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2014 MDX FWD Advance - Known/Common Issues?

5K views 34 replies 11 participants last post by  cherishzm 
#1 ·
Hello folks,
I’m looking at 14 MDX FWD with advance package with 70k miles tomorrow and would like some advice on what specifically to check.

I was able to confirm two transmission services were done, at 26k and 52k miles and brake fluid change at 26k miles. Air filter/cabin filter changes twice and oil changes every 7k-9k miles all at a dealership. No other major services done.

2014 being the first model year, I did read there is a common issue with the infotainment system. And someone mentioned about Advnaced package with upgraded suspension having issues - I’m not really sure what to look for here.

Any input and suggestions would be welcome and appreciated!
 
#2 ·
That platform is pretty solid, so you really are looking for the same things you would on any used car. If it is an Advance package with the ADS suspension it should be pretty evident as that one has a switch (on the console I believe) to change the suspension characteristics.
 
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#9 ·
I'm doing some research regarding ADS and there are conflicting info on whether ADS was included in the 14+ MDX models. The last post on below threads suggest ADS was not a part of 2014 MDX models.

 
#10 ·
I have an SH AWD but for sharing my experience - bought mine at 15K or so back in 2015. Thankfully, all covered within the original warranty / AcuraCare.

1) replace front wheel bearings,
2) additional padding in drive side door due to shuddering noise - still exists,
3) battery replaced in less than 3 years,
4) "software update" to mitigate RPM "hunting" (RPM randomly moving between 1200-1500 even with a constant pressure to the pedal),
5) torque converter / tranny grinding noise when slowly accelerating (95% gone with 3x3 tranny fluid flush),
6) infamous high pressure fuel pump chirping / replacement,
7) AC compressor / pulley replaced at 15K miles,
8) engine module reprogrammed / engine valve adjusted at 11K miles, etc.
 
#11 ·
ADS suspension is NOT available at all on any MDX between 2014-2016, so you do not need to worry about that.
For 2014 and 2015 models, the driver assistance technology is standard and only available on the Advance trim level. This includes Automatic Emergency Braking, full speed Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Go, and Lane Keeping Assist.
2014-2015 Tech models will have Lane Departure Warning (with a single on/off button on the lower right part of the steering wheel), but do not confuse this for Lane Keeping Assist. They also have Forward Collision Warning, but no automatic brake support.

Having driven several cars (Hyundai Genesis, Audi Q7, Ford Explorer, Mercedes C class, Honda Accord & Pilot, Acura TLX & MDX, Mazda CX-5, and Subaru Outback) with Adaptive Cruise Control, I would consider the system in the Acura to be competitive, but not the best. All of these systems are "dumb" because they rely on radar to detect cars ahead of them, not cameras. As such, you will always notice a delay between when you (as a driver with eyes) would ease off the gas or slow down for a car ahead, and the when the car detects it. In my experience, Mercedes and Mazda are much smoother in brake application and acceleration, where the Acura/Honda system is more focused on maintaining the set gap. On two occasions in 14,000 miles of driving my MDX, the car has detected a semi truck in the lane adjacent to me and slowed down unnecessarily, but pressing the accelerator overrides the ACC so this rare occurrence is hardly an inconvenience. None of this behavior should be considered as a deal breaker to not buy the MDX. No other SUV offers these features at this price with so few compromises.

In regards to the lane keeping assist, it is a very useful feature on road trips & commutes to reduce fatigue, especially while driving in high winds. It works way better than the Ford system, and on par with Hyundai and Mercedes for keeping you centered, but you get the added benefit of it working even when you aren't using cruise control. The steering force it applies grows as you near the edges of a lane. Given this, if you are centered in the lane, you wont notice any steering effort from the car, but it grows as you drift closer to the painted lines. It works on gentle bends too, but the system can suspend itself at any time if it does not detect your steering inputs or clear lane markings (fyi, there is a setting that makes the car beep to notify you when it suspends steering assist so it wont catch you off-guard). It is not designed to steer FOR you, but to steer WITH you.
 
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#12 ·
ADS suspension is NOT available at all on any MDX between 2014-2016, so you do not need to worry about that.
For 2014 and 2015 models, the driver assistance technology is standard and only available on the Advance trim level. This includes Automatic Emergency Braking, full speed Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Go, and Lane Keeping Assist.
2014-2015 Tech models will have Lane Departure Warning (with a single on/off button on the lower right part of the steering wheel), but do not confuse this for Lane Keeping Assist. They also have Forward Collision Warning, but no automatic brake support.

Having driven several cars (Hyundai Genesis, Audi Q7, Ford Explorer, Mercedes C class, Honda Accord & Pilot, Acura TLX & MDX, Mazda CX-5, and Subaru Outback) with Adaptive Cruise Control, I would consider the system in the Acura to be competitive, but not the best. All of these systems are "dumb" because they rely on radar to detect cars ahead of them, not cameras. As such, you will always notice a delay between when you (as a driver with eyes) would ease off the gas or slow down for a car ahead, and the when the car detects it. In my experience, Mercedes and Mazda are much smoother in brake application and acceleration, where the Acura/Honda system is more focused on maintaining the set gap. On two occasions in 14,000 miles of driving my MDX, the car has detected a semi truck in the lane adjacent to me and slowed down unnecessarily, but pressing the accelerator overrides the ACC so this rare occurrence is hardly an inconvenience. None of this behavior should be considered as a deal breaker to not buy the MDX. No other SUV offers these features at this price with so few compromises.

In regards to the lane keeping assist, it is a very useful feature on road trips & commutes to reduce fatigue, especially while driving in high winds. It works way better than the Ford system, and on par with Hyundai and Mercedes for keeping you centered, but you get the added benefit of it working even when you aren't using cruise control. The steering force it applies grows as you near the edges of a lane. Given this, if you are centered in the lane, you wont notice any steering effort from the car, but it grows as you drift closer to the painted lines. It works on gentle bends too, but the system can suspend itself at any time if it does not detect your steering inputs or clear lane markings (fyi, there is a setting that makes the car beep to notify you when it suspends steering assist so it wont catch you off-guard). It is not designed to steer FOR you, but to steer WITH you.
Thanks for the confirmation on the ADS. That's great to know! And yes, I think the driver assistance package can be useful in 'assisting' the driver, but not take over driving for the driver.
 
#13 · (Edited)
I had a chance to look at the MDX and testdrive it today. The vehicle itself looked good and clean and the drive was mostly fine except for jerky shifting and subtle clunk feeling/noise when it first takes off from a stop. I could feel it shifts poorly, up and down - but the owner stated they (his wife was the main driver) never felt transmission shift quality was poor (He seems like an honest guy and it was regularly serviced at Acura dealership). Maybe because we only have Toyota/Lexus hybrid CVT transmission, shifting could feel more substantial to me. But, my old 2005 Honda Odyssey shifts better than MDX.

I've read Acura offered TSB fix for transmission SW update to fix jerky transmission and/or the transmission could be reset to learn new owner's driving style. There was two transmission services completed at 26k and 52k miles and it's due for another service?

Edit: My 2005 Odyssey used to have a serious shake/vibration problem (I believe) due to a transmission issue which was completely resolved with Amsoil transmission fluid drain and fill x 3 times few years ago. Did one more drain and fill after a year and it has been going strong. Would this also work for MDX to fix the poor shifting issue?
 
#14 ·
Obviously no guarantee on the Amsoil solution, but a decent chance IMO. I run Valvoline MaxLife in my X and Ody and it performs well. Prior to that I used Mobil 1 and liked that even better, but at 2X the cost I prefer to save the money. Driving style has a lot to do with shift quality in most cars.
 
#16 ·
One downside with the 2014 MDX is you are coming up on the 7yr/105,000 miles service interval (whichever comes first). It can include:
  • timing belt
  • spark plugs
  • water pump+coolant
  • serpentine belt kit
  • valve adjustment
  • oil change

Other items might also be due like:
  • brake fluid every 3 years
  • checking brake pads
  • cabin/engine filters
  • wipers
  • check/replacing battery if original
  • alignment/balance/rotation of tires
  • new tires

You might have to think about those maintenance items that are due/coming due in the next few years into the cost of ownership. A 2015 MDX with lower miles would space out the same maintenance cost over a longer time and give you more time on the back end to keep the vehicle longer.
 
#18 ·
One downside with the 2014 MDX is you are coming up on the 7yr/105,000 miles service interval (whichever comes first). It can include:
  • timing belt
  • spark plugs
  • water pump+coolant
  • serpentine belt kit
  • valve adjustment
  • oil change
Other items might also be due like:
  • brake fluid every 3 years
  • checking brake pads
  • cabin/engine filters
  • wipers
  • check/replacing battery if original
  • alignment/balance/rotation of tires
  • new tires
You might have to think about those maintenance items that are due/coming due in the next few years into the cost of ownership. A 2015 MDX with lower miles would space out the same maintenance cost over a longer time and give you more time on the back end to keep the vehicle longer.
Thanks for the reminder on the service items. I really wish Honda/Acura will switch to an engine with a timing chain in the near future that will not require a major service every 100k miles.

By the way, I wonder most people change a timing belt at 7 years even if the mileage is well below 105k. 7 years or 105k miles whichever is sooner is what Acura recommends but is it really risky waiting for it to hit about 105k miles?
 
#22 ·
Thanks guys for replies and useful info. It definitely helped in decision making - I've agreed with the seller on pricing yesterday and plan to pick up the MDX on Tuesday.

I'm very excite to get back to owning an Acura! I was a happy owner of 04 Acura TL years ago. The MDX will be my wife's main vehicle, but I'll drive it from time to time. I plan to sell my wife's 13 RX450h to my parents-in-law which would be a good choice for elderly couple. RX450h is a great vehicle overall, but I admit it's little boring to drive it. Even the hybrid version of RX wasn't fun to drive :)
 
#23 · (Edited)
Just picked up the 14 MDX Advance FWD. The tranny does not feel that jerky driving back home today and is drives tight and great - and lane keep assist works pretty well! Better that I expected for 2014. I’m glad I found one with the advance package and low miles. Want to keep it for 10 years :)

The only disappointment so far is a poor backup camera display quality (very dull and not clear) and overall infotainment screen resolution / clarity - compared to 2014 Lexus RX screen and backup cam.

Also noticed subtle clunking that appears coming from the front end when it starts moving. Something that I need to look at.
 
#27 ·
The timing belt issue of sticking with 7 years of time -vs- 105k of mileage at +7 yrs is a tricky gamble with the stakes being saving cash over total loss of vehicle engine. The gamble also includes going longer with spark plugs, water pump, coolant, serpentine belt kit, and valve adjustment.

It was only about $600 to do the 105k service on my 06 TSX and 08 RDX because they have a timing chain. I did notice both vehicles started faster, ran better, and had improved mpgs after the service. I figured I got back some lost performance/mpgs that slowly declined waiting until 105k. Decided to change out my spark plugs on my 11 MDX at 75k and my performance and mpgs has stayed consistent before/after the 105k service (now have +143k).
 
#29 ·
Hello cherishzm, We own a 2014 MDX advance FWD with 57,000 miles with Acura Care. We bought it in late 2015 as a CPO with 6,000. Since we've owned it we have had only minor issues all under warranty. I wold refer you tot he sticky on this forum with all of the TBS for this year and make sure they were performed.
A common issue we faced was the battery. It seems the Acura battery just did not have the legs to go more than 15 months. Finally I purchased a battery from Costco and that has been great.
As for Drivers assist, the adaptive cruise is excellent and will help with long distance highway driving. The lane assist relies on road markings so at time it does loose its way. I use it as a back up when driving but never rely on it to keep my 100% safe.
The transmission is a 6 speed with the paddle shifter which are great for passing. As is the IDS which allows you to select a drive version such as normal and sport. Yes we have experience the shutter others mentioned and you will find 2 TBS on this issue. My transmission has been reprogrammed as well as two transmission services where the entire 10qts have been drained and filled. In my opinion there is something going on with the transmission where the fluid deteriorates and creates the shutter. I plan on paying for the drain and fill service (10qts) every 30k to keep this at bay. I would not hesitate to recommend this car as it has served us well.
 
#30 ·
Thanks for the tips on TSB's. Would Acura dealerships perform TSB at no charge if the VIN of a vehicle is in the affected range and it has the symptoms (out of warranty)? My MDX just ran out of warranty by few months and 1000 miles.

The previous owner replaced the battery not long ago so that's good.

There were two transmission services done at 27k and 53k miles at a dealership. I'm thinking about doing 3 x ATF drain & fill using compatible Amsoil ATF at agout 75k miles, but most people in the forum recommend sticking with the OEM Honda DW1 ATF. I had a great experience with using Amsoil synthetic ATF in my old 05 Honda Odyssey (Transmission judder gone and smooth shifting after initial 3 x drain & fill completed 6 years ago and one more drain & fill about 4 years ago. Haven't done drain & fill since then but it's going very strong at 187k miles). Did anyone have bad experiences using non-OEM ATF?
 
#31 ·
Thanks for the tips on TSB's. Would Acura dealerships perform TSB at no charge if the VIN of a vehicle is in the affected range and it has the symptoms (out of warranty)? My MDX just ran out of warranty by few months and 1000 miles.

The previous owner replaced the battery not long ago so that's good.

There were two transmission services done at 27k and 53k miles at a dealership. I'm thinking about doing 3 x ATF drain & fill using compatible Amsoil ATF at agout 75k miles, but most people in the forum recommend sticking with the OEM Honda DW1 ATF. I had a great experience with using Amsoil synthetic ATF in my old 05 Honda Odyssey (Transmission judder gone and smooth shifting after initial 3 x drain & fill completed 6 years ago and one more drain & fill about 4 years ago. Haven't done drain & fill since then but it's going very strong at 187k miles). Did anyone have bad experiences using non-OEM ATF?
As a fellow Ody owner I have never used Honda ATF. I have used both Mobil 1 and Valvoline MaxLife with no issues. I like the shift characteristics a tad better with Mobil 1, but not enough to spend 2X the money for it vs the MaxLife.

As for TSB's, typically dealerships don't do those for free. It is not a recall, which is always a covered repair. A TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) is issued to help dealerships diagnose common issue quicker, but just because a particular failure is common doesn't mean there is a 100% failure rate and the "if it isn't broke don't fix it rule still applies. In many cases the TSB will come with a warranty extension for the issue, like the oil consumption issue for '10-'13 MDXs that got covered for 8 years/120K miles.
 
#35 ·
Hey guys,

I wanted to post an update on the purchase of the 14 FWD Advance made about a month ago. Thanks again for a lot of information that helped making the purchase decision.

Since the purchase was made, we only put about 600 miles and have been mostly happy with the MDX. The transmission has been mostly fine - I think tranny jerkiness while shifting felt during the initial test drive I think was mostly from being used to driving my Toyota hybrid and wife's Lexus hybrid both w/ CVT transmission. In day to day driving the MDX's transmission is just fine. But I'm going to make sure to tranny fluid drain and fill every 25k~30k miles.

However, the slight clunk feeling from the front end I noticed during test drive became more pronounced. It was subtle when test driving it and I did't pay too much attention to it until it became more pronounced and clunking became more obvious and louder when taking off and starting the engine. I was concerned it could be a major issue with the transmission or suspension first. Dropped it off at a local Acura dealership this past Friday for diagnosis and get a text that clunking is from broken/worn front engine mount with a repair estimate of almost $900.

While I was relieved that it's not a major issue but the repair estimate was pretty high. I figured the engine mount is not a part of the engine, but thought it might be covered under Acura's powertrain warranty. The MDX had 71,200 miles and just went past 6 year of use so it's out of the 6 year / 70k mile powertrain warranty, but it's very close. So, I asked the service rep to talk to his service manager to see it Acura would be willing to make a goodwill repair. I didn't get a call back on Friday so assumed I was out of luck. I called back yesterday morning to get an update and the service rep gave me good news that Acura district manager approved the repair at no cost to me since the warranty just expired!! I think the previous owner's records of maintaining it at Acura dealership regularly also helped although it was a different dealership.

I'm very happy that this bad motor mount replacement will be covered by Acura in goodwill repair and applaud Acura and the dealership for making such efforts. However, it could've been an expensive repair if I had to pay out-of-pocket. I think I was too excited to find a good MDX I was looking for (specifically one w/ Advance pkg and well maintained) and ignored a symptom that was present during a test drive. Another lesson learned that used cars could have different issues even if they are well maintained and it would be worth spending money on pre-purchase inspection if possible.

I'm picking up the MDX this Tuesday and hope to keep the MDX for a long time.
 
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