CarComplaints.com Notes: Ahh, the ole' sophomore slump. The 2008 Acadia suffers from widespread transmission failure around 75,000 miles.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
108,963 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
GMC Acadia, catastrophic engine failure, and steering system. 23 Sept 2013, while driving my GMC Acadia, and the vehicle shut off after a loud nose came from the engine, Tuesday 24, 2013, SUV towed to private repair shop. After attempting to start the vehicle and checking the SUV out, I was told that they would not go further because they believe the vehicle needs a new engine, I call GMC and talked with [xxx] a problem specialist, arrangements for vehicle to be check out at ?hennessey GMC. Poc, [xxx], I have met with before in regards to a recall, and told him on multiple occasions that I heard some sounds coming from the engine, I was told they did not hear anything. 25 Sept 2013 SUV left at shop, [xxx]would call me that day. I didn't hear from him, 1 Oct 2013 I stop by hennessey, on the SUV's problem, spoke to [xxx], I stated that I been waiting for his call, they were still checking it out, but GMC only paying for one hour, to open up the engine, it may cost $500 to $ 600 dollars. I can not afford to purchase another vehicle. Army motor sergeant/ master mechanic, responsible for (aoap), army oil analysts program, this uses labs that analyze the oil pull from "engines, transmissions, of vehicles such as GMC, Ford, Chrysler, and other manufactures. 3,000 miles or bi-annually vehicles I.e. hummve. The military learn decades ago that vehicle manufactures will delivery vehicles with defected parts, such as engines, transmissions, that can be out of tolerance. The army started pulling oil samples, and sending them to the labs for test, for water, metal, and any other foreign matter, this help to identify issues in the engine before the "warranties expired. So the suggested failure that manufactures placed on vehicles that covered their bottom line. $2,000 credit to purchase a new vehicle from them is a insult, I have this in writing. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Transmission failure - wave plate broken forcing vehicle to be stuck in one gear and fail in reverse, 3rd and 4th gears. Automatic transmission slips in reverse, 3rd and 4th. Multiple owners report same issues and recall is needed by GM on the Acadia transmission.
2008 GMC Acadia slt-2 with 42,300 miles; not yet 6 years old. "service stability control" and "service traction control" warnings received periodically. This week, transmission started to shift unevenly; not correctly upshifting/downshifting while driving at 30mph. Car now only operates in 1st gear. No higher gears, no reverse.....engine just revs. Car has complete service rec no longer safely drivable. Appears to be part of the known waveplate issue. Why no recall with the great number of similar Acadias with the same problem over and over? thanks for your attention.
Vehicle experiencing bad transmission problems when shifting between 3rd and 5th gears. As accelerating, the vehicle begins to shift, but begins to idle and RPM's rise extremely high. Vehicle begins to slow down and finally jerks into the next gear causing rapid acceleration. This issue almost caused me to run into a car in front of me after pulling off from a stoplight. It is extremely scary to continue to drive the car, but with this being my only vehicle and I must work, I am forced to drive daily. Warranty just expired 5 months ago in March and I cannot afford to fix the problem (March 24, 2013, 5 year/100,000 mi. Powertrain). Vehicle was purchased March 24, 2008.
- Upper Marlboro, MD, USA
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
The contact owns a 2008 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the air bag, the stability control, and traction control warning lights failed along with the daytime running lights failed. The contact also stated that the engine overheated and the power steering also failed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the light bulb was replaced but the failure recurred. The dealer was also unable to diagnose the other failures. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 33,000 and the current mileage was 112,000.
Had to wait to give my daughter a ride. Sat in the pouring rain for about 40 minutes. Put the car in drive and began to pull forward and water poured down the windshield from the inside. Water also came in from the front left curtain airbag and the visor arm. Engine began to idle rough. Anti-lock brakes grab on low speed slow down. Our area of Texas is drought prone so no more significant rain until July 14-16. Water pours in the front windshield, both driver and passenger side. Water from curtain airbags and under the dash. Standing water in the floor board. Obd light is on and my parking break warning light turns on and off. Park assist goes on and off. The warning chime comes on while driving and won't turn off. No telling how much damage all of this will cause. I have one more payment until the thing is mine free and clear. No warranty and no recourse. It figures.
In February of this year (2013) the transmission in our 2008 GMC Acadia failed while I was driving my two small children home from preschool. Thankfully I never lost control of the car although it was extremely frightening and a very dangerous experience to not be able to shift into another gear while in the middle of moving traffic on a busy road. I barely made it home, drove with my hazard lights on, shaking and counting my blessings that our car was not hit and we were not hurt. What makes it all the more upsetting is that GM is aware of this issue with 2008 Acadia models but yet has never done a recall on the defective transmissions in our cars. GM is essentially telling it's customers that it does not care about their safety or well being. They allow us to continue to drive their cars even though they are aware of the potential danger involved when the transmission shuts down. I cannot afford another car for my family right now so every day I live in fear that this car will fail again and put us in danger. It is not the safe, reliable car I was led to believe it was when I purchased it for my family vehicle. GMC should be forced to recall these cars (2007/2008 GMC Acadia) and required to put in completely new transmissions.
While out shopping with my children when I attempted to turn off the vehicle to depart for the mall, the ignition turned to the off position, I removed the key but the car remained on. I then noticed that the check engine light illuminated. Shortly after, the car began shaking violently; I assume as it was attempting to shut off. I inserted the key, shifted into to reverse, pulled out of spot and then back in again. Proceeded to turn vehicle off and again, key removed but car still running. Again the violent shaking along with loud noises began. Afraid, I instructed my children to leave the vehicle. We got a comfortable distance from the vehicle and continued to watch. It took 25 minutes for the car to shut totally down. When I went back to the car, as I opened the door, I noticed the warning sound as if the key was in the ignition and also although the entire dash was off, the check engine light was still on, (im not sure how since the car was "off" and no key inserted). I drove the car home and the same thing happened when exiting the vehicle. The car remained on, began shaking and the check engine light also stayed on after the car was totally shut down. Very scary experience. I noticed via the internet that this was not a new issue. I wonder why GM would not have corrected this problem with its vehicles by now. I am a single parent and my teenage daughter sometimes has to run errands for me in this vehicle, I would hate for this to happen when im not with her.... its was frightening enough for me!
I was driving my 2008 GMC Acadia along with my sister and her two god children. We were at a red light and proceeded to go when the light turned green. Got up to 20mph and the SUV jerked severely. Once it jerked the SUV would not go over that mileage. We were all scared! I took them home and drove to a GM dealership. I paid $114 for a diagnostic test and was told they did not know what was wrong. They speculated that a wave plate broke or moved. They advised in order to know for sure, I would have to pay $900 plus for a deeper diagnostic! I'm under my 100K mileage and no one is honoring that. I'm a mba student and don't have that kind of cash! I've only had this SUV for 3 years. I bought it used, had only one owner before me, and it was under 20K miles. Sounds like GM's product is not reliable and they do not stand behind their product. I tried to buy an american product to put help our economy and this is the repayment for it! I'm going back to foreign cars, I will never purchase another GM built vehicle as long as I breath!
Multiple problems with this vehicle. It has been in the shop more than 10 times in the past 4 years that I have owned it, frustrating. List of repairs: Timing belt, head lights, steering, camshaft, oil leak, struts, brakes and this is what I can recall mostly.this vehicle has had multiple services especially for service stability track that never gets repaired, they can't find the problem. Also service air bag keeps coming on but dealership cannot do anything while the light is not on. Very frustrated with this vehicle. I have never experienced so many repairs and services with any other vehicle as I have the Acadia. I owned a galant car before the Acadia for 5 years and only had to do one repair in those 5 years I owned it. I regret purchasing this vehicle! I am a single mother of two and I need a dependable vehicle not one that is malfunctioned!
Wave plate went out on vehicle. This has happened to hundreds of these 2008 vehicles. I was driving four children and vehicle completely stopped. I was not out of mileage warranty only have 70,000 but was out of year warranty.
Traveling approximately 65 mph in the far left lane of a major highway. Going up a slight incline I tried to accelerate but the car was not reacting then the rpms would shoot up but the car would not react. I had to cross 3 lanes of traffic to get to the emergency lane. The car would not go over 20 mph after that and struggled at that. I managed to get to a gas station. 1 tow truck, 1 rental car and now $1500 to replace the "wave plates" and "wave housing". additional note - the car broke down in August 2012 as well. In that incident the water pump had to be replaced.
The contact owns a 2008 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while parked the driver noticed smoke and flames emmiting from the engine compartment. The fire department was called to the scene and a report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an auto shop. The insurance company had the vehicle inspected but they were unable to determine the cause of the fire. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was destroyed. The approximate failure mileage was 19,000.
My friends and I left a store and was pulling out onto a busy route. Speed limit is posted as 45 mph. I was idling at the stop sign waiting for a vehicle to pass. When it did I pulled out into traffic. I gently pressed on the accelerator and that is when I felt the truck jerk and then the pedal was floored!!! I was not doing this!!!! I was in amongst the traffic, trying to Dodge others, and then I tried to turn my truck off. I couldn't do it. It was not allowing me to and the speed had increased dramatically!!! I reached down and was messing with the accelerator hoping to pull it up from the floor. The accelerator was completely pressed into the floor as if someone glued it there. I crossed over 3 lanes of traffic trying to Dodge vehicles and trying to prevent a crash. I finally managed to free the accelerator. It freaks me out when I drive now, .
I bought my GMC Acadia in February and have had it at the dealership I know 15+ times. Everything is wrong with it. It started off that it was the stability track and stability control censors, then it went to both rear wheel bearings replace, bypassing the wiring (because GM) told the dealership to bypass the factory wiring and build a new harness for the wiring, several other things wrong, and now the transmission!!!! what will happen next!!! so many people are having major issues with the Acadia. Not dependable nor safe for me nor my family!!!!!
My Acadia's transmission failed (the 3, 5, R wave plate) while 4 hours from home. It has now been at the dealership for 22 days... the transmission has been taken out 3 times and still can't "get it right". this is a huge mess that GM has not handled well at all. They will not let the dealership put a new transmission in it. They can't tell me when my car will even be ready... there are 4 other Acadia's at the dealership with the same problem.... just google GMC Acadia transmission problems and you will see that I am not alone..... thank you for any help you can provide.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Pipestone, MN, USA