GMC Acadia Complaints

5,595 consumer complaints on file.

#11685628September 8, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owned a 2010 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, white and black smoke had leaked into the interior cabin through the air vents. No warning lights illuminated. The vehicle had caught on fire under the hood. The contact pulled over to the side of the road when the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The local fire department arrived on scene and extinguished the fire. The source of the fire was unidentified. A police report was filed. The contact sought medical attention for smoke inhalation. The vehicle was towed to a local tow lot via the insurance provider. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The local dealer was not contacted. In addition, the contact related the failure to an unknown NHTSA Campaign that was previously repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11685679September 8, 2025
ENGINE
I'm not sure of the exact sequence of events here, but there are multiple exhaust leaks. One is a crack somewhere in the catalytic converter that is now leaking exhaust from the back of the engine into the passenger compartment. The other leak is at the point of a bracket which fastens the two front exhaust pipes together. At the time we first noticed an exhaust leak sound upon cold start, there were are around 58,000 miles on the car. Now a month later there are still less than 60,000 miles on the car. The dealership originally estimated repair costs to replace the catalytic converter and two front pipes at $3,200. When I had another service garage look at the problem, they asked why the GMC dealer wasn't willing to replace the catalytic converter under the 80,000 mile / 8 year warranty. When I raised this with the dealership, they said this was a "gray area" becasue they believe what happened was that the exhaust bracket at the front pipes failed first, which then caused the catalytic converter to crack. Ultimately, they indicated they would be willing to pay parts and labor related to the catalytic converter (approx $2,000) if we paid the other $1,200 to cover the front pipes. What I don't understand is why, when both Chevrolet and Buick have extended their front pipe warranties on comparable model years of the Chevy Traverse and Buick Enclave, which use the exact same part numbers for the catalytic converters and pipes to 150,000 miles/15 years, why GMC has not offered the same special coverage on the Acadia. Regardless of which cracked first, the front pipe bracket or the catalytic converter, there is likely an engine vibration/movement issue that casues the cracks, giving rise to exhaust venting into the passenger compartment. Since we have yet to be able to schedule the repair (catalytic converter was on back order), we can now only drive the vehicle with the windows down to lessen the exhaust smell. The Acadia deserves a Special Coverage Advisory on this.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685561September 7, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
I purchased the car on [XXX]. Drove the car about 8000 miles and then all of a sudden the dash lights all lit up for the brakes, ABS, traction control. I pulled the car over and turned it off. When I restarted my car, the lights continued to stay on and it told me to service immediately. I called my dealer and they could not get me in within 2 weeks so I took it to another local GMC dealer who could get it in to look at it that week. I took it in on July 9th, and then received a called a couple days later telling me that it had a bad Brake control module that they needed to order. A week later was told the part was on backorder. Two weeks later was told the part came in but it was still missing the brake master cylinder and reservoir. At that time, I was told the ETA was unknown and I have been calling back every week. On August 23rd I filed a complaint with GMC and have struggled to get anywhere with them. They tell me the dealer has the parts and the dealer tells me that they do not. I still have no ETA and it has been officially 2 months without a car. I am told that it is not safe to drive. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685515September 6, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The issue was with the gear select switch and jumper harness, related to the "Shift to Park" malfunction in my 2019 GMC Acadia. Yes, the components were available at the time of the repair with the GMC dealer. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The vehicle would not recognize when it was in "Park," which prevented it from being turned off. This could lead to unexpected vehicle movement or battery drain, and creates a safety risk if the driver assumes the vehicle is secure when it is not. It also poses a hazard if the vehicle cannot be safely shut down in an emergency or in unsafe conditions. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, the issue was reproduced and confirmed by a GMC dealer during an appointment on July 22, 2025. They diagnosed the problem and verified that the gear select switch and jumper harness needed replacement. 4. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The vehicle was inspected and repaired by an authorized GMC dealer. 5. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No, a "Shift to Park" warning message appeared and the vehicle would not allow me to turn it off without shifting in and out of park multiple times. This first occurred on July 18, 2025, and continued until the repair was made.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685470September 6, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
when backing up brakes abruptly apply themselves for no reason at all. This happens all the time the dealer says there is no problem with my vehicle, but the rear breaking abruptly keeps on applying.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685466September 6, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Automatic locks are triggering while driving and soon after vehicle is parked and powered off.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685299September 5, 2025
ENGINE, STEERING
This is a well known issue. On the dash it keeps reading steering system is being reduced drive with care. I have been dealing with this issue almost years. Been to the dealership too many times for this issue
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685101September 4, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
vehicle has shift to park message, and will not allow the vehicle to shut down even though the vehicle is in park.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11684644September 3, 2025
ENGINE
Unknown My 2019 Acadia Denali has/is been repaired 6 times in 1 1/2 years for engine oil leaks , has had transmission repairs twice , radiator repair and replacement. Also suspension warranty work as well . I feel the oil leaks is and has been excessive and dangerous due to no warning lights never displayed to alert me to check oil
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11684100August 30, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On my 2019 Acadia, the message shift to park keeps appearing on my dash when I shirt the car into parked. It's getting more frequent and when I called GMC it's a well known problem to where the lady taking my appointment says yes we are aware it's happening alot. They want to charge 800 to fix a problem that should be a recall. It's a well known problem and there has been cases and suits brought up and GMC will not make a recall on this even though the mechanic said I can't believe this hasn't been recalled. Can you help with making GMC do a recall in the Shift to Park. Thank You
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11683930August 29, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Whenever parking the car and trying to stop (shut off) the engine it will randomly say “shift to park” and I cannot shut the vehicle off.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11683502August 27, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Unknown
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11683039August 26, 2025
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
My 2018 GMC Acadia is having the shift to park error. Causing it to not park; or error it causing us not to be able to turn vehicle off or know if it's in park. It pops up multiple times.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11683123August 26, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
Brake assist warning message and BRAKE light appeared a couple of weeks ago, along with others. Brought the car into the dealer, who initially thought they cleared the errors and reported no additional issues when they ran the diagnostics. Nothing was cleared. Vehicle application and monitor also does not show an issue, even though the warning appears at each start up and none of the related safety systems work (ABS, ESC, AEB, etc.) that rely on the brake pump. Information from the dealer and owners manual are in conflict, with the dealer allowing me to drive while the owner's manual indicates it should not be driven with the BRAKE light lit. They have now "diagnosed" a "failed" master cylinder unit that includes electronics and the pump. The car had about 4500 miles on it when the issue occurred. I am at a loss for if it should be driven and trusted or not.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11682965August 25, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
Subject of the problem: Service brakes/Hydraulic brakes Problem of the vehicle: While driving, the brake pedal sometimes suddenly goes all the way down without resistance, and the vehicle does not slow down as expected. In order to regain brake pedal twice. Frequency of the problem: This issue occurs intermittently, but it poses a serious risk because the vehicle may not stop when needed. I already had the brake booster kit and hose replaced at an authorized GMC dealership because I was told this was the cause. However, the exact same problem continues to happen after the repair. Safety concern: This appears to be a defect that affects braking performance and safety. The issue occurs intermittently while driving (e.g., at stop lights, low-speed braking, or during normal driving). It has happed multiple times since the repair. This problem could cause loss of braking power and result in a crash. It is extremely dangerous and has not been resolved by the manufacturer's recommended repair. I have called the GMC service center at 18004678782 and 18002221020 with this problem. They told me that they could do nothing about it and to deal with the dealership directly myself and they can not do anything. I have talked to the dealership but they just tell me there was another problem other than the initial problem they told me. The dealership did the first checkup and that problem was not fixed. Then went in again because the same problem was happening so they did another checkup and told me there was another problem not the initial problem they told me. The second checkup they did, the part and labor was $2,700. I went in with the same problem and have to pay that much. The problem was not solved with the initial diagnosis they gave and now have pay extra ($2,700 - second checkup price) to fix the problem they did not fix. Thank you.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11682845August 25, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2012 GMC Acadia. The contact’s wife stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 172,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11682800August 25, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My Acadia, 2021 has just 36011 miles. Car sputtered a few times like it was running out of gas and stalled as I was driving home in rush hour traffic. I couldn't even get it off the road. No warning lights or advance warning. Waited 3 hours for AAA (told 20 minutes) and then towed to dealer. Tow person could not get it into neutral so they used the sleds to ramp it up onto the flatbed. The dealer replaced the fuel module board which seems to be a common problem with these cars. Dangerous in that I thought someone might rear end the car while sitting in the single lane. Look on the Acadia forum and you'll see this is common and no recall has been issued and it sounds like it could very well happen again.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11682547August 23, 2025
ENGINE
bought car brand new at 427 miles car started bucking shaking pulsating while driving bought to brennen gmc plattsburgh ny at 811 mile did same thing but worse brought back to dealership they put camshaft actuater and solenoid in at 6041 mile car was motor started knocking stalling controlable in traffic back at shop
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11682397August 22, 2025
SUSPENSION
Rear right hand lower suspension control arm broke in half, after further inspection it looks to have been separated from its original factory form which then cause uneven load on the arm causing it to fracture in half. The factory form separation seems to have been ongoing for unknown time due to surface rust is visible at the factory mold separation, where it snapped in half there is no surface rust. Fortunately it happened when I was only moving the vehicle to make space for another, the broken arm cause the wheel to turn to the right as if it was making a right hand turn and I can't imagine if it would have happened while driving in the city of even worse on the freeways... It would be a certain crash and safety for us and those driving around us. Last photo is from Amazon listing, I did order the part from another source that is a factory GM part and I am doing the repairs of replacing this myself as I am mechanically inclined. Thanks
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11682176August 21, 2025
STEERING, STEERING:COLUMN
The contact owned a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH and attempting to adjust the steering wheel, the steering column and the steering wheel detached and fell in the contact’s lap. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the steering column and steering wheel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 125,298.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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