2003 Acura MDX Complaint Log

NOXIOUS SULFUR ODOR INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE WHICH IS LIKELY RELATED TO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I WAS FIRST ADVISED THAT ACURA KNEW OF THIS PROBLEM WHICH WAS RELATED TO A NEW PELLET INSIDE OF THE CONVERTER. ACURA NOW SAYS THAT THERE IS NO PROBLEM. I AM BEING ADVISED THAT THIS TERRIBLE ODOR IS NORMAL ON THIS VEHICLE.*AK

WHILE WAITING AT A STOP LIGHT AND WITHOUT WARNING VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD WHILE DRIVER'S FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. *AK FAILURE ALSO OCCURRED BY A STOP SIGN AT AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THE PROBLEM WAS AN AIR INTAKE LEAK, WHICH BEGAN APPROX. THREE WEEKS AFTER CONSUMER PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND STILL EXIST TODAY. THE ENGINE DIED AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONSUMER MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED, BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE CONSUMER WOULD LIKE HER MONIES REIMBURSED OR A BRAND NEW MDX WITH THE SAME OPTIONS AND COLOR OF HER CHOICE. *PH *NLM

THE VEHICLE SKIDDED, WHEN THE CONSUMER CHANGED LANES. DEALER WILL BE NOTIFIED. *AK THE VEHICLE SKIDDED AND TURNED 180 DEGREES. *SCC *JB

WE HAVE AN '03 MDX WITH JUST ABOUT 6K MILES ON IT. AROUND 4.2K WE STARTED NOTICING THE THUD. MOSTLY JUST WHEN WE'RE BREAKING. SO TODAY MY WIFE GOES IN AND THEY ARE NICE ABOUT IT, BUT SAY IT'S "JUST THE WAY THE MDX IS..." THEY GIVE HER SOME "SERVICE NEWS" BULLETIN THAT SAYS: "SOME BRAKE CLICK IS NORMAL - ON ANY ACURA VEHICLE, CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE BRAKE CALIPER BRACKETS AND THE ENDS OF THE BRAKE PAD BACKING PLATES CAN CAUSE THE PADS TO HIT THE CALIPER BRACKETS WHEN YOU FIRST APPLY THE BRAKES IN A NEW DIRECTION OF TRAVEL (FOR EXAMPLE: BACKING UP, APPLYING THE BRAKES, THEN DRIVING FORWARD AND APPLYING THE BRAKES). THE CLICKING YOU HEAR IS A NORMAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM; THE CLEARANCE IS THERE TO ALLOW FOR HEAT EXPANSION AN / OR CORROSION OF THE PADS." THIS HAS GOT TO BE BS IN THE CASE OF THE CLUNK / THUD NOISE. I'VE GOT TWO FRIENDS WITH MDX'S AND NO [XXX] NOISE... ANYONE CARE TO COMMENT? I'M CONSIDERING TAKING OURS IN MYSELF AND SEE IF I GET THE SAME RUN AROUND. *AK INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASION THE ABS MADE A CLUNKING NOISE. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE BUT COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *NLM THE BRAKE PROBLEMS HAD COME BACK AGAIN. THE DEALER FOUND A BRAKE SWITCH FAILURE CODE. THE DEALER ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM BUT IT REMAINED THE SAME. *SCC

KEY CAN BE REMOVED IN ANY POSTION OF THE TRANSMISSION AFTER TURNING OFF.

NOXIOUS ODOR INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF VEHICLE. ACURA HAS REFUSED TO REPAIR VEHICLE, INSISTING ODOR IS NORMAL. CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE, PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. HYDROGEN SULFIDE IS PROVEN TO CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM. SMELL HAS NOT SUBSIDED. ACURA REFUSES TO REPAIR TO CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. DEALERSHIP HAS TRIED TO HELP BUT ACURA CORP. WILL NOT ALLOW THEM TO GO ANY FURTHER. CAR NOW HAS 15, 000 MILES AND STILL HAS PERSISTENT ODOR COMING FROM CATALYTIC CONVERTER. ACURA HAS ADVISED US TO PURSUE LITIGIOUS MEANS. *JB

THE MDX NAVIGATION SYSTEM GIVES VERBAL AND VISUAL DIRECTIONS. I TEND TO RELY ON THE VERBAL DIRECTIONS IN THE CITY. SOMETIMES THE SYSTEM CANNOT DETERMINE ITS POSITION BECAUSE IT CANNOT GET SUFFICIENT SATELLITE SIGNALS. IT GIVES NO VERBAL CLUE THIS IS HAPPENING, IT JUSTS GIVES DIRECTIONS AS IF IT KNEW WHERE IT WAS (PRESUMABLY VIA DEAD RECKONING). THERE IS A VISUAL CUE, BUT IT IS VERY HARD TO SEE DURING THE DAY. THE SMALL LETTERS "GPS" TURN WHITE WHEN THE SIGNAL IS WEAK. THIS HAPPENED TO ME FIRST WHILE IN BOSTON ON 22JAN2003. IT STARTED GIVING ME DIRECTIONS AS IF I WERE SEVERAL BLOCKS AWAY. FORTUNATELY I KNEW THE AREA WELL ENOUGH TO KNOW IT WAS LOST BEFORE MAKING LOTS OF WRONG TURNS, BUT A DRIVER RELYING ON THE GPS MIGHT HAVE FOUND HIMSELF DRIVING THE WRONG WAY DOWN A ONE WAY STREET. I KNOW THAT INCORRECT MAP DATA CAN CAUSE THE SAME PROBLEM AND I HAVE ACCEPTED THAT RISK, BUT IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO COMPOUND THAT RISK THROUGH POOR SOFTWARE IMPLEMENTATION, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE PROBLEM COSTS ALMOST NOTHING TO CORRECT.

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE WILL SEVERELY PULL TO THE RIGHT. THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE LEFT FRONT SPRING BREAKING AND THE STRUT CLASPING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. PH

NOXIOUS ODOR INSIDE AND OUTSIDE VEHICLE DUE TO CATALYTIC CONVERTER OVERWORKING. ACURA INSISTS THIS IS NORMAL AND HAS ADVISED US TO CONTINUE DRIVING CAR WHILE CAUSING MY FAMILY TO BECOME NAUSEOUS AND SICK FROM THE SMELL. THEY INSIST THAT HYDROGEN SULFIDE IS ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE BUT RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THIS CHEMICAL CAUSES DAMAGE TO THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM. ACURA HAS REFUSED TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM AND HAS ADVISED US TO PURSUE LITIGOUS MEANS. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY MY CAR SMELL IS SO POTENT WHILE OTHER MDX'S DO NOT SMELL.

WHILE PARKING THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE HIT A SECTION OF CURBING THAT WAS EXTENDED FROM THE NEXT SECTION OF CURBING, THERE WAS A HISSING SOUND AND CONSUMER THEN DISCOVERED THE TIRE WAS FLAT, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIRE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE SIDEWALL WAS BROKEN.*YH

THE SEAT BELT WAS MOUNTED IN THE CEILING OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH CAUSED THE BELT TO COME ACROSS THE PASSENGER'S NECK. *JB