GMC Acadia Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 908 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the GMC Acadia across 19 model years. The 2014 model year has the most (246). The words owners use most often: “air bags contacted” (17% of reports).
- 908air bags complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 62mention a crash
- 44mention an injury
- 7related recalls
- $1,100typical repair cost reported by owners
- 30%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.
- Air bags contacted: mentioned in 150 of 908 complaints (17%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical air bags repair on the GMC Acadia at $1,100, and half of them between $800 and $1,300.
Based on 33 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2011–2024), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 333 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 908 complaints, 62 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 44 an injury.
GMC Acadia air bags complaints by model year
| Model year | Air Bags complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Acadia | 1 | 11% | 4,700 |
| 2024 Acadia | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2023 Acadia | 2 | 4% | 5,665 |
| 2022 Acadia | 2 | 4% | — |
| 2021 Acadia | 9 | 6% | 8,100 |
| 2020 Acadia | 3 | 3% | 10,000 |
| 2019 Acadia | 3 | 1% | 33,717 |
| 2018 Acadia | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2017 Acadia | 76 | 11% | 42,500 |
| 2016 Acadia | 130 | 55% | 130,000 |
| 2015 Acadia | 108 | 44% | 91,842 |
| 2014 Acadia | 246 | 53% | 82,500 |
| 2013 Acadia | 29 | 21% | 95,000 |
| 2012 Acadia | 33 | 11% | 81,000 |
| 2011 Acadia | 19 | 7% | 56,355 |
| 2010 Acadia | 16 | 5% | 62,370 |
| 2009 Acadia | 15 | 5% | 112,000 |
| 2008 Acadia | 150 | 18% | 83,455 |
| 2007 Acadia | 64 | 15% | 90,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (7)
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Model years: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2017 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver's air bag module, free of charge. GM began mailing final owner letters February 23, 2024 and will continue mailing through December 2025. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N232404980.
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Model years: 2015
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Dealers will replace the drivers air bag module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 23, 2023. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300; Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N222366190.
Air bags: air bag/restraint control module
Model years: 2022
Problem: General Motors, LLC. (GM) is recalling certain 2022 GMC Acadia vehicles. The sensing diagnostic module (SDM) may have been left in "manufacturing mode" and not activated at the assembly plant prior to shipment. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: The air bags will not deploy with an unactivated SDM, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: The vehicles will be returned to the assembly plant for SDM activation. Both affected vehicles are still in dealer inventory and therefore no owner notification letters will be mailed. Owners may contact GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212344261.
Air bags:critical fasteners
Model years: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
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.
Air bags:side/window:curtain:inflator
Model years: 2020
Problem: General Motors, LLC. (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5 and XT6, Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500 and Traverse and GMC Acadia and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500 vehicles. The diffuser component of the Roof-Rail Air Bag (RRAB) inflator may not have been properly crimped to the inflator and could separate from the inflator during air bag deployment.
Risk: If the diffuser separates from the inflator during deployment, RRAB performance may be degraded, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect RRAB modules, free of charge. The recall began September 3, 2020. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-630-2438, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-333-4223, or Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is N202305380.
Air bags:side/window
Model years: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
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.
Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Model years: 2007
Problem: On certain vehicles, the sensing and diagnostic module (sdm), which controls the function of front air bags, may not operate properly. As a result, the front air bags may fail to deploy in a frontal crash. Also, the air bag warning lamp on the instrument panel may fail to provide warning that the system is inoperative.
Risk: In the event of a crash, this condition could increase the risk of injury to occupants in the front seat.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the sdm computer module. This recall began on february 22, 2007. Owners may contact gmc at 1-866-966-9463 or saturn at 1-800-972-8876.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
On 9/08/2026 I was driving and almost got a wreck but I was able to get out and was going less the 25 and lost control of the vehicle and barely hit the curb and the two air bags went off and I was sent to the hospital
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the traction control, Stabili-Trak, and the air bag warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the failure was associated…
Since we purchased our 2022 Acadia 6/24/2022 we have had the warning "Service Safety Restraint System" pop up randomly. We have mentioned it numerous times over the years when the vehicle has been in for routine service at our local dealership. They have never been able to determine the cause as no…
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…
I think my vehicle is apart of this recall: March 17, 2014 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V118000 Side Impact Air Bags Wiring Connections 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.
Frequently asked questions
Do all GMC Acadias have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 908 owner complaints about air bags for the GMC Acadia. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the GMC Acadia air bags?
Yes: 7 safety recalls list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix air bags problems on the GMC Acadia?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,100 (half paid between $800 and $1,300), from 33 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the GMC Acadia?
The most frequent phrase is “air bags contacted”, in 150 of 908 complaints.
Other GMC Acadia problems
- Power Train problems (1,378)
- Electrical System problems (1,084)
- Steering problems (809)
- Engine problems (746)
- Exterior Lighting problems (278)
- Structure problems (250)
- Service Brakes problems (242)
- Electronic Stability Control (esc) problems (196)
See all GMC Acadia problems.