2018 GMC Acadia · symptom sheet
Engine stalls or loses power while driving
- 57owner reports
- 32,000median miles
- $721median quote
- 2involved a crash
Newest report Sep 11, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
257 of the 396 complaints on this car are about the transmission and drivetrain. 57 of those describe stalling. Only shift to park warning is reported more often on this car.
Tick what matches of 57 reports
Stalling on other Acadia years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2015, 2016, 2020.
What this problem usually is
Stalling reports are some of the most alarming on the site. The engine quits while the car is moving, sometimes on a highway and sometimes at a stop. Many owners say it restarted right away and the dealer found no stored code, which is part of why these complaints pile up before anything gets fixed.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the battery (18 reports).
Recalls and investigations
2 recalls on the transmission and drivetrain cover the 2018 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
The high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure fuel line.
The right front intermediate driveshaft may fracture and separate while driving.
All 2 recalls on the 2018 GMC Acadia, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
NHTSA investigations into the transmission and drivetrain on the Acadia
Non-crash engine compartment fires. Closed sep 8, 2008, led to recall 08V-441.
None of these investigations covers the 2018 model year.
What owners paid
8 of the 57 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $500 to $2,000.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 21,000 and 42,000 miles, from the 32 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 2 service bulletins or notices for the 2018 GMC Acadia that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an intermittent no crank, no start, or start stall concern with the security light coming on.
This engineering informational bulletin is requesting information from the field on vehicles that have the condition of Vehicle No Start, Stalls Repeatedly and/or Smoke from Under Hood at Battery.
What owners wrote
“We own a 2018 GMC Acadia Denali. Upon shifting the vehicle into park, we cannot turn off the engine. The vehicle gives us a "Shift to Park" message on the instrument panel. As a result, we are unable to shut off our engine and, to avoid the battery running out, are forced to attempt to move the shift lever in and out of "Park" to get the car to detect that the shift lever is in fact in âPark.ââ”
Filed Apr 10, 2023
“I shift the car into park but the vehicle tells me the car is not in park and won't shut off. GM charged me $656.00 to replace the switch and harness.”
Filed Mar 28, 2023
“CAR DOES NOT GO INTO PARK AND WILL NOT SHUT OFF. says shift to park when this happens the car does not shut off correctly and must be restarted and jiggle shifter to turn off. this seems to be a well known problem and is on many years of Acadia”
Filed Jan 20, 2023
“Car wonât go into park though Iâve shifted to park. Car starts beeping and displays âSHIFT TO PARK!â even though the vehicle is shut off and gear shifter is in park position. I took to dealership, they stated, âgmc NEEDS to recall this, we have to repair every single GMC Acadia we sell with unfortunately the same defective partsâ itâs a $500 fix. I just use my parking break everytime I park now.”
Filed Jul 19, 2022
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 2 of 57 reports involved a crash and 1 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- "Shift to Park" or "Service Shifter" warning comes on 163 reports
- Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 36 reports
- Battery dies or the car will not start 30 reports