 2026
21 complaints filed with NHTSA from Jan 2021 to Aug 2026; peak Mar 2024 (2).

Transmission & Powertrain recalls for the 2020 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.

  1. 20105 (11%)
  2. 20118 (11%)
  3. 201213 (17%)
  4. 20134 (14%)
  5. 201426 (15%)
  6. 201512 (17%)
  7. 2016111 (30%)
  8. 201764 (25%)
  9. 201823 (14%)
  10. 201931 (16%)
  11. 202021 (10%)
  12. 202264 (42%)
  13. 202310 (26%)
  14. 20242 (5%)
  15. 20254 (4%)

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2020 Acura MDX have transmission problems?
NHTSA has 21 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2020 Acura MDX, about 10% of the 221 total complaints filed for that model year. The most reported issue is the vehicle shifting itself into neutral at stops.
Is there a recall for the 2020 Acura MDX transmission?
No related recall is listed in the NHTSA data for this problem area on the 2020 Acura MDX.
At what mileage do 2020 MDX transmission problems happen?
The median mileage at failure for Transmission & Powertrain complaints on the 2020 Acura MDX is 26,000 miles.
Are 2020 MDX transmission complaints linked to crashes?
NHTSA records show 0 crashes and 0 injuries among the 21 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2020 Acura MDX.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.