What 695 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 GMC Acadia

P0128 code, thermostat-related symptoms, Steering Assist Reduced warnings, increased steering effort, or other safety concerns while driving.

NHTSA ODI 11749164

My Shift To Park senor come on often and wouldn't let me turn the vehicle off.

NHTSA ODI 11748052

The contact owns an Evenflo Car Seat, Model Type: Evenflo Gold Revolve360 Extend, Manufactured Date: January 14, 2025, installed in a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the 360-degree rotating car seat failed to lock securely into position while the child was seated in the car seat. While attempting to position the car seat in the forward-facing setting, the rotational shell failed to engage or snap into the locking mechanism on the base. The failure had occurred inside the vehicle. The car seat was not repaired or replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was in the process of replacing the car seat.

NHTSA ODI 11745684

Vehicle has experienced multiple electrical and mechanical failures at unusually low mileage. Purchased at 32,000 miles. At approximately 50,000 miles, the factory radio/infotainment system failed completely. Electrical systems were observed remaining active after the vehicle was powered off, suggesting an underlying electrical fault. At approximately 60,000 miles, the power steering rack and fuel pump both required full replacement and were confirmed and replaced by an authorized dealership. No warning lights appeared prior to these failures — components failed without any prior indication. At approximately 100,000 miles, the transmission began failing and exhibits the known torque converter shudder issue widely reported on this vehicle platform. The shudder was present prior to full transmission failure symptoms appearing. The pattern of premature failures across multiple unrelated systems — electrical, steering, fuel delivery, and transmission — suggests a broader manufacturing defect.

NHTSA ODI 11745036

I have replaced 5 batteries in my vehicle. The battery is constantly being drained. There is no lights or residual drawing power that can be identified.

NHTSA ODI 11744647

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the transmission and torque converter were previously replaced twice; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.

NHTSA ODI 11744232

Imagine wrapping up your errands and stepping into your GMC Acadia to drive home. You arrive and everything seems fine until you park, press the button to shut it off, and a “Shift to Park” message lights up the dashboard. Thinking you might have made a silly mistake, you double-check the shifter, only to realize it’s already in Park. It has become so rampant, has drained my battery and caused anxiety.

NHTSA ODI 11739164

UNKNOWN I’m told the micro parking switch is the problem. This is an intermediate issue. This is a well known problem with the GMC Acadias. Their times when I try to turn off the engine, I get a shift to park error message. The car will not turn off, I’m unable to lock the doors and I’m concerned that the car is not in the park position thus and fearful, it can roll away. This has been occurring more often than before.

NHTSA ODI 11738841

Steering assist is reduced Brake assist reduced Seems to be a defective thermostat and sensor .temp gauge is below Normal operating temperature this needs to be addressed by GM should be a recall as this can be a costly repair.Many reports of same issue

NHTSA ODI 11738919

When the car was parked and turned off, I received a notice to "SHIFT TO PARK" even though the car was in park.

NHTSA ODI 11738561

I keep getting this warning "Action Required Steering Assist Is Reduced Drive With Care" . This warning has occurred randomly for several years. Recently, after getting this warning the check engine light came on and the engine temp gauge stopped indicating. I have seen a bulletin from GM that this condition is covered under a 'special warranty extension' for a single model year, but it is common over at least 5 model years. This should be a recall because of the steering assist issue.

NHTSA ODI 11737716

Driver's side seat belt lower attachment point. Has a flexible cable swage attachment to the lower seat belt and. This braided steel cable has failed at the swage. No accident involved. Just a fatigue failure over time. But since this is a safety system, I thought I should report it. It seems very similar to the earlier seat belt failures on the same GMC platform. That recall is included as a reference document

NHTSA ODI 11737296

When shifting vehicle into park and turning off the ignition switch a notification shows up and says shift to park even though vehicle is already in that position.

NHTSA ODI 11731294

Dash states put in park. But in park, car would deplete battery which I replaced but didn't fix. Unsafe as manuel states car can shut down while driving to preserve battery. Only 23,635 miles. Mostly parked. Parts $57 with $378 labor!

NHTSA ODI 11730458

Twice the side detection system failed due to corroded wiring under the bumper which then led into the electrical system failing on side air bag detection/blind zone detection/traction control system/display monitor and blinkers all failing to the point of vehicle not starting. The safety is these features failed which were both safety and stability. Risks occur in becoming stranded and the problem was first noted by dealer to be a poor battery. GM pushed out a "Special Coverage Adjustment' to have the wiring/module kit to be ordered and repaired by a dealer for no charge. Stipulations was within 6 yrs or 80,000 from 'placed in use'. Warning lamps occurred after the corrosion was too far along to be rectified and after the 6n yrs off the lot. Manufacture GM issued the special adjustment but dealership did not provide notice beyond letter at point of failure in vehicle so that twice I have had to contend with this issue and pay in full for the service work performed. The second fail of this wiring system and module was within 3 years of first replacement.

NHTSA ODI 11728124

Seeing the intermittent shift to park messages when the vehicle has been shifted into park and the ignition is turned to the off position. Shifter wire harness jumper & transmission controls A malfunctioning shifter raises fears of potential rollaway accidents, even if such cases remain rare. For anyone who has to park on a slope, this fear can cause serious worry. Yes, there is a service bulletin (19-NA-206) No, this is 1 of the only problems I have had with this. The other issues I have had is the clear coating on the rims are peeling

NHTSA ODI 11726695

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the A/C system became inoperable. Additionally, the engine fan activated and remained activated even after the vehicle was turned off. The contact stated that the failure had recurred while driving. The contact related the failure to GM Special Coverage Number: N252508350 (Engine Coolant Thermostat). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA ODI 11726780

The shift to park keeps showing up and I had this issue taken care of last year at the dealership and it just started again. It is over $600 to have the repair done and should last more than a year before it needs to be replaced again. The lane assist pops up every couple weeks that it is not working.

NHTSA ODI 11726403

Steering assist is reduced

NHTSA ODI 11725795

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while parked at her work, she had attempted to start the vehicle and was unable. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The contact had smelled the strong odor of gasoline from the front end of the vehicle. The contact stated a co-worker had looked underneath the vehicle and confirmed the leak of gasoline. The contact had taken the vehicle back to the same independent mechanic, who advised that the fuel pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that she was in a parking lot at a shopping center as she was looking for a parking spot, the driver's side air bag exploded, there was no crash. The contact said that she heard a loud "boom," and she had scrapes on her arms, hands, and face. The contact stated that her sons both had cuts and scrapes on their faces, the contact said one of her children needed stitches on his lip from the explosion. The contact stated that the police and emergency services were at the scene. The contact stated that her vehicle was towed back to her residence. The contact stated that she and her children were transported by ambulance to the emergency room. The contact stated that the police issued a report, but she was not given the report number. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

NHTSA ODI 11724860

Shift to Park warning comes on when the car is turned off and it is in park. When we park the the car and shift the car to park and turn the car off the warning "shift to park" comes on and the electrical systems will not disengage. The radio stays on, the car can not be locked, and the doors ding loud alarms if you try to exit the car. The only fix is to sit in the car for several minutes and flick the switch under the gear shift and hope that the shift to park warning eventually goes off and you can exit the car. It sometimes takes 8-10 minutes for this to happen. This first happened intermittently and now happens every time we turn off the car. It has been replicated in a dealership and service center. The independent service center that did our brakes said they were aware this was a common problem in GMCs and they experienced it. We have been told it is a microswitch and the repair option is not under any kind of recall or warranty and up to us to pay for the full repair even though it seems there are thousands of people online experiencing the same problem and paying hundreds of dollars for this fix.

NHTSA ODI 11725122

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle briefly lost motive power before slamming into gear. Additionally, the vehicle vibrated abnormally while changing gear. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

NHTSA ODI 11724790

In March of 2022 at around 79,000 miles, the temperature gauge was intermittently stuck on cold with the cooling fan constantly running and “steering assist reduced” displayed in the DIC. The car was found to have a bad thermostat which was replaced at the dealership on 3/28/2022. About 2 months ago the car started doing the same exact thing again. I have an appointment at the same dealership on March 23. It is likely the same problem again and I have only driven about 50,000 miles since the last time it was fixed. The car is now out of warranty. This is apparently a common recurrent with these model cars. There is in fact a service bulletin released about this very issue. GMC should replace and repair this issue since it is clearly a flaw.

NHTSA ODI 11723963

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ODI 11722411

The engine is spewing oil from the sides of the engine. This is causing overheating and check engine light to come on. Mechanics cannot get an error read on it. There is no oil leak coming from under the engine.

NHTSA ODI 11719617