Transmission Failure problems of the 2008 GMC Acadia - part 1

Transmission failure at 85,000 miles. At highway speed the vehicle suddenly races the motor and suddenly slows to about 30 mph, risk of rear end crash. The dealer thinks its the '' 35r wave plate''. This was reported to the dealer when it was in for the steering pump recall [ after it led to a crash]' there was a gm extended warranty on the transmission at that time as then knew it was a problem. They said that time that they '' couldn't replicate the transmission problem it '' at a single test drive. Now that it has completely failed they say the extended warranty has expired time wise and they will not repair it. Despite knowing it is a safety problem freq. To this model year. , [ in motion, driving in a straight line].

Had my transmission fail while camping in the mountains with zero cell phone service. Check engine light came on at 121,657 miles, then deteriorated until it would no longer move when pressing on the gas pedal. Taken to the local dealer told me that the transmission needs complete replacement totalling 4. 5k. GMC refused to assist me in any manner towards the bill even though this is a very known issue with this make of vehicle. There needs to be a recall on these transmissions as it is a dealer defect.

What's not wrong with this car?? I bought it used with an extended warranty. After a year everything went downhill. It has been in and out the GMC service at lease 3 times a year. I don't even know where to start. The airbag light is on but it isn't covered under the airbag recall. What about safety? there has been a check stability trac and traction lights on as well on several occasions. When those lights come on the vehicle decelerated while driving across the kentucky bridge which almost caused a 12 car pile up. In addition, it also skips gears. When trying to speed up it jerks into the next gear like a hiccup. The dealership stated these problems were electric and wear covered under my extended warranty. I suggested that maybe the transmission was bad. However, they stated otherwise. Literally, 4 months later the transmission is out. But what a surprise no longer under warranty. Now I'm looking at a $5,000 bill. The service department stated that it is transmission failure due to an electric issue (out of my control). There is nothing that I could have done to prevent it from happening. But after talking to gm they, basically explained that they don't stand by their product after 100,000 and that they can't prove that the issues are actually manufacturers defect. I strongly disagree as there are hundreds of people experiencing the same hardships as me with the 2008 vehicle. On carcomplaints. Com, for GMC Acadia, 2008 is the worst year with the most complaints for transmission failure. How aren't these already recalled by now? they are nothing but junk! not work anything. Even a GMC service rep. Said these were the worse year and get them in the shop all the time. Why won't GMC just isssue a recall and take them off the market. I have all the proof of regular maintenance and service receipts.

Water pump failed in the freeway prematurely, brake cylinder failed prematurely, steering, rack and pinion and power steering pump failed @116k, transmission failed @ 116. No means of transportation with 3 kids.

1) a transmission switch plate error - warranty repair (GMC never paid my hotel/rental car claim. On hwy with family. 2) transmission issue - paid close to $2000. I asked if this would lead to transmission failure; they told me no, car would be good to go. The person who helped me no longer works at the el paso dealership when I reported he tried to overcharge me. Driving on hwy in el paso with kids. 3) transmission - paid $4000+ for transmission (GMC claims not related to the previous repair); discussed with service dept if we should spend more money on the car. . . They told me the new transmission would work. (mileage was 125k) the transmission failed while moving from el paso to colorado springs. . . No safe place to stop. 4) 2 mos later (now) - claim the timing belt failed and rh tie rods need repair and they say I declined a repair. I never discussed this needed repair and the possibility of a $2600 repair following this $4000 repair. . . So if they mentioned it, they never said you have $6600 worth of work in front of you. I already was concerned about paying $4000 after paying $2000. It happened on highway. GMC is more than aware of these issues with their cars and they are leaving their customers to deal with it. I have a 2002 GMC envoy and never paid anything close in repairs. There are serious problems with this make and model. We are also a military family who travels quite a bit. We started getting errors on road trips and we even had the original warranty repair while we were out of town, causing us to be stranded on the side of the highway in the washington DC area when our car just stopped. GMC is showing a total disregard for its customers. They are aware of these issues and they are not taking any responsibility for them. They are putting their customers in physical danger and wreaking havoc on our finances. This is disgusting and unacceptable.

Letter from congressman hudson on behalf of constituent re 2008 GMC Acadia transmission failure. The vehicle was returned to the consumer, after the repairs were completed. However, about 30 miles in route, various warning signs and messages began appearing on the dash. Some of the messages read service stabilitrak, service traction control, all wheel drive off, check right front tire pressure, and others. Including the abs sign was flashing a scary and cautionary yellow symbol.

The contact owns a 2008 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while driving 45 mph the transmission failed. The check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact engaged the accelerator pedal and the vehicle did not move forward. The vehicle was driven onto a parking lot and placed in reverse gear; however, the vehicle did not move. The vehicle was turned off, restarted and the failure recurred. The vehicle was placed in neutral gear and pushed from the front end however, the vehicle was driven to her home and later towed to a private mechanic. There was no diagnostic test performed nor was the vehicle repaired. The failure mileage was 60,084.

The contact owns a 2008 GMC Acadia. While driving approximately 60 mph, the vehicle lost power and the transmission gears failed. The contact stated that the transmission gears intermittently slipped. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated that the waveguide needed to be replaced and the transmission needed to be rebuilt. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 133,000.

I'm logging these issue as I have now come to realize that the issues we have had with our 2008 GMC Acadia are very widespread among owners. Very early on in the life of the vehicle approx oct 2008 we began seeing small amounts of water inside the cabin. Water would drip along the windshield occasionally, no action was taken as it was not consistent or so we thought. On multiple occasions my wife would complain that the vehicle would "cutoff" or "die" generally at slow speed in areas such a parking lots when turning, however the dealer was unable to re-create the issue so no repairs were made. One day this summer (2014) my wife was unable to start the vehicle, it just would not crank. On taking it to the dealer the vehicle was diagnosed with a corroded battery cable that ran from the middle of the vehicle to the starter in the engine bay. Cost to repair $1,200. In approximately June 2014 the vehicle began experiencing a slight rollback when placed into drive. At first we didn't think it was an issue as it didn't get worse with time. However by October 2014 we got a check engine light, diagnosis transmission failure cost to repair $4,890 after a $200 discount.

Transmission failure @ 67070 miles. 35r wave plate. GMC dealer service rep. Said they had never heard of this problem. Personally talked to dealer mechanic, and he states that he has replace a number of these transmissions for wave plate failure. It's bad enough that this is a know problem and gm does nothing about it, but for the dealership to lie to me right off the bat, takes the cake. No more gm products for me, ever. . . . .

Transmission failure while traveling on interstate. Only to find out this is only one of multiple Acadias with this few miles to have this happen and leave us stranded miles from home. And unfortunately we are now finding out that a lot of people have had this happen but noone bothered to tell us about it or warn us that this might be a problem. And of course our warranty has expired because we have owned it 5 years and have taken very good care of our vehicle having the oil changed every 3000 miles and tires rotated and balanced routinely and you could look at it and it looks brand new. . But now we are out $4000. 00 + which should not be happening with this vehicle. . We are very disappointed and angry that we could have been in a very dangerous situation had my husband not been the one driving that day.

I was driving home when my transmission suddenly started to lurch and hunt for gears, then hesitate. My car then wouldn't move forward nor would it go into reverse. Two codes showed up when I had the vehicle scanned, p2715 and p0700. After doing research I concluded the wave plate in my transmission had failed. My vehicle is no longer drivable. Thankfully I wasn't on the freeway when this incident happened because once the transmission quit the vehicle came to a stop rather quickly. In reading reports online it appears transmission failure of this particular model is highly probable and that gm knows it's an issue but has refused to recall the vehicle.

I just had my transmission fail on me yesterday. Luckily it still had 1st & 2nd gear, unfortunately I'm 5yr-8months into it at 58xxx miles. Sounds like I'll be paying for this one. If there is any info out there on recalls . From what I've been reading online, it seems there is a real problem with this transmission (6t70) in the early years. I imagine as more and more '07 - '09 Acadias (traverse, enclaves & vues) get into the 50k+ mile range the transmission problems are really going to start spiking up. It would be a real shame if gm chooses to ignore the obvious and push this problem back on to their customers.

I was turning left at stop light. The transmission failed to shift and stalled causing me to be struck. This could have been a fatality if traffic were heavier. I have since researched and found that gm has had thousands of complaints regarding the transmission problems. This could have been prevented had gm recalled a defective valve located in the side box (according to mechanic at gm dealer this is why I stalled out). I am seeking an attorney for a class action lawsuit.

Wave plate transmission failure 2 months after purchase and 5 months after warranty. So disgusted!!!.

We bought vehicle from hendrick Toyota on 6/15/2013. My wife began driving to work when it completely stopped in the middle of the road. She was frantic because of the busy street and thankfully, our kids were not in the vehicle. Car was towed to hendrick where it was determined that transmission failed. It was told to me that the wave plate in these vehicles was known to fail and after research and a technicians affirmation, apparently GMC never tempered this particular part and have known about the issue for quite some time. Again, after researching, I've seen countless complaints/issues of people with the same thing happening and that gm and their service and customer satisfaction departments quite simply explain it away as "well, there's nothing we can do" despite, what appears to be, clear evidence that this major power train problem has been completely ignored. Now, I'm looking at a bill of $3000+ (dealer cost) to repair and from what I've seen, others are having the vehicles fixed at least the $4000. I will do whatever I can to recoup any repair costs that this major issue has caused. It is beyond frustrating that I only had the vehicle for about 100 days and not even 3000 miles on it (after the 90 day/3000 mile warranty had expired) to only fork out thousands of dollars for an issue that a major automobile company should have recalled. I can tell you that through this experience, I will never purchase another gm vehicle again because of their incredible lack of consideration to make this right with all that have had this issue. I hope to hear from someone very soon in regards to this matter. It's unfortunate that many people have suffered a great financial loss because of a clear decision by gm to avoid correcting this powertrain problem. I appreciate your time and efforts.

My 2008 Acadia transmission failed as I exited a highway (70 mph) and was going up the exit ramp. It began bucking like a horse. Once I pulled over and parked, I could not go in reverse. The car had to be towed and a new transmission had to be put in it after only 56k miles. Also have had the sunroof / moon roof trays overflow because the drainage tubes are not large enough to drain all the water from the trays. The dealership stated it was a poor design and nothing could be done to replace it. Now water has entered my vehicle causing the electrical box to become wet causing the horn to blow randomly and the car to continue running after turning it off and removing the key.

The transmission failed climbing a hill with an approximate 10% incline. My wife was transporting two young children at the time at had to turn hazards on while the vehicle crept up a very heavily traveled roadway (us highway 31). This occurred after the transmission was repaired two weeks earlier for the same problem. At that time, I was informed by GMC that it was the input speed sensor. Turns out it is transmission failure, which I have since learned is very common with this model. After reading vast entries of many other Acadia users with the same problem, I can't help but think that this is a design flaw. I mean, how many transmissions fail at 48,000 miles. I'm just glad my wife wasn't driving at night, on a long trip, or on the interstate, which would have left my children and her in a very vulnerable position. For the price of this vehicle, I would expect reliable usage up to at least 100,000 miles. In my opinion, because of reliability issues and the shear volume of people with the same problem, GMC should recall these vehicles and replace the transmissions with what they are now installing on the newer models. The fact that they have improved the transmissions on newer models proves there is a flaw with my model year. Why else would they correct it. Thanks for your consideration.

My GMC Acadia had the transmission fail and it will cost me $4000 to put a new one in. I am finding out that this is a common occurance in the Acadia at fairly low milage.

I was driving to work and noticed a shutter while accelerating and took it to dealership. The transmission failed and the dealer said it was a wave plate failure.

Transmission failure, no reverse only low range, no warnings until failure. 1.

3/5/r wave plate transmission failure - I was traveling out of state and my 2008 GMC Acadia stopped in it's tracks without any warning. Vehicle was running, but it would not move. I was stranded on the side of the road, at night with 3 young children, over 5 hours away from home. Vehicle was towed to the dealership the next morning and 3/5/r wave plate failure was determined, new transmission required. Less than a week prior to the cross country trip, vehicle was at dealership having oil change and other preventative maintenance completed, no issues noted at that time. Major safety issue that needs to be investigated.

Travelling on the interstate with my 3 year old daughter when transmission failure message came on. Has come on multiple times, requiring me to pull onto the shoulder of the busy road with semis speeding past. GMC is aware of this issue, yet refuses to address it on a large-scale. Someone is going to get killed before they actually come to action on this manufacturing defect!!!.

Complete transmission failure due to 3-5 wave plate failure.

My transmission failed on my GMC Acadia at just under 62000 miles. As I understand this is a very common occurrence with the model year and could easily cause a major accident. When mine failed, I lost all power to the wheels. Had I been in heavy traffic, it most certainly could have caused an accident. Gm needs to recall these vehicles.

The contact owns a 2008 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph, the transmission failed with the illumination of the transmission warning indicator. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer for diagnosis where the contact was informed that the transmission clutch plate would need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred three months later. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer, where the contact was awaiting the rebuilding of the transmission. The manufacturer was notified of the defect. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.

Tl- the contact owns a 2008 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving 20 mph, the vehicle failed to accelerate. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis and the contact was informed that the third and fifth gears in the transmission had failed and the transmission would need to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure and current mileage was 50,000. Kmj.

Transmission failure immediately followed by engine failure after the transmission was replaced.

While driving at about 45mph, the vehicle lost power to the wheels, the engine raced and the transmission appeared to fail. The vehicle was shut off, and restarted with only 1st and 2nd gear available and was moved to safety. The problem occurred at approximately 55,000 miles. A p0776 code was pulled from the computer and the GMC dealer checked the problem and concluded that the 3,5,r wave plate in the transmission failed and will require a full rebuild. With the numerous complaints about this specific problem, I'm very disappointed in gm for their lack of customer support in what appears to be a manufacturing defect in the 6t70 transmissions, as this issue is occurring in 2007-2009 GMC Acadias, Buick enclaves, Chevrolet traverses and the Saturn vues. Do something gm!.

Transmission started failing and finally went out at 108,000 miles, sitting in our driveway and we had to have it towed to dealer. Gm dealer replaced it under warranty but the labor cost us several thousand dollars. Now at 170,000 miles, this remanufactured transmission is now going out. It sticks in low speed and then overheats driving 65mph in 40deg weather. The dealer claims that a stretched timing chain has to be fixed first, before the transmission, at a cost of $1944. They also said the on board computer didn't store the numerous overheated transmission events that began occurring immediately after the remanufactured transmission was installed at 108,000 miles. The gm dealer is trying to tell me that the transmission is probably ok and that the overheating is due to some other reason, but he then couldn't even guess at what the other reasons might be! the fluid level is good, and the vehicle has a tow package with a cooler for the transmission fluid. Gm dealer said the transmission will be covered by warranty, which will likely mean another several thousand dollar labor charge on top of the so called stretched timing chain cost of $1,900. The power steering pump has been whining for about a year and is getting loud. The navigation and dvd player system failed twice. Might be time to trade the vehicle for something more reliable. My wife is getting scared to drive it too far and end up being broken down in atlanta traffic. . . Very dangerous.

The contact owns a 2008 GMC arcadia. The contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the vehicle failed to move. The contact merged to the shoulder of the road and had the vehicle towed to the dealer. The dealer informed her the reverse wave plate had fractured and the reverse clutch four, five and six housing were damaged. As a result, the housings had to be reconditioned and the reaction sun gear needed to be replaced. Recently, the transmission failed again with the same problem. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired at the dealer. The manufacturer was notified who stated a representative would contact her within twenty four hours. The failure mileage was 74,450 and the current mileage was 110,000.

I have been very disappointed with my vehicle! when I was in the market for a new vehicle I new I wanted the Acadia. I have been a long time customer at my local dealership and when I arrived at the lot they had just brought in a 2008 that had one owner. I was exstatic because it was everything I could want and not as expensive as a 2012. When I first started driving it it was great I loved it! I bought the car with 8,000 or so miles on it and as time went on I started to notice that it wasn't driving like it did the first day I bought it. I drive to and from work 5 days week roughly 35 miles a day. I was in town at the bank and as I started to pull out into the lane my rpm's went sky high and wouldn't come back down and I could not accelerate. I was so scared I pulled over in the next available spot and turned off the car. I waited for 5 minutes, turned it back on and proceeded to pull into traffic. Ever since that day my car has been in the shop twice for transmission issues. I currently have 29,000 miles on the car and it drives like crap! I have it aligned, tires rotated, and I cannot get a smooth ride. The steering wheel shimmies over 50 mph, shimmies when I hit the breaks, my heater doesnt seem to work well unless it is on 85 way too hot. I now have to take the car back into the shop yet again for the same thing transmission failer, alignment off, and who knows what else. I read a lot reviews on this model and seems as though we have all experienced the same issues. I have been a long time pontiac/GMC buyer and I am very disappointed in gm for not taking this transmission thing serious. How many more complaints do you need to recieve before something is done? fatel accident? in which case I hope it isn't me but also nobody else. Please fix this issue it has been a thorn for some time and it's about time that gm do something about it!.

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.

The contact owns a 2008 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the water pump had failed. The vehicle was repaired. In addition, the contact stated that the transmission failed and she was not able to exceeded more than 10 mph. The dealer repaired the fuel kit, housing, sensor and cover. However, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 28,000.

Cause code: 6021 - component damaged/cracked, reverse clutch plate replacement reading various forums, these seems to be a problem with all lambada platforms, hundreds if not thousands of transmission failures, creating a major safety concern for myself and the public. Gm needs to replace these trannys with a new more durable/reliable design before someone is seriously injured or killed, its only a matter of time. Please confront gm with these complaints. . . Read more...