What 639 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 GMC Acadia Denali

Went to Burt Watson the end of May. Paid $250 to diagnose 3 problems. Trans was intermittently kicking into passing gear when starting from a stop position, a service engine light and passenger side blind spot warning would come on when nothing was there and other times wouldn't recognize a vehicle was there. Around the middle of July the battery began draining intermittently leaving me stranded at night away from home. The rear defogger began turning itself on and couldn't be shut off and was very hot to the touch. The drivers seat moved all the way forward on its own pressing me into the steering wheel and dash while I was driving at highway speed. Forcing me to change 2 lanes of traffic trying to get to the side of the road.I was told by the service manager that the rear fuse block had shorted out do to water intrusion from bad drain ports. This was replaced, and then I was told something else was draining the battery. And this was "one " of the things not covered by warranty. There is a service bulletin stating that there may be pinholes at the top of the a-pillars and d-pillars yet the dealership stated a new windshield was needed. There are several service bulletins indicating that such leaks can reek havoc on the electronics. The dealership has changed their estimate several times with still no solution in site. The vehicle has been sitting at the dealership since July. At one point it was communicated to me that GM would assist in the cost of the repairs when and if job was ever completed.They are now stating the cost to repair the issues is $5500.00 and is my responsibility.

NHTSA ODI 11551375

I bought my vehicle in 2020. In 2019, there was a special coverage notice (N172097060) with part repair because of known service side detection issues for water module intrusion. My understanding is this is due to the poor design and placement of the item in the rear of the vehicle that is known for getting water in it when driving, which then impacts the entire electronic system (not just service side detection). Beginning in spring 2023, I began to have these issues, starting with service side detection first. I then had other major electrical issues connected to this issue I believe are a safety concern. I have had very scary episodes at high speeds of my entire car electronic system shutting down, speedometer going to zero, gas going to empty, glitching and not starting multiple times. It got to the point my entire car was not drivable due to this issue - the dealer has a temporary fix on it to allow it to continue to be drivable until parts are in. The dealer has confirmed the issue I am experiencing is this safety special coverage issue from 2019. I contacted the dealer I bought my car from and they stated they did the special coverage fix in 2019. They confirm this issue is occurring again. However, they claim that because it was fixed in 2019, I am responsible for paying and fixing it this time around. The issue was not resolved and I believe this is a huge safety issue that should be a recall, not just a special coverage. It was very scary driving on a highway with my children in tow and having my entire system go out at a high speed. It has been inconvenient, parts are supposedly on backorder and being told it's my responsibility to cover it when it's a known issue. I have also found online many other owners having this issue. The special coverage did not fix it if water continues to get into the module and continues to generate these issues again. I appreciate any assistance on this matter and thank you for your time!

NHTSA ODI 11530444

I get a "service side detection" on my DIC. It used to work occasionally, now it no longer works. The sensors lights do come on when the "service side detection" shows up. Sometimes this alerts comes and goes and sometimes it stays until I push a button, in which it just reappears later. Through research I found this document sent out from GM: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10160088-9999.pdf GLOBAL SAFETY FIELD INVESTIGATIONS DCS5011 URGENT - DISTRIBUTE IMMEDIATELY Subject: N172097060 - Special Coverage Side Blind Zone Alert Module Water Intrusion General Motors is releasing Special Coverage N172097060 today. The total number of U.S. vehicles involved is approximately 131,652. Please see the attached bulletin for details. Condition: Some 2013-2016 model year Chevrolet Cruze, 2014-2015 Chevrolet Impala and 2013-2017 GMC Acadia vehicles, may have a condition where the Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) modules may fail or malfunction due to water intrusion. The driver may experience a side blind zone alert message displayed on the driver instrument cluster (DIC). If this message is ignored, the condition could result in the corruption of LS GMLAN that may result in the loss of some driver interface functions such as cluster, infotainment / displays, chime, and passenger presence detection (passenger airbag could be suppressed, w/airbag TT, DIC message). MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN!! Special Coverage Adjustment: This special coverage covers the condition described above for a period of 6 years or 80,000 miles (130,000 km) whichever occurs first, from the date the vehicle was originally placed in service, regardless of ownership. CORRECTION: Dealers are to repair the vehicle by ordering and installing the appropriate service kit. The service kit will contain all of the components required to complete the repair. The repairs will be made at no charge to the customer. PROBLEM: MY CAR HAS A BRANDED TITLE SO THEY WILL NOT FIX IT. IF IT IS A RECALL, THEY HAVE TO.

NHTSA ODI 11515410

Service side detection system warning is on and upon investigation and diagnostics it has been widely reported as a common issue that GMC only chose to address for a select number of vehicles. I have 93k miles and there is a service agreement to 80k. Others have indicated that it not fixed it can send bad signals to circuit board causing battery failure, information system failure, dash light failure and headlight failure making this a safety issue is something like this occurs in the dark. As a result I am concerned for my safety and am frustrated that GMC is not required to fix this issue.

NHTSA ODI 11514973

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that on various occasions, the "Service Side Detection System" warning message was displayed, and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the Blind Side Zone module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred, and the vehicle lost motive power again and failed to restart. The vehicle was then towed to Brennan Buick GMC (383 State Rte. 3, Plattsburgh, NY 12901) where it was diagnosed that the Blind Side Zone module needed to be replaced again. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred, and the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Service Side Detection System" warning message was displayed. The vehicle was not yet taken to an independent mechanic or local dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

NHTSA ODI 11507518

GM put out notice in April 2019 stating side blind zone alert message due to water intrusion May cause issue with driver interface functions. Do not take your vehicle to dealership unless you believe there is a problem. Reimbursement by 4/30/2020 6 years 80,000 miles. Vehicle stopped working while parked in driveway. No start, no cranking, warning lights for security lock out, side crash detection, tire monitoring service and airbags displayed. Dome light for front door did not work while second row lights did work. Lift gate would not open. When stating issues to dealer prior to service were told they had not heard of anything that would stop a cars engine from functioning. Dealership repair stated this was due to rear blind side detection module and that the module shorted out cause all other circuits to go to ground, yet no fuses were blown. Starter fuse and relays were good. I asked dealer if this could have caused my car to stop while driving and they answered yes. Have corroded module and wire loom referee to as kit. Was told no way to circumvent system other than replacement.

NHTSA ODI 11501399

side detection modules swollen causing failure, repair $735.97.

NHTSA ODI 11453567

The side detection alarms kept beeping regardless of any location on the road or in my own driveway. Now I have a "service side detection module failure" warning on the dashboard. Estimates on repair have been in the $800 range and after having spoken to many GMC owners, several have had the same problem. Some have made the repairs, others have not due to the cost.

NHTSA ODI 11453706

IT SEEMS THAT ALL OF THESE CARS HAVE A FAULTY SIDE DETECTION PROBLEM. PLEASE CHECK INTO IT. IT IS A PAIN AND IS SAD THAT IT SEEMS TO HAPPEN TO ALL OF THEM. THE SIDE DETECTION PROBLEM LEADS TO OTHER KINDS OF PROBLEMS WITH THE COMPUTERS ... THE LIGHT STAYS ON ALL THE TIME

NHTSA ODI 11405591

THE SIDE BLIND ZONE ALERT SYSTEM FAILED LAST YEAR AND CAUSED THE CAR TO DIE AND LEAVE ME STRANDED. THE VEHICLE WAS STILL UNDER MANUFACTURERS WARRANTY AND THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THE SIDE BLIND ZONE SYSTEM WAS FAULTY AND REPLACED THE MODULE AND SENSORS. A LITTLE OVER A YEAR LATER AND THE SYSTEM IS DOING THE SAME THING. I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE MODULE AND SENSORS. THIS SHOULD NOT BE MY PROBLEM, GMC HAS CREATED A FAULTY SENSOR SYSTEM AND NOW CONSUMERS ARE HAVING TO DISH OUT 700 PLUS DOLLARS FOR THE REPAIR. THERE IS A 'BULLETIN' THAT CONVENIENTLY DOES NOT COVER AL VIN NUMBERS MINE INCLUDED! HOW CAN THAT BE POSSIBLE IF IT'S THE SAME FAULTY SYSTEM? I WOULD LIKE THIS REPAIR TO MADE BY THE MANUFACTURER AND THERE SHOULD BE A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT REGARDING THIS MATTER. THE VEHICLE DIED AS I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT, THANK GOD! I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED AND REPAIRED

NHTSA ODI 11389983

WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN ON A HIGHWAY, I EXPERIENCED THE BLIND SIDE DETECTION WARNING . THE SYSTEM SHUT ITSELF DOWN AND NO LONGER GAVE ANY SIDE DETECTION AT ALL. AFTER CONTACTING GMC, THEY SAID THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. I SAW A SERVICE BULLETIN ONLINE, N172097060, BUT THEY SAID MY VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED.

NHTSA ODI 11375076