2010 GMC Acadia Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Acadia years
- More complaints than other years 7th of 20 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 343 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010 GMC Acadia. That ranks 7th out of 20 Acadia model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is steering (148 complaints, 43%), typically at around 70,000 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 8 fires, 11 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 343owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 5complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2010 GMC Acadia problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering problems | 148 | 43% | 70,000 | “steering pump” (16%) | $2,300 |
| Engine problems | 74 | 22% | 103,000 | “timing chain” (55%) | $4,150 |
| Electrical System | 45 | 13% | 67,640 | — | — |
| Power Train | 43 | 13% | 76,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 24 | 7% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 16 | 5% | 62,370 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 11 | 3% | 103,798 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 10 | 3% | 31,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 10 | 3% | 57,411 | — | — |
| Structure | 8 | 2% | 81,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 2% | 74,600 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 7 | 2% | 72,500 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 6 | 2% | 73,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 5 | 1% | 98,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 4 | 1% | 97,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 4 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 1% | 64,734 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 1% | 62,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 1% | 59,563 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 19,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2010 GMC Acadia recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Structure:body:hatchback/liftgate
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured January 3, 2007, to February 29, 2012, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured July 6, 2008, to March 9, 2012, 2007-2012 GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured September 15, 2006, to February 29, 2012, and 2007-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured August 17, 2006, to March 18, 2010. The affected vehicles, equipped with the power liftgate option, have gas struts that hold the power liftgate up when open. These struts may prematurely wear and the open liftgate may suddenly fall.
Risk: If the open liftgate unexpectedly falls, it may strike a person, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit so that the motor will prevent the rapid closing of the lift gate, free of charge. The recall began on November 15, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 15240.
Seat belts
Problem: General Motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through May 14, 2014, Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured June 6, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured April 9, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through March 18, 2010. In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cable that connects the seatbelt to the front outboard seating positions may fatigue and separate over time.
Risk: If the steel cable becomes fatigued and separates, the seatbelt may not properly restrain the seat occupant increasing the risk of an injury in a crash.
Fix: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair and replace the lap pretensioner, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. An interim notice will be mailed to owners in July 2014. A second notice will be mailed to owners once parts become available. The recall for the 2009-2010 model years began on July 11, 2014. The interim letter for the 2011-2014 model years were distributed on July 11, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-462-8782 (GMC), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). General Motors recall number for this campaign is 14187.
Air bags:side/window
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia and 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse and 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the driver and passenger seat mounted side impact air bag (SIAB) wiring harnesses may result in the SIAB and seat belt pretensioners not deploying in the event of a crash.
Risk: Failure of the side impact air bags and seat belt pretensioners to deploy in a crash increase the risk of injury to the driver and front seat occupant.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected harness connections with soldered connections, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2014. Buick owners may contact the owner center at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet owners at 1-866-694-6546, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and GMC owners at 1-866-996-9463. GM's number for this recall is 14030. Note: Vehicles repaired as part of Customer Satisfaction Campaign 10085 and special coverage 10335 have already had the subject condition repaired and therefore are not included in the safety recall.
Seat belts
Problem: General motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 chevrolet traverse, buick enclave, gmc acadia, and saturn outlook vehicles. The second row seat side trim shield restricts the upward rotation of the safety belt buckle when the seat back is returned to a seating position after being folded flat. If the buckle contacts the seat frame, additional effort is required to return the seat to a seating position. If sufficient force is applied, the buckle cover could be pushed down the strap, exposing and partially depressing the red release button.
Risk: The safety belt may not restrain the occupant as intended during a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant.
Fix: Dealers will modify the second row seat side trim shields. If a safety belt buckle is damaged, dealers will replace it free of charge. The safety recall began on august 18, 2010. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, buick at 1-866-608-8080, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, and saturn at 1-800-972-8876, or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure (EA20002) — opened Aug 31, 2020, closed Aug 30, 2024, led to recall 21V245.
- Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure (RQ19003) — opened May 28, 2019, closed Aug 31, 2020.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2010 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The contact became aware of white smoke coming from the vents. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the…
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…
Shift to park issue known recall issue in other GMC Acadias ... Vehicle will not lock into park and can NOT remove key anymore electrical still runs in vehicle causing the battery to drain ... Now have to force vehicle to shift into Park as best as possible but still does not fully lock into Park…
Check Engine Light. Faulty timing chain. Rack and pinion repairs needed. Examined by two automotive locations: LaFontaine Automotive GMC of Ann Arbor (Michigan) and Mazur's Total Automotive in Pinckney, MI
When drving at a slower speed to make a sharp turn, steering wheel almost locks up or have to use both hands to turn the wheel. As if there is no power steering in the vehicle. At times you can not turn as sharp as needed putting you in danger of being hit by another vehicle.
Other GMC Acadia years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Acadia | 9 | 1 |
| 2025 Acadia | 67 | 0 |
| 2024 Acadia | 61 | 0 |
| 2023 Acadia | 46 | 4 |
| 2022 Acadia | 49 | 3 |
| 2021 Acadia | 152 | 2 |
| 2020 Acadia | 106 | 6 |
| 2019 Acadia | 387 | 2 |
| 2018 Acadia | 396 | 2 |
| 2017 Acadia | 705 | 4 |
| 2016 Acadia | 236 | 4 |
| 2015 Acadia | 243 | 4 |
| 2014 Acadia | 463 | 6 |
| 2013 Acadia | 135 | 3 |
| 2012 Acadia | 296 | 5 |
| 2011 Acadia | 269 | 5 |
| 2010 | 343 | 4 |
| 2009 Acadia | 331 | 7 |
| 2008 Acadia | 854 | 5 |
| 2007 Acadia | 428 | 5 |
See all GMC Acadia problems by year, every GMC model, or the GMC VIN decoder.
Similar GMC models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2010 GMC Acadia?
Owners most often report steering, engine, electrical system problems. The top one, steering, accounts for 148 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2010 GMC Acadia?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2010 GMC Acadia a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Acadia model years, the 2010 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.