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What 96 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 GMC Acadia

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 (96)Crash / fire / injury (4)Electrical system (26)Engine (23)Transmission & drivetrain (21)Steering (16)Fuel system (11)Driver assistance (8)Brakes (7)Speed control (4)Airbags (3)Lane Departure (3)

2 of 96 complaints match · Airbags · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Aug 11, 2021AirbagsSeatsCrash2 injuries

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that she was rear-ended by another vehicle at a high rate of speed while attempting to make a left turn. As a result, the front passenger seat fractured. The air bags failed to deploy upon impact; the contact hit her head and was knocked unconscious during the incident. The contact was taken to the hospital by ambulance and was treated for a hematoma on her forehead above her right eye. Her husband, who was driving the vehicle, was later treated for muscle pain in his back. A police report was filed at the scene. The vehicle was towed from the scene to an independent mechanic where it remained in their possession. The dealer nor the manufacturer had to be notified of the failure. The contact stated that the vehicle sustained significant damage; however, it had yet to be examined or deemed a loss. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.

NHTSA ODI 11428646

Jun 7, 2021AirbagsBody & structureSpeed controlCrash

The ACADIA 2020 while in slow motion approaching my private condominium parking spot, accelerated autonomously and then slammed into the cement wall. Airbags deployed, no warning of collision, seriously damaged both car and cement wall. No bodily injuries. I researched the possible cause coded P2138 which involves the drive by wire sensors which connect the throttle pedal and the CPU that controls the mechanical throttle gas system. That might be the cause of the autonomous acceleration like explained about the P2138 sensors issues.

NHTSA ODI 11419981

Working with the data? Download all 96 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 10, 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 2020 GMC Acadia verdict →