This service and repair manual is written for the 2016 Acura MDX with the 3.5L SOHC V6, in both the SH-AWD and Base Sport Utility 4-Door builds. It is matched to this exact model year, so the specifications and service sequences line up with the engine and trim you are working on.
Engines
- 3.5L V6 — 3471cc (212 cu in), SOHC, naturally aspirated, gas
Trims
- SH-AWD Sport Utility 4-Door
- Base Sport Utility 4-Door
Known issues on the 2016 MDX. Four recalls are on federal record for this model year: a tail light recall, where moisture entering the tailgate lid lights can cause a loss of the taillights and reduce the vehicle visibility, increasing the risk of a crash; a fuel pump recall, where fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving; an engine hard parts recall, where a manufacturing defect can leave a damaged engine running improperly or stalling, with a risk of fire or crash; and a fuel tank assembly recall, where a fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire. Owners have filed 502 complaints and 179 technical service bulletins have been issued for this model year. The factory diagnostic and repair procedures behind each of those systems are here.
From a routine service interval to a fuel delivery diagnosis or a rear lighting circuit fault, the procedures and specifications you follow are the factory ones for your 2016 MDX.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Acura MDX, 2015-2019 Acura TLX and 2015-2017 Honda Accord vehicles, equipped with a 3.5L V6 engine. Particulates in fuel may adhere to the internal components of the fuel pump, reducing its performance.
Reduced fuel pump performance can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of crash.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the fuel injection engine control unit (FI-ECU) software and, if necessary, replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began March 25, 2019. Owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's recall number for this recall is P3W. Honda's recall number for this recall is N3X.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014-2019 Acura MDX and 2017-2019 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid vehicles. Moisture may enter the tailgate lid lights, possibly causing a loss of the tailgate lid lights and the taillights.
Loss of the taillights reduces the vehicle's visibility, increasing the risk of crash.
Acura will notify owners, and dealers will modify the tailgate lid lights and install updated gaskets and a wiring sub-harness or will replace both tailgate lid lights. The repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began May 7, 2019. Owners may contact Acura customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is M49.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2015 Acura MDX 2WD and MDX 4WD vehicles, 2016 Acura MDX 4WD vehicles, 2015-2016 Honda Odyssey vehicles, and 2016 Honda Pilot 2WD and 4WD vehicles. The affected vehicles have fuel tanks that were manufactured with insufficient welds which may separate and allow fuel to leak out.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tanks, free of charge. Owners may contact Honda/Acura customer service at 1-888-234-2138. The recall began on July 29, 2016. Honda's numbers for this recall are KA9 (Honda vehicles) and KB0 (Acura vehicles).
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2016 and 2018-2019 Pilot, 2017 and 2019 Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 Odyssey vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the connecting rod bearing in the engine may wear and seize, damaging the engine.
A damaged engine may run improperly or stall while driving, increasing the risk of a fire, crash, or injury.
Dealers will inspect and repair, or replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed March 28, 2024. 2016-2017 Acura MDX owner letters were mailed November 1, 2024. 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed in mid-December 2024. Honda began mailing owner notification letters as of March 18, 2024. 2015-2016 Acura owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-December 2024, 2018 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed the end of March/early Apr
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
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.
Vehicle lights that fail to illuminate can decrease visibility and increase the risk of a crash.
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.
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.
Failure of rear suspension components, such as the rear control arm, can cause a loss of vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
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) in
Owner Notification Letter - Under certain circumstances, after coming to a stop and the idle stop feature engaging, the vehicle may not automatically restart. Acura is providing a product update with a new PGM-FI software update to fix this
Service Bulletin - An uneven sealing surface allows moisture to enter the inner taillight(s), causing one or both of the inner taillights not to work.
Dealer Message - Acura is also implementing an additional (1) twenty-four (24) month period for 2015 model year Acura TLX vehicles, commencing at the expiration of the 10-year warranty extension period for each vehicle, and (2) eighteen (18
Service Bulletin - An uneven sealing surface allows moisture to enter the inner taillight(s), causing one or both of the inner taillights not to work.
Service Bulletin - An uneven sealing surface allows moisture to enter the inner taillight(s), causing one or both of the inner taillights not to work.
Service Bulletin - Under certain circumstances, after coming to a stop and engaging idle stop the vehicle may not restart automatically due to excessive cylinder pressure and/or low cranking torque. Typically, the client can immediately res
Owner Notification Letter - An uneven sealing surface allows moisture to enter the inner taillight(s), causing one or both of the inner taillights not to work.
Owner Notification Letter - An uneven sealing surface allows moisture to enter the inner taillight(s), causing one or both of the inner taillights not to work.
Showing the 8 most recent of 334 technical service bulletins on file with NHTSA.
The contact's daughter owned a 2016 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving approximately 70 MPH on an interstate, another driver crashed into the rear passenger's side and the front passenger's side of the vehicle, causing the vehicle to spin clockwise. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The driver hit her shoulder and lower back against the driver's side door. The driver later received medical assistance and was being treated for lower back and shoulder
I WAS APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT ON A BUSY STREET ON A VERY BRIGHT DAY AND DID NOT SEE THAT THE STOP LIGHT I WAS APPROACHING HAD TURNED RED. WHEN I REALIZED IT WAS RED, I BRAKED RAPIDLY OF COURSE BUT STILL GOING AT A PRETTY GOOD SPEED I HIT THE STOPPED CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THE COLLISION WAS BETWEEN DRIVERS SIDE OF MY MDX AND RIGHT REAR OF A MEDIUM-SIZED WHITE JEEP. MY 17 YR OLD SON WAS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND HIS AIR BAG DEPLOYED, HOWEVER MY DRIVER BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. BOTH SEAT BELTS L
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 ACURA MDX. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, WHEN DRIVING OVER A SPEED BUMP THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY AND IMPACTED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT STATED SHE WAS NOT INJURED. THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER OF THE OTHER VEHICLE SUSTAINED UNKNOWN INJURIES BUT WAS NOT AWARE IF MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS REQUIRED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE AND WAS TO
I WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET AT AROUND 20-25 MPH WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEAR A LOUD SNAPPING SOUND. I IMMEDIATELY LOST ALL CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND IT JERKED HARD TO THE RIGHT HITTING TWO PARKED VEHICLES. UPON INSPECTION, IT APPEARS AS THOUGH THE REAR CONTROL ARM ON THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WHEEL SNAPPED, CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL.
FORWARD/FRONT COLLISION MITIGATION BRAKING SYSTEM DIDN'T ENGAGE ENOUGH TO REDUCE OR AVOID IMPACT OF THE COLLISION. MY VEHICLE TOOK A RIGHT TURN AT ABOUT 20-25 MPH AND TRAVELLED LESS THAN 2-2.5 CAR LENGTH BEFORE GETTING ONTO THE CURB AND HITTING AN IRON PILLAR ABOUT 2 FEET HIGH ON SIDE WALK. IT WAS A SIDE FRONTAL COLLISION AND THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WHEEL DIRECTLY HIT THE IRON PILLAR. THE VEHICLE SPEED WASN'T REDUCED TO MITIGATE IMPACT/DAMAGE FROM THE COLLISION AND VEHICLE TOOK FULL IMPA
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 ACURA MDX. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH AND MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THE BRAKE PEDAL FAILED TO RESPOND AND THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE. THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE DRIVER WAS SHAKEN UP BY THE INCIDENT, BUT WAS NOT INJURED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY TO RALLYE ACURA (1750 NORTHERN BLVD, ROSLYN, NY 11576, (516) 625-7070); HOWEVER, THE DEALER REFUSED TO INSPECT AND DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE
I was involved in an accident 12/13, 2023. No airbags deployed, however, my seatbelt locked up. A new seatbelt was ordered through Acura soon thereafter 12/23. At the time this was ordered, I was told that there was no ETA as there is a national backorder. Fast forward to today, my car has been fully repaired and is still sitting in the local repair shop because there are still no seatbelts available. I have filed complaints with Acura corporate, and have a claim number that I would be more th
The contact owns a 2016 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds through a parking area, his foot slipped and the vehicle unintendedly accelerated, coming to a complete stop after crashing into an 8-inch barrier. The air bags did not deploy. No warning lights were illuminated. A Police report was not filed, and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that the driver's side seat belt needed to be replaced following the crash but inform
IN SEPTEMBER 2020, CAR RANDOMLY TURNED OFF WHEN STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT (ON BUSY INTERSECTION) DURING IDLE MODE CAUSING THE CAR BEHIND US TO HIT WHEN LIGHT TURNED GREEN. NO DAMAGE WAS DONE TO MY CAR SINCE THE CAR WASN'T MOVING AT WAS HIT AT LOW SPEED.
The contact's wife owns a 2016 Acura MDX. The contact stated that while his wife was reversing out of the driveway with his grandchildren in the rear seats, she stopped the vehicle to check for incoming traffic but the vehicle switched gears to drive on its own and accelerated forward. The contact's wife depressed the brake pedal but it failed to respond and the vehicle crashed into his unoccupied vehicle that was parked ahead in the driveway. The driver's airbags deployed. There were no warnin
The engine in the car caught fire and subsequently destroyed the vehicle. The car was parking in a shopping center parking lot at the time.
I just got back home from Walmart, went in my house to get a few things and head to my camper. I had to get one last thing ,so I started to drive over town I noticed a plastic burning smell ,I thought someone was burning trash, so I keep going ,the smell got worse,so I stopped and was going to check what it was and smoke started coming out of the vents,so I turned around drove car home,as I was pulling into my drive ,I noticed the wiring harness fell from behind glove box ,on fire on the floor.
CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE DRIVING WITH MY FAMILY INSIDE THE VEHICLE! LUCKY US POLICE WAS AROUND TO HELP EVERYONE OUT OF THE VEHICLE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 ACURA MDX. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CONTACT SMELLED SMOKE WHEN THE HEATER WAS ACTIVATED. THE CONTACT EXITED THE HIGHWAY, PARKED, AND EXITED THE VEHICLE. SMOKE AND FLAMES ENGULFED THE VEHICLE FROM UNDERNEATH THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. THE POLICE ARRIVED SHORTLY AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE CONTACT'S I
First on off glitching when ever accessory mode is used WHILE IN MOTION, FIRST BRAKELIGHT HAD WARNING THEN WARNING ABOUT TRAILER STABILITY ASSIST. WHEN I WENT IN REVERSE, THE WHOLE DASHBOARD INCLUDING THE NAVIGATION SCREEN WENT BLACK AND THE CAR FELT LIKE THE ENGINE STOPPED. THIS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES. I DON'T THINK THE ENGINE ACTUALLY STOPPED THOUGH BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE TO RESTART THE CAR. THE BRAKE LIGHT ERROR MESSAGE HAS OCCURRED DRIVING FORWARD AS WELL, BUT NOT ACCOMPANIED BY THE BLACKOUT O
Showing the 15 most serious of 366 complaints filed with NHTSA.
