Electrical System Problems of GMC Acadia - part 1

The camera system has failed. The screen is black and there is an exclamation point and a camera on the screen.

See all problems of the 2021 GMC Acadia 🔎.

The relay for the fan at the top of the fuse/relay box on the right side when facing the front of the vehicle. (under the hood) gets hot and blows the relay and melts the spot where the relay prongs plug in. Causing the need for a new fuse box and circuit problems within the fuse box connectors. The fans, specifically the a/c fan does not kick on when turning on the a/c and the low speed fan does not kick on at all until the secondary temp fan kicks on after the temperature raises past the normal operating range. Which an overheating engine is bad for all parts of the engine which can and sooner or later will lead to a catastrophic failure putting the operator and other motorists life's at risk. This time it created a small fire that was extinguished only because the fuse box cover was off and I was looking at it as it happened, putting the cover back on extinguished the fire. This is the third time it has happened with the exact same problem. You tube is full of videos with the exact same problem.

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The contact owns a 2015 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at 25 mph, the instrument panel went blank before the panel began to flash when it returned. The contact then stated that several various warning messages began to appear all of which were related to the vehicle's electrical features. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where a code reader found no defects with the vehicle. Close to a week after the initial failure, the vehicle failed to start after multiple attempts as previous failure returned. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it had yet to be serviced or diagnosed. Upon his own inspection and research regarding the vehicle, the contact linked the failure to the vehicle's bcm(body control module). The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 177,000.

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The warning steering assist reduced, drive with caution appears. Shift to park appears. Temperature gauge drops to zero. Fan runs on high. A/c & heater don’t not work when this happens. We certainly do not feel safe driving our Acadia like this. Can’t trust that it won’t start on fire.

See all problems of the 2019 GMC Acadia 🔎.

When shifting vehicle into park and turning off the ignition switch a notification shows up and says shift to park even though vehicle is already in that position.

See all problems of the 2017 GMC Acadia 🔎.

When shiftiing to park and turning the car off the message "action required shift to park". It is difficult to get the message to go away.

I purchased this vehicle in June 2024 as a demo vehicle with approximately 7,000 miles on it. Within one month of ownership, the vehicle began experiencing serious problems that have continued to worsen. The vehicle currently has approximately 34,000 miles, and the issues have been ongoing from the time of purchase through the present. Since purchasing the vehicle, it has been in the dealership multiple times for the same recurring problems, including but not limited * powertrain issues and loss of power * reduced acceleration while driving * complete electrical failure while driving * engine and electrical warning lights repeatedly turning on * vehicle running excessively hot * water pump replacement * replacement of sensors * thermostat replacement * ongoing engine and electrical system malfunctions despite these repairs, the same problems continue to reoccur. Each time I return the vehicle for service, I am informed that it is a “different issue,” even though the symptoms remain unchanged. This strongly indicates a defective powertrain and/or electrical system that has not been properly repaired. The most serious concern occurred while I was driving on public streets, when the vehicle lost acceleration, electrical power shut off, and the vehicle completely shut down, nearly causing me to be hit by other vehicles. This incident created an extreme safety hazard for myself, my passengers, and other motorists. I have made several formal complaints directly with GMC, and more than four case numbers have already been created regarding this vehicle. Despite these complaints and repeated repair attempts, the problems persist. Given the repeated failures, numerous repair attempts, documented safety risks, and the fact that these issues began shortly after purchase, I believe this vehicle qualifies for relief under applicable lemon laws and consumer protection laws. Incident (critical)vehicle lost acceleration and electrical power and completely stalled while roads.

See all problems of the 2024 GMC Acadia 🔎.

Dash states put in park. But in park, car would deplete battery which I replaced but didn't fix. Unsafe as manuel states car can shut down while driving to preserve battery. Only 23,635 miles. Mostly parked. Parts $57 with $378 labor!.

I purchased my 2025 GMC Acadia on March 26, 2025. // my vehicle began to have electrical/communication/system issues in August 2025. // I took my vehicle to the dealer to address these issues at this time. When I got to the dealership, a representative performed diagnostics, and said "I can't even get a read on this. There is no signal coming from your module. You need to contact onstar about this. " // I called onstar, and they ran a test, and stated that it is a manufacturing defect that needed to be handled with GMC. //no one informed me of the severity of the safety implications involved. // in March 2026, my vehicle was inoperable. The module controls everything, and was draining the battery at a severely high rate. I had my vehicle towed to the dealership. They tried to deny all liability and said that they weren't the dealership that sold me the vehicle. // I had my battery jumped so I could take it from the dealership have a new battery installed. My vehicle stalled and shut off while I arrived at the auto parts store. *** answer to questions: yes. My vehicle is available for inspection. It is at the dealership. // my safety and others were put at risk because the brand new batteries were constantly draining and making me stall out in mid-traffic without having any control. // yes. The problem has been confirmed by the dealer. They tried (and still are trying) to avoid responsibility. Other reports show that this is a significant safety issue with many GMC vehicles. // yes. The vehicle was inspected by the GMC dealership. This is day-16 with no solution. // yes, there were issues with the car, as stated above. But absolutely no indication that it would be safety issue. My engine was running normal the night before. No signs that the battery was low or dead and prohibit me from driving safely or that it would shut off.

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Shift to park warning comes on when the car is turned off and it is in park. When we park the the car and shift the car to park and turn the car off the warning "shift to park" comes on and the electrical systems will not disengage. The radio stays on, the car can not be locked, and the doors ding loud alarms if you try to exit the car. The only fix is to sit in the car for several minutes and flick the switch under the gear shift and hope that the shift to park warning eventually goes off and you can exit the car. It sometimes takes 8-10 minutes for this to happen. This first happened intermittently and now happens every time we turn off the car. It has been replicated in a dealership and service center. The independent service center that did our brakes said they were aware this was a common problem in Gmcs and they experienced it. We have been told it is a microswitch and the repair option is not under any kind of recall or warranty and up to us to pay for the full repair even though it seems there are thousands of people online experiencing the same problem and paying hundreds of dollars for this fix.

Car does not turn off, says “shift to park” but car already is in park and car won’t turn off.

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The contact owns a 2015 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the automatic alert system anti-theft system locked up. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. Additionally, the safety sensors in the mirror and the rear of the vehicle became inoperable. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and it was determined that the driver’s and passenger’s side mirrors, and reverse light sensors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired on three occasions, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no recall for the failure. No assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the ac was inoperable. The message “driving assist reduced - drive with care” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the battery. While driving, the message "driving assist reduced" was displayed. The contact was concerned about driving the vehicle due to the failure of the steering wheel. The contact stated that the failure was related to gm special coverage: n252508350. There were four attempts to contact the manufacturer, but there was no response. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.

See all problems of the 2020 GMC Acadia 🔎.

Vehicle dies with no warning, no warning lights, no power even emergency flashers are inoperative, almost like it got hit by an emp.

Car has had multiple issues with check engine light coming on for the last 2 years and stays on especially during the winter months. The purge pump has failed multiple times. The cooling fan has run after engine shutting off for multiple years now. The thermostat has been failing for the last 6 months. Now yesterday low power protection suddenly turned on driving on the expressway limiting power in the middle of traffic. Was able to get off at exit without accident and get car home. I guess we have to pay out of pocket to get fixed. This is a known issue that gm fails to include every VIN with the 2021 year or certain models and vins.

My 2020 GMC Acadia slt has a a warning message that pops up on the dash display which reads power steering operating at reduced assistance. Please proceed with extreme caution. At high speeds the wheel kinda pulls and is loose for handling. It also atfff conley Buick out by the conley Buick sericexx2020 Acadias. I don't not54? lower rates of speed becomes extremely hard to maneuver . Almost zero ability to turn the steering wheel. I'm disabled and really can't afford the costly repair. It seems to be a very dangerous problem and well known to compromise ones ability to control the 2020 Acadia danalis. I had my SUV ckd out at conley Buick the results were power steering module needs to be replaced. When driving down the road the steering becomes dangerously loose especially.

My infotainment screen just has lines on it. I am the second owner of this vehicle. It just stopped working on day and has not come back. I cannot use my back up camera system now either. I have read where this has been an issue with the 2020 model and a possible crimping in the wiring system. I am wondering if this is the issue here. The car has been in no accidents under my ownership.

My wife and child drove the car to the grocery store and parked the car l. When she returned to leave , the car would not start and flashed a warning with key fob not detected and some kind of security light warning. The instrument cluster told her to place the key in left console cup holder to crank the vehicle . This did not work either . I drove the second key fob to her to determine if it was a key fob issue and the 2 nd key did not work as well. Called dealership and service requested the car being towed. Tow truck didn’t feel comfortable with the removing the vehicle as it was sitting due to space in the parking lot. They dispatched a small tow truck , but in the meantime I disconnected the battery cable and waited about 15 min. The car cranked and I immediately drove it to dealership. There was no code shown at the dealership and this was the first time they have had dealt with this issue. The mechanic drove the car the next day and the same situation happened again , except this time the key fob worked after several failed attempts . I feel that this is a safety issue because the car failed to operate and had no manual ability to operate without the electronic system functioning properly and this could have happened anyway and stranded my wife and child . A few months before in an unrelated incident , the power trunk malfunctioned and had to be reprogrammed . It would not operate except manually . Car is currently at dealership still being evaluated .

Thermostat issue (steering assist is reduced drive with care) have changed this sensor 3 times in the past 3 years, there is no excuse for that. The emergency braking almost cause me and my daughter to be hit by a train when my car emergency braked while going over train tracks. This is unexcusable.

Onstar/telematics module cuts out, rending gps and onstar functions useless.

Parts # 84733196 harness asm-tras cont wrg and 84955379 switch asm-trns cont have been replaced three times. This is described by dealer as a faulty park switch. When this switch fails the vehicle is unable to be shifted to park. Vehicle needed to be located in a level position, wheels chocked and battery disconnected to safely disable the vehicle. Dealership and general motors has been made aware of problem won't do anything, other that have me pay for the labor and new part to fix it, again. There is no warning ,it simple decides to fail to shift to park.

This is a very known issue that has been reoccurring with GMC Acadia. The torque converter slipping. That cost alone is over $7. 000 for the transmission. I am still making monthly payments for my 2021 Acadia. With rising cost above the board GMC could have resolved this issue before releasing this vehicle to the public for purchase. Only had this vehicle for 2 years and already a new transmission is needed. Other individuals I personally know have the same issue. From my research GMC is aware and fails to do a recall on this issue.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? horn began sounding unexpectedly and intermittently while driving and parked. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? the uncontrollable horn startled surrounding motorists and pedestrians, causing confusion and defensive reactions. While removing the fuse temporarily stopped the noise, it eliminated a critical safety feature. The horn remains inoperable as of 4/6/26. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? GMC dealership. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? GMC dealership. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? no prior warning. Issue began Jan 31, 2025 (66 days after purchasing the brand new vehicle). Timeline of events: Jan 31, 2026: horn began sounding unexpectedly and intermittently while driving and parked. Per dealership advice, the horn fuse was removed to allow for safe travel. Feb 5, 2026: first service visit. Service advisor reported a "kinked wire" was found and repaired. Feb 15, 2026: issue recurred; horn sounded continuously while driving. Fuse was removed again to disable the horn; it has remained inoperable since. Feb 26, 2026: second service visit. Dealership diagnosed the issue as a faulty steering wheel and placed an order (eta: 7–10 days). Mar 3, 2026: follow-up call. Advised the part was under “national control” with an additional 10-day delay. Mar 13, 2026: dealership notified me that the steering wheel request was denied by gm because the part is restricted and the cause remained unproven. Mar 18–20, 2026: third service visit (loaner provided). New diagnosis identified an internal failure in the sir coil. Part was confirmed as backordered.

Vehicle experiences multiple simultaneous failures including “steering assist reduced / drive with care” warning, extremely loud cooling fan operation, temperature gauge not functioning, tire pressure monitoring system failure, and widespread electrical issues (windows, mirrors, infotainment delay). Issues occurred together and are consistent with numerous owner reports for 2019 GMC Acadia models. Condition affects steering assist and engine temperature monitoring, creating a potential safety risk.

Vehicle will not shut off, keep showing shift to park, even when vehicle is in park with parking brake engaged. This has been a common occurrence and I see where people discuss a recall, but one is not available for my VIN.

Shift to park alert continues to come on when car is already shifted into park. Car will not shut off without pulling car back out of park and shifting back into park. Causing a delay in all electrical attached to power down, potentially draining the battery.

The contact owns a 2014 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph, the transmission shifted from 2nd gear to 3rd gear, and the vehicle shuddered before shifting. The failure also occurred while shifting from 4th gear to 5th gear. The contact ran a diagnostic scan and retrieved information for a loss of communication between the tcm and bcm. The failure was intermittent, and there was no warning light illuminated during the failure. The contact stated that the failure was associated with NHTSA campaign number: 14v614000 (electrical system); however, the contact was advised by a local dealer and the manufacturer that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000.

See all problems of the 2014 GMC Acadia 🔎.

The car has over the last few years not turn off due to shift to park. This is concerning, due to we cannot turn the car off unless we strike the shifter few times assuming this is the remedy. It doesn't look like there is any type of recall but there should be.

I experienced the brakes squeaking on and off for a few weeks this past summer. When at the dealership for an oil change, I was told the brakes pads were still good and the squeaking is common, especially during hot humid weather. Since then, I have lost the brakes twice. Both times, the pedal went all the way to the floor without resistance and after a few seconds, they came back like nothing happened. There was no warning at all. I have also experienced a complete blackout on my dashboard for about 30 minutes without known reason. On a separate occasion, the battery died for no reason. There have been times that a message is displayed on the dash to service rear turn signal lights. They flash fast as if they were out, then the next time I drive the car, they are completely normal. From what has been reported, there are some serious concerns with the 2024 Acadia. I have leased 3 Acadia's before this one and have never experienced anything like this. The brakes failing completely could have ended very badly for myself and/or others. There are several other reports of this nature. Please look into recalling this vehicle to prevent fatalities!!.

Pulled into a parking space, put the car into park and tried to shut the car off. The warning system said I needed to shift to park. I was in park but could not shut the car off because the car thought I wasnt in park. Took 15 minutes of shifting from park to all gears and shaking the gear shifter before it finally let me shut the vehicle off. This is now the second time this has happened and ive had to have the same thing repaired. They are replacing the whole shifter assembly. Error reads shift to park. This is happening every few years now and at almost 1000 dollars to repair and only lasting a year or so, this is ridiculous.

My 2023 GMC Acadia experienced a complete electrical system failure while driving on an interstate highway. During the incident, the vehicle lost all electrical power, including hazard lights and steering assistance, and could not be shifted into neutral. The vehicle became immobile in active traffic and required police-ordered towing due to safety risk. This incident was the second alternator failure within six months. The second failure involved a gm-installed replacement alternator that failed prematurely. Both incidents required towing, and the second created a significant roadway safety hazard.

See all problems of the 2023 GMC Acadia 🔎.

Shift to park message has appeared again and the engine will not cut off. First happened in Feb 2020, mileage was 31,143. Took to dealer and new wiring harness was installed. Had to take back to dealer April 2020 for same problem; shifter assembly was replaced at that time. Shift to park message came back on August 2023. Took back to dealer and shifter harness replaced again and jumper harness was installed. Mileage was 52,993. Shift to park message has once again appeared, December 2025. Having to put car in park and push engine on/off button numerous times before engine will finally shut off. . . . . Sometimes having to unhook battery in order to kill the engine. This will be the fourth time we have had the same recurring issue repaired. My husband read through over half the 352 registered complaints and at least three fourths of them were all about the shift to park problem! as a female, I don't feel safe driving my Acadia not knowing if the engine will cut off or if it's actually in park or if the car will roll. Why can't gm fix this issue!!!!!! they should definitely be held accountable instead of ignoring the complaints!.

There are 2 issues im experiencing. The first is the vehicle won't allow me to shut down the engine because it doesnt recognize that its been shifted into "park". Ive already paid close to 800. 00 to. Have this repaired because my model year is not covered in the recall. Today, it started doing it again. The safety issue is that either I, my wife, or my teenage daughter (depending on who is with the vehicle). Can be left stranded, unless we pop the hood and disconnect the battery. The second issue is that the tire pressure monitor is no longer working. It is sending warnings that our tire pressure is low. When its not. The safety issue is needing to pull to the side of the road to check the tire pressure and also not knowing when the vehicle may actually have a low tire.

My car says shift to park when I try to turn it off. Leaving my battery to drain.

After I put my car in park my daughter and I were still in the vehicle for a few minutes getting our things with the engine still running. I got out to get something from the back seat, my daughter got out the passenger door and made it to the driver side as I was closing the back passenger door. I was about to get back on the car to get the rest of my things and turn the ignition off but before I could my car was rolling backwards out of the driveway into the street. I was able to jump in the vehicle and put my foot on the brake and the put the gear into park. There’s no way possible I didn’t put it in park with me getting out already and my daughter couldn’t have accidentally shift the gear because she couldn’t have been able to get out, close the door and make it to the driver side before it started rolling away. Once I got the car stopped, I noticed the driver seat was now all the way to the steering wheel and completely to the floor with the headrest also tilting inwards and now the electrical for the seat will not work. There is a recall for this issue but my VIN# is not included. I cannot even drive my car now because the seat is so far up and inclined. What if the seat moves up more while I’m driving and it has me pinned between the steering wheel and the seat. I don’t feel safe driving it, having my daughter as a passenger and it’s really not safe to be on the road. I’m still paying on this car and now I won’t even be able to drive to work. So I’ll probably lose my job. This car has multiple issues and I think is an electrical problem. It’s also a known major defect on this model but still not a recall for my VIN #! none of my interior sound works. Speakers, blinkers, alerts, back up camera. The auto start won’t start, I have to press the key fob multiple times to lock and unlock. This car is extremely unsafe to drive and I strongly feel my cars VIN# should be listed under the recall. Its going to really affect my daily life and means of income. Lemon!.