GMC
GMC Acadia years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2017, 2018 and 2019. Best years: 2022 and 2023.
The 2017, 2018 and 2019 GMC Acadia draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2017 has 703 complaints (70 for each year on the road), 2018 has 396 complaints (44 for each year on the road) and 2019 has 386 complaints (48 for each year on the road), against a median of 21 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2017 is shift to park warning (202 reports).
- 2,644complaints
- 20recall campaigns
- 8model years with a page
Newest report Sep 29, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2017
Most reported: shift to park warning (202 reports, median 36,400 miles) and stalling (93 reports, median 38,000 miles).
2018
Most reported: shift to park warning (163 reports, median 34,000 miles) and stalling (57 reports, median 32,000 miles).
2019
Most reported: shift to park warning (144 reports, median 40,000 miles) and stalling (59 reports, median 51,000 miles).
Best years
2022
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2023
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid. Too new to judge: 2025.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2017 has the most complaints of any GMC Acadia year here: 703 of 2,644 (27%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Airbag leads in 3 of the 8 model years and has the most reports overall, 567. Pooled across the years, half of the 101 owners who gave a mileage for airbag were under about 80,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 3% of GMC Acadia complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2021, 8 of its 149 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- 4 of the 5 model years where owners report airbag have a recall on the same system. The 2021 has none. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2024 at 452 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 364. So far in 2026, 235 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: HJUdall, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: MercurySable99, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Second generation
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 avoid | 703 | 70 | 4 | "Shift to Park" or "Service Shifter" warning comes on (202) | 35,040 |
| 2018 avoid | 396 | 44 | 2 | "Shift to Park" or "Service Shifter" warning comes on (163) | 32,000 |
| 2019 avoid | 386 | 48 | 2 | "Shift to Park" or "Service Shifter" warning comes on (144) | 43,300 |
| 2020 | 104 | 15 | 6 | Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails (20) | 47,000 |
| 2021 | 149 | 25 | 2 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (28) | 28,972 |
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2022 (49), 2023 (43), 2024 (61), 2025 (65).
Year by year
2021 GMC Acadia
149 owner complaints, 25 for each year on the road (1.2 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (28 reports, median 41,000 miles), infotainment (22 reports) and fuel pump (21 reports, median 35,500 miles). 7 reports involved a crash and 3 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 21V-422 on the fuel system and 22V-709 on the backup camera.
2020 GMC Acadia
104 owner complaints, 15 for each year on the road (0.7 times the model median). Most reported: infotainment (20 reports), misfire (17 reports) and power steering loss (16 reports). 4 reports involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. 6 recalls, including 22V-709 on the backup camera and 21V-115 on the tires.
2019 GMC Acadia avoid
386 owner complaints, 48 for each year on the road (2.2 times the model median). Most reported: shift to park warning (144 reports, median 40,000 miles), stalling (59 reports, median 51,000 miles) and infotainment (47 reports, median 40,760 miles). 5 reports involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 20V-668 on the transmission and drivetrain and 21V-115 on the tires.
2018 GMC Acadia avoid
396 owner complaints, 44 for each year on the road (2.1 times the model median). Most reported: shift to park warning (163 reports, median 34,000 miles), stalling (57 reports, median 32,000 miles) and infotainment (36 reports, median 35,200 miles). 8 reports involved a crash and 12 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 17V-516 on the transmission and drivetrain and 18V-358 on the fuel system.
2017 GMC Acadia avoid
703 owner complaints, 70 for each year on the road (3.3 times the model median). Most reported: shift to park warning (202 reports, median 36,400 miles), stalling (93 reports, median 38,000 miles) and airbag (76 reports, median 70,000 miles). 10 reports involved a crash and 15 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 17V-516 on the transmission and drivetrain and 23V-334 on the airbags.
2016 GMC Acadia
236 owner complaints, 21 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: airbag (130 reports), power steering loss (14 reports, median 58,000 miles) and infotainment (12 reports). 8 reports involved a crash and 16 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 23V-334 on the airbags and 21V-246 on the airbags.
2015 GMC Acadia
243 owner complaints, 20 for each year on the road (0.9 times the model median). Most reported: airbag (108 reports, median 88,683 miles), power steering loss (23 reports, median 60,000 miles) and stalling (12 reports, median 56,000 miles). 5 reports involved a crash and 4 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 23V-334 on the airbags and 22V-246 on the airbags.
2014 GMC Acadia
427 owner complaints, 33 for each year on the road (1.5 times the model median). Most reported: airbag (244 reports, median 84,000 miles), stalling (48 reports, median 82,550 miles) and infotainment (18 reports, median 76,290 miles). 11 reports involved a crash and 12 people were hurt. 6 recalls, including 23V-334 on the airbags and 21V-246 on the airbags.
Recalls that cover several model years
The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
The side curtain air bags may not be properly attached.
The rearview camera coaxial cable connectors may have been crimped improperly, causing the rearview camera to fail or function intermittently.
The affected tires were cured for too long during production.
The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
The high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure fuel line.
Compare the Acadia with its rivals
Side by side over the model years both have on file: what owners complain about, the mileage problems start at, recalls, investigations and crash reports.
- Acadia vs Chevrolet Traverse2014 to 2020
Questions
What GMC Acadia years should you avoid?
The 2017, 2018 and 2019 GMC Acadia draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2017 has 703 complaints (70 for each year on the road), 2018 has 396 complaints (44 for each year on the road) and 2019 has 386 complaints (48 for each year on the road), against a median of 21 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2017 is shift to park warning (202 reports).
What are the best years for the GMC Acadia?
The 2022 and 2023 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2022 has 49 (10 a year) and 2023 has 43 (11 a year). Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the GMC Acadia?
Airbag, with 567 reports across the 8 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2014, 2015 and 2016.
How many recalls does the GMC Acadia have?
20 recall campaigns cover the GMC Acadia model years 2014 to 2021 on this site. The widest, 23V-334 on the airbags, covers 4 model years.
How many GMC Acadia complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
3% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2021 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for airbag on the GMC Acadia?
On 4 of the 5 model years where owners report it: 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.