10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
23,251 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.

2017 GMC Acadia electrical problems

electrical problem

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2017 GMC Acadia Owner Comments (Page 1 of 8)

problem #141

Oct 052023

Acadia

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

This vehicle has a severe water leak after rain event from body. Leaks into electrical, floor boards, roof. Dealership not able to locate water leak location. Have been working on it going on a month. We recently purchased the vehicle used.

- Tyler, TX, USA

problem #140

May 282023

Acadia

  • miles
Went to Burt Watson the end of May. Paid $250 to diagnose 3 problems. Trans was intermittently kicking into passing gear when starting from a stop position, a service engine light and passenger side blind spot warning would come on when nothing was there and other times wouldn't recognize a vehicle was there. Around the middle of July the battery began draining intermittently leaving me stranded at night away from home. The rear defogger began turning itself on and couldn't be shut off and was very hot to the touch. The drivers seat moved all the way forward on its own pressing me into the steering wheel and dash while I was driving at highway speed. Forcing me to change 2 lanes of traffic trying to get to the side of the road.I was told by the service manager that the rear fuse block had shorted out do to water intrusion from bad drain ports. This was replaced, and then I was told something else was draining the battery. And this was "one " of the things not covered by warranty. There is a service bulletin stating that there may be pinholes at the top of the a-pillars and d-pillars yet the dealership stated a new windshield was needed. There are several service bulletins indicating that such leaks can reek havoc on the electronics. The dealership has changed their estimate several times with still no solution in site. The vehicle has been sitting at the dealership since July. At one point it was communicated to me that GM would assist in the cost of the repairs when and if job was ever completed.They are now stating the cost to repair the issues is $5500 and is my responsibility.

- Bay City , MI, USA

problem #139

Sep 012023

Acadia

  • miles
Shift to part to turn off vehicle but vehicle does not recognize shift to park and repeatedly requires turning the car back on to try to maneuver gear shift until it finally recognizes it is in park and can be turned off. I have had to restart my care 10-20 times before it finally recognizes it is in park and will turn off and unlock the doors. This is a repeated issue that has been going on for at least 6 months but happened again today requiring 17 restarts.

- St. Louis, MO, USA

problem #138

Apr 072023

Acadia

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I bought my vehicle in 2020. In 2019, there was a special coverage notice (N172097060) with part repair because of known service side detection issues for water module intrusion. My understanding is this is due to the poor design and placement of the item in the rear of the vehicle that is known for getting water in it when driving, which then impacts the entire electronic system (not just service side detection). Beginning in spring 2023, I began to have these issues, starting with service side detection first. I then had other major electrical issues connected to this issue I believe are a safety concern. I have had very scary episodes at high speeds of my entire car electronic system shutting down, speedometer going to zero, gas going to empty, glitching and not starting multiple times. It got to the point my entire car was not drivable due to this issue - the dealer has a temporary fix on it to allow it to continue to be drivable until parts are in. The dealer has confirmed the issue I am experiencing is this safety special coverage issue from 2019. I contacted the dealer I bought my car from and they stated they did the special coverage fix in 2019. They confirm this issue is occurring again. However, they claim that because it was fixed in 2019, I am responsible for paying and fixing it this time around. The issue was not resolved and I believe this is a huge safety issue that should be a recall, not just a special coverage. It was very scary driving on a highway with my children in tow and having my entire system go out at a high speed. It has been inconvenient, parts are supposedly on backorder and being told it's my responsibility to cover it when it's a known issue. I have also found online many other owners having this issue. The special coverage did not fix it if water continues to get into the module and continues to generate these issues again. I appreciate any assistance on this matter and thank you for your time!

- New Prague, MN, USA

problem #137

Jun 282023

Acadia

  • miles
Vehicle will randomly drop into a lower gear which causes the engine to rev up, then a warning light comes on indicating that the steering assist and ABS system are offline. Not what you want to have happen when driving 70MPH on the highway. Problem has been ongoing for ytears and GMC insists it is a transmission problem but another thing I have noticed whenever it happens is that the battery voltage increases. Seems like GMC shipped these cars with weak alternators which would explain the myriad electrical problems this vehicle and others like it have had.

- Sarasota, FL, USA

problem #136

May 152023

Acadia

  • miles
Shift to park issue, car wont recognize its in park and wont turn off unless you shake the gear shifter around to get it to realize its in park. Parking break issue as well, "service parking break" error popped up on my screen now I can no longer turn it on.

- Panama City, FL, USA

problem #135

Mar 202023

Acadia

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I get a "service side detection" on my DIC. It used to work occasionally, now it no longer works. The sensors lights do come on when the "service side detection" shows up. Sometimes this alerts comes and goes and sometimes it stays until I push a button, in which it just reappears later. Through research I found this document sent out from GM: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10160088-9999.pdf GLOBAL SAFETY FIELD INVESTIGATIONS DCS5011 URGENT - DISTRIBUTE IMMEDIATELY Subject: N172097060 - Special Coverage Side Blind Zone Alert Module Water Intrusion General Motors is releasing Special Coverage N172097060 today. The total number of U.S. vehicles involved is approximately 131,652. Please see the attached bulletin for details. Condition: Some 2013-2016 model year Chevrolet Cruze, 2014-2015 Chevrolet Impala and 2013-2017 GMC Acadia vehicles, may have a condition where the Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) modules may fail or malfunction due to water intrusion. The driver may experience a side blind zone alert message displayed on the driver instrument cluster (DIC). If this message is ignored, the condition could result in the corruption of LS GMLAN that may result in the loss of some driver interface functions such as cluster, infotainment / displays, chime, and passenger presence detection (passenger airbag could be suppressed, w/airbag TT, DIC message). MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN!! Special Coverage Adjustment: This special coverage covers the condition described above for a period of 6 years or 80,000 miles (130,000 km) whichever occurs first, from the date the vehicle was originally placed in service, regardless of ownership. CORRECTION: Dealers are to repair the vehicle by ordering and installing the appropriate service kit. The service kit will contain all of the components required to complete the repair. The repairs will be made at no charge to the customer. PROBLEM: MY CAR HAS A BRANDED TITLE SO THEY WILL NOT FIX IT. IF IT IS A RECALL, THEY HAVE TO.

- Little Falls, MN, USA

problem #134

Feb 022022

Acadia

  • miles
The "shift into park" when car is in park. U have to click the gear shifter several times for ut to turn off. Sometimes even having to put the car back into gear putting it back into park and the error will come up again. By clicking the gear shifter will shut it off. Sometimes this could take 2 minutes playing around with it sometimes 10 minutes sometimes it doesn't do it at all. I finally replaced the entire gear shifter mechanism by taking the center council apart. Labor price was unreal. Part price wasn't bad.

- Carol Stream , IL, USA

problem #133

Mar 112023

Acadia

  • miles
Shift to park message appears and unable to lock doors.

- Lamar, SC, USA

problem #132

Feb 162023

Acadia

  • miles
I put the car in park and the push button start would not let me turn off my car. I sat in the parking lot almost 30 min, putting my car in park, then drive, then park for my car to recognize its actually in park to turn off. I started getting this error on the start and stop at lights... it never turned off during the start and stop but fearing my life or my families life.... I took it to my local GMC dealership and the manager from the Service department said this is a common issue with this model, he has repaired HUNDREDS of them. His words. This is a safety issue.... I am shocked this has not been recalled. The lack of urgency to get this fixed is very concerning. It costs my $708.92 to fix this issue. I 100% think i am owed this money due to something that should 100% be recalled. I found an open class action lawsuit that was confirmed by the dealership to be the exact same issue I had. https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/consumer-products/auto-news/gmc-class-action-alleges-acadia-shift-to-park-defect/

- Mckinney, TX, USA

problem #131

Jan 182023

Acadia

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

1. could not put car into park or turn off. Caused battery to be dead as it would not turn off when put into park. 2. steering wheel locked and jerked repeatedly. Could not turn into parking spot. The steering wheel had a mind of its own and could not stop the jerk. It is dangerous and scary ! 3. at night, the headlights do not light the road. It is as though there are no lights at all. It is dangerous to not see the road at night because headlights do not give appropriate lighting.

- Washington Township, MI, USA

problem #130

Jan 032023

Acadia

  • miles
GM put out notice in April 2019 stating side blind zone alert message due to water intrusion May cause issue with driver interface functions. Do not take your vehicle to dealership unless you believe there is a problem. Reimbursement by 4/30/2020 6 years 80,000 miles. Vehicle stopped working while parked in driveway. No start, no cranking, warning lights for security lock out, side crash detection, tire monitoring service and airbags displayed. Dome light for front door did not work while second row lights did work. Lift gate would not open. When stating issues to dealer prior to service were told they had not heard of anything that would stop a cars engine from functioning. Dealership repair stated this was due to rear blind side detection module and that the module shorted out cause all other circuits to go to ground, yet no fuses were blown. Starter fuse and relays were good. I asked dealer if this could have caused my car to stop while driving and they answered yes. Have corroded module and wire loom referee to as kit. Was told no way to circumvent system other than replacement.

- Westville , IN, USA

problem #129

Jul 212021

Acadia

  • miles
Shift to park error code along with several other error codes including no remote detected that have continually and intermittentantly appeared since my car was at 16 K miles. My car has been in the shop over 10 times and these problems continue to return. my car won't shut off correctly, and this drains the battery. On 2 different occasions I was locked inside my car, unable to start it. Both of those times the outside temperature was over 100 degrees, and I almost had to break my window to exit and survive. I frantically pushed several buttons, trying to start the car, and luckily something tripped so I could open my car. The dealership replaced my battery twice before 31 K miles. They have replaced 2 different fobs when the car didn't recognize them. The dealership has replaced the transmission control assembly, the body control module, the fuel injector, the immobolizer control module, the brake control module, and my car has currently been in the shop for over 3 weeks as they may also need to replace the instrument control module and HVAC module due to those error codes. My car is at 46 K miles and has been in the shop 3 different times since 39 K (less than 10 K miles) all for similar problems. Thankfully I bought the extended warranty that will expire in 2 years. Something is draining the battery and GMC cannot or will not address the problem. There are similar documented cases: https://lemonlawexperts.com/gm-shift-to-park-recall-update/#:~:text=According%20to%20NHTSA%2C%20GM%20has, several%20model%20year%20Acadia%20vehicles. and https://gmauthority.com/blog/2020/05/gmc-acadia-shift-to-park-class-action-lawsuit-filed-in-texas/ Please help to make GMC resolve this complicated problem! I now keep a tool in my car to break a window if I ever get locked in. I also keep my AAA membership active as I have had to get my car jumped several times. I do have videos of the problem, but cannot send a MP4 file.

- Tigard, OR, USA

problem #128

Dec 102022

Acadia

  • miles
P0128 Apparently what happens when the temp sensor on the T-Stat housing goes bad it sends a signal to the ECM that the engine is overheating, causes the temp gauge to peg to "C", shuts down A/C Compressor Clutch engagement to not exacerbate the Overheat condition and super speeds the cooling fans. Of course it's a false flag warning and the engine isn't actually running hot. At the same time a signal to the ECM also tells the Power Steering Rack that it's Super Cold out and the lube in the steering system may freeze up causing loss of steering assist. NHTSA 17-NA-158 - MAY 2017 Needed to have Thermostat and Temperature sensor replaced. Was quoted by two dealers $1400-$1700. Very deceiving for GM to have SEVERAL "tech bulletins" advising their techs how to properly diagnose this common "error"... but it's not a recall so they won't foot the bill for what is clearly a defect. Car has only 59,400 / 2017 GMC Acadia All Terrain

- Newbury Park , CA, USA

problem #127

Dec 152022

Acadia

  • miles
My vehicle has serious issues that from my research seem to be a common problem/manufacturer defect experienced by other owners of this model. I believe the defect/issue is an electrical problem. While driving, the vehicle will often have problems using it's automatic transmission. It ranges from "rough" shifting (where the car jerks while shifting gears) to situation where the vehicle fails to shift gears completely leading to the RPMs shooting up. The cars power steering and traction control system also simultaneously fail. This leads to a dangerous situation when on highways etc This issue simultaneously causes all of the warning lights on the dashboard to light up while displaying the following messages on screen "Service stabilitrak" & "steering assist reduced -drive with care" & "service brake assist" & "service parking brake". The gauges also stop responding/reflecting accurate info when this happens. I have a video of what this all looks like. This has been on ongoing intermittent problem pretty much for the entire life of the vehicle. GMC informed me that they had never heard of this when I inquired about it a dealership but searching online makes it incredibly clear that this is an extremely widespread issue that they are aware of. I have also attached a file that has a list of all error codes detected by me for this vehicle.

- Sarasota, FL, USA

problem #126

Nov 232022

Acadia

  • miles
Vehicle went on fire in or near the engine compartment - the entire front end was burned and car is a total loss. I was in the vehicle driving home with my children (a 5 min drive from their school) and we smelled what we assumed was a a fire pit or fireplace burning nearby; we got out of the vehicle, within 90 seconds there were flames coming out of the hood. Car was well maintained and received nearly all service at the RVC GMC dealership it was purchased from. Vehicle was also still under the warranty we purchased.

- East Rockaway, NY, USA

problem #125

Nov 122022

Acadia

  • miles
I brought this car from STOOPS and have been having this same issue since I received this car in March of 2021. Check engine came on within two weeks of me getting this car. The Intake air pressure measurement system MAP sensor and MAF sensor on my 2017 GMC Acadia which is causing other issues. My car is only at 100k mikes and I shouldnt be having the same issue. The MAP sensor was replaced in July of 2021. Here it is a year later and my check engine light keeps coming on and saying the same thing which is causing all these other issues to happen such as steering power system reduced which driving. Notifications about of transmission and engine issues because of Intake Air Pressure Measurement System. Every time I take it to stoops they have it for a couple days and I-€™m out of a car which means no transportation for work and within 10 days after I get it back the same issue appears. The car sounds like it-€™s going to shut off at any given time I-€™m driving. It shutters while at a light or in a restaurant line. It drives smooth but when I shut the car off it makes a whiny noise sometimes. I don-€™t feel safe driving myself and my kids in the car when different things come up all because of this intake air pressure measurement system issue

- Anderson , IN, USA

problem #124

Oct 072022

Acadia

  • miles
When trying to place the vehicle in "PARK" the message is displayed to "SHIFT TO PARK". The shift lever is in the park position, but the vehicle CANNOT BE TURNED OFF while this message is displayed. The shift lever has to be moved back and forth multiple times, sometimes for several minutes before allowing you to safely shut down the vehicle and exit. This is a known issue for GMC vehicles, yet they tell me that my VIN doesn't show the vehicle is eligible for a recall for this exact issue.

- Joplin, MO, USA

problem #123

Sep 262022

Acadia

  • miles
Shift to park comes on intermittently while in park and turning off engine. Unable to completely shut car off as it does not recognize it is in park. Battery will drain and car may roll.

- Montgomery, IL, USA

problem #122

Aug 012022

Acadia

  • miles
This Car, 2017GMC Acadia, started showing up on many occasions; and is getting worse. I park the car and put it into park. when I try to turn off the engine, a message shows up on the display SHIFT CAR INTO PARK. the car is in park, and I cannot shut off the engine, due to this message. The car IS in park, and the message tells me it is not. AND I CANNOT SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. I have to leave the car engine running until I try shifting gear shift back and forth multiple times and bingo sometimes the message goes away. Something is wrong here.

- San Diego, CA, USA

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