10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 2 / 1
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 1 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 66,947 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
I was driving on the freeway then my car suddenly started slowing down. I tried changing lane so i can pull over on the side of the freeway but unfortunately i couldn't get to pull over before the car completely stopped on the freeway. I called AAA. They sent a tow truck which came to the freeway to tow my car. My husband came and took me to work. The car was towed to a GMC dealership. I went to the dealership after work. I was told my car has timing chain problem and if not fixed will damage the engine. I went online to read reviews of this car only to see it was a very common problem for this year and model of GMC which if i have ever read those reviews i would not have bought a GMC. This vehicle should be recalled for this issue.
- Cornelius, NC, USA
Looses power while driving. Cannot jump the battery it needs to be recharged every time. Power steering stops working while driving( low rpm and when stopped) dangerous for merging or lane changes. Engine shudders when trying to accelerate. TCM/ ECM replaced 2020. Problem still persists. Whining noise upon start of the vehicle. Auto start will not work. traction control light, check engine airbag and
- Virginia Beach, VA, USA
While driving down the road, transmission will shudder and have difficulty maintaining constant speed. This is especially dangerous while merging on to the highway. It is searching for the gear to be in while rpms are fluctuating.
- Norton, MA, USA
On July 27 at 400 pm I arrived home and my daughter went to take out the trash and I heard her scream daddy the car is on fire. I rushed outside and flames were 6 ft tall I called 911. After putting the fire out he stated th car was running doors locked so they couldn-??t open the hood
- Carrollton , TX, USA
Accordingly, the said vehicle first manifested a dangerous defect issue on July 14, 2021, while traveling out of town. A significant and abrupt reduction of power completely disabled the vehicle while parking in a parking space.Despite several attempts, the vehicle still fail to start. Only to notice the engine light illuminating and flashing repeatedly. At the same time the dashboard indicated a faulty reading of fuel and oil. This is a very serious and frightened situation because I received absolutely no warning before the vehicle shut down. Without reason of doubt, I do believe it is unsafe, extremely dangerous and is potentially a hazardous situation that should be investigated. Fortunately, I was in a parking lot went the problem occurred. Whereas, if the vehicle engine stopped abruptly in the mist of traffic it could have resulted with a different outcome. On July 16th the vehicle was towed to a certified GMC dealership for further inspection. Hours later, I received the service contract and a follow up call from the dealership given that the diagnostic is the Engine Control Module (ECM) and needs to be replaced. Surprisingly, to my dismay I was advised that General Motors no longer make the part and the Service Center is not sure when and if the part will be available. As of today, July 26th, no one has taken the necessary steps to remediate my situation. I have already attempted to resolve this problem by contacting the Manufacturer directly. Yet, no information on when a resolution will be made. I have been a loyal customer for several years and currently seeking answers.
- Villa Rica, GA, USA
I was traveling to daytona fl from Ohio for vacation. The transmission started slipping and as I got off the exit for daytona the transmission went out I barely made it to my rental. I had no extra money and can not rent a car because I have no major credut card. So I had to take out a loan for $3200 for A1 transmission shop to rebuild the transmission.
- Wilmington, OH, USA
The contact owns a 2011 GMC Acadia. While on an incline with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle slid forward. The contact attempted to brake and the vehicle continued to slide. The contact stated that the vehicle moved forward when the brake pedal was released. The contact stated that it felt as if the vehicle were in neutral. The vehicle was driven to gregg young auto center (2020 w 20th St S, newton, ia 50208, (641) 275-9706) to be diagnosed, but the remedy could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that it was normal. The failure mileage was 90,000. The VIN was invalid.
- Knoxville, IA, USA
The car shutters intermediately when driven at higher posted speed limits. From about 40/45 miles per hour up to about 60 miles an hour. The vibration shakes the entire vehicle. Letting off the gas or acceleration will stop it, but go back to a steady speed, and it returns. Have kept up with service and the vehicle is in tremendous condition, but this condition is present in all weather and temperatures and seems to not have a cure. Have replaced all possible causes, including torque converter and possible sensors. Has not gone away. Noted that other owners have posted similar/same complaints on the same year and make. Same complaint with sister car 2011 Saturn outlook. There is a problem with the drive train and needs to be fixed. Understand some people have found a damaged "D plate" in the transmission-but replacing the part has resulted in the part failing again and the problem returns.
- Melbourne, FL, USA
The contact owns a 2011 GMC Acadia. While the vehicle was at a stop light, the vehicle failed to accelerate when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The engine warning indicator illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to rsc auto sales (located at 4427 w jefferson blvd, dallas, tx 75211, (214) 467-0270), but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 132,870.
- Arlington, TX, USA
When I drive the vehicle for 2 hours or more the "transmission hot idle engine" come on the dash and I have to slow down or park the vehicle for it to cool off. I can not drive at 75 mph or 80 mph when on the highway without it coming on.
- Memphis, TN, USA
The contact owns a 2011 GMC Acadia. While attempting to turn the vehicle off, the gear shifter would not shift into the park position. As a result, the ignition key could not be removed from the ignition, causing the engine to keep running. The failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The local dealer (bill crispin Chevrolet, 7112 E Michigan ave, saline, mi) was notified, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 48,197.
- Ypsilanti, MI, USA
Transmission flares out (goes into neutral) between gears when merging into highway traffic at speeds of around 45-60 mph. Most often occurs when initially accelerating to merge into faster traffic and then having to take my foot off the gas for a second or two to allow faster cars to go by, and then trying to accelerate again. The transmission is in neutral and it seems it is caught between gears (4th & 5th gears I believe) when I try to accelerate again. Engine revs to 5000 to 6000 RPM range because it is not in gear. Have to take foot off of the gas and wait a couple seconds for transmission to get into gear so I can continue driving. In the meantime faster cars are approaching as I'm in the middle of merging into highway traffic. Not being able to accelerate when merging into highway traffic creates a very unsafe situation. This issue has occurred 2-3 times a month for the last several years. Have had it looked at a number of times by GM service center but they are unable to reproduce the event when they test drive my vehicle and there aren't any special codes popping up in the computer log for them to justify doing anything to fix the problem. So they are not able to do anything about this condition.
- Houston, TX, USA
I was driving my 2011 GMC Acadia and all of a sudden the car started to decelerate. I pulled over and turn the car off and then the car would not start again. I had it towed to the dealership. The dealership is saying there is an issue with the timing chain. The dealership said that the timing chain failed. Upon doing research, I see that this is a common issue with GMC models, especially the Acadia model. The dealership is saying that the repair is going to cost me $7500. Given that this is well-known issue with the Acadia model, I feel that this issue should be recalled for the safety of consumers.
- Kershaw, SC, USA
I was complaining about the performance of this vehicle to the dealer for the past three years. Now that the warranty is expired, I had to change the driveshaft, fell out while transporting passengers; transfer case, the transition from drive, the automatic shift would jerk; a passenger I had in the car told me one day I would not make it up a hill. One week later it happened. Transmission, the vehicle wouldn't move even when gas was applied; 6 coils and plugs, the bad smell of something burning was scary. I had to pull off the road because the reduce power light come on. Yesterday, 12/26/16, I went through this again!!! there is a rubbing sound in one of my wheels, don't know what that is yet. I also changed the axels and about to change the tie rods for a clunking noise while making turns on uneven surfaces. I made numerous complaints to GMC hq and the dealer here in the vi from 2013. The dealer changed parts that were irrelevant and told me it was fixed.
- St. Thomas, VI, USA
My vehicle has 136,000 miles and the timing chain is out, I have had to have the front passenger axle repaired, there is an oil leak. I had the vehicle checked while under warranty because the check engine light would come on, the service department said it was because the gas cap wasn't tightened. Now I have no warranty and the timing chain needs replaced. The first day I drove my vehicle the brake system failed, it was brand new. It had had several recalls.
- Wellington, AL, USA
"tamara recall". I received several notices. Initially auto dealership denied recall existed. Now claims it doesn't apply to my car. Original owner and live in South Florida. What engine the heck is going on" do we have to have a fatal injury to get their attention? engine mounts keep breaking, 16,000 mile intervals. First time dealership replaced. Now at 33,000 miles my phone problem? guess we need catastrophic failure before manufacturer engineers better engine mounts"! low mileage vehicle, careful driver on good roads. Please send feedback.
- Miami, FL, USA
Passenger side air vent not blowing all the other vents work. Dealer said it was the air door actuator. This is the 2nd time we have had our Acadia in for cooling issues each time we have had to pay big bucks we do not have!!!!
- Mason City, IA, USA
Vehicle came out of park sitting in driveway while being cleaned out. The key was not in the ignition; however the gear shift was shifted into park as someone reached over across the seat. Passenger side doors were open and as the vehicle rolled, the doors hit my pouch causing damage to the front and rear passenger doors. My children had to jump out of the way to avoid being ran over. There is a serious defect on 2011 Acadia and the results could have been deadly. I need for GMC to fix this problem. The gear shifter is not suppose to move without the key in the ignition and turned to the on position plus the brake must be push to active. So GMC what happen? I could be burying one of my children. The damage is over $2300 and I have a $500 deductible not including the cost to fix why the gear shifter was able to move. I need to be made whole ($500 deductible reimbursement and my gear shifter problem fixed). Mileage at time of incident was 71,796.
- Altavista, VA, USA
While driving this morning this message appeared : "traction control off", then "service stabilitrak". very soon after message "reduced engine power" appeared. The car was still running, but would not go above approximately 2K RPM's or 15mph. This is the second time that this has happened and have had to take to shop and have throtle body inspected and recalibrated. This is my wifes car and I have a small child that was in car when this happened. This happened in an area that is heavily traveled to include school buses.
- Graniteville, SC, USA
- Nacogdoches, TX, USA