2021 GMC ACADIA

What owners reported to NHTSA, ranked by how often and how seriously.

This is complaint data, not a random sample.

It only includes owners who chose to file a federal complaint, so it over-represents dramatic and safety-related problems and under-represents minor issues an owner just had fixed without reporting. Read this as what NHTSA complainants report most, not as this vehicle's true failure rate. Full methodology.

Component ranking

  1. #1

    fuel pump

    4 stranded, 17 unsafe

    21
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=5)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder…"~35,500 mi, complaint #2146801
    • "The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle started, and the contact exited the vehicle and ran into the house for a while. The contact stated that while reentering the vehicle, the contact noticed that…"~78,200 mi, complaint #2168538
  2. #2

    engine cooling

    13 unsafe

    13
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that after a routine maintenance at the local dealer, it was noticed that the radiator was leaking coolant. Upon further inspection, the contact and his son noticed that the driver’s side of the radiator w…"~32,175 mi, complaint #2095835
    • "The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the coolant fan was running after the engine was turned off. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone to be di…"~69,000 mi, complaint #2188542
  3. #3

    steering electric assist

    12 unsafe

    12
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "CAR STEERS TO LEFT,VOLUME DOES NOT WORK AFTER A CONNECTED CALL WHILE DRIVING,SCREEN BLACKS OUT AND NOISE COMING OUT OF LEFT DRIVER DOOR PANEL WHILE CAR IS OFF,ALSO MESSAGE THAT SD CARD WAS REMOVED NO APPS WORKING"complaint #1712869
    • "This is a well known issue. On the dash it keeps reading steering system is being reduced drive with care. I have been dealing with this issue almost years. Been to the dealership too many times for this issue"complaint #2127429
    • "I have a 2021 GMC Acadia that keeps saying steering assist not available. But when it does this, the temperature gage stops working and so does the AC. After you turn the car off the fan still runs for at least 10 minutes."complaint #2132472
    • "Received message "Steering assist is reduced. Drive with care". This is related to a faulty thermostat and temperature sensor."complaint #2132808
    • "I was driving home and about [REDACTED ADDRESS] I got a notification about my steering assistance being disabled. When I arrived home about 10 minutes or so later and went to shut my car off I noticed that a very loud fan sound from the hood of my vehicle bega…"complaint #2145130
  4. #4

    backup camera

    9 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    10
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=4)

    • "VEHICLE PURCHASED NEW MID-MARCH 2021 AND IN LESS THAN 30 DAYS THE REAR BACK-UP CAMERA STOPPED WORKING INTERMITTENTLY. THIS HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES AND THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER BEING DIAGNOSED."~500 mi, complaint #1745822
    • "The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while reversing, the back-over prevention camera failed to display an image. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the back-over prevention camera was faulty and needed to be re…"~25,000 mi, complaint #1960734
    • "The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while attempting to park the vehicle, the contact became aware that the front and rear-view cameras were inoperable. The camera failure message was displayed. The contact stated that the cameras failed to…"~40,000 mi, complaint #2069498
  5. #5

    airbag system

    8 unsafe

    8
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle started making an abnormal dinging sound. The contact stated service restraint system warning message was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local deale…"~16,000 mi, complaint #1786493
  6. #6

    brake hydraulics

    6 unsafe

    6
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "As I was stopped in line behind a car at the ATM, my foot slipped from the brake, I quickly placed it back only to find that I ended up going forward. I quickly moved my foot more to the left for the brake only to end up going forward even faster hitting the…"complaint #1836619
    • "Taken from service report; customer states brake pedal some times sinks to the floor and brake fluid on driveway. Tech performed brake fluid check and found that the brake fluid leak is coming from the left front and right front caliper hose, caliper hose has…"complaint #1862204
    • "Front right brake hose was entangled around the front drive shaft and tore the brake line apart causing catastrophic brake failure. Car had only 19000 miles on the odometer odometer. "complaint #2017099
    • "The Vacuum pump on my 2021 GMC Acadia failed causing my breaks malfunction. This Problem was confirmed by a certified mechanic that repaired it. this is in conjunction with the NHTSA recall issued under N192268490. "complaint #2105391
    • "I was driving and all of a sudden my break pedal was inoperable. It was stiff and unable to be used. Luckily I was only going 40 MPH. I pulled into a parking lot and my car started shaking and apparently the metal parts from the vacuum pump blew into my engine…"complaint #2214512
  7. #7

    brake pads and rotors

    3 unsafe, 2 annoyance

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while reversing out of her parking space, the contact heard a squeaking sound coming from the brakes. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the brakes were replaced; however, the failure per…"~26,000 mi, complaint #1856556
  8. #8

    engine stall or no start

    4 stranded, 1 unsafe

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The car stopped working all of a sudden, I was driving the car with no issues that morning and parked & shut off car to go to my appt. I turned the car back on and worked fine as I was putting in my address on the GPS my car just stopped and shut off by itself…"complaint #1936777
    • "My vehicle stops working while in traffic when the auto stop is engaged. The abs, parking brake, and dash flashes prior to the engine stopping. I have been to the dealership multiple times and they are never able to recreate the issue. The check engine light…"complaint #1971676
    • "UNKNOWN-THE VECHILE WILL NOT START AND SHOWS THE FUEL IS EMPTY, BUT I JUST LOOKED PRIOR AND HAD 3/4 FULL."complaint #1976549
    • "The vehicle, without any warning, suddenly stopped. I was unable to restart and unable to put the vehicle in Neutral for pushing to a safer location. Had to be towed to the dealership."complaint #2010223
    • "46,000 miles on my car. Fuel management system failed. Would not start until we unplugged battery, and let it reset. Car lost acceleration and went into neutral on highway. "complaint #2033311
  9. #9

    exhaust system

    4 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving, he heard a loud rattling noise coming from the exhaust. The contact then stated that the RPM’s increased and the rattling noise became louder. No warning light was illuminated. The vehi…"~28,000 mi, complaint #1845243
  10. #10

    instrument cluster

    5 unsafe

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Vehicle has previously been brought in to GMC dealership at least 2-3 times for the dash turning on and off while driving. Started happening around 5,000 miles here and there. First took it in just over 7,000 miles as it was happening more and more frequently.…"complaint #1876122
    • "My 2021 Acadia digital dash goes out (completely black). I took it to the dealership on Friday August 25, as the issue was happening more frequently. I was told the software was not current. This was attributed to parking in a garage each night. Yesterda…"complaint #1930183
    • "Electronic dashboard failure. Entire instrument panel randomly shuts off while driving, including speedometer and all gauges. Driver then has to wait for system to reboot itself before it begins working again. This condition is completely random and may not oc…"complaint #2008738
    • "While driving all displays, gauges, screens shut off. Unable to determine speed or anything. Car still drives but there is zero driver feedback. System will come back on and the it will happen again. Has been going on for 2 years. Dealer unable to determine t…"complaint #2077729
    • "Instrument cluster malfunction. Entire instrument cluster blacking out every 60 seconds, then rebooting nonstop while driving. While this was occurring, none of the advanced driver assistance systems functioned, nor did the speedometer or other gauges. This oc…"complaint #2118324
  11. #11

    transmission automatic

    5 unsafe

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "WIFE WAS DRIVING SOUTHBOUND ON US287 BETWEEN VERNON, TX AND WICHITA FALLS, TX IN A 75MPH SPEED ZONE. VEHICLE ABRUPTLY AND FOR NO APPARENT REASON SLOWED AS IF THE BRAKES HAD BEEN APPLIED WITH SUFFICIENT FORCE TO CAUSE HER TO BEND FORWARD AT THE WAIST. SUBSEQ…"~4,063 mi, complaint #1743143
  12. #12

    control module

    1 stranded, 3 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Vehicle lost power and died during normal driving. Luckily it occurred on a low traffic road and not the interstate. Prior to this there were no check engine lights or other signs of failure or degradation in performance. Was unable to start the vehicle and…"complaint #1948585
    • "While driving down the interstate at 70mph+, the instrument panel went black and restarted multiple times. The car continued to stay at a sustained speed, but I was unable to control anything or see how fast I was going. It appears as if the car has shut off…"complaint #2045746
    • "Cars is not keeping track of temperature showing engine is cold after 30 minutes of driving, fan runs for extended periods of time after shutting off, check engine light comes on, steering assist alert comes in screen. All of this happens in a cycle. To stop i…"complaint #2164244
    • "The electronic dashboard goes black while driving. I was driving to work on the highway at highway speeds and the entire electronic dashboard went black including the hud display and the radio screen. The radio screen turned back on and auto reconnected to my…"complaint #2164604
  13. #13

    adas collision warning

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Was on the interstate driving when the emergency brake engaged causing the car skid the tires and almost completely coming to a stop in heavy traffic. Shortly after this the transmission had issues which caused the car to be undrivable and had to be towed. T…"complaint #1749567
    • "While driving through intersection auto braking system activated for no apparent reason . Could have caused a crash due to sudden unexpected braking. No warning lights or alarm noted during or after event. Dealership was unable to find any problems with the au…"complaint #1815719
    • "While driving down a busy road automatic braking engaged for no reason causing the Acadia to abruptly come to a dead stop in the middle of the road with nothing in front of me. Red collision lights came on at the same time as braking with no prior warnings. Co…"complaint #1853790
  14. #14

    brake booster

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "I was driving down the road and all the sudden my breaks locked up. Like I had to stand on the break with both feet for it to barely stop. After getting it to the repair shop they said my vacuum pump exploded. My problem is it’s very well taken care of car and…"complaint #2087779
    • "On March 27, 2026, I experienced a complete brake failure while driving a 2021 GMC Acadia in a school zone at approximately 3:00 PM. When I pressed the brake pedal, the vehicle did not respond. I attempted multiple times, including using the emergency brake,…"complaint #2192112
    • "My brake pedal got stiff when I was driving. I had zero control of my brakes. I was informed by a GMC dealership that my BRAKE BOOSTER blew up causing my brakes to stop working and metal shrapnel to be sent into my engine. My 2021 vehicle is a complete loss. G…"complaint #2219949
  15. #15

    infotainment head unit

    1 unsafe, 2 annoyance

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the navigation screen was inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The dealer suggested re…"~107,000 mi, complaint #2100268
  16. #16

    parking brake

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Electronic parking brake is setting itself without you doing it even when parked on a completely flat surface. Voice activated assist is going off while driving down the road without you hitting the steering wheel button. 1st dealer I took the car to refused…"complaint #1780442
    • "The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia C1. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 mph, the parking brake engaged independently. The contact also mentioned having difficulties steering the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted and it resumed to normal. The…"complaint #1795954
    • "My emergency parking brake keeps engaging on its own, as I come to a stop, jeeking me forward. I never even put it in park, but it just engages the parking brake in a forceful manner. At a couple different times, while going at about 40 mph, the car starting s…"complaint #1819208
  17. #17

    torque converter

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30-60 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering inadvertently. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that he continued to drive the vehicle. The contact st…"~4,100 mi, complaint #1783443
  18. #18

    adas lane keeping

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the software update was performed under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V709000 (Back Over Prevention). After the software was updated, the Lane Departure Assist system failed and was no longer alerting the…"~17,700 mi, complaint #1931277
  19. #19

    catalytic converter

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "May 2023 we took the car to the GM dealership for a electronic recall. We reported a rattling noise at that point in time. Whatever repair was done that the car ran w/o any noise for nearly a year. April 2024 the catalytic converter failed at just 61K miles…"complaint #2070167
    • "The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a fractured rear cap catalyst converter cap. The contact…"complaint #2085379
  20. #20

    engine internal

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated and DTC: P04FB; was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with moisture of the crank case.…"~37,000 mi, complaint #2175069
  21. #21

    key fob and immobilizer

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the door locks failed to lock and unlock while using the key fob or the buttons on the outside or inside the vehicle. The locks failed to operate as needed until after the vehicle was driven. The cont…"~37,000 mi, complaint #2081174
  22. #22

    throttle and pedal

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while his wife was reversing the vehicle, the accelerator pedal was stuck to the floorboard and the vehicle crashed into the garage wall. No medical attention was received. No police report was filed.…"~2,500 mi, complaint #1761477
    • "The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle suddenly decelerated to 35 MPH. The vehicle stalled, and the "Steering Assistance Reduced" message was displayed. The vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was taken to the l…"~27,792 mi, complaint #2027307
  23. #23

    trunk or liftgate

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact leased a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated water had leaked into the trunk compartment on a rainy day. Additionally, the contact stated that he pressed the power release button to close the trunk; however, while the trunk lid was in the process o…"~15,000 mi, complaint #1927698
  24. #24

    abs module

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "ABS Modulator failed leaking oil. Loss of braking Repair service found the same problem. Part was scrapped."complaint #2149106
  25. #25

    acceleration loss or hesitation

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Was accelerating to approx 45-50mph when the vehicle gave no power, but my RPMs were revving. Once removing my foot off the gas pedal and trying to get power back, after the 2nd or 3rd time I resumed power. The car has less than 9000 miles on it. Right afte…"complaint #1790131
  26. #26

    alignment and pull

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was unintendedly drifting to the right. The vehicle was taken to Dally Tire Company, where it was diagnosed with rear links failure and misalignment. The v…"~42,200 mi, complaint #2218426
  27. #27

    battery and charging

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "My 2021 Acadia just stooped working as COMPLETLY SHUT OFF. I had no power to contact OnStar or more importantly to put my 4 ways(Hazard lights) on to signal or warn other motorists that there is a problem ahead. I could not push the vehicle as it is locked in…"complaint #1779329
  28. #28

    fuel injector

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Car stalled on major roadway. Could not restart of shift to neutral. Car blocked traffic for 3 hours until tow. Faulty fuel control module was the cause. Car was almost hit numerous times by passing traffic."complaint #1914148
  29. #29

    interior trim

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The fabric on my headliner/ceiling is coming unglued or the clips are not holding it. It is a danger to my driving the car as it is continually loosening; which could potentially fall while I am driving the car. It is making an irritating squeaking noise which…"complaint #1964827
  30. #30

    other

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was approximately 29,000. The contact attempted to trade in the vehicl…"~58,000 mi, complaint #2173309
  31. #31

    power windows and locks

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "On at least 3 occasions, my vehicle’s locks have malfunctioned and I’ve been locked out of my car with one incident being locked out in the rain. Upon approaching my vehicle and using the unlock button on the outside of my door, I was unable to access my vehic…"complaint #1776703
  32. #32

    seatbelt and pretensioner

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "My grandson used the safety restraint in the middle second row seat. He pulled the belt out to put it on and it would not retract. I have taken it to the dealership to have it fixed but there is a fee of $515 to fix it. I do not feel I should have to pay th…"complaint #1933607
  33. #33

    software or update

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The IPC goes out while driving. GM is aware of this issue in several models they make starting in 2020. They failed to call a recall on the issue and when you take it in to be looked at there is a service bulletin out to have the dealership to do a software up…"complaint #1918861
  34. #34

    steering rack mechanical

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Recently took vehicle for alignment for a pull to the right. After 3 alignments at the dealership I was told the rack and pinion gear sensor shorted out causing the vehicle to pull to the right. Also the exhaust has a rattle in the resonator confirmed by 2…"complaint #2144250
  35. #35

    sunroof

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "As I was driving down Interstate 65 in south Alabama on a drizzling rainy day, the sunroof made a very loud popping noise and then exploded, with shattered glass falling into my SUV. Luckily, I was able to keep my vehicle on the road without swerving and losi…"complaint #1760726
  36. #36

    suspension arms and bushings

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "I have 43,000 miles on my car and I do not by any means drive hard or really ever go over 50 MPH and I am being told that my rear tow links are loose and need to be replaced. I have NEVER had to replace those in any vehicle I have ever owned especially a 2021…"complaint #2003018
  37. #37

    suspension struts shocks

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while driving approximately 65-70 MPH, the driver’s side rear spring detached and almost caused a collision. The dealer was made aware of the failure and it was arranged for the vehicle to be towed to the…"~12,000 mi, complaint #1765728
  38. #38

    tire failure

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Driving at 70mph on Interstate 69 near Charlotte Michigan at around 10 pm on Wednesday 8/23/2023. Passenger side front tire suddenly deflated. Limped the SUV into a store parking lot at interchange. Continental 235/65R18 106H tire was changed by road side serv…"complaint #1921934
  39. #39

    wiper and washer

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "I want to voice my concerns with the windshield wipers, and storage placement. In winter weather conditions the storage compartment at the base of the windshield fills up with snow, even when driving. The wiper blades eventually end up resting on this snow. Wh…"complaint #1790277
  40. #40

    wiring harness

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "While driving vehicle stalled multiple times in the middle of the road, with service transmission and engine light coming on, causing unsafe conditions, causing accident and leaving passengers stranded. Battery being drained and needing to be replaced multiple…"complaint #2047269

NHTSA investigations

Search NHTSA's own recall and complaint database for GMC ACADIA directly.