Four problems related to power steering fluid have been reported for the 2009 GMC Acadia. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2009 GMC Acadia based on all problems reported for the 2009 Acadia.
Steering wheel making a whining/rubbing noise. Fluid leaking under the car. Took to the dealer and was found to have tack and pinion is bad spraying out power steering fluid everywhere. Was told that the steering will lose power and become either hard to turn or not turn at all causing danger to ourselves and others. This is a known issue that has not been recalled by gm.
I just got my GMC 4 months ago and after every light and alarm has gone off the leak of power steering fluid has cause me to take to a dealer and I have been given a $2600 bill to replace the rack and pinion and pump. This is not just an issued with my GMC my sister has a 2011 Acadia and had the same problem. This for sure needs to be recalled as there is something wrong with it.
Vehicle was purchased from union park GMC dealership in wilmington delware on 7/24/15. I took it to my local mechanic on 7/27/15 after noticig a whinning noise when steering at low speeds. He recommended returning oit to the dealer for repair. The dealer made no repair and claimed "all these Acadias have this whining noise". I then took it to maryland state inspection where it failed inspection due to "moisture on rack", indicating a leak and replacement of rack required to pass inspection. Dealer service department claims it viewed the boot and found a stain and referred me to TSB # 3352321. However, it was not made clear if they actually pulled the boot and inspected the rack and inside of boot to determine if fluid was accumulating inside the boot. They also claimed they do not guarantee vehicle will pass inspection. I did notice that when the delaer returned the vehicle it had added power sterring fluid, rasing the level from just below min to just above max level.
Most common at slower rates of speed, the power steering goes out & the vehicle becomes extremely hard to steer. However, this has also happened to me on the highway while travelling at 65+ mph. That was extremely scary. More than once, I have been forced to turn into an oncoming lane b/c the steering is too stiff to turn properly. The issue was intermittent, but is now constant. Have flushed/replaced power steering fluid, relaced power steering pump & resivoir. The vehicle is at my local dealer now (as of 8/22/14) & they are telling me the new pump is bad & that the steering gear is leaking. . . Although there is no evidence of it leaking externally on the ground & the dip stick consistently shows the resivoir as full. Approximate repair cost is $1500 as of now. . . This is a highly dangerous & apparently common situation that GMC should be recitfying with a recall of the Acadia.