Home · 2018 GMC Acadia Limited · Complaints

What 389 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 GMC Acadia Limited

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 (389)Crash / fire / injury (10)Transmission & drivetrain (162)Electrical system (108)Engine (32)Steering (24)Brakes (21)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (12)Fuel system (9)Lane Departure (6)Backup camera & sensors (5)Seats (5)

9 of 389 complaints match · Fuel system · clear filters

May 19, 2026Transmission & drivetrainFuel system

the transmission kept slipping. the car continued to lose power until it just wouldn't go anymore. The mechanic said it is definitely the transmission and drive shaft but my particular VIN is not included. I am looking at $7,000 in repairs on a car I owe $13,000.00

NHTSA ODI 11738766

Oct 23, 2025Engine & coolingFuel systemTransmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate while attempting to shift gears. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked and made an abnormal sound, with the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated there was black and white smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission, cooling system, and fuel system failures. The dealer also determined that the engine was leaking oil. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle required several repairs. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 126,000.

NHTSA ODI 11695258

Sep 24, 2025Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemFuel system2 injuries

Shifting to park and vehicle stating the vehicle is not in park, won't let me turn the vehicle off. Transmission going out, brought to many shops letting me know that the transmission is not working properly but won't give an engine light if anything is wrong with vehicle, Wont show on readers what is wrong with vehicle. Electrical, Doors will automatically lock and unlock most times lock and locks me in the vehicle having me have to climb through the windows and having to leave my windows open or locks me out the vehicle and can only get in by climbing in the trunk. Testing has been done and brought to GM to figure out the issue, and they replace the computer in it but still has the problem. I have had shops tell me these are all huge issues that needs to have a recall because my vehicle is not the only GMC Acadia that does all this. How is any of this safe for me and my kids.

NHTSA ODI 11689335

Sep 9, 2025Electrical systemFuel system

The shift to park in my 2018 GMC Acadia was faulty. On many occasions and randomly, the car would be in park but would not turn off, saying I needed to shift it to park in order to turn the car off. This has left me unable to turn my car off resulting in dead batteries and missed appointments and being late for work. This defect is well documented by GM in TSBs PIT5616A, 18-NA-297, and 19-NA-206, which describes the exact symptoms and repair that I had to have completed. This problem has been on going and as a teacher I cannot continue to be late for school because my car, though in park, would not turn off. Given GM’s prior acknowledgement of this defect, I believe reimbursement is warranted. I have never been notified of a recall on this.

NHTSA ODI 11686054

Mar 19, 2025Fuel systemSpeed controlEngine

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the reduced engine power message was displayed. The RPM increased to high, and the engine revved. The accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V358000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was determined that the high-pressure fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

NHTSA ODI 11649181

Mar 2, 2025Electrical systemEngineFuel system

Truck lost power randomly while driving on freeway spend so much money on fixing it this has to do something with the way the built it

NHTSA ODI 11645879

Apr 20, 2024Electrical systemFuel systemDriver assistance

The car needs an PCM upgrade because it’s lit up a code in randomly situation. Causing the vehicle to lose the water temperature gage, power steering wheel assistance reduced and ac stop working, gmc is aware of the problem even issued a technical bulletin in 2018, but instead of inform the clients about the defective part, they want the client with this problem to pay to upgrade a defective PCM that came out from factory with problem. Note the power steering wheel assistance is part of the safety of the car. The problem always existed in the car, it toke me 2 years to find the problem.

NHTSA ODI 11584183

Dec 18, 2019Electrical systemFuel systemFire

ON DECEMBER 5TH 2019, I ARRIVED HOME FROM WORK TO TAKE MY SON TO HIS DR. APT. I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY AROUND 10:30AM. I LEFT THE CAR ON SO MY SON WOULDN'T HAVE TO GO INTO A COLD CAR, BEING HE WAY SICK. I RAN INTO MY HOUSE WHERE MY MOTHER WAS WATCHING BOTH MY SONS. I SAID TO MY MOM, LET ME USE THE RESTROOM QUICKLY BEFORE I GET HIS COAT ON. I WAS NO MORE THAN 2 MINS. AS I STEPPED OUT THE BATHROOM, I HEAR MY HUSBAND SCREAMING FROM UP STAIRS THE CAR IS ON FIRE! HE COMES RUNNING DOWN THERE STAIRS AS FAST AS HE CAN, ALMOST INJURING HIMSELF BECAUSE HE DIDN'T SEE ME YET AND THOUGHT I WAS IN THE CAR! HE THEN SEES ME AND GRABS THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER. HE RUNS OUTSIDE TO TRY AND EXTINGUISH THE FIRE..AS I CALLED THE FRANKLIN SQUARE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND 911. BUT IN UNDER THE 5 MINS THE CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES! WE HAD TO THEN EVACUATE THE HOUSE BECAUSE THE GARAGE IS AN ATTACHED GARAGE AND THE CAR WAS IN THE DRIVEWAY OF THE GARAGE. MY POOR KIDS WERE FRIGHTENED FOR THEIR LIFE AS WE RUSHED THEM OUT THE HOUSE AS THEIR MOMMYS CAR WAS UP IN FLAMES..THEY WERE CRYING THEIR EYES OUT IN FEAR. THE FIRE CAUGHT ONTO THE TREE ON THE FRONT LAWN AS WELL AS DESTROYING THE GARAGE AND DRIVEWAY. I CRIED EXTENSIVELY THINKING OF THE WHAT IFS...WHAT IF I PUT MY SON AND I DIRECTLY INTO THE CAR, WITHOUT USING THE RESTROOM THAT DAY. WHAT IF THIS HAD OCCURRED WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON THE PARKWAY WITH MY WHOLE FAMILY IN THE VEHICLE. THIS VEHICLE WAS A DEATH TRAP THAT ALMOST TOOK MY LIFE AND MY FAMILY. WE FOUND THAT THEIR HAD BEEN A RECALL ON THE GMC ACADIA FOR THE 2017-2018 EDITIONS. I HAVING A 2018, WHERE WAS MY NOTIFICATION OF A RECALL? WHERE WAS MY LETTER..EMAIL..CALL FROM GM? I HAVE NUMEROUS FRIENDS THE RECOMMEND THE GMC ACADIA AS A GREAT FAMILY CAR. THEY ARE ALL NOW SCARED TO DEATH BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED TO ME. NON FEEL SAFE USING THEIR VEHICLE NOW.

NHTSA ODI 11289836

Dec 3, 2019Electrical systemEngineFuel system

MY 2018 GMC ACADIA SLT-1 HAS BEEN HAVING ACCELERATION ISSUES LIKE SHUDDERING AND OR FEELS LIKE A FULL LOSS OF POWER , WITH NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. I'VE TAKEN IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE FOR THIS PROBLEM . I'VE ONLY TAKEN IT IN THIS 2ND TIME BECAUSE IT GOT WORSE AND SCARED ME THAT IT WOULD DIE ON THE HIGHWAY. IT ALSO HAS HAD TO HAVE THE BATTERY CHARGED 3 TIMES IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS , YET THE DEALER SAYS THE BATTERY CHECKS GOOD. AT THE LEAST I BELIEVED SINCE ITS UNDER WARRANTY THEY WOULD CHANGE THE BATTERY IN THE CASE THE COMPUTER IS CAUSING ISSUES BASED ON BATTERY VOLTAGE. THE ALTERNATOR IS WORKING , BUT WITH ONLY 29K MILES NONE OF THIS BATTERY NOR ACCELERATION SHUDDER AND STUMBLE LIKE ITS GOING TO DIE SHOULD BE ACCEPTABLE.

NHTSA ODI 11286698

Working with the data? Download all 389 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 26, 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 2018 GMC Acadia Limited verdict →