xjokerz

Every time I see one of these 1st gen MDX's, I have to stare at it. Just looks so nice. The boxy, simple look with the giant windows. Reminds me of my mom's 96 Explorer from when I was a kid.

If I'm in the market for one of these, what are a few things to look out for? I'll take a gamble on the so-called tranny issue but from what I understand, that was mostly 01-03 MDX and any of them with SH-AWD, so 07 after.

I get the timing belt and water pump. $800 for that won't sway me from one of these.

Heard the power steering pump can go out. How much for that to DIY?

What else? Love the simplicity of this vehicle and the overall look inside and out.

csmeance

SH-AWD trans are solid for 2007-2015 MDX's 5spd and 6spd good to tow 5000 lbs. 1G MDX 01-06 is plauged with trans issues. "Solved" in 2004, then 2005, and then 2006 with many revisions on the trans. Unless you get one that's been rebuilt with better and updated parts, you'll have the same issues in 50K miles.

Main thing to look for is rust and water leaks. Water leaking into fuse boxes can cause all sorts of issues no matter what year MDX. Trunk hinges and clogged moonroof drains.

Make sure engine is running well and heater system works. Clogged heater core can be a money pit. Same with A/C system. Power steering pump can be rebuilt for the price of a seal kit and bearing but main issue is if the rack is leaking or bad. Replacements are costly and take some labor + alignment. The hoses have O-rings that go flat and let in air making the system lag.

Budget 1K for timing belt water pump service every 10yrs or 105K miles no matter what year honda v6. Spark plugs, valve cover gasket, pcv, and I recommend oil pump reseal, and oil filter housing seal.

2007-2013 MDX has a radiator with trans cooler built it, can fail and mix coolant and ATF which is not good. Best to replace it with a seperate cooler for ATF or get a new radiator to avoid the issue.

1G MDX will be cheaper than a 2G MDX, but the 2G MDX certainly has more hauling ability and the 300HP isn't bad to have with AWD. Gas mileage is around 15 for me with lots of city these days.

xjokerz

Looked at a 2004 today. Had 229k miles and they wanted 7k for it. I knew I wasn't going to get it, just wanted to get an idea for space, ride height, general feeling, etc.

Wasn't thrilled with all the hard plastics. Took a 1st gen Pilot over, ironically, to the MDX, and the Pilot seemed a good deal bigger on the inside. I also knew that this one had nav and that it was horribly outdated. The graphics were so bad, I couldn't even read the screen. The response time was pretty poor. Perhaps that was a sign that the unit was on its way out with all that age. I could find one without nav, but that'll be tough that doesn't have a ton of miles on it that I won't have to drive 1500 miles for. General feeling was blah after being inside one and driving it for 20 minutes.

It was too bad, because the 1st gen was easily the best looking exterior-wise. I won't even consider a 2nd gen. Not with that squished look.

So I'm no longer considering an MDX. What a shame.