Used Acura Parts

The sourcing shortcut for Acura is that it's Honda's premium brand and shares most of its mechanical engineering, so a used part often doesn't have to come from an Acura-badged car. The V6 in the MDX and the V6 TLX is Honda's J-series — the 3.5L J35 (and the 3.7L J37 on some models) — the same engine family Honda used in the Pilot, Odyssey, Ridgeline and V6 Accord. The four-cylinder cars use Honda's K-series — the 2.4L K24 that also appears in the Accord, CR-V and TSX. Same-generation Honda equivalents widen the donor pool well beyond Acura stock.

What stays Acura-specific is the driveline and the badge-level trim. Many Acuras use SH-AWD (Super Handling All-Wheel Drive), a torque-vectoring system with its own rear differential, propshaft and rear-suspension hardware. So match the engine and transmission to the Honda equivalent of the same generation if you like, but source SH-AWD driveline parts and body/interior trim from an Acura donor with the same drivetrain.

• An automatic transmission is one of the costliest driveline parts to get wrong, so buy a used unit tested and VIN-matched to your exact engine and drivetrain, and have a mechanic handle the install rather than treating it as a guess-and-go swap.
• On V6 Acuras, a used long block should be matched to the exact J-series code (J35 vs J37 and the specific variant), because displacement alone — "3.5 V6" — spans several non-interchangeable versions across model years. Match the stamped code, not the badge.
• SH-AWD driveline components (rear differential, propshaft) are model- and drivetrain-specific, so a part from a front-drive Acura or a different SH-AWD generation may not carry over — confirm the exact drivetrain before sourcing.

Safety- and emissions-related parts should be diagnosed and installed by a licensed mechanic.

• "3.5 V6" is not one engine. Across MDX/TL/TLX generations the J-series comes in several variants (and a 3.7L J37 on some), which don't freely interchange — match the stamped J-code.
• FWD vs SH-AWD splits the driveline and some transmission hardware. An MDX or TLX sourced as front-drive won't supply the SH-AWD rear diff, propshaft or AWD-specific parts an SH-AWD car needs.
• A Honda-equivalent engine only crosses within the same generation and variant. The same J-series family across a generation boundary can differ in mounts, accessories and sensors, so confirm the code and year, not just "it's the Honda V6."

Because Acura shares Honda's engineering, fitment is settled by the Honda/Acura engine code stamped on the block, not the trim name. Honda/Acura stamps the engine code on the block and encodes engine data in the VIN. J-series codes read like J35/J37 with a suffix; K-series like K24. Read the stamped code off your car and off any donor — including a Honda donor — and cross-check the engine digit of the VIN before buying; "same model year" is not enough to guarantee the same variant.

Most mechanical Acura parts — engines, transmissions, axles, most body panels — install without programming. The exception is the immobilizer: a used engine computer (PCM/ECM) that carries the Honda-style anti-theft function must be reprogrammed to your keys, or the car will crank but not start. Plan for a key/immobilizer relearn any time the PCM or key system is replaced; a plain long-block, transmission or axle generally bolts in without coding.