Power Train Problems of GMC Acadia - part 1

2020 GMC Acadia bucks/hesitates when I take off or slow down and speed back up. Mechanic looked at it can see engine is having random misfires. We have tried plugs, transmission fluid, looked at everything we could think of. The condition improves if I put into awd but still exists and worsens for a period of time after it shifts back into fwd mode. My mechanic has done a lot of research and found that one possible issue was a stretched timing chain but since it is out of warranty I just couldn't afford to have them tear it down it is an enormous job to see if that was the issue. It also lines up with other known issues like the auto stop issues and possibly a fuel pump issue. I have seen many people complaining online about this particular issue but not many on here and no recalls on my vehicle regarding the known issues.

See all problems of the 2020 GMC Acadia 🔎.

Vehicle ran out of fuel and became disabled in an active roadway/exit ramp. The vehicle retained 12-volt electrical power and the dashboard and electronic controls remained operational. With the brake pedal depressed and the ignition/electrical system on, I attempted to shift the transmission from park to neutral so the vehicle could be pushed out of traffic. The vehicle repeatedly displayed “conditions not correct for shift” and remained locked in park because the engine was not running. There appears to be no driver-accessible mechanical/manual override that allows the transmission to be placed in neutral when the engine cannot run. As a result, a disabled vehicle with functioning electrical power can remain physically immobilized in a live traffic lane, creating a collision hazard and preventing occupants or bystanders from moving it to a safer location. This condition could occur not only from running out of fuel but potentially from any engine failure that prevents the engine from running. I believe the inability to place a disabled vehicle into neutral under these circumstances presents a safety hazard.

Transmission torque converter required replacement.

See all problems of the 2016 GMC Acadia 🔎.

I was at a red light, I went to drive as the light turned green and my car stopped and wouldn’t drive, I could go into neutral to get out of way but anything the car would stop. There is no codes or lights turned on my dash though.

See all problems of the 2019 GMC Acadia 🔎.

I find the location of the lower gear shifters + and - to be physically far away from a driver's normal reach, making a driving hazard. If you want to change gears as is typical in mountain driving in steep descents, the driver has to lean awkwardly away from all mirrors and standard driving position making it a potentially hazardous situation for the driver and occupants to be in. It has nothing to do with comfort, but rather normal functionality, keeping the driver and their attention unadjusted on the road, all surroundings with minimal, if any changes to their physical posture while in the drivers seat. The location of the gear shifters are in a totally unorthodox location, nearer to the passenger, rather than the driver.

See all problems of the 2023 GMC Acadia 🔎.

While attempting to turn vehicle off, the message shift to park was given. Could not shut vehicle off! has happened multiple times in the past, then disappears for awhile. Comes back again at will. Have seen multiple complaints on this issue falling back to a defective micro-switch within the shifter assym. Former gm tech here---.

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission failed to properly shift gears and the vehicle failed to exceed 40 mph while driving. The contact stated that the transmission failed to shift above third gear. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who discovered that there was no transmission fluid inside the torque converter. The vehicle was scanned and displayed an issue with the transmission control module. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 20v668000 (power train). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 154,429.

Thermostat and cooling sensor went out on my car. GMC issued a special coverage bulletin for 2021 Acadia since it's a widespread issue but not the 2020 (mine) which is also a widespread issue looking online. The repair is over $1000 and should be covered!.

On xxx at 1:56pm, I took the vehicle to jiffy lube service center #810 for the "quick oil change service" which includes checking and filling the tranmission/axle fluid. Per the attached receipt the transmission/axle fluid was "ok", and the next service was recommended after 5,000 addtional miles from the then current mileage of 153,317. On the morning o xxx, the car began experiencing issues identical to vehicle recall NHTSA id number: 20v668000. The check engine light turned on and the vehicle could maintain proper propulsion. On xxx at 3:25pm est, I took the vehicle to autozone store #01664, whose "fixfinder" computer diagnostic inicated code po700 "transmission control module requested mil illumination". On xxx, I had the car towed to a private mechanic who inspected the vehicle and indicated that the transmission had "no fluid" despite having the fluids verified by jiffy lube on xxx. The mechanic suggested there may be a GMC service issue that required GMC remediation to due faulty internals which resulted in the transmission fluid leakage and subsequent triggering of the transmission computer module and related propulsion failure. As of today xxx, the vehicle is experiencing the same condition as indicated in vehicle recall NHTSA id number: 20v668000, which is creating additonal risk of vehicular accident/crash and vehicle fire in the presence of the ignition source. The milage is now 155,520. I am requesting this vehicle be serviced as part of recall NHTSA id number: 20v668000, you can verify from the vehicle registration from the divison of motor vehicles and via carfax that I purchased this vehicle used, the vehiclee has at least 1 (maybe 2) prior owners. I am requesting the vehicle (VIN [xxx]) receive the mandated recall service which will resolve the afformentioned issues and remove the related risks for myself, my passengers and all other motorists who are sharing the road. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Vehicle has experienced multiple electrical and mechanical failures at unusually low mileage. Purchased at 32,000 miles. At approximately 50,000 miles, the factory radio/infotainment system failed completely. Electrical systems were observed remaining active after the vehicle was powered off, suggesting an underlying electrical fault. At approximately 60,000 miles, the power steering rack and fuel pump both required full replacement and were confirmed and replaced by an authorized dealership. No warning lights appeared prior to these failures — components failed without any prior indication. At approximately 100,000 miles, the transmission began failing and exhibits the known torque converter shudder issue widely reported on this vehicle platform. The shudder was present prior to full transmission failure symptoms appearing. The pattern of premature failures across multiple unrelated systems — electrical, steering, fuel delivery, and transmission — suggests a broader manufacturing defect.

See all problems of the 2017 GMC Acadia 🔎.

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the transmission and torque converter were previously replaced twice; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.

The contact owns a 2014 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while in park(p), the vehicle rolled, requiring the driver to turn off and restart the vehicle, and the vehicle successfully shifted in park(p). Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked. The contact stated that while driving 60-65 mph, the vehicle shut off, and the steering wheel and the wheels locked up. The contact was barely able to pull over to the side of the road, where the contact waited before restarting the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was recently illuminated. The vehicle was towed to two independent mechanics, where several diagnostic trouble codes associated with the transmission and the transmission module and solenoid were retrieved. The contact was then referred to a transmission specialist, where the vehicle was towed and was being diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

See all problems of the 2014 GMC Acadia 🔎.

Without warning transmission overheated, blew out fluid and caught the front end of the vehicle on fire.

Hesitants and shudders when shifting into 2nd gear.

See all problems of the 2018 GMC Acadia 🔎.

When I shift my 2019 GMC Acadia into park, the warning message reads shift to park and there is a ding warning that plays for several mins. This has been going on for over a year. I took it to the dealership and they said they could repair it for $1000 dollars but the solenoid was only guaranteed for 30 days. There is no possible way a dealership can expect a person to pay $1000 dollars a month to keep their family and transportation safe.

The contact owns a 2012 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to release from low gear while at a stop. The transmission was backed up. The engine light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who confirmed there were no recalls. The failure mileage was approximately 213,766.

See all problems of the 2012 GMC Acadia 🔎.

The transmission kept slipping. The car continued to lose power until it just wouldn't go anymore. The mechanic said it is definitely the transmission and drive shaft but my particular VIN is not included. I am looking at $7,000 in repairs on a car I owe $13,000. 00.

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked on an incline with the engine turned off, the contact's toddler was able to shift into drive(d), and the vehicle rolled backwards, hit a light pole and a basketball stand, causing damage to the front driver-side door. No police report was filed, and no injuries were reported. The contact was unable to shift back into park(p) and was forced to start the vehicle in neutral(n). The contact was then unable to shut off the vehicle as the gear shifter was no longer in park(p). Upon investigation, the contact learned that it was necessary to manually flip a switch underneath the gear console for the vehicle to register that it was in park(p). The contact initially took the vehicle to the independent mechanic but was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact submitted a claim with pictures and videos of the failure. The contact was then instructed to take the vehicle to a dealer for an inspection. The contact was later informed by the claim manager that the claim would be denied, and no further assistance was offered. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 99,968.

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the shift to parking warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the failure occurred while the vehicle was parked. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, however the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that upon parking and attempting to turn off the vehicle, the message “action required. Shift to park” was displayed while the gear shifter was in park(p). The vehicle failed to turn off. The contact moved the gear shifter back and forth until the vehicle registered it was in park (p). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who replaced a wiring harness and switch. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,757.

Engine has a noise (chirp) when vehicle delivered. Found out after purchase that a known problem was present in the engine compartment that engineering has been unable to identify. Bulletin #pip6045b (oct20,2025) document id:7006702 with the engine failures general motors have had I have concerned about operating. A failure could result in danger to the occupants.

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into park and failed to shut off. There was a shift to a park error message displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a contact issue in the transmission box. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 91,355.

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that upon parking the vehicle and attempting to turn off the vehicle, the message "shift to park" was displayed while the gear shifter was in park(p). The contact parked the vehicle and turned off the vehicle after several attempts. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 149,000.

Vehicle would not run due to a failed fuel pump control module. With a non-running engine, the transmission could not be placed into neutral to be able to movie vehicle out of the road. Needed tow truck to move vehicle. This condition placed many people at risk as the vehicle could not be moved out of the way until a tow truck arrived.

The vehicle has a serious transmission/drivetrain defect that repeatedly occurs when accelerating from a complete stop, especially onto an incline. The vehicle sometimes does not respond at all when the accelerator is pressed and fails to move, even though acceleration is being requested. In one recent incident, it remained stopped for about one minute before finally responding. During these events, the vehicle jerks and shakes severely and fails to gain speed as expected. This creates a major safety risk at stop signs, intersections, and uphill starts because the vehicle may not move when needed and cannot keep up with traffic. The problem has worsened, and during one of these incidents the check engine light came on. I have video evidence showing the loss of response to accelerator input, severe jerking/shaking, and the check engine light illuminating during the same event. The issue has been reported to dealers and gm customer service but has not been properly resolved.

See all problems of the 2025 GMC Acadia 🔎.

The "shift to park" continues to pop up and can take as long as 20 minutes to get it to go off. From what I have seen this is a super common issues for the 2019 models and why there isn't an active recall I am not sure. Getting pretty frustrating when I have read 100s of complaints about the same thing and gm isn't doing anything about it.

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 🔎.

It has the abs lights on and tire traction light on check engine light on and given signs of failed transmission slow to takeoff shuttering of transmission.

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.

The contact owns a 2023 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled, and the engine lost automotive power. The vehicle was able to restart. During a second failure, the vehicle lost automotive power and stalled in the middle of the highway, and the vehicle was unable to restart. An alert message was sent by onstar reporting a transmission or engine failure and advised that the vehicle needed immediate service. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a fuel pump module failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 24,749.

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while shifting into park(p), the gear shift indicator failed to display that the vehicle was in park(p) on the instrument panel, even though the vehicle was in park(p). The gear shifter was shifted continuously until the gear shift indicator recognized that the vehicle was in park(p) on the instrument panel. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 21,000.

The torque converter has been going since before I bought this vehicle. When the rpms are between one and two, the entire vehicle starts shaking and there is no acceleration. This is a huge safety concern, especially with traffic.

Transmission jerks and shakes the vehicle when shifting in certain conditions.

See all problems of the 2015 GMC Acadia 🔎.

We purchased our 2024 Acadia in June 2025. Since we have had the vehicle, it has been in the shop going on 6 times. First the sunroof seal came off, then the antenna cover fell off, the driver side rear panel had to be replaced because it was coming off. Once all this was done then the vehicle started leaking transmission fluid, took it to the dealer to get fixed, once we get it back the coolant starts leaking from the radiator hose, took it in to get repaired, now there is knocking noise coming from the engine/hood. Every time we take it in to get repaired a new problem pops up. We purchased the vehicle to have a safe way to get our kids around and it has been nothing but a headache and run around from the dealership. GMC really needs to resolve this issue. Parts seem to be on never-ending backorder with no eta.

I believe my car should be included in this recall. I've had the dealer check and they say it's nothing wrong with my car. 2020 GMC Acadia fuel pump recall GMC has announced that 2781 vehicles have been affected by a fuel pump recall. General motors llc (gm) is recalling certain 2020 Buick enclave, Cadillac xt5, Cadillac xt6, Chevrolet traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles. The fuel pump's jet nozzle may have a plastic burr remaining from the manufacturing process, possibly causing a blocked nozzle and an insufficient fuel supply to the engine. Insufficient fuel supply can result in an engine stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash. 2020 GMC Acadia recall fuel pump gm will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump module. The recall began November 16, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. Gm's number for this recall is n202314760.