Today I went to the dealership to pickup the registration.
While I was there I asked the folks from the Svce Dept about the Reverse clunk. According to them is “normal” on the MDX...
I also asked them about why sometimes the hand brake is enabled when I start the car when I did not engage it before shutting off the engine.
It seems there is a relation between having activated the Auto Brake Hold on the previous drive. We could not reproduce it but he was certain that it was related to that.
I love the Brake Hold function but dispaise the hand brake because half the time I have to pull the darn handle a couple of times (with the foot on the brake pedal).

 

Rwverse clunk? Nope not on mine. I wonder of you are not coming to a complete stop before attempting to shift into gear?
The ebrake will not release unless you have a firm foot on the brakes.

 

The reverse clunk is something that several members of this forum experience.
In my case it happens sometimes when you go from park into reverse with the brake pedal fully depressed. I say sometimes because the phenomenon occurs every once in a while, not always.
Other users experience it when they are shifting into reverse while the car is at an incline.

 

I've had occasion where the parking pawl is not engaged, and it will thunk right before the car is being pulled from park to reverse, or after the car is shut down and rocked. It did it more when the car was new than now.

 

The parking brake will automatically release if you press the accelerator.

 

For me it's on any incline, whether facing uphill or downhill... I've learned to just grit my teeth and live with it. 2019 Hybrid.

 

I also have the "clunk" for my hybrid when parked on inclines going into reverse. Pretty much disappears if I have my foot on the brake, engage the parking brake, and place into park. I don't feel or hear the clunk when I keep my foot on the brake, start the MDX, place into reverse, and release the parking brake. I usually have the Brake Hold feature off.

 

I noticed the parking brake too.
I was just playing with auto brake hold in my driveway (level flat) and shut off the car.
Next time I started the car the parking brake was on and light was on the dashboard.
I feel the two features are related and car is automatically apply the parking brake when you shut off the car directly from the auto brake hold.