Home · 2025 GMC Acadia · Complaints

What 58 owners told NHTSA about the 2025 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 (58)Crash / fire / injury (2)Brakes (36)Driver assistance (19)Engine (5)Electrical system (4)Lights (4)Steering (4)Transmission & drivetrain (4)Speed control (3)Body & structure (2)Lane Departure (2)

36 of 58 complaints match · Brakes · clear filters · page 1 of 2

Jun 11, 2026BrakesDriver assistance

Today, June 11, 2026, my wife and 9 month old baby were on their way home from running errands in town when the vehicle started to violently shake, becoming frightened my wife tried to apply pressure to the brakes. When she pushed down on the brake pedal nothing happened and the pedal hit the floor. Our brand new 2025 GMC Acadia AT4 had just suffered catastrophic brake failure. So she pulled off onto the side of the road in hopes the uneven terrain would slow her down just enough to put it into park. Luckily enough it did. If it would have been 10 seconds later she would have been on a one way bridge where the speed limit is 60mph with no brakes. Four days prior to today on June 07, 2026 I sent a message to the individual that I bought the car from at the GMC dealership and told him that we had warning lights come up on the dash. He had me try and reset the screen but nothing happened. I asked when we could get it into a shop so it could be looked at he said that he would have someone reach out and schedule a time. I proceeded to ask if we were ok to drive the vehicle until then.To which he responded "If the vehicle isn't giving you issues mechanically, you should be good". Fast forward to today June 11, 2026 my wife is driving and has catastrophic brake failure. The vehicle was then towed by roadside assistance to the GMC dealership.

NHTSA ODI 11743627

May 26, 2026BrakesLane DepartureDriver assistance

Telematic Modular Control is not working properly and part is on backorder. Dealership and GMC have refused to put into writing that my vehicle is safe to drive; however, they are refusing rental vehicle while awaiting arrival of part. Several of my safety features are not working correctly, my left turn signal went out randomly and my auto breaking has activated when there has been nothing near my vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11740057

May 20, 2026BrakesDriver assistance

The master cylinder failed under 10,000 miles. I was at 5000 miles. I am reading a lot of people have had issues with the master cylinder in the 2024 early 2025 models. Luckily I was in the driveway barely moving, but man if i were on a highway and it happened it could've been fatal!

NHTSA ODI 11739018

May 19, 2026Brakes

When backing out of a parking spot of a store , I went to stop and pressing on the brakes nothing happened and I kept rolling backwards. I looked down to confirm I was pressing the brakes and my foot was on the brake pedal pressed firmly. I rolled to a stop put it in drive and checked the brakes and they worked like normal. I made an appointment at the dealership and had an appointment the next day. The said it did not have any codes, it preformed normal and passed inspected so there was nothing they could do about it.

NHTSA ODI 11738784

May 8, 2026BrakesDriver assistance

Brake module malfunction Codes: “service ESC” “break assist failure. Press hard to break. Speed limited”

NHTSA ODI 11736675

Apr 24, 2026BrakesCrash

We filled a report on 04/04/2026 with NHTSA at 12:16 pm but can't find a copy of the whole report. My husband John Chandler was driving our 2025 GMC Avadia Elevation. He was backing out of a parking place when he noticed it wouldn't stop while putting his foot on the break. He was able to put it into drive and it lundged forward and wouldn't stop. He kept pushing with both feet on the break and wouldn't stop. I tried pushing the start button to stop but because his feet were on the break it would restart so then pushed the park button and it stopped as we hit the building. The air bags did not depoy so not going that fast. I pushed the button for 911 and they came on to assist and call police. They asked if everyone was al right and other questions. Lucky no one was hurt and thank God for that. Tow truck was called and taken to local tow yard. The 2025 Acadia was transported to the repair shop but has not been inspected by the insurance company or GMC yet. After repairs are complete it will be taken to the local GMC dealer Ron Smith in Merced, CA for inspection. We did not notice andy warning messages prior to the accident.

NHTSA ODI 11733581

Apr 4, 2026Brakes

While backing out of a parking place my husband noticed he couldn't stop the 2025 Acadia and almost hit restraunt behind us, while pusing on the break. He then started to go forward and kept saying "I can't stop it, it won't stop, I'm pushing on the break." The vehicle then went forward and couldn't stop even pushing on the break. I tried pusing the button to turn off the 2025 Acadia a couple times (possible turning back on and because he foot was on the break restarted the vehicle) and then pushed park to see if that would stop. We hit the building in front of us and stopped. The air bags did not deploy so not going that fast. I pushed the button for 911 and they came on to assist and call police and asked if everyone was all right and other questions. Lucky no on was hurt and thank God for that. Tow truck was called and taken to local tow yard.

NHTSA ODI 11729190

Feb 13, 2026BrakesEngineBackup camera & sensors

Unknown. Brakes still squeaking after getting them changed with the bulletin notice. Engine surges and idles rough- dealership could not diagnose. Not accelerating randomly, pedal goes in and it does not engage. Gas tank not filling up all the way. Rear cross tracking warning turned off when it is not turned off. AC smells rotten and musty

NHTSA ODI 11717900

Feb 11, 2026Brakes

2/10/26. Driving down the highway behind a truck and horse trailer at 60 mph, electric brake system stopped working, couldn't stop, a turn lane saved me from rear ending the horse trailer. I thought i was going to die and kill or injure animals and people in my path. Police came and tow truck. 2/10/26 Vehicle was towed to the closest GMC dealer. MERIT GMC Duncan, Ok Vehicle is at service department. There has been 3 events of complete power failure with the vehicle. It had to be towed three times before. All within the last 6 months. It had never happened while driving! When it happened, a brake light appeared on my dash with the message "electric brake failure" and "speed limited". I slammed the Brake pedal to the floor repeatedly with nothing happening. I had many emotional breakdowns to the police officer, at the dealership, at work when I finally got there hours later and am terrified to drive again. I could have died and hurt others.

NHTSA ODI 11717292

Feb 9, 2026Brakes

Warning message appeared stating "service brake assist" and "service ESC". Took vehicle to dealer, they found faulty Master Cylinder. Multiple parts involved, some on back order, could take weeks to a month or more for repair. Vehicle is less than 1 year in service with approx. 6k miles.

NHTSA ODI 11716855

Nov 5, 2025Brakes

Brakes have failed now three separate times. The brake pedal becomes firm and the car will not stop or slow at all. I am pregnant and also had my toddler in the car with me. No warning symbols on the dash. Taken to dealership after several weeks of communication saying this was a safety issue and received a loaner vehicle. However, they have said if THEY cannot reproduce the issue, we will just get our car back. This is unacceptable. This is one of five issues we have already had with this vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11697774

Oct 29, 2025Brakes

While driving vehicle, multiple warning codes appeared including: service traction control, ABS, service brake system and others. More importantly, the power brakes failed and a code was thrown to press hard on brakes to stop vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11696304

Oct 27, 2025Speed controlBrakesDriver assistance

I have the little feature that will brake for me if it thinks ima get in a wreck. However it’s glitchy!! I can be the only vehicle on road in BOTH directions, cruise set at 60 when out of nowhere the car slams on the breaks. We go down to like 52 then like nothing ever happened we are back to 60. This has happened several times. I have brought the car into my dealership tomorrow have the software updated and the camera recalibrated. Even after these steps were made this issue is still occurring. Happens about one to two times a week, so pretty often. My worries that I will be rear ended one day if this is not corrected.

NHTSA ODI 11695923

Oct 15, 2025BrakesDriver assistance

We had complete brake system failure while driving the car on the highway. The brakes went all the way to the floor when applied and we came inches going into fast moving oncoming traffic before the vehicle stopped. I had to push the break with both feet with all the strength I had to get the brakes to respond at all. The brake assist failure warning light came on and another warning light came on that said SERVICE ESC. I have this on video. This was the first time the warning lights have ever come on. It’s a brand new 2025 car with only 800 miles on it. We were advised by the dealership who sold us the car to get OnStar to tow the vehicle to our local GMC dealership where we bought the car. When the car was hooked up to the diagnoses machine it said brake system failure. I have not received any invoices or paperwork to send you at this point. All I can upload is a video of the warning lights that were appearing on the dashboard after the incident.

NHTSA ODI 11693689

Sep 14, 2025Brakes

While driving my 2025 GMC Acadia Denali on [XXX], from Omaha, NE, to Laurie, MO, I received a "Service Brake Assist" warning lamp as well as "Check Engine" and "ABS" warning lamps in St. Joseph, MO. At this point, my vehicle had 6,945 miles on it. We turned around and went back to Omaha. We dropped the car with Gregg Young Chevrolet at 7,095 miles. The dealership identified the issue as EBCM and master cylinder assembly failure. It replaced the EBCM and master cylinder assembly, test drove the car 7 miles and told me my Acadia was ready to go. I did not make it out of the dealership parking lot before the "Service Brake Assist" and "Check Engine" lights came on again. The dealership again identified master cylinder assembly failure, again replaced said assembly, test drove it 10 miles this time and told me my Acadia was ready to go. I got my Acadia and made it 1.1 miles before the "Service Brake Assist" light again came on. I promptly returned my Acadia to the dealership, where it sits today. At the date I am typing this (9/14/25), the dealership has had my Acadia since 8/22/25. The master cylinder has now failed 3 times at this point. First, after 6,945 miles, second after 7 miles, third after 11 miles. The safety of myself and my family was put at risk by the potential failure of my brake system. This should not happen on a brand new car with less than 7K miles and darn sure not 3 times in a row! Yes, the problem has been confirmed by the dealer 3 times. The dealership is now reaching out to GM to determine what to do. I don't have personal knowledge as far as inspection of the component by the manufacturer. It is my understanding from reading about the issue, that both GM and the NHTSA are well aware of this issue and are investigating. I am also aware of pending class-action lawsuits regarding the brake assembly failure. The first time I received the warning lights is when the system failed (or was starting to fail). INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11687140

Sep 14, 2025SteeringBrakesDriver assistance

Bought new 2025 GMC Acadia in March of same year. At ~4500 miles I started getting Brake Assist, Forward Collision and Electronic Stability Control warning messages on dash. Upon researching, this is an increasingly common issue with this vehicle that can render the brakes unusable. I no longer feel safe in the vehicle and want it refunded. Car is now in the shop. Taken in on 9/11. Problem has been confirmed by dealer.

NHTSA ODI 11687148

Sep 7, 2025BrakesDriver assistance

I purchased the car on [XXX]. Drove the car about 8000 miles and then all of a sudden the dash lights all lit up for the brakes, ABS, traction control. I pulled the car over and turned it off. When I restarted my car, the lights continued to stay on and it told me to service immediately. I called my dealer and they could not get me in within 2 weeks so I took it to another local GMC dealer who could get it in to look at it that week. I took it in on July 9th, and then received a called a couple days later telling me that it had a bad Brake control module that they needed to order. A week later was told the part was on backorder. Two weeks later was told the part came in but it was still missing the brake master cylinder and reservoir. At that time, I was told the ETA was unknown and I have been calling back every week. On August 23rd I filed a complaint with GMC and have struggled to get anywhere with them. They tell me the dealer has the parts and the dealer tells me that they do not. I still have no ETA and it has been officially 2 months without a car. I am told that it is not safe to drive. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11685561

Aug 26, 2025Brakes

Brake assist warning message and BRAKE light appeared a couple of weeks ago, along with others. Brought the car into the dealer, who initially thought they cleared the errors and reported no additional issues when they ran the diagnostics. Nothing was cleared. Vehicle application and monitor also does not show an issue, even though the warning appears at each start up and none of the related safety systems work (ABS, ESC, AEB, etc.) that rely on the brake pump. Information from the dealer and owners manual are in conflict, with the dealer allowing me to drive while the owner's manual indicates it should not be driven with the BRAKE light lit. They have now "diagnosed" a "failed" master cylinder unit that includes electronics and the pump. The car had about 4500 miles on it when the issue occurred. I am at a loss for if it should be driven and trusted or not.

NHTSA ODI 11683123

Aug 18, 2025Brakes

Purchase vehicle on August 13, 2025 with 27 miles on it. Drove home from dealership. Started the car on Friday morning and all of these warning lights appeared - Electronic Stability Control, Brake Assist Service, Brake light indicator, ABS indicator, traction control indicator, collision warning indicator. Car only had 69 miles at the time. Took vehicle to dealership on August 18, 2025. After diagnostics were performed, it was determined that the Master Brake Cylinder is the issue. The part is on back order and there is no estimated time of when the part will be received and installed. Dealership Rep told me that it was safe to drive the vehicle to the dealership. Service Technician then explained to me that I should not be driving the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11681285

Aug 12, 2025Brakes

I purchased the vehicle, and twelve days later while operating the vehicle I experienced full braking power failure. My foot was to the floor board while trying to get the car to slow down. Up until the point of brake failure, there were no warning lights or "symptoms" that would alert me as to an impending problem. My young child was also in the car so that was extremely scary also. During this time, the "service brake assist" light and ABS light came on. I was able to slow the car down enough, restart the car, and the brakes seemed to work, however all of the related braking lights were on my dash. It was brought to the dealer the next day. The dealer has noted that its the master cylinder that needs to be replaced. However, they replaced it, and the new master cylinder has also failed, so they'll need to try and replace it again. I'm concerned this issue could cause severe accidents in the future if it continues to not be addressed.

NHTSA ODI 11680024

Aug 9, 2025SteeringBrakes

Upon starting the vehicle the vehicle immediately starting moving while foot on brake and moved from park to reverse or drive. Unable to stop the vehicle in idle gear and no gas pedal applied. Power steering warning and no brake assist warning on the dash. Unable to stop vehicle within 20ft while traveling at idle speed. Vehicle lights and warnings have been reproduced and is currently at a dealership awaiting further inspection. Vehicle is available for third party inspection if needed. Vehicle at Barker Buick GMC, 6444 W Main St, Houma, LA 70360 on 8/4/25

NHTSA ODI 11679553

Aug 7, 2025BrakesDriver assistance

dash lit up with ABS, traction control, and ESC warnings. Technician stated the entire brake system needed to be rebuilt. There is currently no ETA on when the parts to be able to accomplish this will be available.

NHTSA ODI 11679053

Aug 6, 2025BrakesDriver assistanceLane Departure

Approximately July 12 2025 while driving to dinner two warnings showed on the Driver Information Cluster (1) Check Brake Assist (2) Check ESC. Took vehicle to dealer the next business day for diagnosis. Service department stated the problem was the EBCM or Electronic Brake Control Module and the parts are on a Nationwide backorder. Since the part failure all brake system associated lights on the gauge cluster are illuminated and non of the associated safety systems are functional including but not limited to ABS, Stabilitrak, Lane Keep Assist, Adaptive Cruise, Crash Avoidance or standard cruise control.

NHTSA ODI 11678724

Aug 4, 2025BrakesDriver assistance

At startup today vehicle displayed “Brake Assist Failure. Press Hard to brake. Speed limited.” It also displayed “service.” It also displayed “ESC,” and the word “service. An internet search indicated this may be a common problem of this vehicle, caused either by a software error in the Electronic Brake Control Module, or due to a defective brake master cylinder. There is a GM service notice for these defects, N242471431. Regardless of the cause, the brake is extremely mushy, and requires a high degree of force to stop the vehicle. GM says there is no recall due to this defect. This is a brand new vehicle and therefore it must be a defect in the vehicle. Given that braking is a fundamental safety issue, it’s hard to believe there is no recall already issued.

NHTSA ODI 11678204

Jul 31, 2025Brakes

New 2025 GMC Acadia Denali vehicle with only 5,600 miles driven. When starting SUV I pressed start button and brake pedal. I felt the brake pedal pulse down. Once started, the dashboard lit up with warnings of Service ESC and Service Brake Assist. Quickly took to dealer, they ran diagnostic tests and revealed the Master Brake Cylinder is out. Dealer said I should Not drive it due to danger of brakes completely failing! Dealer has other 2025 Acadia's come in with no brakes at all due to same issue and they are still there waiting on same part. Dealer and GM have NO estimate of when they will have a new Master Brake Cylinder as this part is on back order. A case has been created with GM regarding part availability delay. My research has revealed numerous owners of 2025 Acadia, Traverse and Enclave with this same Master Brake Cylinder failure and no parts available waiting months. Brake failure is a MAJOR SAFETY hazard! GM has stopped selling the 2026 Acadia, Traverse and Enclave. They should recall all 2025 Acadia, Traverse and Enclave!

NHTSA ODI 11677430

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Working with the data? Download all 58 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 14, 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 2025 GMC Acadia verdict →