Steering Problems of GMC Acadia - part 1

I was driving home and about 10 minutes into my drive I got a notification about my steering assistance being disabled. When I arrived home about 10 minutes or so later and went to shut my car off I noticed that a very loud fan sound from the hood of my vehicle began roaring. I restarted my car and it went away. I looked at my temperature gauge and it was all the way on c. I tried shutting my car off again and the loud electrical fan sound picked right back up again. I stayed in my vehicle while it was turned off waiting to see if it would stop while trying to call for answers. I couldn’t risk having a dead battery for work tomorrow morning. After what was about 6-7 minutes the electrical fan finally shut off. Turns out my aunt just had this exact same issue with her 2021 GMC Acadia as well. According to reddit many people are having this issue yet there is still no recall for this problem. My car is only at 85k miles, has always been dealership maintained and has never had any issues like this until now. If this is a wide spread make and model issue a recall should have been issued.

See all problems of the 2021 GMC Acadia 🔎.

While driving, error popped up stating steering assist is reduced; drive with caution. Heat was no longer working. Engine temp was reading cold even though vehicle had been running for half hour and temp outside was 65 f. After vehicle was stopped, engine fan ran very loudly for at least 15 minutes. Took vehicle in to have diagnostics ran, and received error p0128 pointing to faulty engine coolant thermostat and sensor. Also received u0401 indicating insufficient data coming from ecm/pcm. I was told that together with u0401 and p0128 together indicate a communication problem between control modules. Check engine light was never on.

Recently took vehicle for alignment for a pull to the right. After 3 alignments at the dealership I was told the rack and pinion gear sensor shorted out causing the vehicle to pull to the right. Also the exhaust has a rattle in the resonator confirmed by 2 sources. I asked the dealer to fix years ago under bumper to bumper and TSB pit5863. I was told not enough techs and not enough time so now the warranty is expired and the issue isn't fixed.

I have a 2021 GMC Acadia that keeps saying steering assist not available. But when it does this, the temperature gage stops working and so does the ac. After you turn the car off the fan still runs for at least 10 minutes.

Vehicle keeps intermittently coming up with "power steering reduced: drive with care," during this my steering is perfectly fine, however my a/c stops blowing cold air, the temperature gauge stops working and my engine fan is running constantly. This is obviously a well known issue since googling that warning and my vehicle it comes up with the issue and what the cause is. Which the cause is from the thermostat remaining open and allowing coolant to run through the system, even when the vehicle is not overheating. I just bought this vehicle used from my local dealership and am surprised that gm has not recognized this is an issue affecting numerous vehicle. This should at the very least be put as a warranty covered issue!.

See all problems of the 2017 GMC Acadia 🔎.

While driving at highway speeds, a warning appeared on the driver information center (dic): “steering assist is reduced – drive with care. ” simultaneously, the temperature gauge was stuck on “c,” the radiator cooling fan ran at high speed, and the air conditioning stopped blowing cold air. After researching the issue, I discovered that these symptoms are commonly linked to a failing thermostat—a known and widespread problem with gm’s 3. 6l lgx engine. Unfortunately, replacing the thermostat on this engine is not a simple repair, often requiring significant labor and cost. The most concerning aspect is the loss of steering assist, which poses a serious safety risk, especially at highway speeds. Given the frequency of this issue across many gm vehicles, it’s clear that this is a defective part and not an isolated incident. Gm should take responsibility and cover the cost of repairs for affected vehicles. This is not just a mechanical failure—it’s a safety hazard that deserves immediate attention. I'm attaching a picture of the message as well a paid repair invoice from the work the dealer performed to replace the thermostat on my vehicle.

Bought new 2025 GMC Acadia in March of same year. At ~4500 miles I started getting brake assist, forward collision and electronic stability control warning messages on dash. Upon researching, this is an increasingly common issue with this vehicle that can render the brakes unusable. I no longer feel safe in the vehicle and want it refunded. Car is now in the shop. Taken in on 9/11. Problem has been confirmed by dealer.

I have had multiple sensor issues with my Acadia since reaching 60000 miles. Currently, there is a thermostat sensor causing hard shifting, no cold air blowing from the ac, stabilitrack, traction control, steering assist reduced and fan running after turning off. I would not report it but I am in a facebook group where multiple people are reporting having the same issue in their Acadia's.

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Due to negligence of GMC wright of wexford during the replacement of 3rd new transmission they did not clamp a hose together causing coolant to leak and my thermostat to come on n off. Causing further damage to my vehicle.

See all problems of the 2019 GMC Acadia 🔎.

The contact owned a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at 20 mph and attempting to adjust the steering wheel, the steering column and the steering wheel detached and fell in the contact’s lap. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the steering column and steering wheel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 125,298.

Upon starting the vehicle the vehicle immediately starting moving while foot on brake and moved from park to reverse or drive. Unable to stop the vehicle in idle gear and no gas pedal applied. Power steering warning and no brake assist warning on the dash. Unable to stop vehicle within 20ft while traveling at idle speed. Vehicle lights and warnings have been reproduced and is currently at a dealership awaiting further inspection. Vehicle is available for third party inspection if needed. Vehicle at barker Buick GMC, 6444 w main st, houma, la 70360 on 8/4/25.

Last week, the coolant gauge , on our 2019 GMC Acadia, was reading below "c". . . . The "steering assist" warning was disabled on the on-screen display and the air conditioning stopped working. Took the car to a mechanic, who read the codes. . . . Mechanic stated that all symptoms were based on a defective gm thermostat. The thermostat was "stuck-open" causing the "steering assist" to be disabled as well as the a/c from being disabled as well. It seems gm has updated the part since when the series of Acadia were manufactured. After getting it repaired, at of our pockets, we researched and noticed that thousands of other gm Acadia owners had the same exact 3 symptoms: (1) malfunctioning coolant reading (2) "steering assist" disabled (3) a defective ("stuck-open") thermostat. . . . . Symptoms were exactly the same for all parties involved. We have owned many vehicles never had a thermostat fail before 65k miles. . . . It became a safety issue since the car disables the "steering assist" based on the thermostat being stuck open. Contacted gm corporate which stated unless a recall, there would be no compensation. Gm needs to make it right for the thousands of gm owners whose car has the 3. 6l engine in short, this is a major issue since the car's steering system is not working correctly we would like a recall to be initiated. Thank you.

Battery saver ignited comes on and and the entire dash flickers and turns off ! this happened in a middle of an intersection and I could move my car. We jumped it and went to the nearest auto zone replaced the battery . It was pulling 89 amps . The next day it popped up again and we replaced the alternator. Upon replacing this there was oil everywhere! and we don’t know where it is coming from . Now shift into part light comes on !.

See all problems of the 2018 GMC Acadia 🔎.

Car driven off the lot 06/14/2025 on Sunday 07/06/25 (21 days from purchase) while driving home from a 30 minutes away from home trip with 3 young children with me, the car gave multiple alerts and service warnings. "service brake assist" and "service ecs" lights / symbols related to the following were also displayed: traction control system (tcs)/ electronic control stability light, anti-lock brakey system (abs); brake system warning light, forward collision alert and break light I stopped the car immediately and pulled to the side of the road. After restarting vehicle, lights were still displayed and service alerts still on. Power steering was very diminished and the breaks were struggle to break. Acceleration was also impacted and every time I breaked it appeared as though the car was trying to accelerate. I was able to drive the car home slowly following back roads. On Monday 07/07/25 I called the dealership and arranged a tow to their facility. On Tuesday 07/08/25 after multiple "unavailable to take your calls" I was finally able to connect with a service technician who indicated the break master cylinder needed to be replaced. I was not given an eta on the completion of this repair. I have owned the car for 21 days. It has 1073 miles on it!!! I have 3 young children! the original route home was via a very heavy interstate! what if the brakes failed me while driving an interstate! I praise god I was able to get home safely with my children.

About a month ago when I shifted my vehicle into park and shut the vehicle off, "shift to park" appeared on dash display for which I had to restart the vehicle, shift it into another gear and attempt to shutoff the vehicle again. Occasionally this would work but not all the time. Other times when shifting into other gears did not work I had to restart the vehicle, press the shifter button multiple times and then was able to shut the car off with no "shift to park" appearing. On 7/11/25, arrived to work and had to performed the shifting the vehicle into another gear and was able to shut the vehicle off. When I went to leave for lunch, the car would not start at all, check the gm app and it stated "critically low battery". A CO-worker helped jump the battery and I was able to start the vehicle. When I went to leave work for the day, the vehicle would not start again with no notification as to why. My CO-worker jumped the battery again and vehicle started now with all the system lights on dash staying on and warnings displayed. 7/12/25 vehicle struggled to start and all system lights were still on. Later in the day, the vehicle would not start and all overhead, dash, display, taillights would not shut off. We jumped the battery and took the vehicle to our local dealer.

The contact owns a 2012 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that shortly after purchasing the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who discovered that the catalytic convertor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The mechanic also inspected the vehicle and determined that the steering rack, front struts, and suspension control arms were also faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 130,000.

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An error pops on the dash that says steering assist is reduced-drive with care, and the thermostat gauge does not work, nor does the air conditioner and the vehicle fan under the hood is extremely loud. This has been happening intermittently since September 2024. Basic research on the internet is showing many people have the same issue with these vehicles. Further research suggests possible vehicle computer system issues. I don't know why there isn't a recall already.

See all problems of the 2020 GMC Acadia 🔎.

Power steering system fails intermittently. Power steering goes and comes back on without warning, causing the driver to oversteer the vehicle. Mechanic performed software update, which did not fix the problem and told me the power steering module needs to be replaced, which would be over $1,000 for the part, plus labor and re-alignment. Additionally, the replacement power steering module is not currently available - it is on backorder.

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware that the steering wheel was inoperable, with the message “steering assist reduced” displayed. The contact stated that the steering wheel was loosened and became difficult to turn. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the thermostat coolant sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 80,510.

Im a travel nurse and I was working in vermont. As I was driving on the highway in new york on my way back home a shift to park light came on, a stabilitrak light came on, power steering light came on, abs light came on, and my check engine light also came on. My vehicle started slowing down as I was driving and my lights on my dashboard were turning on and off and my speedometer was not working. I was able to pull to the side off the highway so I could get out of harms way. I made a call to onstar for help and they asked to if I made it to a safe location. As the car was still on I was able to take the next exit and ended up in an auto zone parking lot. As I made it in the parking lot I turned the vehicle off but only the engine turned off but everything else stayed on and the shift to park light kept coming on when the vehicle was in park. I was in the parking lot for 3-4 hours freezing in my vehicle until onstar came to tow my vehicle. By the time onstar came my battery in my car had drained and it was a new battery. I was told that I would have to contact auto transport to transport my vehicle to louisiana at the dealership where the vehicle was purchased. I paid $1600 to transport my vehicle back home and I had to find a way to make it back to louisiana. I didn’t have a credit card so a friend of mine was able to rent me a vehicle to get home and I paid a total of $1700 on a rental because the dealership in louisiana couldn’t give me a time or date the vehicle would have been finished. I have been to the dealership 3 times now for the same problem in less than a week. I have paid $1500 altogether to fix damages on my car that I noticed other vehicles with the same make and model had the same issues. I never had a problem with my vehicle before everything just started happening all at once. I’m currently having to pay for car rentals to get to and from work and to make sure my kids get back and forth to school. My vehicle in at the dealership again for the 3rd t.

When it rains(or car wash) my power locks don't work. I get locked out of my car. My car reset itself in the middle of an intersection(like I turned it off and back on again). One of my gauges is always not working. The sunroof doesn't work right. Water is getting in the electrical area somehow. I've taken it to two Chevrolet dealerships, but no help.

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while shifting the gear shifter into park(p), the "shift to park” message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact was forced to shift from drive(d) to park(p) repeatedly before the failure was corrected. In addition, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel would become sticky with the "steering assist reduced - drive with care," message displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the infotainment system glitched and performed independent functions, causing the driver to be distracted. The contact stated that the infotainment system was replaced when the vehicle was purchased due to the failure; however, the failure recently recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of several failures and informed the contact that there were no recalls on the VIN. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

See attached document for complaint.

See all problems of the 2023 GMC Acadia 🔎.

Engine light warning displayed, temp gauge on display needle remains far left c and doesn’t deviate from that position, steering assist warning displayed, and fan runs for a few moments after the engine is shut off.

My steering assist is coming on an the thermostat play apart in this. The thermostat need to be change. 2018-GMC-acadia are having problems with these parts.

Steering assist is reduced drive with care. Everyone is have a problem with the 2018-GMC-acadia thermostat is bad.

" steering assistant reduced, drive care" " power steering ,drive with care". My car has been properly maintained, and has no issues, but this messages that keep coming up out of nowhere. And when it comes out my steering wheel gets very hard and stiff, causing me to almost get in accident in highway. This is definitely a factory defect that needs to be recalled and taken care of.

I purchased my 2023 arcadia ffwd slt a few months ago used with 11,000 miles. During the past few months I have noticed when reaching a speed of 45-60 mph the vehicle vibrates. I took the vehicle to the dealership on 10-10-24 and they said they could not find anything but they did not do an intensive problem search. I am concerned the problem may be related to a transmission recall dated 6/23. I did a search but no recalls came up my VIN but the vehicle has a major vibration when going 45-60 mph.

Within a day of taking possession of the car, September 20, 2024, with odometer reading 76,352 , warning message in instrument cluster appears stating action required “steering assist is reduced, drive with care”. Following day, a/c stop working while driving. When park, I can hear radiator fan, running full speed (louder than normal). While driving at night, headlights are not bright, specially the high beam. On September 23, 2024, took it back to dealership I purchased the vehicle. They have the vehicle in the shop to fix the issues. Vehicle was ready for pick up September 27, 2024. September 29, 2024. Message in instrument cluster screen re-appear stating “action required, steering assist reduced drive with care”; check engine light came on, remote start key not working, a/c stop working again, radiator fan running full speed and loud , headlights are still not bright, infotainment screen glitching, will not stay in home button and making clicking sound. Went back to dealership so that they can fix it. Diagnostic code : p0128. They were able to have a/c working when I left the shop. And no messages on the instrument cluster. Following day, I have all the same issues I have before. My appointment to come back in to the shop to fix the thermostat issue I was October 10, 2024, on October 9, additional problems occur on top of the issue I am having. While driving and accelerating multiple lights on the instrument cluster screen appears on top of other issues and car decelerates. The check engine light came on, steering assist reduced drive with care , parking brake, car stability comes on and message stating engine power is reduced. This happened while driving on a highway at night on my way to work. I had to have the vehicle towed to the dealership. .

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering assist warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the warning light then turned off independently. In addition, the contact stated that the air conditioning failed to function as intended and the interior of the vehicle became extremely hot. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The contact stated the vehicle was taken to the dealer in 2024 for the failure, and the contact was informed that the power steering assist feature had failed, and the software needed to be updated. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for a diagnostic test, and a case number would then be provided. The failure mileage was unknown.

Last week I parked in a large public parking lot and attempted to turn my car off. I received a notification in my dash to “shift to park” even though my car was already in park. I was unable to turn the car off or lock the doors. I ended up having to leave. I have now gotten this message six times in the past week. It can take up to twenty minutes to get the car to turn off so I can exit. Yesterday upon returning to the car I showed an error message as soon as I started it that the parking brake needed service, stabilitrak is disabled and steering assist is disabled- drive with care. As I tried to exit the parking lot, I found it almost impossible to turn the steering week. I pulled over and restarted the car, releasing the steering wheel so I could get home. This morning, all of the service lights were on and periodic warnings flashed on my dash throughout my drive to work. I contacted the dealership and was told that there is a recall for this exact issue on the 2015-2018 models of my car. I have a 2019. This is certainly a dangerous issue that should be proactively fixed and is clearly still present in years that are not being included in the recall. I was told my car was one month past its warranty and told I could pay 250$ for the issue to be assessed and then they could quote me on a fix. The dealership acknowledged that this is an issue they regularly fix.

The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while driving 50 mph, the vehicle suddenly decelerated to 35 mph. The vehicle stalled, and the "steering assistance reduced" message was displayed. The vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer the following day, where it was diagnosed that the accelerator pedal and terminal connector was bent. The dealer retrieved dtc codes: p2138, p2122. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 27,792.

On July 26, 2024, I was driving my 2018 Acadia, with my cruise control set to 48 in a 45 mhp zone. Nearing a bad curve, I sneezed. When this happened, I tapped the brakes to disengage the cruise control, my passengers side tires exited the road and with both hands on the wheel I tried to slowly bring my tires back to the road. However, I was unable to gain control and totaled the vehicle. A witness stated that she heard a loud pop coming from the vehicle before the wreck happened. I later learned from my insurance that the vehicle had a recall 17v516000 on it and I was never made aware of it. I believe that this was a factor in me not being able to control the vehicle.

When attempting to park vehicle, the alert "shift to park" populates and the car will not completely shut down. This happens sporadically and can take up to 15 minutes to get vehicle in the right position to completely park and shut off. If it's not in the proper park position, the car can continue running, battery drainage and possible roll out of place. This also causes issues with the transmission not shutting off. I have not had this particular vehicle inspected, but contact with dealer service departments confirms continued complaints of this issue and it has not been addressed by GMC/general motors. Problem has been occurring at various times over last 3 years.

I purchased this car in may 2024 and it has done this since the day I bought it. When I shift into park and turn the car off it alerts me that I need to shift into park but it already is, I have to squeeze/jiggle the button on the shifter to make it stop. I feel this could cause some serious problems.