2011 Gmc ACADIA

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2011 Gmc ACADIA has 373 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 4.7x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is steering problems (17% of all complaints), specifically: in wet / rainy conditions, power steering fails as belt gets wet and looses all traction. this has occurred multiple times at varying speeds and has twice almost resulted in accidents as we were negotiating turns. various online auto forums highlight this as a recurring problem with the gmc acadia. . ⚠️ 10 fire reports filed.

10 fire reports 7 crash reports 6 injuries

373

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

4.7x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

STEERING

64 complaints

17%

• IN WET / RAINY CONDITIONS, POWER STEERING FAILS AS BELT GETS WET AND LOOSES ALL TRACTION. THIS HAS OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES AT VARYING SPEEDS AND HAS TWICE ALMOST RESULTED IN ACCIDENTS AS WE WERE NEGOTIATING TURNS. VARIOUS ONLINE AUTO FORUMS HIGHLIGHT THIS AS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE GMC ACADIA.
• DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY COMING OFF OF AN EXIT RAMP, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE STEERING. TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL WAS LIKE TRYING TO PULL ON DEAD WEIGHT TO GET IT TO TURN. THIS CONTINUED AND SEEMED TO GET WORSE AS I SLOWED THE CAR TO A STOP. UPON DRIVING AGAI
• POWER STEERING MAKING A WHIRRING AND GRINDING NOISE AT LOW SPEED. WHEN IT HAPPENS IT APPEARS TO BE HARDER TO STEER. CONCERNED THAT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE POWER STEERING AND FEAR FOR MY AND MY PASSENGERS' SAFETY. WHEN I GOT ON THE INTERNET TO SEE IF OTHERS WERE HAVING A SIMILAR PROBLEM AMA

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“IN WET / RAINY CONDITIONS, POWER STEERING FAILS AS BELT GETS WET AND LOOSES ALL TRACTION. THIS HAS OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES AT VARYING SPEEDS AND HAS TWICE ALMOST RESULTED IN ACCIDENTS AS WE WERE NEGOTIATING TURNS. VARIOUS ONLINE AUTO FORUMS HIGHLIGHT THIS AS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE GMC ACADIA. ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

56 complaints

15%

• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 GMC ACADIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, THE VEHICLE
• WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 17W GOING TO DEPOSIT, NY, I SUDDENLY SAW AN ERROR MESSAGE ON THE DASHBOARD THAT READ "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL", THEN IT READ "TRACTION CONTROL OFF" AND THEN THE LAST THING THAT READ WAS "ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED". THAT'S WHEN MY CAR DROPPED FROM GOING 60 MPH ON CRUISE CO
• SERVICE STABILITRAK, AND THE ENGINE POWER LOW WARNING LAMPS ILLUMINATED FOLLOWED BY THE VEHICLE SLOWING TO 20 MPH. VEHICLE TAKEN TO THE REPAIR FACILITY WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS SAME INCIDENT OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES PREVIOUSLY

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 2 fire reports

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 GMC ACADIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, THE VEHICLE”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

47 complaints

13%

• MY 2011 GMC ACADIA (DENALI) HAS NOW BEEN TAKEN INTO THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES (AND LIKELY AN UPCOMING 4TH) DUE TO THE RIGHT FRONT POWER DOOR LOCK AND WINDOW (AND REAR HATCH) WORKING INTERMITTENTLY OVER THE PAST YEAR. THEY HAVE TRIED TO REPLACED THE DOOR MODULE AND REPROGRAMMED IT. THE NEXT TIME, THEY
• POWER WINDOW CONTROLS INTERMITTENTLY NOT WORKING TO CLOSE ALL PASSENGER WINDOWS FROM DRIVER DOOR CONTROL PANEL. ONLY WORK AROUND DISCOVERED IS TO LOCK/UNLOCK WINDOWS AND THEN CLOSE WINDOWS, WORKS APPROX. 75% OF TIME. *TR
• FOR TWO WEEKS LEADING UP TO THE 3/27/14 INCIDENT, EVERY TIME WE STARTED THE CAR THE AIR WOULD NOT COME ON AND WE WOULD HAVE TO MANUALLY TURN THE AIR ON. WHEN WE TURNED THE CAR OFF, THE AIR WOULD STAY ON. TWO WEEKS LATER, WHEN I WAS OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE GAUGES ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL STARTED

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 2 fire reports

“MY 2011 GMC ACADIA (DENALI) HAS NOW BEEN TAKEN INTO THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES (AND LIKELY AN UPCOMING 4TH) DUE TO THE RIGHT FRONT POWER DOOR LOCK AND WINDOW (AND REAR HATCH) WORKING INTERMITTENTLY OVER THE PAST YEAR. THEY HAVE TRIED TO REPLACED THE DOOR MODULE AND REPROGRAMMED IT. THE NEXT TIME, THEY”

— NHTSA complaint filing

LIGHTING

38 complaints

10%

• PASSENGER SIDE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT STOPPED WORKING. TOOK TO DEALER AND BULB WAS REPLACED. WITHIN A FEW MONTHS, BULB WAS OUT AGAIN. RETURNED TO DEALER IN JUNE 2013 AND DISCOVERED PART OF THE FIXTURE WIRING HAD MELTED. DEALER REPAIRED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE SAME DAY WE PICKED IT UP, THE DRIVER
• HEADLIGHT CONNECTOR WAS OVERHEATING AND MELTED. *TR
• HEAD LIGHT MOUNTS HAVE MELTED DUE TO HEAT FROM THE DAYTIME HEADLIGHT BULBS. NOW I CANNOT MAINTAIN FUNCTIONING DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS. BULBS BURN OUT IN JUST A FEW DAYS USE. GM CLAIMS THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE AND THEREFORE WILL NOT REPLACE THE HEADLIGHT UNITS. *TR

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 5 fire reports

“PASSENGER SIDE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT STOPPED WORKING. TOOK TO DEALER AND BULB WAS REPLACED. WITHIN A FEW MONTHS, BULB WAS OUT AGAIN. RETURNED TO DEALER IN JUNE 2013 AND DISCOVERED PART OF THE FIXTURE WIRING HAD MELTED. DEALER REPAIRED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE SAME DAY WE PICKED IT UP, THE DRIVER”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

33 complaints

• TL*THE CONTACT LEASED A 2011 GMC ACADIA. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING BETWEEN APPROXIMATELY 10-15 MPH ON THE ENTRANCE RAMP, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS ENGAGED, FOLLOWED BY A DELAYED RESPONSE OF SEVERAL SECONDS. THE FAILURE WAS A CONTINUOUS OCCURRENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSI
• TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 GMC ACADIA. THE CONTACT WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35-45 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LEFT REAR WHEEL LOCKED WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ROLL OVER AND CRASH INTO A DITCH. THE CONTACT DIDN'T INDICATE IF
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 GMC ACADIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THE VEHICLE ROLLED AWAY AND CRASHED OFF THE SIDE OF A CLIFF. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. THE VEHICLE WAS STILL IN PARK WHEN IT WAS TOWED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING DIAGN

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 3 crashes

“TL*THE CONTACT LEASED A 2011 GMC ACADIA. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING BETWEEN APPROXIMATELY 10-15 MPH ON THE ENTRANCE RAMP, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS ENGAGED, FOLLOWED BY A DELAYED RESPONSE OF SEVERAL SECONDS. THE FAILURE WAS A CONTINUOUS OCCURRENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSI”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

STEERING(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

LIGHTING(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 373 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
STEERING: IN WET / RAINY CONDITIONS, POWER STEERING FAILS AS BELT GETS WET AND LOOSES ALL TRACTION. THIS HAS OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES AT VARYING SPEEDS AND HAS TWICE ALMOST RESULTED IN ACCIDENTS AS WE WERE NEGOTIATING TURNS. VARIOUS ONLINE AUTO FORUMS HIGHLIGHT THIS AS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THE GMC ACADIA.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 GMC ACADIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, THE VEHICLE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: MY 2011 GMC ACADIA (DENALI) HAS NOW BEEN TAKEN INTO THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES (AND LIKELY AN UPCOMING 4TH) DUE TO THE RIGHT FRONT POWER DOOR LOCK AND WINDOW (AND REAR HATCH) WORKING INTERMITTENTLY OVER THE PAST YEAR. THEY HAVE TRIED TO REPLACED THE DOOR MODULE AND REPROGRAMMED IT. THE NEXT TIME, THEY
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
LIGHTING: PASSENGER SIDE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT STOPPED WORKING. TOOK TO DEALER AND BULB WAS REPLACED. WITHIN A FEW MONTHS, BULB WAS OUT AGAIN. RETURNED TO DEALER IN JUNE 2013 AND DISCOVERED PART OF THE FIXTURE WIRING HAD MELTED. DEALER REPAIRED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE SAME DAY WE PICKED IT UP, THE DRIVER
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)