2012 GMC Acadia Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Acadia years
- About as many complaints as other years 9th of 20 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 296 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 GMC Acadia. That ranks 9th out of 20 Acadia model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is steering (46 complaints, 16%), typically at around 73,113 miles. Complaints mention 8 crashes, 2 fires, 17 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 296owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 8complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2012 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 | 46 | 16% | 73,113 | — | — |
| Power Train | 43 | 15% | 98,300 | — | — |
| Structure | 42 | 14% | 62,368 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 41 | 14% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 39 | 13% | 92,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 35 | 12% | 95,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 33 | 11% | 81,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 22 | 7% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 21 | 7% | 69,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 10 | 3% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 9 | 3% | 99,250 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 8 | 3% | 43,509 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 8 | 3% | 61,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 7 | 2% | 26,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 6 | 2% | 68,493 | — | — |
| Seats | 5 | 2% | 56,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 4 | 1% | 93,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 1% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 3 | 1% | 101,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 1% | 16,000 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 3 | 1% | 82,500 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 1% | 24,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 1% | 11,560 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | 1,500 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | 140,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 0% | 27,114 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2012 GMC Acadia recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:critical fasteners
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2015, 2017 Buick Enclave, 2010-2019 Chevrolet Traverse, and 2011-2016 GMC Acadia vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not be properly attached.
Risk: Unsecured side curtain air bags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, realign or replace the weld nuts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2021. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N202321200.
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.
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer:linkages
Problem: General motors (gm) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 chevrolet traverse, buick enclave, and gmc acadia vehicles currently registered in alaska, colorado, connecticut, delaware, idaho, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, montana, nebraska, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, north dakota, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, south dakota, utah, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, wyoming and the district of columbia. Snow or ice buildup on the windshield or on the wiper may restrict the movement of the wiper arm, causing the wiper arm to loosen and cause the wiper to become inoperative.
Risk: If this occurs, driver visibility could be reduced, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the wiper arm nuts, free of charge. The safety recall began on april 20, 2012.
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.
Hello so I notice 3 weeks ago my headlights keep cutting off and on then a week later my radio stopped working, The floor of the driver side is always wet after it rains. I noticed one day the rain started dripping on my feet when I drive after a big rain fall, I believe the car is not sealed…
The contact owns a 2012 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, after pressing the liftgate button the liftgate raised and crashed down independently after several seconds. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact researched and was made aware of an unknown recall…
The contact owns a 2012 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to release from low gear while at a stop. The transmission was backed up. The engine light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted…
The contact owns a 2012 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while reversing, the liftgate unexpectedly opened, even though the liftgate was properly closed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or a dealer. The manufacturer was…
service battery charging station error code keeps popping up
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 | 296 | 5 |
| 2011 Acadia | 269 | 5 |
| 2010 Acadia | 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 2012 GMC Acadia?
Owners most often report steering, power train, structure problems. The top one, steering, accounts for 46 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2012 GMC Acadia?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2012 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 2012 has about as many complaints as a typical year, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.