2001 Acura MDX

The 2001 model year opens the federal record with 224 complaints, the highest annual volume in the early-series arc and more than double the 87 complaints recorded by 2006. While its 4 recalls and 1 investigation match 2002’s figures, they remain well below the double-digit recalls and multiple investigations that characterize 2003 through 2006, suggesting the 2001 model carried less severe regulatory exposure than the years immediately following it. Power Train complaints dominate the 2001 docket at 111 filings, though the data does not specify a root cause; the year also logged 9 crash-related and 1 fire-related complaint. Across the broader timeline, complaint volumes trend downward from this initial peak through 2006 before a later resurgence beginning in 2014, placing 2001 at the high-point of the early-model complaint cycle but with comparatively modest recall activity. Given that its recall burden is lower than subsequent early-model years yet its complaint volume—driven heavily by Power Train filings—is the highest in that initial run, the 2001 MDX represents a manageable but not optimal entry point, and buyers should weigh the elevated Power Train complaint count against the relatively restrained recall history.