What 300 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 GMC Acadia Limited

The contact owns a 2012 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the liftgate lamp detached from the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. After a visual inspection, the contact observed that the adhesive had severely deteriorated. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 175,000. The VIN was unavailable.

NHTSA ODI 11569486

I noticed shuddering while driving my car and when I took it to my mechanic upon test driving and inspecting it he realized the torque converter is not strong enough for the size of the car. He informed me driving it with the improper size will cause it to shudder and accelerate or not accelerate correctly while driving and cause slipping while shifting gears. Those issue have been happening the entire time I've had it and if the car slips and goes too fast or slips and loses power it is a danger to me and the other cars on the road. There were no codes or warning indicators while this is happening.

NHTSA ODI 11568275

SIDE IMPACT AIRBAG CONNECTOR,FRONT SAFETY BELT ANCHOR, POWER LIFT GATE PROP ROD RECOVERY

NHTSA ODI 11560760

The contact owns a 2012 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the RPM would rise to 4,000 however, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and inspected the vehicle and became aware of smoke coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine block, camshaft, reverse gear, and transmission housing needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 158,000.

NHTSA ODI 11546058

I HAVE A 2012 GMC acadia denali with about 147,000 miles on it and the "Service Air Bag" light is on I brought it somewhere to have the code read and the said there is about 5 different codes popping up for the issue... I've called auto shops around me locally and can't find anyone that is willing to look at it. I just want to know what my best options are as to getting this issue resolved. As I have never been in an accident so I don't know why the air bag light is on.

NHTSA ODI 11544375

My 2012 GMC Acadia has had numerous issues that all lead to the fuel pump assembly. Three separate times, my cars ignition has just shut off while driving. When trying to accelerate from a stop, the car will struggle to move then jump forward nearly hitting the car infront of me. Stabilitrak warning comes on. Car randomly jerks while driving. Car will randomly not want to start but eventually does after multiple attempts.

NHTSA ODI 11543140

No warning light when transmission went out. Traction control/stabiltrac service light came on, doors locking and unlocking, not stating what gear acadia was in. Check engine light eventually came on, after it stalled twice on highway. Vehicle is at gmc dealership service department and they are saying its not communicating and are checking wiring harness wires. I have replaced transmission and torque converter and now i dont know what to expect now. Only had it for 3 years so far. I almost got rear ended when it stalled twice before backfiring and a rough swift shift.

NHTSA ODI 11539579

The automatic passenger side window does not work anymore, it went out a couple months after I bought it. I have always done maintenance on my vehicle, oil changes, tires, etc. and the timing chain went out on it for some unknown reason. Very pricey to fix. I would hate to be stranded with my 6 grandchildren with. With all the complaints on the timing chain, this should be a recall.

NHTSA ODI 11526799

We have had this recall fixed TWICE but it still reflects in the NHTSA database as an open recall. The first time we had this fixed was in 2017. We had it fixed again on May 19, 2023 and yet it STILL reflects as open in NHTSA. I am active duty military and require proof of clean vehicle recall history to ship this vehicle to Hawaii as part of a permanent change of station move. Please assist ASAP with clearing this recall requirement.

NHTSA ODI 11523068

I was driving 40 mph, when warnings appeared on my dash. "Service Stabalizor control", "Traction control turned off", "power is reduced", and the check engine light came on. I lost power as if engine quit, no acceration, but then came back intermittent. If I had been on a highway going 65 mph, in heavy traffic, there may have been an accident. Power steering remained on. I took to an auto service business, and they were unable to find the problem. Code indicated a fuel pressure problem.

NHTSA ODI 11517714

Incomplete recalls

NHTSA ODI 11506882

Rear driver side cast aluminum knuckle/hub assembly fractured. The rear wheel partially separated from the suspension with uncontrolled toe, camber, & caster. Wheel impacted suspension linkage causing fracture of rear driver side rotor. Vehicle is available for inspection. Incident caused driver to lose control of vehicle and go into ditch UNKNOWN if problem has been reproduced Vehicle/component has not been inspected No warning symptoms prior to failure

NHTSA ODI 11505287

THE CAR STALLED, CUT OFF WHILE PULLING INTO TRAFFIC

NHTSA ODI 11494924

We just purchased this 2012 gmc acadia about 30 days ago and every day we drive it we have this issue.. from a complete stop when pressing the gas the truck feels like it has no power starting to go until the rpm’s each maybe 4500 then the truck will jerk and studder through the intersections. i feel like we are going to be in a MAJOR accident while proceeding through intersections. the dealer states there is nothing they can do. there is absolutely something wrong when it jerks and stutters to move

NHTSA ODI 11472074

The headlights in this make and model go out frequently. I've owned my vehicle for 2 years and have put 5 headlights in it.

NHTSA ODI 11468418

Every single GMC I have ever ran into there is an Acadia, the air conditioner never works. Maybe you guys should reconsider the assembly of your air-conditioning It’s exhausting spending money having air for all of five minutes and then it’s right back to the heat.

NHTSA ODI 11465338

The contact owns a 2012 GMC Acadia. The contact stated the rear hatch door would close independently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.

NHTSA ODI 11460646

Unsure of cause, but just lost our 2012 Acadia SLT2 AWD to a FIRE! Driver & passenger jumped out. Fire Dept rolled two trucks to extinguish. Parts melted onto the pavement. No prior warning.

NHTSA ODI 11443750

The power liftgate suddenly collapsed while I was standing underneath it. It dropped on top of my head pretty hard as it was a sudden drop of the liftgate. My safety was/is at risk and has caused injury to my head. Currently experiencing headaches. As condition progresses, I will be seeking medical attention. It is available for inspection. I have recorded a video of the problem. The problem is recurring and reproducing. I have not taken it to a dealer or independent service center today (9/13/2021 date of incident) as the weather is bad in my area (experiencing high rain and winds from a tropical storm). I will have it taken in on 9/14/2021. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone. There were no warning indicators or other symptoms prior to the initial collapse.

NHTSA ODI 11432824

The contact owns a 2012 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked in the driveway and the contact and his wife were taking groceries out of the vehicle, the rear liftgate suddenly fell and hit the contact’s wife on the back of the head. The contact’s wife had a severe headache with dizziness. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the liftgate struts failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 97,000.

NHTSA ODI 11432833

The contact owns 2012 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken for the state-mandated smog test and he was informed that there was an issue with the transmission. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.

NHTSA ODI 11432835

The brakes on the vehicle have failed 5-7 times within the past year and a half. By "failed" I mean that the pedal was touching the floor of the vehicle and did NOT engage. Mechanic was unable to replicate the failure any of the three times we took it in to get it looked at. The brake pads, rotors, and fluid lines have all been checked multiple times and are all in good condition. The master cylinder was replaced and the brakes worked well for about 6-7 months. Approximately 3 weeks ago, the brakes failed entirely, yet again, this time driving on a highway at 70mph. The emergency brake had to be used in order to get the vehicle to slow down. The vehicle was then dropped off at a local dealership, who has kept it for about 2 weeks and states that they cannot replicate the problem when they take it for a test drive. We have 2 young children and this has been our primary family vehicle. There has not been a check engine light or any other warning lamp AT ALL.

NHTSA ODI 11432366

THIS VEHICLE IS SHOWING ON DASH THAT ( SERVICE AIR BAGS) WHY WOULD THIS TAKE PLACE? IT HAS 175,238 MILES.IS THIS A RECALL OR WHAT? --- PLEASE ADVISE -- THIS COME UP ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO.

NHTSA ODI 11431996

Was waiting on dealership to catch up to bring in for a transmission problem. I know it is transmission related due to not wanting to shift properly and the fact my friend has same make and model only about 100000 more miles than mine does was doing same symptoms and she took to 3 or 4 mechanics and all said nothing wrong..no codes show up...needless to say after about 2 months it stalled out on her on interstate with speed limit 75 and she barely moving. I myself was at a sharp curve in turn lane waiting on traffic and when I braked to stop it made horrible sound and felt like brake was pushed through floorboard. When I was clear to go i push accelerator down to the floor and am barely inching along and am now stuck in the road in a 90 curve where its hard to see traffic coming. This was very scary and traumatic having this happen. I'm just glad it was only myself and the other drivers were being observant and paying attention to the road. This has happened a lot compared to research on blogs car complaints websites. The common problem is it doesn't give a code when diagnostic checked. 99% of cases show they best guess or find something else wrong and you pay 3 or 4 charges until you finally convince them its the transmission and then you're out 5000. Not counting the average 4500 you've already pd due to not listening to the driver of their vehicle and causing unnecessary charges and leaving you without a vehicle too long that isn't necessary.

NHTSA ODI 11431779

Driving at 55mph, suddenly the Traction Control blinks on & off, the vehicle starts skipping. Next, Service Stabilitrack System appears and I almost come to a complete stop, Engine Running at Reduced Power appears. I barely made it to the side of the road, traffic was heavy at the time. This is apparently a common issue with other Owners and could be a number of different sensors, parts malfunctioning.

NHTSA ODI 11430560