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What 447 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 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 (447)Crash / fire / injury (18)Airbags (237)Electrical system (82)Engine (39)Transmission & drivetrain (32)Steering (26)Fuel system (25)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (20)Lights (19)Brakes (10)Body & structure (8)

3 of 447 complaints match · Transmission & drivetrain · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Oct 13, 2014Transmission & drivetrainCrash4 injuries

VEHICLE DROVE BACKWARDS OUT OF THE GARAGE WHILE THE TRANSMISSION INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS STILL IN PARK. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND BACKED OUT IF THE GARAGE ON ITS ON, NO DRIVER WAS IN THE CAR. THE ONLY THING THAT STOPPED THE CAR WAS ANTHER VEHICLE THAT WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF OUR MAILBOX IN WHICH BOTH WERE STRUCK. I AM NOT SURE WHAT WENT WRONG, LEANING INTO THE CAR PUTTING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. TURNED AROUND TO TALK TO MY SON AND WHEN I TURNED BACK AROUND I WAS CAUGHT BY THE DOOR. THE CAR DRAGGED ME DOWN THE DRIVEWAY AND ALSO MY SON WAS STRUCK BY THE CAR. I SUFFERED A CONTUSIONS TO MY RIGHT WRIST, KNEE AND LEG, BACK PAIN ON THE RIGHT SIDE, AND CONTUSION TO THE RIGHT ANKLE. MY SON SUFFERS FROM BRUISES TO THE CHEST AREA AND CONTUSION AS WELL IN THE CHEST AREA. HIS LEG WAS ALSO HURT. MY DAUGHTER WHO WAS IN THE CAR COMPLAINED OF PAIN IN HER JAR AFTER THE VEHICLE STRUCK THE OTHER VEHICLE. AT THIS TIME WE HAVE RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO HENDRICKS GMC OF CARY, NC WERE WE ORIGINALLY PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AWAITING DIAGNOSTICS FROM THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND COLLISION CENTER. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10644374

Oct 1, 2014SteeringTransmission & drivetrainCrash

I PARKED THE VEHICLE AND LEFT IT RUNNING WITH MY MOTHER IN THE CAR WITH HER SEAT BELT ON. AS SHE WAS SITTING THERE THE VEHICLE ROLLED FORWARD ON ITS OWN AND HIT A FORD F150 PARKED ACROSS FROM MY VEHICLE CAUSING DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE AS WELL AS THE TRUCK. I FILED A CLAIM WITH GMC AND THEY HAD SOMEONE COME TO MY HOME AND RUN TEST ON MY VEHICLE AND WAS TOLD THEY COULD FIND NOTHING. AFTER THEY FINISHED THE TEST NY LOCKING MECHANISM IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10640602

Jun 11, 2014Transmission & drivetrainBrakesCrash

WAS GOING TO BACK OUT OF MY GARAGE WHEN I PUT THE SHIFTER INTO REVERSE. WHEN THE SHIFTER WAS IN REVERSE, IT SHIFTED OUT OF GEAR ON ITS OWN INTO DRIVE AND IT WENT FORWARD SLAMMING FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE INTO A REFRIGERATOR. CAUSING THE REFRIGERATOR TO BE COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND THE FRONT END OF THE HOOD TO BECOME CROOKED. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND CONCERNING AS HAD THEIR BEEN SOMEONE IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE IT WOULD HAVE MORE THAN LIKELY SERIOUSLY HURT THEM OR KILLED THEM. I HAVE ALSO HAD OTHER INCIDENTS WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE THAT IT WILL SHIFT FROM DRIVE TO LOW ON ITS OWN AND THIS HAPPENS FREQUENTLY AT LEAST 3 TIMES PER WEEK. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10597775

Working with the data? Download all 447 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 2014 GMC Acadia Denali verdict →