GMC Acadia Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 1,378 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the GMC Acadia across 20 model years. The 2008 model year has the most (279). The words owners use most often: “shift park” (28% of reports).
- 1,378power train complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 29mention a crash
- 13mention an injury
- 6related recalls
- $4,750typical 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.
- Shift park: mentioned in 383 of 1,378 complaints (28%)
- Turn off: mentioned in 189 of 1,378 complaints (14%)
- Wave plate: mentioned in 126 of 1,378 complaints (9%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the GMC Acadia at $4,750, and half of them between $1,050 and $6,000.
Based on 88 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2012–2026), 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 power train problems happen?
Based on 936 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 1,378 complaints, 29 mention a crash, 5 a fire, 13 an injury.
GMC Acadia power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Acadia | 3 | 33% | 4,700 |
| 2025 Acadia | 4 | 6% | — |
| 2024 Acadia | 7 | 11% | 1,000 |
| 2023 Acadia | 13 | 28% | 24,749 |
| 2022 Acadia | 4 | 8% | — |
| 2021 Acadia | 17 | 11% | 4,063 |
| 2020 Acadia | 22 | 21% | 41,000 |
| 2019 Acadia | 154 | 40% | 49,800 |
| 2018 Acadia | 163 | 41% | 37,000 |
| 2017 Acadia | 236 | 33% | 36,000 |
| 2016 Acadia | 21 | 9% | 77,911 |
| 2015 Acadia | 18 | 7% | 69,000 |
| 2014 Acadia | 35 | 8% | 50,000 |
| 2013 Acadia | 27 | 20% | 99,250 |
| 2012 Acadia | 43 | 15% | 98,300 |
| 2011 Acadia | 33 | 12% | 71,796 |
| 2010 Acadia | 43 | 13% | 76,000 |
| 2009 Acadia | 72 | 22% | 81,453 |
| 2008 Acadia | 279 | 33% | 77,400 |
| 2007 Acadia | 184 | 43% | 79,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (6)
Power train:automatic transmission
Model years: 2023
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2023 Cadillac XT6, GMC Acadia, Chevrolet Blazer, Traverse, and 2022-2023 Cadillac XT5 vehicles. The transmission may have been built with an incorrect sun gear, which can result in the driver-side half-shaft disengaging from the transmission.
Risk: A half-shaft disengaging from the transmission can result in a loss of drive power or vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is placed in park. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the sun gears, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 27, 2023. The remedy is expected to become available August 31, 2023. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GMC's number for this recall is N222389310.
Power train:driveline:driveshaft
Model years: 2023
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2023 Cadillac XT5 and GMC Acadia vehicles. The right-front half-shaft assemblies may be improperly connected to the transmission, causing them to separate.
Risk: Separation between the half-shaft and transmission can result in a loss of drive power or vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is placed in park. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the right-front half-shaft assemblies, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 17, 2023. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N222393410.
Power train:automatic transmission
Model years: 2019, 2020
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
Risk: Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.
Power train:driveline:driveshaft
Model years: 2017, 2018
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles and 2017-2018 GMC Acadia vehicles. The right front intermediate driveshaft may fracture and separate while driving.
Risk: If the front right intermediate drive shaft assembly separates while driving, the vehicle will lose propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. If the assembly separates while parked on a grade, without the park brake engaged, the vehicle may move unintentionally, increasing the risk of a vehicle roll-away.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the right front intermediate drive shaft assembly, free of charge. The recall began August 25, 2017. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 17329.
Power train:automatic transmission
Model years: 2014
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Buick Regal, LaCrosse, Verano, and Enclave, and Chevrolet Impala, Malibu, Cruze, and Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. In the affected vehicles, the transmission shift cable adjuster may disengage from the transmission shift lever. As such, these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect." They also fail to conform to FMVSS number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Risk: If a vehicle's shift cable disengages from the transmission shift lever, a driver may be unable to shift gear positions and the indicated shift position may not represent the gear position the vehicle is in. Should a disengagement occur while the vehicle is being driven, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, the driver may be able to shift the lever to the "PARK" position, but the vehicle transmission may not be in the "PARK" gear position. If the vehicle is not in the "PARK" position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
Fix: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace any affected transmission shift cable adjusters, free of charge. The recall began on April 10, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020, Buick owners at 1-800-521-7300, and GMC owners at 1-800-462-8782. General Motors' number associated with this recall is 14048.
Power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:column shift
Model years: 2009
Problem: General motors is recalling 276,729 my 2009 buick enclave, chevrolet cobalt, hhr, malibu, traverse, gmc acadia, pontiac g5, g6 and saturn aura and outlook passenger vehicles. These vehicles fail to comply with federal motor vehicles safety standard 102, "transmission shift position sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking effect", and fmvss 114, "theft protection and rollaway prevention". On some of these vehicles, the transmission shift cable adjustment clip may not be fully engaged. If the clip is not fully engaged, the shift lever and the actual position of the transmission gear may not match. With this condition, the drive could move the shifter to "park" and remove the ignition key, but the transmission gear may not be in "park".
Risk: The driver may not be able to restart the vehicle and the vehicle could roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible crash without prior warning.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and ensure that the shift cable adjustment clip is fully engaged. In the event that the clip does not engage, the shift cable will be replaced free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on or before march 24, 2009. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, pontiac at 1-800-620-7668 and saturn at 1-800-972-8876 or at www.gmownercenter.com.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Vehicle Information: 2023 GMC Acadia VIN: [XXX] Description of Safety Defect: While operating the vehicle, a sudden and total loss of propulsion occurred without warning. The transmission completely disengaged from the drive gears while the vehicle was in motion. When depressing the gas pedal, the…
Im assuming a torque converter shudder is happening and RPMs bounce. Its pretty random. Happens before shifts after shifts and while cruising at a steady speed. Drain and fill did not fix it.
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into gear after parking in the McDonald's drive thru. The vehicle was shifted into gear and resumed normal operations after an extended period. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and the contact was…
2020 GMC Acadia bucks/hesitates when I take off or slow down and speed back up. Mechanic looked at it can see engine is having random misfires. We have tried plugs, transmission fluid, looked at everything we could think of. The condition improves if I put into AWD but still exists and worsens for…
While attempting to turn vehicle off, the message shift to park was given. Could not shut vehicle off! Has happened multiple times in the past, then disappears for awhile. Comes back again at will. Have seen multiple complaints on this issue falling back to a defective micro-switch within the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all GMC Acadias have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 1,378 owner complaints about power train 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 power train?
Yes: 6 safety recalls list power train. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the GMC Acadia?
Owners report a typical cost of $4,750 (half paid between $1,050 and $6,000), from 88 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the GMC Acadia?
The most frequent phrase is “shift park”, in 383 of 1,378 complaints, followed by “turn off” (189).
Other GMC Acadia problems
- Electrical System problems (1,084)
- Air Bags problems (908)
- 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.