Calico5888

Actually, it's the suspension noise, the resonating thump, that draws ones attention to each bump. I think if the noise could be dampened the ride might seem better. Was under the car last night and began wondering about the spare that's located directly under the small storage compartment. It seems tight and I'm guessing it's not going to be that easy but I'll remove it to see if it helps. Btw, I dropped the cold air pressure in my tires from the 37 Ibs they were at to 32. That's 3 under the recommended and 5 less than the tires were at when the car was delivered. That did help the ride some but the noise was still there.

JustPlaneChris

Don't bother removing the spare, mine thumped just as loud before installing it.
Reducing your tire pressure may reduce your fuel economy, just FYI.

Calico5888

Thanks for the heads up on the spare....that will save me some work. I was afraid it wouldn't be that easy. �� Your correct on the mileage but don't think it will be significant if I stay within 10% or less of the recommended pressure. I'll update you on my visit with the suspension guy later this week. I don't expect him to have a silver bullet but wanted to talk to someone other than acura about possible solutions. They just aren't in the position to offer advice without incriminating themselves I don't think.

JustPlaneChris

I spent a couple of hours on the phone with Acura client care (after sending them a nice long letter) and the long and short of it is they don't think there's anything wrong with the the suspension or the noise it makes.

Needless to say, this will be my last Honda / Acura product (and it was also my first).

neoshi

Hmm so is this an issue with ALL 14+ MDX? Maybe not '16+ because there is additional anti-NVH treatments?

Calico5888

I've been told the issue is still there with the 16 model but have not driven one. It clearly is with the 14 and 15's. The dealer tech that worked with me to change the shocks/struts on mine said the 16's were identical when I asked him if trading mine for a 16 model would solve the problem. If Acura follows past history there would be a redesign in 17 and I'm guessing they will address the issue then.....only my opinion.

Btw, I visited with two different suspension shops today that said they didn't belive they could do anything to help although they definitely agreed there is a design problem. Their only advice was to keep after Acura or be prepared to trade it off early. I'm afraid they are right!

jchoi5

Was this suspension noise something you had from the beginning or something that developed over time?

I don't hear anything from my rear suspension on my 2016 MDX.

Calico5888

From the very beginning. The suspension is very firm and when one goes over a sharp joint in the highway or small pot hole the jar from the suspension (feels like it bottoms out) creats a loud thump throughout the cabin. It comes from the back and up through the floor. Not a rattle but more like the strike of a rubber mallet. Common enough that the dealers are all aware of it. I plan to drive a 16, in spite of the tech's comments, to see if it has the noise.

jchoi5

I tried to listen for it yesterday while driving through some rougher street with pot holes. I hear a subdued thud, kinda like *thud* 1,2, and it seems to recover as I go over the pothole or bump.


Is that the sound that you guys are referring to?


It's a solid sound and doesn't give me the impression it's cheaply built?


Maybe I'm not hearing what you guys are hearing.

Calico5888

It's difficult to describe a sound in writing. �� On my 15 it's very noticeable and resonates through the cabin....i.e. You can't miss it. It is a solid sound but much louder than what you describe or what one should hear in a high end vehicle. Maybe they did deal with it in the 16 models. I'm going To drive one and find out. If they did, perhaps it includes something that could be retrofitted on the earlier models. The tech I had was not confirming that but it seemed they had all had instructions on how to deal with the issue as I heard the same phrases over and over from multiple folks.

JustPlaneChris

Best heard with headphones or speakers with good bass response, as it is a low frequency sound:


Chris

barmin

Gentlemen, I wonder if you hear the noise when the back seats are folded down?

JustPlaneChris

Up, down, doesn't matter. Still sounds like a cheap-ass economy car back there.

barmin

Damn! I thought this might be related


I was about to buy 20016 RDX. You gave me a pause.

JustPlaneChris

If only it were that easy! No, this thunk sound is definitely suspension-related. Sad, really... it's the most annoying thing about the car to me.

barmin

There is another straw to grasp. I heard folks said it's the parking brake cable linkage, which needs some adjusting. What do you think?

barmin

I am still eyeing 2016 RDX. There is not much said about the 2016 yet. Acura claimed they "stiffened the suspension". I wonder if anybody heard anything hope inspiring?

Also, rumor has it the noise is only well pronounced when temperature drops to 40 and below. Too bad it's July now. How would you suggest I test drive it to uncover the problem?

JustPlaneChris

Nope. It's a hard "clunk", not a metallic rattle. Sounds like loose bushings or bad shocks, but I've already had the rear shocks replaced with minimal effect. To quote a recent review:

That pretty much sums it up.

Chris

Type X

I had rear thumping during cold temps in our 2014 rdx but not as loud in the MDX.
Dealer did replace the rdx shocks and it still had an issue, not as loud.. but still there.
Once temps warmed up it was ULTRA quiet

I do however have a bunch of creaks and metal hitting in the FRONT suspension when i cut the wheel to leave or back into my driveway in addition to like wire harnesses rubbing in the steering wheel which drives me f'ing nuts

Our 15 mdx only has 6000 miles on it and is 6 months old

JustPlaneChris

Yeah, mine just hit 1 year old and the interior has already picked up several rattles. I expect that before I'm ready to trade it in the damn thing will be a cacophony of squeaks, rattles, and clunks.

BTW, I have to take back what I said above about the back seat position making no difference. Last weekend I spent some time tugging / pushing on the back seat while it was up and it does indeed make some noise! It's not all the noise I'm hearing, but it does contribute.

Yep, Honda quality.

Rexorg

The suspension is indeed firm. On broken and uneven pavement I am feeling all the bumps and jolts thru the steering wheel. However, on smooth pavement the suspension is perfect. I have also heard and felt the thumps from the rear, which seems to be "normal" for the Gen3 MDX as other members have reported. I doubt there will be a fix until the '17 model year.

pickettt

I'm hesitant to reply to this thread, as not to jinx myself, but I've had good luck in not having any of the noises many have been hearing. I started hearing a noise from behind once, and I thought, "Great, this is what everyone's been talking about." It turned out to be the 2nd row seat belt buckles tapping against the doors. I repositioned them and I have no noise from the rear. I also looked under the storage compartment in the rear, and it has substantial noise dampening material. I wonder if it was a mid year fix/coverup. 2015, BTW.

hand-filer

Exact same problem with the 2013 and up RDX as Weather had mentioned. It was like driving around in a big hollow box and it drove me crazy. Along with the low frequency thump the shocks would also make a loud clunk when driving over manhole covers that were slightly recessed relative to the road surface. That was an issue more prevalent in the winter months.
The rear shocks are attached directly to the body with minimal isolation between them. The rubber isolater bushing is permanently attached to the upper shock mount and has a durometer similar to that of a frozen hockey puck. That is the source of your thumping noise.
3 sets of replacement shocks and after a lot of experimentation on my part I had had enough with the vehicle. I got rid of it after 30 months and bought a vehicle that is so quiet and rides so nice, the driving experience is serene in comparison to the RDX.
I thought I was buying a luxury vehicle when I bough the Acura and I had to replace it with a KIA Sorento to actually feel like I'm driving a luxury vehicle. How ironic is that?

MDX15

TYPE X…have you taken your MDX in for service regarding the creaks noise you described going out of your driveway? Curious because my MDX is also 6 months old and I just started hearing the same thing you described.

Type X

I have an appt on Monday the 27th, so i'll report back.
I'm sure however when i'm there it will be super quiet lol

MDX15

Great! Please let me what they find . I have an appt on the 29th but the dealership is not conveniently located and I would rather save myself a trip if they are going to tell me that they hear nothing and can't find anything wrong. In the meantime, the front noise is getting louder. It sounds like a docked boat creaking in the water when I leave my driveway and on various road undulations. I'm wondering if it is safe to drive!

Type X

Same. I hate being anal with noises and sounds but this is our primary vehicle to transport our 15month old so if it takes me 10 trips and they hate the sight of me... Something is getting fixed.

cbauer1321

I agree with you I bought one and was also too excited to notice the noise in back. If they don't fix it they will suffer in the future because I for one will not buy another. Other than that I love the vehicle but not enough to overcome this.

JustPlaneChris

I finally have completely fixed the noise from the suspension, and the more recent noises from the rear seats thunking and rattling:

I sold the effing thing!

I took the proceeds and bought a five year old Mazda Tribute, and put the rest in the bank. And guess what? That five year old Tribute (with 63k miles) is quieter than the MDX on the same rough spots of pavement that drove me insane with the thunking in the MDX.

I wish you guys and gals the best of luck with your MDX ownership experience. I would not care to repeat my experience.

Chris

hand-filer

This issue seems to be turning off a lot of Acura buyers. I test drove my Sorento for about a half hour. I had the salesman drive it for the first half hour. That allowed me to concentrate on the vehicle and not the driving. I didn't want to make the same mistake twice.
Acura has really dropped the ball on this issue and the sad thing is they have the problem with several models. They aren't being very reactive about their amplitude reactive shock problems.

Type X

Just got back from the dealer and had a ride around with the service manager who is super nice and has helped me in the past.
I explained what happened and he immediately gave the impression it happens fairly often.

Waited an hour and got the car back, asked the advisor what exactly they did, he adjusted and retorqued all the front suspension parts then handed me the keys.

I was like uhh thats it then i pulled out of the dealer and immediately noticed how tight the steering was, guess it wasn't more noticeable since it was over the past few months but car didnt drift as much.

Just pulled in driveway and sounds were decreased about 95% i think all i hear now is the usual break clicking.

They also replaced the ac bolt recall.

Let me know how you make out this week and if yours finds anything different or an alternate solution

MDX15

Thank you for the update! I am glad that your trip was not wasted! Looks like I will keep my appointment.

MDX15

Follow-up: I got the car back and the new front noise is gone. They said it needed a power steering software update! How odd that a software update could fix a front suspension noise but I'm happy the noise is gone. They also took care of the AC bolt recall. The car, however, is still annoying as ever with the normal suspension noises that this thread is discussing.

MDX15

Follow up to the follow up: Problem still there. After I posted, I took the car out, backed out of the driveway and heard the metal grinding noise. I have never had a new car that has had to see the repair shop this many times in its first 6 months of life. Highly frustrating!

neoshi

Yeah, I get this feeling that there are actually quite a few units out there that qualify as lemons.

mondster

I hear squishy sounds in the front. It really is annoying that a 50k car is doing this. I guess ill be moving on to the new xc90 when my lease is up. Mdx is only 6 months old. I cant imagine how bad things will be in the long run...

pickettt

It sounds like I'm one of the few without this suspension problem AND I'M STILL gonna move on to an XC90.

hondu

Not sure, but do most, if not all the people posting with suspension problems have Tech or Advance models (or 4WD)? Not sure if the 19" wheels makes huge a difference, but I imagine they should make for a stiffer ride and higher road noise.

Also, are the suspension components different on the Advance and Tech models compared to the Base model?

MDX15

Took the car in a 2nd time for the front noise and….they couldn't hear it (even though I offered to show a video that captures the noise). We drove it around and I heard it but the tech didn't. "If we can't replicate it, we can't fix it." They lifted it up and tightened everything with the front suspension, because I asked them to, but noise is still there. So, now two separate suspension type noises with no cure on a 2015 car. Ugh!

JustPlaneChris

Nope, mine was Base FWD. Suspension is the same across all models.