Instrument panel stopped working all
of a sudden. No panel backlighting, all gauges (speedo, tach, fuel, etc.) won’t operate. A few warning lights stay on (ABS, VSA, Brake, Airbag) upon starting, car runs fine. All other electrical working fine. Checked fuses inside and out and all looked good. Took to dealer and they told me $1200 to replace instrument panel....Hoping for another, less costly fix....thanks for your help!

 

Ask the dealer if they will reprogram the mileage, if you buy a used one.

Take yours out and look at the part number or compare your VIN against some used speedo on e-bay.
The MDX Advance model might use a different speedo than the Base MDX model. Usually one of the VIN numbers will tell you which model you have.
Here's an e-bay example, with photos of the back side and a mention of the 8th digit VIN requirement.

MDX speedo photo & VIN info