Common Problems With The GMC Acadia, According To Owners

The GMC brand is responsible for a wide array of vehicles, from such trucks as the Sierra and Canyon as well as SUVs like the Yukon and Terrain. Of course, no discussion of GMC's current SUV offerings is complete without some mention of the Acadia. The history of the SUV goes back to 2007, when the model first hit the market. Though its more car-like frame marked a major departure from the typical truck-like GMC vehicle, the Acadia more than held its own and has remained a constant on the road since. 

The Acadia continues to do well for itself, too, with the 2024 GMC Acadia Denali proving a decent entry into the car's lineage. Be that as it may, like any vehicle from any manufacturer, the Acadia doesn't have a spotless track record by any means. Every model year has it share of drawbacks, though some are far more pervasive than others. In fact, some issues are quite commonly addressed by owners, making some years and, worse yet, stretches of years particularly infamous. Based on testimonies from Acadia owners, these are some of the most frequently-cited problems plaguing the GMC staple so far.

An important distinction to make when looking at the GMC Acadia is between the first, second, and third generations. More specifically, the engines residing under the hood. Going back to the beginning of the Acadia line, all of those in the first generation — from 2007 to 2017 — were only available with a 3.6-liter V6 engine, which packed 275 hp. Unfortunately, this engine variety didn't give drivers a great first impression of the Acadia. This engine has caused quite an uproar among Acadia owners, with one of the most often mentioned problems with this initial V6 engine being timing chain breakage.

"Drove for approx. 7 months and put on approx. 4000 miles. Has 120,000 miles total. The check engine light came on while on the way home from town, approx. 3 miles. Before I could pull over the engine died – like two seconds after the engine light came on," wrote one Car Compaints user of their 2012 model, adding that they incurred thousands of dollars in repairs. Meanwhile, others were sucked into a back-and-forth game with mechanics as the timing chain code repeatedly triggered their check engine light with no visible issue. That is, until it did break, prompting a hefty mechanic bill. In many cases, these chain breaks are happening somewhat early into the Acadia's lifespan, with some reporting that theirs went haywire just over 50,000 miles.

To say a car's transmission is a hugely important component would be an understatement. Without it, the combustion within the engine simply wouldn't be able to power the car forward, turning the wheels to generate movement. Naturally, it's an important piece to take care of, and an expensive one to get repaired or, worse yet, completely replaced. That's why it's important to keep an eye out for signs that something is wrong with your automatic transmission. While not all model years are plagued by widespread transmission issues, there are a few GMC Acadias that have proven particularly temperamental in this department, to the extent that they suffered from total transmission failure out of the blue.

2008 Acadias are rather infamous examples of faulty transmissions, which is an enduring issue that carried over from the previous year's edition. There are horror stories out there of folks buying this model year used, only to have to take it in for repairs multiple times shortly after buying due to transmission slipping and failure. Similar to the timing belt issue, transmission failure can seemingly happen at any time, with some recalling that theirs gave out under 100,000 miles. As for the 2017 model year, parking issues aren't uncommon, with one Car Complaints user saying, "My 2017 Arcadia SLT, when put in park, the dash information says it's not in park. We have been stuck some times for over 45 min because you can't leave the vehicle alone."

[Featured image by DestinationFearFan via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY SA-4.0]

While by no means as essential to the driving experience as an engine or transmission, it's important to have functioning air conditioning and heat. Not only can they make driving far more comfortable in extreme weather scenarios, but they're vital to defrosting and defogging windshields if necessary. Sadly, not all GMC Acadia models have gotten AC and heat right, leaving drivers questioning why their AC isn't blowing cold or their heat isn't warming up. There are a few model years that have risen through the ranks to become repeat offenders in terms of faulty climate control components.

Even though many reported AC issues, chiefly the function not working at all, as far back as the 2008 model year, the 2012 is an especially egregious Acadia edition when it comes to heat and A/C problems. "AC works intermittently. Upon start up, takes 3-4 minutes to began getting cool. Then, at low speeds (10-15 mph) or idling, the cooling shuts off," shared a Car Complaints user, with others mentioning that their AC doesn't work at all, leading to a trip to the mechanic and a bill of potentially over $1,000. Its 2013 successor has an issue of the AC blowing warm air, while the 2014 also commonly sees complete AC failure. Ideally, these problems are things of the past all these years later.

[Featured image by deathpallie325 via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 4.0]

Just as important to the function of the car as the engine and transmission is the steering system. It's crucial that it's in working order to ensure you not only reach your destination efficiently, but do so safely without harming yourself or others on the road as well. Unfortunately, many Acadia model years haven't delivered in the steering department. There are numerous accounts online of different Acadia models presenting a range issues within the steering system, putting their drivers under physical and financial stress simultaneously.

A widespread issue in the 2007 Acadia is the faulty steering pump, with some reporting it causing their power steering to fail and lead to over $1,000 in repairs. Rack and pinion leaks have been discussed on 2008 and 2009 models, with several owners of the latter also having its power steering go out when turning. 2010 was also a rough year for power steering malfunctions and steering rack leaks. Though the first half of the 2010s saw a drop-off in steering issues in Acadias, 2015's version had its share of hard steering complaints. "My steering is not functioning properly. Parallel parking, u-turns, and simple parking has been on and off difficult for about a week," explained one Car Complaints commenter.

If you want to own a GMC Acadia, or you already do, there's a chance these issues will never come your way. At the same time, knowing how widespread they are, preparing for any one of them, multiple, or others not mentioned here is in your best interest.