Home · 2015 GMC Acadia Denali · Complaints

What 247 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 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 (247)Crash / fire / injury (11)Airbags (106)Steering (33)Electrical system (29)Transmission & drivetrain (20)Engine (18)Lights (15)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (13)Fuel system (9)Speed control (8)Brakes (7)

7 of 247 complaints match · Brakes · clear filters

Dec 29, 2023Electrical systemBrakesEngine

2nd time AC compressor motor breaks and as is in line with the serpentine belt, all other systems including electrical and engine stop working. Poor engineering or other reason causing part to break down.

NHTSA ODI 11562569

Nov 5, 2021LightsBrakesLane Departure

2015, GMC, Acadia SLT. Rear brake calipers had to be replaced out of my pocket after rear brake calipers froze and locked the brakes in the middle of traffic. This almost caused a major accident in which lives may have been lost or severe injury sustained. The rear brake calipers were inspected by a mechanic. ABS, Traction Control and Stabiltrak warning lights illuminated. Had to have the vehicle towed four times due to rear brakes seizing. Vehicle was sold to me by Posner Park Chrysler, Highway 27, Davenport, FL who did not fulfill the promised repairs and lied to BBB but researching their submitted Used Car Inspection Sheet, they destroyed the rear brake calipers when installing rear rotors and pads and never did install the passenger side fog light assembly as promised after they claimed they had ordered it and held up vehicle delivery until the evening before my departure from Florida back to New York. They were deliver the vehicle by 11:30 am, August 17, 2021 but I did not drive away with it until 5:00pm, the clock-out time for all mechanics in Florida.

NHTSA ODI 11439546

Oct 19, 2020BrakesCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2015 GMC DENALI. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THEIR HUSBAND WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, WHEN THE TRAFFIC CAME TO A SUDDEN STOP CAUSING THE CONTACT TO APPLY THE BRAKES TO THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER HAD TO DEPRESS THE BRAKING PEDAL EXCESSIVELY, HOWEVER, THE BRAKES DID NOT STOP AND THE BRAKES WERE FLOORED. THE VEHICLE ENDED UP REAR ENDING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. THE AIR BAGS DID DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND TOTALED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE PASSENGER RECEIVED INJURIES TO THE CHEST AND LOWER ABDOMEN AREA. THE ONLY MEDICAL ATTENTION RECEIVED WAS BY EMT AT TIME OF THE CRASH. THE DEALER (CARDINALE GMC 2 HEITZINGER PLAZA, SEASIDE, CA 93955, (831) 322-4112) WAS MADE AWARE. THE CONTACT STATED THEY RECEIVED A NOTICE REGARDING THEIR VEHICLE HAVING ANTI-LOCK BRAKING ISSUES AFTER THE CRASH HAD OCCURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. *LN*DT*DT*JB THE CONSUMER PROVIDED PHOTOS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11365222

Aug 29, 2020SteeringBrakesEngine

THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIME IN THE CITY CROSSING AN INTERSECTION USUALLY AT SLOW SPEED BRAKING AND TURNING AND ALL THE SUDDEN I LOSE EVERYTHING. NO STEERING ELECTRICAL AND BRAKING. THE PARK ASSIST WILL SOMETIMES START GOING OFF LIKE CRAZY JUST BEFORE IT HAPPENS, BUT NOT ALL THE TIME. PUT IN PARK AND OPEN THE DOOR IT COMES BACK ON. THEN SAYS ROLL DOWN DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW AND THEN BACK UP. AT ON TIME I DID HAVE IT HAPPEN ON THE HIGHWAY. I WAS GETTING READY TO PASS AND GIVING IT GAS AND EVERYTHING SHUT DOWN FOR A SPLIT SECOND AND THEN TOOK OFF AGAIN. THIS PROBLEM IS GOING TO GET SOMEONE KILLED.

NHTSA ODI 11351977

Mar 10, 2019Electronic Stability Control (esc)BrakesEngine

IST TIME-CAR STATIONARY-STARTED CAR AND IT STARTED SHAKING-TRACTIONARY CONTROL WARNING CAME ON-TURNED CAR OFF-WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND TURNED IT ON AND IT WAS FINE -THE NEXT DAY AFTER DRIVIING 250 MILES IT HAPPENED AGAIN AFTER STOPPING FOR A TOLL BOOTH-THE CAR SHUT DOWN WITH THE SAME WARNING-AFTER TWO TRIES IT STARTED AND WE DROVE TO A CHEVROLET DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY

NHTSA ODI 11185617

May 5, 2017Speed controlBrakes

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 GMC ACADIA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AND THE CONTACT HAD TO EXERT EXCESSIVE PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CONTACT THEN HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY DISENGAGED AND SLOWED DOWN. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,021.

NHTSA ODI 10983662

May 19, 2015SteeringTransmission & drivetrainBrakes

LEFT VEHICLE PARKED ON INCLINE WITH PARKING BRAKE SET. RETURNED TO VEHICLE, STARTED ENGINE, RELEASED PARKING BRAKE , PUT VEHICLE IN DRIVE. THE GEAR INDICATOR ON THE DASH SHOWED THE CAR WAS IN DRIVE. THE GEAR SELECTOR IN CENTER CONSOLE INDICATED IT WAS IN DRIVE. STEPPING ON GAS RESPONDED WITH ONLY INCREASED RPM. VEHICLE BEGAN TO ROLL RAPIDLY IN REVERSE. THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING (ALMOST LIKE IT WAS IN PARK). THE VEHICLE WAS NEARLY UNCONTROLLABLE AND ALMOST RESULTED IN SEVERE INJURY AS A COUPLE AND THEIR DOG WERE WALKING BEHIND VEHICLE ON SIDEWALK AT TIME OF INCIDENT. AFTER EXERTING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FORCE ON THE BRAK PEDAL THE VEHICLE STOPPED. I APPLIED THE PARKING BRAKE AND SHIFTED TO PARK. SHIFTED BACK TO DRIVE WITH THE SAME RESULT ROLLING BACK FURTHER NEARLY HITTING A BRICK MAILBOX. I THEN PUT TH CAR IN PARK AND TURNED IT OFF RESTARTED AND SHIFTED BACK TO DRIVE, THE VEHICLE THEN PERFORMED AS EXPECTED. VERY FORTUNATE THIS INCID T WAS NOT A DEADLY ACCIDENT. THIS SAME PROBLEM EXHIBITED ITSELF ON LEVEL GROUND ON W PREVIOUS OCCASION BUT WAS DISMISSED AS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT, BUT IT HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES NOW.

NHTSA ODI 10717426

Working with the data? Download all 247 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 2015 GMC Acadia Denali verdict →