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GMC · NHTSA safety record

2018 GMC Acadia

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 396 safety complaints about the 2018 GMC Acadia with the US government. Of those, 8 describe a crash, 1 mentions a fire, 12 people were injured and no death is recorded. 2 recall campaigns are open against it, covering the gasoline fuel system and the power train.

The most complained-about system is the power train, named in 163 complaints, 41% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 32,000 miles, the median across the 180 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers April 2018 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

396 complaints on file

396

Complaints

8

Describe a crash

1

Mention fire

12

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
POWER TRAIN 163 · 41%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 118 · 30%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 109 · 28%
ENGINE 34 · 9%
STEERING 24 · 6%
SERVICE BRAKES 21 · 5%
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 12 · 3%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 7 · 2%
LANE DEPARTURE 6 · 2%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 5 · 1%
SEATS 5 · 1%
SUSPENSION 5 · 1%
0 65 131

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 396.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2019 at 84.

92 69 46 23
18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2018 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2018 GMC ACADIA, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test SUV AWD SUV FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 15.0% 16.4%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

2 on file

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

18V358000 · May 31, 2018

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure fuel line.
The risk
A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump, and high pressure fuel pipe, free of charge. The recall began July 2, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18188.

General Motors LLC · up to 895 vehicles across all model years covered

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

17V516000 · August 22, 2017

The defect
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles and 2017-2018 GMC Acadia vehicles. The right front intermediate driveshaft may fracture and separate while driving.
The risk
If the front right intermediate drive shaft assembly separates while driving, the vehicle will lose propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. If the assembly separates while parked on a grade, without the park brake engaged, the vehicle may move unintentionally, increasing the risk of a vehicle roll-away.
The remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the right front intermediate drive shaft assembly, free of charge. The recall began August 25, 2017. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 17329.

General Motors LLC · up to 2,905 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

SERVICE BRAKES

4 injured · crash · towed

TL* THE CONTACT RENTED A 2018 GMC ACADIA. WHILE THE CONTACT'S FRIEND WAS DRIVING 40 MPH, THE ENGINE REVVED AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. THE BRAKES FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE DROVE THROUGH A PARTITION AND CRASHED INTO A BRICK WALL. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. ALL FOUR OCCUPANTS IN THE VEHICLE WERE INJURED AND RECEIVED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE CONTACT SUFFERED CHEST PAIN, ANOTHER OCCUPANT SUSTAINED A CUT ON THE HEAD, AND THE OTHER TWO OCCUPANTS SUFFERED FRACTURES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO A TOW LOT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA complaint 11190983, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

4 injured · crash · towed

IN MOTION ON THE HIGHWAY 401 NORTH ONTARIO CANADA, THE VEHICLE ERRATICALLY INCREASED SPEED AND BRAKES WERE NOIR EFFECTIVE, LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL WHICH CAUSED A MASSIVE ACCIDENT INVOLVING MULTIPLE CARS AND RESULTED IN MULTIPLE INJURIES. *DT

NHTSA complaint 11191133. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

2 injured

Shifting to park and vehicle stating the vehicle is not in park, won't let me turn the vehicle off. Transmission going out, brought to many shops letting me know that the transmission is not working properly but won't give an engine light if anything is wrong with vehicle, Wont show on readers what is wrong with vehicle. Electrical, Doors will automatically lock and unlock most times lock and locks me in the vehicle having me have to climb through the windows and having to leave my windows open or locks me out the vehicle and can only get in by climbing in the trunk. Testing has been done and brought to GM to figure out the issue, and they replace the computer in it but still has the

NHTSA complaint 11689335, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

1 injured · crash · towed

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.

NHTSA complaint 11605906. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I get error electric Steering assist reduced or unavailable drive with care at around 84234 miles on my car . Upon looking up problem on Internet it has to do with the Thermostat. I also found where Gm has a bulletin N252508350 which only seems to cover certain vehicles with the same problem. This seems to happen at all different miles driven on vehicles. I don't see how Gm can get away with only fixing certain vehicles with this safety problem when it shuts down the electric steering assist . This problem from what I can find on the internet is common to all years from 2017 up in Acadia with the 3.6L engine . The Thermostats seem to be defective and I feel Gm needs to address this problem

NHTSA complaint 11767917, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

112,300 miles

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering message was displayed, and the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the temperature gauge remained at zero. The dealer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a failed high-pressure fuel pump. The contact was informed that the high-pressure fuel pump needed to be replaced. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The contact was advised

NHTSA complaint 11766205, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Urgent code going off due to thermostat not being red gauge is stuck

NHTSA complaint 11765708. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
The car will frequently but not always fail to shut off when the start/stop button is pushed while in Park. The message "shift to park" come up on the display and a yellow light comes on in the button. I have to restart the engine and it often takes as many as 10 attempts to finally shut off the engine. Between each attempt I have to shift the transmission out of park and back into park. This has been happening for more than a month.

NHTSA complaint 11763610. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEAT BELTS
I am unknown of what the issue is with the seatbelts on all seats will not properly lock.

NHTSA complaint 11760896. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I’m getting a shift to park on my dash after it’s already in park. This causes the break to get stuck when driving.

NHTSA complaint 11760899. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the GMC Acadia

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2026 9 1 —
2025 65 0 —
2024 61 0 —
2023 43 4 —
2022 49 3 —
2021 149 2 —
2020 105 6 —
2019 386 2 —
2017 704 4 —
2016 236 4 —
2015 243 4 —
2014 462 6 —
2013 135 3 —
2012 296 5 —
2011 269 5 —
2010 343 4 1

Other 2018 GMC models

Sierra 1500 304 Terrain 223 Yukon 69 Yukon XL 53 Canyon 52 Sierra 2500 35 Sierra 3500 14

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every GMC on this site — 149 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst