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#BS-2003-ACUMDX-48A9

2003 Acura Mdx

Based on reports from 259 owners and 13 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
259
Crashes
12
Fires
6
Recalls
13
TSBs
188
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 259 complaints, 12 crashes, 6 fires, and 13 recalls. Complaint rate is 1.8x the class average.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

transmission failure

11 complaints • Severity 8.5/10

$X,XXX
2

torque converter failure

3 complaints • Severity 8.7/10

$X,XXX
3

failed moter mounts

1 complaints • Severity 6/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Power Train:automatic TransmissionHIGH

56 owners reported power train:automatic transmission issues — failures commonly reported around 110K miles.

!Inspect the DrivetrainMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

25
0–30K
9
30–60K
31
60–90K
52
90–120K
33
120–150K
52
150K+

Peak failure range: 90–120K miles (52 reports) • Median: 110K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Power Train:automatic Transmission (56 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Power Train:automatic Transmission56 (22%)
Drivetrain49 (19%)
Airbags42 (16%)
Engine18 (7%)
Electrical14 (5%)
Other12 (5%)
Seat Belts9 (3%)
Speed Control7 (3%)

2003 Acura Mdx: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Power Train:automatic Transmission Issues

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints account for 22% of all reports filed for the 2003 Acura Mdx, with 56 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 110,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 110K-mile mark.

Drivetrain Issues

Drivetrain complaints account for 19% of all reports filed for the 2003 Acura Mdx, with 49 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to drivetrain-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Airbags Issues

Airbags complaints account for 16% of all reports filed for the 2003 Acura Mdx, with 42 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to airbags-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 2003 Acura Mdx, with 18 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

17
03
9
04
3
05
2
06
6
07
12
08
18
09
31
10
17
11
16
12
20
13
22
14
31
15
23
16
3
17
10
18
1
19
12
20
4
21
1
23
1
25

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2003 Acura Mdx. Recent trend: stable.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (13 recalls)

08E013000

EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:CARRIER/RACK

HONDA IS RECALLING 2,032 HITCH STYLE BIKE RACKS SOLD AS AFTERMARKET FOR USE ON MY 2003-2007 AND SOME MY 2008 HONDA PILOT, RIDGELINE, AND ACURA MDX VEHICLES. A PINCH BOLT EXISTS BETWEEN THE BIKE ARM BRACKET AND THE UPRIGHT ASSEMBLY OF THE "HITCH" STYLE BICYCLE RACK.

12V573000Feb 2013

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

Honda is recalling certain model year 2003 and 2004 Pilot and Odyssey and 2003 through 2006 Acura MDX passenger vehicles manufactured from November 26, 2001, through August 30, 2006. The interlock lever of the ignition switch may deform, which can allow the interlock function of a vehicle with an automatic transmission to be defeated.

13V412000Nov 2013

AIR BAGS

Honda is recalling certain model year 2003 and 2004 Odyssey and model year 2003 Acura MDX vehicles. Due to electrical noise, a component in the air bag control module may fail causing the front air bags, side curtain air bags, and/or seatbelt pretensioners to deploy inadvertently while the vehicle is being operated.

14V353000Sep 2014

AIR BAGS

American Honda Motor Company, Inc.'s (Honda) is conducting a limited regional recall for certain model year 2003-2005 Accord, Civic, CR-V, Pilot and Acura MDX, model year 2003-2004 Odyssey and Element, and model year 2005 Acura RL, and 2006 Honda Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in California, and equipped with Takata-brand air bag inflators. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

14V700000Jan 2015

AIR BAGS

American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 Honda Civic, 2003-2004 Civic CNG and Element, 2002-2005 CR-V, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2005 Accord, Pilot, Civic Hybrid, and Acura MDX, 2005 Acura RL and 2006 Honda Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in geographic locations associated with high absolute humidity. Specifically, vehicles sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Saipan, Guam, and American Samoa are addressed by this recall. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

+ 8 more recalls in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Acura Mdx is the 2016 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is transmission.

2003 Acura Mdx vs. Class Average (Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD)

This vehicle

259

Class avg

144

1.8x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical sport utility vehicle - 4wd vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 259 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 13 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Acura Mdx Model Years

20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004200320022001
View all Acura Mdx years →

2003 Acura Mdx: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2003 Acura Mdx?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2003 Acura Mdx is related to the power train:automatic transmission, with 56 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2003 Acura Mdx reliable?
The 2003 Acura Mdx has 259 complaints, 12 crash reports, and 6 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 1.8x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 2003 Acura Mdx problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2003 Acura Mdx have any recalls?
Yes, the 2003 Acura Mdx has 13 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Acura Mdx problems start?
Based on 202 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 110,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 90–120K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 259 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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