Acura MDX Taillights Failure Recall

Acura MDX owners may experience their interior and exterior lights going out. The electrical defect, caused by moisture entering tailgate lid light assemblies, prompted a recall of more than 150,000 MDX vehicles.

Honda has received at least 3,871 warranty claims of Acura MDX interior and exterior light failure.¹ According to recall documents, taillight failure and other light failures are caused by moisture leaking into the light assemblies and wiring harnesses.

Many Acura MDX owners covered by a previous recall for a similar taillight issue may have to get their vehicles repaired a second time.²

If your Acura MDX vehicle has flickering or nonfunctional lights, check if your vehicle is covered by existing recalls for the issue. If you have received a recall notice, follow its instructions carefully to ensure that your vehicle’s safety issues are addressed.

Acura MDX Recall: Overview

• NHTSA Campaign ID: 25V259000
• Acura Recall Number: FLI
• Number of Vehicles: 152,800
• Vehicle Models: 2014–2020 Acura MDX
• Safety Risk: Moisture may enter the tailgate lid light assembly and wiring harness. This can cause failure in the interior and exterior lights, including taillights, lid lights, position lights and license plate lights.
• Remedy: Acura dealers will inspect and install a fuse harness, replace the lid light and repair the body dust sealer.

Honda previously issued Acura Recall M49 for a similar issue regarding taillight failures due to leaking moisture. This recall, also known as NHTSA Recall 19-V25, includes owners now covered under Acura Recall FLI. In addition to the new recall remedy, the Acura owners covered by both recalls will also receive an additional five years of warranty coverage for their lid lights.

After Honda issued NHTSA Recall 19-V25, it received a market report of taillight failure in a vehicle that had been previously repaired under recall. Three years later, Honda received a report of taillight failures on a vehicle that had received redesigned parts.

An investigation revealed that these vehicles had moisture leaks occurring in a different location than those that had experienced a similar issue before the previous recall was issued.

Acura MDX recall notices are expected to be mailed May 27, 2025.³ If you receive a recall notice for your Acura MDX vehicle, schedule a repair service appointment as soon as possible.

Acura Recall: Contact Information

If your Acura MDX has ongoing issues with its taillights or electrical system, you may contact Audi’s customer service department at 1-800-382-2238. You may contact Audi’s customer service to find out if your vehicle is under recall or to schedule an appointment. Alternatively, you may use Acura’s Recall Lookup tool to find out if your vehicle has been recalled.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also offers resources for vehicle owners experiencing ongoing issues. You can find out if your vehicle is under recall by using NHTSA’s Recall Search Tool. Alternatively, you can also report your vehicle issues to NHTSA’s Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

Previous Acura Tailgate Light Recall

• NHTSA Campaign ID: 19V256000
• Acura Recall Number: M49
• Number of Vehicles: 322,897
• Vehicle Models: 2014–2019 Acura MDX and 2017–2019 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid
• Safety Risk: Moisture may enter the tailgate lid lights, causing a loss of taillights and tailgate lid lights.
• Remedy: Acura dealers will modify the tailgate lid lights and install updated gaskets and a wiring sub-harness. Alternatively, the dealers may replace both tailgate lid lights.

Acura initially expected the recall to begin on April 29, 2019.⁴ According to the NHTSA listing, this recall began on May 7, 2019.⁵ The vehicles included in the recall were built from production start-up through October 22, 2018.

The gasket for the tailgate lid lights were susceptible to deformation due to body variations in tailgate manufacturing. The gaskets were further compromised by prolonged exposure to low ambient temperatures and moisture. This allowed moisture to enter the tailgate lid light and cause tailgate lid light failure and short circuiting of the wiring harness. Starting on October 23, 2018, the vehicles were produced with a redesigned gasket resistant to deformation.⁶

My Acura is Under Recall. What should I do?

If you receive a recall notice for your Acura MDX vehicle, follow the instructions provided. You will most likely be asked to schedule a repair service appointment with your local Audi dealership. To find your closest Audi dealership, you may use Audi’s Dealer Search Tool. Once you bring your vehicle in for a service appointment, save any receipts or work orders you receive from the dealership. Repairs covered under recall should come at little to no cost to you, but it is worthwhile to save any documentation of these repairs anyway.

References

1. Part 573 Safety Recall Report 25V-259. (2025). https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCLRPT-25V259-8551.PDF
2. Jongkind, M., & Honda, A. (2025). https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2025/RCAK-25V259-2635.pdf
3. (2025, April 17). Vehicle Lighting Failure. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. https://www.nhtsa.gov/?nhtsaId=25V259000
4. (2019, April 8). Subject: Possible Loss of a Tailgate Lid Light. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2019/RCAK-19V256-6028.pdf
5. (2019, March 28). Possible Loss of a Tailgate Lid Light. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. https://www.nhtsa.gov/?nhtsaId=19V256000
6. (2019, March 28). Defect Information Report (J. Turley, Ed.). National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2019/RMISC-19V256-4861.pdf

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