I thought I'd write a report on how our 2005 Acura MDX is doing at the 100,000 mile mark. Vehicle history: my parents bought it new on June 30, 2005, from Pikes Peak Acura in Colorado Springs. They drove it for 58,000 miles giving it what I would call "non-standard duty". It has been parked for months on end on more than one occasion in Tucson, Arizona (where my brother lives) while they towed their other car, and I'd say that at least a third of its first 58,000 miles were spent being towed behind their RV. And yes, the miles are accurate; the car is towed four-down, in neutral, with the key in the ignition. Because of Honda's unique manual-like automatic transmission, all Honda automatics are towable four-down, and you thusly often see Hondas being towed behind RVs (if it's not a Jeep or something with a manual transfer case).
Anyway, we bought it from them in late November of 2010, to replace a very unreliable 2007 model minivan we had, from which we just couldn't get reliable service. This MDX has proven to be a wonderful family vehicle for us; we use the seven seats regularly...not often, but regularly. The third row seats are large enough that I can ride back there, but it's pretty uncomfortable. They're perfect for youngsters, though, which is how they get used with us. This MDX is the Touring model, which comes with a few extras, and my folks also optioned the in-dash navigation system and rear seat DVD video system.
As the car has been in the family for its whole life, I have the complete service history on it. I list below the parts that have been repaired or replaced due to failure or wear-out (except for fluids):
04/24/2006 (no miles noted): windshield replacement due to a rock
09/28/2008 (44,540): install new battery
11/14/2008 (45,913): front catalytic converter replacement*
11/20/2008 (46,112): intermediate steering joint replaced due to notchy operation
10/05/2009 (53,236): install four new tires (Michelin Energy MXV4+)
11/29/2010 (57,804): reprogram transmission via TSB
12/03/2010 (58,029): install adjustable rear upper control arms
12/11/2010 (58,300): install four new tires (Michelin Cross Terrain SUV)**
12/18/2010 (58,673): install front/rear brake pads, front rotors
04/19/2011 (63,935): install new battery
03/23/2012 (no miles noted): install new serpentine drive belt
06/30/2012 (81,973): install new front brake pads/hardware kit
04/26/2013 (93,700): install new spark plugs, timing belt/pulleys/tensioner, water pump
11/02/2013 (100,027): install new brake hardware and rear brake pads, new PCV valve
Note *: the front catalytic converter was replaced after an E-85 kit installed by my dad didn't turn out well. I don't know what caused the catalytic converter failure, but the timing is too coincidental to ignore. The kit was removed after only a week or two, and converter failure occurred a few months later. Cause-and-effect? I will never know. Just one of the converters was replaced, so maybe not...who knows.
Note **: the existing Michelin tires at the time had only 5,000 miles on them, and were near full tread depth, but they dry-rotted severely during over-summer storage in Tucson, Arizona in 2010. They had a car cover on it, but the cover had blown off and the car had sat exposed for many months in the desert sun. I elected to replace them when we bought the car out of an abundance of caution.
It has been a faithful servant in our household, and we hope to get another hundred thousand miles out of it. I recently replaced both the spark plugs and the timing belt (and its associated components, like tensioners and water pump). The total parts bill for that was about 400 bucks if I recall correctly, and labor was about six hours of my time in the garage, with a friend helping me. It was a breeze to do, and was quite enjoyable as well. Which is pretty much like all other maintenance on this car; Honda engineered a fantastically easy maintenance experience for a DIY owner. There's nothing on this car that is difficult to do. Fluids are easy to change, the engine and transmission both have dipsticks, the brakes are easy to service, the timing belt job was very straight-forward in terms of what had to be removed and when. It's just a very enjoyable vehicle to maintain.
What has impressed me the most about this vehicle is the quality of the parts used. All of the timing belt components looked like they had another hundred thousand miles left in them. The exhaust system is all original, the dampers are all original, the bushings are all original, the end links are all original. On the inside, the interior leather is in excellent condition still, there are no cracks in any of the plastic (like dashboard cracks), all of the lights and switches work as they should, both video screens (navigation and DVD video) work as they should. I don't mind replacing parts for maintenance (like the timing belt), and it makes me feel good to know that the new OEM parts that I'm installing should last as long as the old ones did, and be in as good of a condition as the old ones were at the stated end of their life.
The only area where the OEM parts are sub-par, at least in my experience, is the brake linings. I have found the Akebono Pro-ACT Ceramic pads to be superior to the OEM pads in most measures, and I use them with confidence now on my own cars and also on cars that I service for others.
The 3.5L V-6 continues to spin up with ease. It's got enough torque down low to get the car moving with tires trying to spin (against the VSA and VTM-4), and has plenty of top-end horsepower to really shove you in the back. On a wet road with VSA off, the VTM-4 will actually put the car into a bit of a drift if accelerating out of a corner. The transmission continues to shift better than it did when we first bought it, and is very predictable in its operation and its shifting. The programming on Honda transmissions is excellent. It's quick to downshift with more throttle and also quick to downshift if you're on the brakes, which provides engine braking and also sets you up for getting back on the gas. It's very unlike traditional automatic transmission programming that I'm used to, and I really appreciate how it works. It's a very active companion to the engine.
Just last weekend, I did its 100k mile service, which for me was oil/filter, transmission fluid drain-and-fill, power steering fluid suck-and-fill, brake service (re-lube pins, etc), and replacement of the PCV valve. Items that I would have done, but didn't because they've been done in the past year or two, include: coolant (replaced with timing belt change), brake fluid bleed, other driveline fluids (transfer case and VTM-4 fluid). I did take some pictures of the underside of the car, and will post them to this thread later.
I must say, if this car were totalled today, I'm not sure we'd get another MDX (cost), but I'm pretty sure our first choice would be a used Pilot (same chassis). Though I prefer the quicker responses of our CR-V, my wife loves the heck out of this car; she says the size of it works good for her and she likes how easy it is to park (backup camera), etc. Happy wife, happy life, right?
Anyway, we bought it from them in late November of 2010, to replace a very unreliable 2007 model minivan we had, from which we just couldn't get reliable service. This MDX has proven to be a wonderful family vehicle for us; we use the seven seats regularly...not often, but regularly. The third row seats are large enough that I can ride back there, but it's pretty uncomfortable. They're perfect for youngsters, though, which is how they get used with us. This MDX is the Touring model, which comes with a few extras, and my folks also optioned the in-dash navigation system and rear seat DVD video system.
As the car has been in the family for its whole life, I have the complete service history on it. I list below the parts that have been repaired or replaced due to failure or wear-out (except for fluids):
04/24/2006 (no miles noted): windshield replacement due to a rock
09/28/2008 (44,540): install new battery
11/14/2008 (45,913): front catalytic converter replacement*
11/20/2008 (46,112): intermediate steering joint replaced due to notchy operation
10/05/2009 (53,236): install four new tires (Michelin Energy MXV4+)
11/29/2010 (57,804): reprogram transmission via TSB
12/03/2010 (58,029): install adjustable rear upper control arms
12/11/2010 (58,300): install four new tires (Michelin Cross Terrain SUV)**
12/18/2010 (58,673): install front/rear brake pads, front rotors
04/19/2011 (63,935): install new battery
03/23/2012 (no miles noted): install new serpentine drive belt
06/30/2012 (81,973): install new front brake pads/hardware kit
04/26/2013 (93,700): install new spark plugs, timing belt/pulleys/tensioner, water pump
11/02/2013 (100,027): install new brake hardware and rear brake pads, new PCV valve
Note *: the front catalytic converter was replaced after an E-85 kit installed by my dad didn't turn out well. I don't know what caused the catalytic converter failure, but the timing is too coincidental to ignore. The kit was removed after only a week or two, and converter failure occurred a few months later. Cause-and-effect? I will never know. Just one of the converters was replaced, so maybe not...who knows.
Note **: the existing Michelin tires at the time had only 5,000 miles on them, and were near full tread depth, but they dry-rotted severely during over-summer storage in Tucson, Arizona in 2010. They had a car cover on it, but the cover had blown off and the car had sat exposed for many months in the desert sun. I elected to replace them when we bought the car out of an abundance of caution.
It has been a faithful servant in our household, and we hope to get another hundred thousand miles out of it. I recently replaced both the spark plugs and the timing belt (and its associated components, like tensioners and water pump). The total parts bill for that was about 400 bucks if I recall correctly, and labor was about six hours of my time in the garage, with a friend helping me. It was a breeze to do, and was quite enjoyable as well. Which is pretty much like all other maintenance on this car; Honda engineered a fantastically easy maintenance experience for a DIY owner. There's nothing on this car that is difficult to do. Fluids are easy to change, the engine and transmission both have dipsticks, the brakes are easy to service, the timing belt job was very straight-forward in terms of what had to be removed and when. It's just a very enjoyable vehicle to maintain.
What has impressed me the most about this vehicle is the quality of the parts used. All of the timing belt components looked like they had another hundred thousand miles left in them. The exhaust system is all original, the dampers are all original, the bushings are all original, the end links are all original. On the inside, the interior leather is in excellent condition still, there are no cracks in any of the plastic (like dashboard cracks), all of the lights and switches work as they should, both video screens (navigation and DVD video) work as they should. I don't mind replacing parts for maintenance (like the timing belt), and it makes me feel good to know that the new OEM parts that I'm installing should last as long as the old ones did, and be in as good of a condition as the old ones were at the stated end of their life.
The only area where the OEM parts are sub-par, at least in my experience, is the brake linings. I have found the Akebono Pro-ACT Ceramic pads to be superior to the OEM pads in most measures, and I use them with confidence now on my own cars and also on cars that I service for others.
The 3.5L V-6 continues to spin up with ease. It's got enough torque down low to get the car moving with tires trying to spin (against the VSA and VTM-4), and has plenty of top-end horsepower to really shove you in the back. On a wet road with VSA off, the VTM-4 will actually put the car into a bit of a drift if accelerating out of a corner. The transmission continues to shift better than it did when we first bought it, and is very predictable in its operation and its shifting. The programming on Honda transmissions is excellent. It's quick to downshift with more throttle and also quick to downshift if you're on the brakes, which provides engine braking and also sets you up for getting back on the gas. It's very unlike traditional automatic transmission programming that I'm used to, and I really appreciate how it works. It's a very active companion to the engine.
Just last weekend, I did its 100k mile service, which for me was oil/filter, transmission fluid drain-and-fill, power steering fluid suck-and-fill, brake service (re-lube pins, etc), and replacement of the PCV valve. Items that I would have done, but didn't because they've been done in the past year or two, include: coolant (replaced with timing belt change), brake fluid bleed, other driveline fluids (transfer case and VTM-4 fluid). I did take some pictures of the underside of the car, and will post them to this thread later.
I must say, if this car were totalled today, I'm not sure we'd get another MDX (cost), but I'm pretty sure our first choice would be a used Pilot (same chassis). Though I prefer the quicker responses of our CR-V, my wife loves the heck out of this car; she says the size of it works good for her and she likes how easy it is to park (backup camera), etc. Happy wife, happy life, right?
