2011 GMC Acadia Engine Problems
Owners have filed 52 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2011 GMC Acadia, 19% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 80,637 miles. The words owners use most often: “timing chain” (17% of reports).
- 52engine complaints
- 80,637median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 41%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Timing chain: mentioned in 9 of 52 complaints (17%)
- Traction control: mentioned in 7 of 52 complaints (13%)
- Service stabilitrak: mentioned in 5 of 52 complaints (10%)
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 41 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 52 complaints, 2 a fire, 1 an injury.
GMC Acadia engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Acadia | 1 | 11% | — |
| 2025 Acadia | 6 | 9% | — |
| 2024 Acadia | 10 | 16% | — |
| 2023 Acadia | 13 | 29% | 13,125 |
| 2022 Acadia | 14 | 29% | 18,000 |
| 2021 Acadia | 29 | 19% | 34,573 |
| 2020 Acadia | 29 | 27% | 31,850 |
| 2019 Acadia | 53 | 14% | 39,998 |
| 2018 Acadia | 34 | 9% | 23,465 |
| 2017 Acadia | 62 | 9% | 38,538 |
| 2016 Acadia | 13 | 6% | 31,300 |
| 2015 Acadia | 18 | 7% | 19,430 |
| 2014 Acadia | 45 | 10% | 65,000 |
| 2013 Acadia | 21 | 16% | 77,697 |
| 2012 Acadia | 35 | 12% | 95,500 |
| 2011 Acadia | 52 | 19% | 80,637 |
| 2010 Acadia | 74 | 22% | 103,000 |
| 2009 Acadia | 67 | 20% | 98,500 |
| 2008 Acadia | 124 | 15% | 97,970 |
| 2007 Acadia | 46 | 11% | 86,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine for the 2011 GMC Acadia. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I had issue with the timing chain an have check engine light is on I have heard other people having problems with there timing chain. It starts hard. I've had it looked at multiple times. I feel like this is a safety concern. It has low miles on it
The engine light came on. Had a mobile mechanic look at it, he ran a diagnostics, it showed a P0017 code. He advised to get another opinion on how to repair, as he said it may need a new engine. Took it to a local repair shop, was told the same thing. The Acadia runs fine, and only has 116K miles…
Looking into a check engine light i found i had a misfire in a few cylinders. Looking into it i found oil in my spark plug tubes, my coils were perfectly dry and the top of the tubes were dry as well. Looking into this issue i found multiple tsb forms for the issue stating there was a manufacture…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2011 GMC Acadias have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 52 owner complaints about engine for the 2011 GMC Acadia (19% of the 269 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2011 GMC Acadia engine?
No recall currently lists engine for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 80,637 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2011 GMC Acadia?
The most frequent phrase is “timing chain”, in 9 of 52 complaints, followed by “traction control” (7).
Other 2011 GMC Acadia problems
- Steering problems (64)
See all 2011 GMC Acadia problems or engine problems across all Acadia years.