The Lemon Index

All cars · Acura MDX

2008 Acura MDX.

The 2008 Acura MDX has too few complaints to score: 16 in its first 3 years. Owners complain most about brakes, it has 1 recall, and it gets 17 mpg combined. The best Acura MDX year is 2010.

Not enough data. Only 16 complaints in its first 3 years: too few to score.

Best year 2010 · Worst year 2016

Acura MDX
Photo shows an Acura MDX. Dinkun Chen, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · background removed

Before you buy. What matters most for this car.

Owner complaints16first 3 years
Fuel economy17 mpgcombined, EPA
Front crash★★★★★NHTSA, driver

How serious. Out of 49 owner complaints, owners reported:

2crashes
1injuries
1fires
1tows

Older model year: fewer owners filed complaints back then, so treat the score as rough.

What owners complain about most. From owner complaints to the government.

brakes19%
steering12%
engine12%
speed control12%
body structure12%

Share of this year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not the share of cars that break. One complaint can name more than one area.

Transmission problems in every Acura MDX year →

When owners reported problems. From owner complaints to the government.

half by 40K
0K50K100K150K200K

Most owners who filed a complaint with NHTSA had 23K to 88K miles on the car (35 complaints listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.

Recalls 1

  • equipment 2008

    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.

Recall repairs are free at any dealer. A recall only matters if it's still open on that exact car, so check its VIN.

Check a VIN for open recalls

Problems Acura told dealers about

Acura sent dealers 41 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:

  • "service bulletin - in cold areas, the front active dampers may be susceptible to leaking
  • Service bulletin - in cold areas, the rear active dampers may be susceptible to leaking

Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.

Safety

Stability controlStandard
Collision warningNot offered
Lane departure warningNot offered

Crash stars (older test): front ★★★★★ · side ★★★★★ · rollover ★★★★☆

NHTSA front crash test of the 2008 Acura MDX
Front crash test · NHTSA
Fuel cost and engines

About $4700 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 3.7L 6-cyl.

Quick answers

Is the 2008 Acura MDX reliable?

There isn't enough data to score it: owners filed only 16 complaints in its first 3 years.

What are the most common 2008 Acura MDX problems?

In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are brakes (19%), steering (12%) and engine (12%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.

How many recalls does the 2008 Acura MDX have?

1 safety recall (latest: equipment). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2008 Acura MDX get?

17 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).

At what mileage do 2008 Acura MDX problems start?

Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 23,000 and 88,000 miles. The middle report was at 40,000 miles, from 35 complaints.

Does the 2008 Acura MDX have transmission problems?

Transmission and drivetrain issues aren't among its top 5 complaint areas.

How much does the 2008 Acura MDX cost in fuel a year?

About $4700 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.

What engines does the 2008 Acura MDX have?

3.7L 6-cyl.

What Acura MDX year is better than the 2008?

By owner complaints per car sold, the best recent years are 2010, 2012 and 2013.

Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average; lower is better. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect. How it works

Updated

Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com). Get the data