Home · 2013 GMC Acadia Denali · Complaints

What 134 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 GMC Acadia Denali

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (134)Crash / fire / injury (13)Electrical system (38)Airbags (30)Transmission & drivetrain (26)Engine (21)Lights (10)Steering (8)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (6)Speed control (6)Body & structure (5)Fuel system (5)

Newest first · 134 complaints · page 6 of 6

Jan 16, 2015SteeringElectrical systemEngine

MY VEHICLE HAS COMPLETELY SHUT OFF 4 TIMES IN THE PAST 2 YEARS WHILE DRIVING, THANK GOD THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. ALSO MY POWER DOOR LOCKS HAVE LOCKED AND UNLOCKED REPEATEDLY BY THEMSELVES WITHOUT PRESSING ANY BUTTON IN VEHICLE OR KEY FOB. THE LOCKS WILL GO UP AND DOWN UNTIL I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND THEN RESTART. THE LOCKS HAS HAPPENED 6 TIMES. ALSO, MY ELECTRIC POWER STEERING GEAR(RACK) NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT 30000 MILES. THERE WERE 2 RECALLS ONE FOR AIRBAGS AND ONE FOR SEATBELTS. THIS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE AND FRANKLY DANGEROUS, THANK GOD IT NEVER SHUT OFF ON A HIGHWAY. I HAVE BROUGHT IT TO TWO DIFFERENT GMC DEALER SERVICE CENTERS AND THEY CAN NOT DIAGNOSE OR RECREATE THE PROBLEM WHICH MEANS THEY CANNOT FIX THESE PROBLEMS. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS ISOLATED TO JUST MY VEHICLE OR THIS IS A PROBLEM RELATED TO THIS PARTICULAR MODEL AND YEAR CAR. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR, PLEASE HELP US. THANK YOU. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10673035

Dec 12, 2014Speed controlEngineFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 GMC ACADIA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE FRONT TIRES SPUN WITHOUT THE VEHICLE MOVING. THE ENGINE STABILITY AND TRACTION LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE EMITTING FROM THE ENGINE. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE OR REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,800.

NHTSA ODI 10663966

Sep 19, 2014Suspension

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 GMC ACADIA. WHILE APPROACHING A STOP SIGN, THE VEHICLE MADE AN ABNORMAL FLUTTERING SOUND NEAR THE FRONT END. THE NOISE WAS HEARD DAILY FOR SIX MONTHS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000.

NHTSA ODI 10637524

Jul 16, 2014

I AM NOT RECEIVING COOPERATION FROM SOUTHTOWN MOTORS GMC DEALERSHIP AT 695 HIGHWAY 34 E, NEWNAN, GA 30265 IN REFERENCE TO GETTING MY RECALL FIXED. MY RECALL NOTICES 10085 AND 14187 REQUIRE IMMEDIATE ATTENTION AND SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN WITHOUT BEING FIXED. I AM CURRENTLY IN A LEASE WITH ALLY THAT REQUIRES 18 MORE MONTHS LEASE PAYMENTS. I WOULD LIKE TO ELIMINATE MY LEASE AND RETURN THIS VEHICLE AS I DO NOT FEEL SAFE HAVING MY WIFE, MY INFANT, MY 3 YEAR OLD, AND MY 10 YEAR OLD RIDING IN THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE. I CONTACTED ALLY AND THEY STATED I WOULD NEED TO PAY ALMOST $7000 TO BREAK THE LEASE OF MY UNSAFE GMC ACADIA. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. I CANNOT GET IT FIXED NOR GET A DIFFERENT VEHICLE WITHOUT PENALTY. THERE HAVE BEEN 13 KNOWN FATALITIES IN REGARDS TO THESE RECALLS AND GMC IS REMAINING QUIET. WHAT ELSE ARE THEY REMAINING SILENT ABOUT. I WANT OUT OF THIS LEASE IMMEDIATELY AND REQUIRE SOME COMPLIANCE FROM SOMEONE. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE AND I NEED YOUR HELP. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10610885

Mar 15, 2014Lights

2013 GMC ACADIA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO HEADLIGHT PROBLEMS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HE SWITCHED THE HEADLIGHTS FROM HIGH BEAM TO LOW BEAM, HE WAS ONLY ABLE TO SEE THE LOW PART OF THE ROAD, AND NOTHING BEYOND ONCOMING TRAFFIC. LOW BEAM HAS A BLOCK WALL IT DOES NOT EXTEN OUT TO SEE BEYOND WHEN YOU GO IN A DIP IN ROAD YOU CAN NOT SEE WHATS OUT IN FRONT OF YOU THIS IS A SAFETY IF A PERSON WALKING ALONG THE ROAD YOU WILL NEVER SEE THEM . THIS DOES NEED TO BE CORRECTED. RON WALOCHIK MECHANIC & AUTOBODY I OWN A 2013 GMC ACADIA THAT'S WHY I AM REPORTING THIS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10572530

Mar 12, 2014Equipment

POOR OUTGOING CALL QUALITY WHEN USING HANDSFREE BLUETOOTH MICROPHONE CONNECTION. WHEN USING THE BUILT-IN BLUETOOTH CONNECTION TO MAKE PHONE CALLS, THE PERSON ON THE OTHER END OF THE CALL CAN NOT CLEARLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PERSON IS SAYING. CALL QUALITY IS MUFFLED WITH SIGNIFICANT BACKGROUND NOISE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10568762

Feb 27, 2014Electrical systemFire

AFTER I RETURNED HOME FROM A SHORT 5 MILE DRIVE IN THE EVENING ON 11/19/13, I SHUT OFF MY 6 MONTH OLD CAR IN THE DRIVEWAY AND SMOKE BEGAN POURING OUT OF THE HOOD AND SPARKS AND FIRE WERE COMING OUT BELOW THE ENGINE. I CALLED 911 AND BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVED ABOUT 5 MINUTES LATER IT WAS A FULL BLOWN, ROARING FIRE AND THE ENTIRE FRONT END WAS CONSUMED. MY DRIVEWAY SUFFERED BURN DAMAGE AS WELL. THANKFULLY NOBODY WAS HURT. GMC HAS BEEN AWFUL TO DEAL WITH. THEY HAVE NOT REPLACED MY VEHICLE, NOT REPAIRED MY DRIVEWAY AND HAVE STOPPED RETURNING MY CALLS. THE FIRE INSPECTOR SAID IT WAS THEIR FAULT AND THINKS IT STEMMED FROM THE HEATING ELEMENT THAT HEATS THE WINDSHIELD FLUID. THEY ARE STILL DOING MORE TESTING TO GET THE FINAL RESULTS THOUGH. I FEEL HELPLESS AND TOTALLY IGNORED BY GMC. I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING TO GET THROUGH TO THEM AND SIMPLY TO GET MY CAR REPLACED AND MY DRIVEWAY REPAIRED BECAUSE OF THE FAULTY PRODUCT THEY SOLD ME. THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE IS TERRIBLE AND I WILL NOW NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER CAR FROM THEM AND WILL SPEND AS MUCH TIME AS I HAVE SHARING THIS INCIDENT WITH OTHERS CONSIDERING PURCHASING ONE OF THEIR VEHICLES. I HAVE A VIDEO OF THE WHOLE THING I AM HAPPY TO SHARE.

NHTSA ODI 10567255

Nov 24, 2013Electrical systemBody & structureFire

WHILE DROPPING OFF SOME KINDERGARTENERS AFTER A PLAYDATE, I WAS PARKED IN MY FRIENDS DRIVEWAY AND LEFT 2 CHILDREN IN THE CAR WITH THE DOORS CLOSED. AS I STOOD THERE WITH MY FRIEND NEXT TO THE CAR, I NOTICED FLAMES SHOOTING OUT THE FRONT LEFT PASSENGER TIRE. WE GOT THE KIDS OUT, THE CAR WAS FILLING WITH THICK SMOKE, AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. WE CALLED 911 AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED WITHIN 4 MINUTES AND WERE ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT AND DISABLE THE BATTERY. GM HAD THE CAR PICKED UP AND DROPPED US A BRAND NEW 2014 ACADIA A FEW WEEKS LATER AT NO CHARGE. WE WERE TOLD IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS BUT I WANTED TO BE SURE THIS INCIDENT WAS REPORTED SINCE NO ONE ASKED FOR A FORMAL REPORT. I JUST WANT TO BE SURE THIS DOESNT OCCUR TO ANY OTHER FAMILIES THAT MAY HAVE WORSE CONSEQUENCES. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10553646

Jun 24, 2013Lights

2013 GMC ACADIA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO HEADLIGHT PROBLEMS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HE SWITCHED THE HEADLIGHTS FROM HIGH BEAM TO LOW BEAM, HE WAS ONLY ABLE TO SEE THE LOW PART OF THE ROAD, AND NOTHING BEYOND ONCOMING TRAFFIC.

NHTSA ODI 10521333

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Working with the data? Download all 134 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 25, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2013 GMC Acadia Denali verdict →