Power Train Problems of GMC Acadia - part 1

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!.

See all problems of the 2018 GMC Acadia 🔎.

There is a "shift to park" alert that is listed as a recall from 2017-2019 GMC Acadia's. I have this alarm but apparently my VIN is not affected. I would like this to be investigated as it seems my vehicle should be included in the recall.

See all problems of the 2019 GMC Acadia 🔎.

Shift to park message comes up and vehicle will not turn off. This happens frequently and so far I have been able to get it to shift into park by clicking the lever on the shifter multiple times.

My 2014 GMC Acadia constantly displays “service stabilitrak,” “service traction control,” abs, brake, and check-engine warning lights. The vehicle will not accelerate past 40 mph under normal driving. Recently, the vehicle began showing “engine power reduced” randomly without any warning, and the vehicle loses power suddenly. The obd2 code p1682 (ignition 1 circuit/relay failure) appears every time. This issue has caused the vehicle to jerk, lose acceleration, and even stall in the middle of an intersection during rush-hour traffic while my children were in the car, creating a serious safety hazard. These warnings and symptoms are constant, and the power-reduction events occur unpredictably. No official inspection has been completed by the manufacturer. The failed component is still in the vehicle and available for inspection. The malfunction affects traction control, stability control, braking systems, and engine power, putting occupants and other drivers at risk.

See all problems of the 2014 GMC Acadia 🔎.

Car stalls and transmission dies.

The transmission is shuttering and jerking, had it diagnosed and was told that the torque converter is going out with only 137,000 miles on my 2019 GMC Acadia.

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and occupied, the shift to park message was displayed while the vehicle was in park. Neither an independent mechanic nor the dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number:17v516000 (power train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 113,000.

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate while attempting to shift gears. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked and made an abnormal sound, with the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated there was black and white smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission, cooling system, and fuel system failures. The dealer also determined that the engine was leaking oil. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle required several repairs. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 126,000.

Urgent safety defect — recurring “shift to park” — rollaway risk vehicle: GMC Acadia | ~99,684miles same defect repaired free under gm goodwill in 2021 (shifter replacement, TSB 19-na-206) after 4 failed attempts. Now failed again in 2025 — vehicle will not shut off, drains battery, risks unintended rollaway. Gm dealer refuses repeat coverage despite prior admission of defect. This is a known design flaw — thousands of complaints — no recall. Demand immediate safety recall — this is a fire/rollaway hazard. Attached: 2019- 2021 repair order ($0), TSB 19-na-206, prior NHTSA complaint, previous tac case: 9-6623251184.

1. Shift to park failure, p0700/p187e internal sensor, causing me to have to get a rebuilt transmission. 10/2025 2. Transmission shudder/hard-shifting ongoing 2022-2025 3. Coolant/thermostat issues. Steering assist reduced" message, fans stay on high, no ac, engine temp on zero ongoing since 2024 3. Start/stop button failure multiple times (replaced 3 times) 4. Rack and pinion/steering gear (would not return/ got stuck while turning) got new rack and pinion 2023 5. Water pump leaking, replaced 4/2024 6. Since 2023, have had ongoing “timing over advanced”, warning issues since 2023. This is too much for a new car!!! I’ve owned many cars and never had this many issues!!! there appears to be multiple design flaws with this model and similar models!.

See all problems of the 2020 GMC Acadia 🔎.

Driving down the street and I heard a extremely loud drop. The transmission went out with no warning or even indication of trouble. The vehicle ran very smooth until that point.

See all problems of the 2017 GMC Acadia 🔎.

I own a GMC Acadia 2019. The problem that is happening has to do wiyj "shift park" message I am getting when I turn off my car. It is "in park" but this message in instrument panel shows and keep beeping. After several shifting in different gears stop sometimes , sometimes not. I see some messages that there has been a recall, others saying not. I see a lot of Acadia 2019 owners are having this issue. I will try to coontact dealer but it looks like they are not helping others.

The contact's boyfriend owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked abnormally while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure; however, the mechanic stated that the failure was related to the transmission. The contact called two local dealers about the failure, and both stated that the vehicle could not be serviced in the near future. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that after arriving to her destination and shifting into park(p), the message "please shift to park" was displayed and the vehicle was unable to be turned off. After several attempts, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was, 88,000.

Thermostat fails. Steering assist reduced message comes up on dash. Temperature gauge stops working, air conditioning stops working and engine fans run constantly when vehicle is running. I had the dealership fix and replace under warranty the first time and now it happened again a second time.

I own a 2019 GMC Acadia slt. The problem started after arriving at my destination and shifting into park. The message "shift to park" was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle can sometimes be turned off and sometimes instrument panel continues to ding and does not shut off. After several attempts the vehicle can returned to normal and sometimes it does not. This problem is a regular occurrence. No warning lights illuminate. The vehicle was taken to a dealer on my way home from a long trip. The service tech stated that there has been a lot of complaints and he was surprised there were no recalls for this problem. The problem still persists on and off daily. The failure mileage was 49,000.

Received message "steering assist is reduced. Drive with care". This is related to a faulty thermostat and temperature sensor.

See all problems of the 2021 GMC Acadia 🔎.

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while attempting to turn off the vehicle, the "shift to park" message was displayed, preventing the vehicle from turning off. After researching the failure, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 23v172000 (power train). The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that a diagnostic test was needed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while shifted into park(p), the vehicle was unable to be turned off. The message "shift to park" was displayed on the instrument panel even though the gear shifter was in park(p). The gear shifter was shifted to park(p) and wiggled several times before the transmission was properly shifted into park and the vehicle was turned off. The contact stated that the failure had occurred once before, and the battery cables were disconnected to turn off the vehicle. The contact became aware of an undisclosed recall online; however, the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 51,800.

Transmission feels like it’s slipping, almost like a jerky shift from any stop, seems like a common issue and should be recalled!.

*transmission or torque converter. *vehicle shuddering or shaking at low speeds or when shifting. *studders while trying to drive fromstop. Can casue accident. Check engine lights or any warnings prior to failure. Not accuse anything when checked by diagnostice tool. *issue started in sept but is ongoing.

Ongoing issue with the 2019 GMC Acadia, "shift to park" shows on dashboard when vehicle is in park. Unable to turn the vehicle off.

Shift into park alert after car is in park.

When I shift my car to park, it doesn't register that it is in park. It won't let me shut the car off. I can move the gear shift around a bit and it will eventually say it is in park. It can take sometimes up to 10 minutes for me to be able to shut off my car. I have read that this is a known issue and there was a recall, but my VIN number was not included for some reason? the issue started about a month ago and has been continually getting worse.

Car keeps throwing poo14 code for vvt sensor, I’ve replaced the sensors and checked wiring on the side of the road and no damage found, went online and read multiple complaints and recalls on the same issue I’m having with my car. I enter my VIN and no recalls have been found. I have a 2020 GMC Acadia denali 3. 6l v6. As well and the rear view camera cutting in and out multiple times anlmost causing an wreck. And a system update didn’t fix the issue.

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that upon attempting to turn off the vehicle, the vehicle failed to register that the transmission was in park(p) and the vehicle failed to turn off. The contact stated that the vehicle continued to beep. The "shift to park" message was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle required to be turned off and restarted several times, or to be driven to shift to park(p) successfully. Upon investigation the failure, the contact linked the failure to gm technical service bulletins: 18-na-297 and 19-na-206. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a faulty shift control, and the dealer determined that the shift assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 52,280.

Shift to park warning. Vehicle will not power down.

Vehicle will shutter or buck at variable speeds like, 35-38 mph, 40-45 mph and so on. If I take my foot of the gas and reapply it will shutter buck again at almost any speed. I took it to a mechanic and there are no codes, no check engine light. Shop recommended changing the transmission fluid so we did. Car still responds the same way, shutters and bucks when reapplying fuel pedal or slow acceleration.

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was slipping while attempting to change gears. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

Valve body car would not go in park.

In March 2025 my 2019 arcadia with only 44112 miles begin indicating a shift to park error message when I parked and shifted into park the error message showed on the instrument panel and the warning alarm sounded and would not stop showing the error message until I restarted the car and shifted from drive to park repeatedly. I couldn’t get out and close the door, and the warning stop, it would continue to sound the warning. The only way to stop the warning message and alarm was to stay in the car and repeatedly start the car shift to drive into park switch it off and if it still showed the error and warning, do it all over again. This could take up to several minutes and many tries. If I had of left the car all the warning would have been sounding indicating it wasn't in park. I didn't know if it was really in park or not and if not, the car could have potentially rolled off causing injury or damage. To try and determine what was the cause of this problem I searched the internet to find a solution, to do a reset or simple fix and discovered that GMC had known about this issue since 2016 and the only solution was an in the shop repair requiring replacement of some parts. The "shift to park" error in GMC vehicles is considered a safety issue by many owners and has led to class-action lawsuits. The issue, which prevents vehicles from recognizing when they are in park, can lead to the engine not shutting off, potential for vehicle roll away, and even entrapment inside the vehicle. On April 16, 2025 I had the repair done at hayward allen, Cadillac – GMC dealership, 2590 atlanta highway, athens georgia 30604. The total repair cost was $732. 36 (invoice attached). ). I sent a copy of this invoice by email to GMC customer service. After customer service reviewed the amount they call and informed me they could only reimburse me a total of $73. 24.

I noticed when I put my car in park and turn key off, it’ll ding to warn me to “shift into park” this been becoming a problem recently and it’s been happening more often.

When trying to park car, vehicle will not detect the shifter is in park. If the car does not detect its in park it will not turn off and stays running hampering your exit from the vehicle. This is truly an unsafe condition due to not knowing how to get the car to shut down as well as not knowing if the car will roll if you do get out.

Shift to park issue. This 2019 Acadia denali has been serviced twice for a shift to park issue:(it’s a known problem that occurs when Acadia vehicles fail to recognize that the gear shifter is in the park position). The first time was under warranty in 2022 and it has just been serviced again for the same problem. The system is the same as the older gm recall for this problem and the recall should also include this model as well but unfortunately it does not.

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the gear shifter was shifted into park(p), but the “shift to park” message was displayed. The vehicle made chiming sounds. The contact shifted the gear shifter back and forth, then shifted into park(p) before the proper gear was recognized. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.