Faults:

At 61,000 miles the valve seats warped, causing intake and exhaust leaks. New valve seats were installed, both cylinder heads replaced, as were new gasket sets. I was able to work down the price, but it was still $2100.

Last night, going up the hill, the transmission gave out completely. Luckily, someone helped me get to the side and I got it towed away from the two lane highway. My mechanic doesn't do transmissions, but told me the transmission fluid was okay but smelled burnt. The next day he could make it run when it was cold, but running it harder cut it out again.

I read online that the 2001 and 2002 MDX had transmission failures and recalls. I also heard of a couple of incidents of 2003 MDXs having transmission failures. Has anyone else with a 2003 model had similar experiences?

General Comments:

Overall, the car is nice. It handles well, and I feel it is comfortable for me, the family, and whatever cargo we pack in for trips.

However, it's the unexpected events with the cylinders and the transmission that make me nervous. Just glad we didn't get hit last night.

Faults:

This car has been sitting in our driveway for years. When we still owed $9000 on the car, the transmission blew. Nobody in our area would touch it for less than $5000. Considering we paid well over $34,000 for the car, with the payment, we couldn't justify putting $5000 + into fixing it, especially since we had just put $2500 into the axles, and the head gasket. We bought a beater car for $1000 while we paid off the Acura (our new lawn ornament), oddly -- the beater still runs!

General Comments:

This went from being my dream car to a nightmare after 100,000 miles. Buying this car was easily the stupidest decision I ever made.

Faults:

A week after buying my car, the transmission went bad. I called the service rep and she said she couldn't help with the repairs as she didn't know how the previous owner handled the car. I told her I had the maintenance book and all maintenance rqmts were met. Still no luck. How have others gotten help? I will be looking for your help.

General Comments:

Love the looks of the car. Scared to drive it any distance.

Faults:

The air conditioning died after 46,800 miles. The A/C was working fine the first nine months of ownership and then the first time we used it in 2007 - nothing. Apparently there was a leak as there are no problems with the compressor.

The battery had to be replaced after 44,000 miles (three years six months). This does not seem to be out of line, but, after I replaced the battery I went through the former owner's paperwork and saw where they also had problems with the battery and the mechanic could not find any problems. I also have a friend who owns a 2004 MDX and he also has had problems with his battery. Once he gets a jump he goes months before the problem arises again.

General Comments:

Overall, I am satisfied with the MDX. It meets the needs of our family. I like to keep cars 7-10 years and hopefully I will not incur high maintenance costs.