NHTSA Complaint #11102159 — 2016 ACURA MDX

VEHICLE HESITATES FROM A STOP. USUALLY FIRST DRIVE OF THE DAY. INTERMITTENT BUT BECOMING MORE FREQUENT AND AT RANDOM TIMES. SOMETIMES, AFTER DRIVEN AND LEAVING A STOP SIGN/LIGHT OR ENTERING TRAFFIC. ACURA CLAIMS THEY HAVE NEVER DUPLICATED PROBLEM IN MY VEHICLE AND NO DTCS SET. OPERATES NORMAL. RECENTLY RETIRED DEALER SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME IT HESITATED TWICE FOR HIM (NEVER PUT IT IN WRITING), ONCE WITH COMPUTER ATTACHED. ACURA TECH LINE WAS SENT DATA AND RESPONDS OPERATION NORMAL. ACURA DISTRICT PARTS AND SERVICE MANAGER STATES ORDINARY OPERATIONS OF ALL SYSTEMS INCLUDING TRANSMISSION. HE STATES TIME LAG BETWEEN THE TIME STARTED, SHIFTING TRANSMISSION INTO GEAR, SENSORS SENDING AND RECEIVING DATA AND VEHICLE RESPONDING. THIS IS A DRIVE BY WIRE SYSTEM THAT INVOLVES A COMPUTER AND SENSORS AND SOMETIMES THEY COMMUNICATE SLOWER IT APPEARS THERE IS A HESITATION. THIS IS A NORMAL PROCESS OF THE VEHICLE. WHEN I PRESS ACCELERATOR PEDAL, AFTER SHIFTING INTO DRIVE, VEHICLE DOES NOT MOVE, RPM DOES NOT CHANGE. SUDDENLY AND AGGRESSIVELY, THE VEHICLE LURCHES FORWARD, I THINK CORRESPONDING TO THE ACCELERATOR POSITION AT THE TIME, AND THE RPM SURGES. I THINK THE VEHICLE DRIVES AND OPERATES FINE AFTER IT IS MOVING. IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD THAT COULD CAUSE ME TO RUN INTO SOMEONE OR BE HIT BY SOMEONE. ACURA'S DENIAL OF THE PROBLEM DOES NOT MAKE IT GO AWAY. IF THE HESITATION WAS NORMAL, EVERY VEHICLE LIKE MINE WOULD HESITATE. IF IT WERE NORMAL, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO DUPLICATE IT. IT IT WERE NORMAL, IT WOULD HESITATE EVERY TIME I DRIVE IT. IF THE HESITATION WAS NORMAL, IS IT NOT NORMAL WHEN IT DOESN'T HESITATE? HESITATION BEGAN WITHIN WEES OF PURCHASING FROM THE DEALER. CURRENTLY HAVE 38000+ MILES. HAVE LITERALLY CHANGED THE WAY WE OPERATE THE VEHICLE ANTICIPATION IT WILL HESITATE. SEVERAL VIDEOS SHOWING RPM SURGE WITH ACCELERATOR FULLY DEPRESSED THAT ARE TOO LARGE TO UPLOAD.