2007-2023 GMC Acadia Problems: 21 Known Issues

The 35R clutch wave plate inside the 6T70/6T75 six-speed transaxle cracks and fractures, allowing the 35R clutch piston to overstroke and leak apply pressure. The result is a hard flare or slip in 3rd and 5th gear and eventually a complete loss of reverse. Failures typically begin after about 25,000 miles and are extremely common on the early Lambda Acadia; GM eventually extended coverage on the wave plate to 10 years/120,000 miles. Debris from the broken plate circulates through the transmission, so a simple plate swap is often not enough on high-mileage units.

NHTSA campaign 20V668 covers certain 2019-2020 GMC Acadia vehicles (only 6 Acadias out of 194,105 GM vehicles in the campaign). The start/stop transmission-accumulator endcap may be missing bolts, which can cause an oil leak and loss of transmission function and may increase fire risk.

The 2009 GMC Acadia falls under GM safety recall 09V073000, covering a transmission shift cable adjustment clip that may not be fully engaged. With the clip unseated, the shift lever and the transmission's actual gear position may not match. For an Acadia owner that means the vehicle can be shifted to PARK and the key pulled without the transmission truly being in park — NHTSA warns the vehicle could roll away after the driver has exited, and that the driver may not be able to restart it. NHTSA records the affected vehicles as failing federal safety standards for shift position, starter interlock and rollaway prevention. The campaign covers 276,729 vehicles in total across all the models it includes.

The 2020-2023 Acadia uses GM's 9-speed automatic (9T65 with the 3.6L V6, 9T50/9T60 with the four-cylinders), which shares known issues with the Chevrolet Traverse and Blazer. Common complaints include harsh 1-2 upshifts, hesitation between 5-15 mph, lurching on light throttle in stop-and-go traffic, and the transmission hunting between gears on hills. GM has released multiple TCM calibration updates. The transmission is extremely sensitive to fluid condition — extended intervals with aging Dexron HP fluid contribute significantly to shift quality degradation.

NHTSA campaign 20V639 covers certain 2020 GMC Acadia vehicles. A plastic burr left in the fuel pump jet nozzle can block the nozzle and reduce fuel delivery to the engine, which can cause an engine stall.

GM issued safety recall 21V422000 (GM number N212335590) covering a small number of 2021 GMC Acadia crossovers built alongside the 2021 Cadillac XT5 and XT6. On the affected Acadias, the fuel supply lines may not have been properly attached and seated during assembly. A line that is not fully seated can loosen or separate in service, allowing gasoline to leak — and leaking fuel near a hot engine bay raises the risk of a fire. The campaign is very small: 572 vehicles across all three models combined, not per model, so most Acadia owners will not be included. Because the defect is a build error rather than a wear item, an affected Acadia can have it from day one regardless of mileage. Owner notification letters went out July 1, 2021.

GM recalled certain 2022 GMC Acadia All-Wheel Drive vehicles because the rollover valve in the fuel tank may not provide a proper seal if the vehicle rolls over in a crash. Only AWD Acadias built in the affected population are covered — front-wheel-drive Acadias are not part of this campaign. The valve is a passive safety device: it is supposed to close off the tank vent path when the vehicle is on its side or roof so gasoline cannot escape. In the recalled vehicles the valve can be dislodged or missing entirely, so it cannot seal. NHTSA lists the defect under the fuel storage tank assembly. Because the part only does its job during a rollover, an Acadia can carry this defect for its whole life without the driver ever seeing a sign of it — the consequence is a fuel leak during a rollover crash and an increased risk of fire.

GMC Acadias from 2007 through 2009 that were equipped with the heated washer fluid system (HWFS) are covered by NHTSA recall 10V240000. What makes this one notable is that it is a second bite at the same defect: GM recalled these vehicles in 2008 to add a fuse to the heated washer module's control circuit harness, intended to contain a printed circuit board electrical short, and thermal incidents were still reported on modules that had received the improvement. NHTSA's consequence language is unambiguous — the heated washer module may ignite and a fire may occur.

First-generation Acadias from 2007 and 2008 that were optioned with the heated wiper washer fluid system are covered by NHTSA recall 08V441000. The heater unit's printed circuit board can short circuit and overheat the control-circuit ground wire. What an owner may experience, per GM, is other electrical features misbehaving, an odor, or smoke — the reason the agency classes this as a fire risk. The 857,735 vehicles listed for this recall are the total for the whole GM campaign, which included several brands.

GM bulletin 19-NA-206 covers specified 2017-2019 GMC Acadia vehicles that can intermittently display a Shift-to-Park message even though the transmission selector is in Park.

GM bulletin 22-NA-033 covers 2019 GMC Acadia vehicles equipped with IOS, IOU or IOT radios that can reset or reboot and display the GMC splash animation. Bluetooth-call or touch-input symptoms can occur immediately before the reboot.

GM special-coverage bulletin 14329A covers specified 2007-2011 GMC Acadia vehicles with power-steering pump wear that can intermittently reduce hydraulic pressure and steering assist. Manual steering remains available but requires greater effort, especially at low speeds.

GM recalled certain 2022 GMC Acadia SUVs because the left-rear suspension toe link may have been tightened improperly during assembly. The toe link is what holds the rear wheel's toe angle in place, and if its fastener was not torqued correctly it can work loose or the link can separate entirely. NHTSA campaign 22V427000 covers this defect under GM's internal recall number N222364330, and it is filed under SUSPENSION:REAR. GM states that a loose toe link can separate and cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash. The same campaign also covers the 2022 Cadillac XT5 and XT6, which share the affected assembly work; the recall covers 736 vehicles in total across all three models.

The Lambda-platform hub bearing assemblies wear early — owners report failures well under 60,000 miles and, on the rear, repeat failures on the same vehicle. Two distinct symptoms come from one part: mechanical noise (a speed-dependent hum or growl that changes when the vehicle is loaded in a turn) and an ABS fault, because the encoder/tone ring on GM Lambda hubs is magnetically printed onto the bearing's inner race surface. When that magnetic layer degrades or sloughs off, the ABS module gets an implausible wheel speed signal and posts a wheel speed sensor code even though the sensor itself is fine — which is why replacing the sensor does not fix it.

GM special coverage 13091 (2007-2010) and customer-satisfaction bulletin 13079 (2009-2013) cover certain GMC Acadia vehicles with 3.6L High Feature V6 engines (RPO LY7 or LLT) that may experience leakage from the water-pump shaft seal, often after operation with low coolant.

GM bulletin 12-06-01-009D covers 2007-2012 GMC Acadia vehicles with 3.6L High Feature V6 engines (RPO LY7 or LLT) and timing-chain correlation DTCs P0008, P0009, P0016, P0017, P0018 or P0019.

GMC Acadias from the 2019 and 2020 model years are among the vehicles GM recalled over Continental tires that were cured for too long when they were manufactured. The defect is in the tire itself rather than anything on the Acadia. An over-cured tire can develop a break in the sidewall, which lets the air out suddenly, or it can suffer a belt edge separation and shed its tread. GM's notice states that either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of a crash. The campaign also reached Continental tires sold to the aftermarket for 2018-2021 vehicles, so an Acadia riding on replacement Continentals from that period is worth checking as well.

GMC recalled 2020-2021 Acadia SUVs built with the optional Surround Vision camera package because the coaxial cable connectors feeding the rearview camera may have been crimped improperly at assembly. On an affected Acadia, that bad crimp can interrupt the video signal, so the rearview camera either stops working altogether or cuts in and out. NHTSA's consequence statement is straightforward: an inoperative rearview camera reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle when backing up, which raises the risk of a crash. Only Acadias equipped with Surround Vision fall inside this campaign; the recall covers 95,231 vehicles in total across every model included in it (Acadia plus the Cadillac XT5 and XT6), and that figure is campaign-wide, not an Acadia-specific count. GM's internal number for the recall is N222378380, and owner notification letters went out January 18, 2023.

A very small group of 2017 GMC Acadia SUVs built over a four-day window in April 2016 (April 19 through April 22, 2016) left the plant with front brake calipers whose piston seals were torn or misaligned. A damaged or out-of-position piston seal can let brake fluid leak past the caliper piston. NHTSA recall 16V802000 covers 1,844 vehicles campaign-wide across every model included in the recall, not the Acadia alone. GM's consequence statement is direct: if brake fluid leaks, braking performance may be reduced, which increases the risk of a crash. Because the build window is so narrow, only a VIN check will tell an Acadia owner whether their truck is in the population.

NHTSA campaign 23V172 covers certain 2023 GMC Acadia vehicles. An incorrect transmission sun gear can allow the driver-side half-shaft to disengage, causing a loss of drive power or a vehicle rollaway while in Park.

The dual-zone HVAC case uses several small plastic-geared blend/mode door actuators. The gear teeth strip or the door binds, so the actuator hunts for its calibration position and produces a repetitive clicking or ticking from behind the dash or glovebox. The classic complaint is full heat on the driver's side and ice-cold air on the passenger's side (or the reverse), often with the click audible whenever the temperature setting is changed or the ignition is cycled. It is one of the most common non-powertrain complaints on the Acadia across both generations because every part of the actuator drivetrain is plastic.