What are the most common problems on the 2020 GMC Acadia?

Q: What are the most common problems on the 2020 GMC Acadia?

NHTSA has 97 owner complaint(s) on record for the 2020 GMC Acadia. Electrical System is the most-reported problem area on the 2020 GMC Acadia, cited in 27 of 97 filed complaints (28%).

Problems › GMC › 2020 Acadia

2020 GMC Acadia Problems & Owner Complaints

97 NHTSA owner complaints

4 crash 2 injury

Age-normalised, this year draws ~13.9 complaints per year on the road — ranking 12 of 15 GMC Acadia years we track (1 = most complaints per year).

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What owners report

Electrical System is the most-reported problem area on the 2020 GMC Acadia, cited in 27 of 97 filed complaints (28%).

Engine is next (24 complaints, 25%), followed by Power Train (21), Steering (17), Fuel/Propulsion System (9).

Across all complaints, 4 report a crash, 2 report injuries.

The most safety-critical cluster is Air Bags: 2 crash, 2 injury report(s).

Complaints by vehicle system

Owner complaints filed with the U.S. NHTSA for the 2020 GMC Acadia, grouped by the vehicle system each cites. A single complaint can name more than one system, so the group totals can add up to more than 97.

Electrical System 27 1 crash

“I bought my car [XXX] it had 7 miles. I loved my car. Then in January 2021 things just went crazy. It started with park light on. My forward brake assist warning didn’t work, my back up camera in and out . My braking and stability were on and off. Then weird codes like. Engine at half power, unable to shift soon and speed control out. Then if I hit a bump message went away and speed control back on. I’ve taken care into another GMC dealer because dealer I bought my car at , closed up and took off!! Took it to closet dealer. Not long after repairs same issues started! So many different problems…”
NHTSA complaint #11598664, 2023 · crash

“[Symptom & Safety Hazard] While driving my 2020 GMC Acadia 3.6L V6, the Driver Information Center displayed the warning: "Steering Assist Reduced, Drive With Care" (SARDWC). Steering effort increased abruptly, the engine temperature gauge dropped to cold/zero, and the HVAC system lost air-conditioning function. The warning and reduction in steering assist presented a safety hazard and increased the risk of a crash. [Diagnostic Findings] Vehicle diagnostics identified DTC P0128 - Engine Coolant Temperature Below Thermostat Regulating Temperature. A GMC Certified Dealer technician diagnosed a f…”
NHTSA complaint #11749841, 2026

“Thermostat issue causing check engine light as well as steering assist to be turned off. Fan constantly runs. Reset code and immediately is fine again for anywhere from a day to weeks but then happens again. Car is just out of warranty but seems to be common occurrence as there is a service bulletin for the 2021 model”
NHTSA complaint #11741177, 2026

Engine 24

“Thermostat and cooling sensor went out on my car. GMC issued a special coverage bulletin for 2021 Acadia since it's a widespread issue but not the 2020 (mine) which is also a widespread issue looking online. The repair is over $1000 and should be covered!”
NHTSA complaint #11745760, 2026

Power Train 21

“I believe my car should be included in this recall. I've had the dealer check and they say it's nothing wrong with my car. 2020 GMC Acadia Fuel Pump Recall GMC has announced that 2781 vehicles have been affected by a Fuel Pump recall. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5, Cadillac XT6, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles. The fuel pump's jet nozzle may have a plastic burr remaining from the manufacturing process, possibly causing a blocked nozzle and an insufficient fuel supply to the engine. Insufficient fuel supply can result in an engine s…”
NHTSA complaint #11746751, 2026

“The torque converter in the transmission has been vibrating for over a year now. I can imagine it is causing more damage to the rest of the transmission. Now I can feel the shifting starting to get rough, loss of power, and dark transmission fluid. I had the problem confirmed with an independent service center. There have been no warning lamps as of yet. But it's only a matter of time that I will need a torque converter replacement and/or full transmission replacement.”
NHTSA complaint #11722466, 2025

Steering 17

“"Steering Assist Is Reduced – Drive With Care" warning appeared while the vehicle is in motion. This may require increased steering effort and could affect a driver's ability to respond to changing traffic conditions. Any steering-related warning that appears unexpectedly while driving deserves serious attention. P0128 code was shown. The cause was a faulty thermostat housing assembly and needed to be repaired. This is an extremely common issue in this vehicle across many years and needs to be investigated.”
NHTSA complaint #11748973, 2026

“Steering assist reduced is the warning. The AC will no longer work and the fan runs constantly. From what I’ve read, it is a popular problem for Acadia owners and the thermostat and sensor has to be replaced. We have not been able to replace ours yet because of the cost.”
NHTSA complaint #11748881, 2026

Unknown Or Other 13

“I bought the car at the end of October 2025, so it was always cold till last month. Last month the first day it’s warm I get a warning saying my steering assist has been limited with a code saying the thermostat needs replacing as well as the sensor. This is a known issue with these vehicles and now I have to pay $1500 out of pocket to have fixed because my limited warranty expired 2 weeks before it was warm enough to trip the codes. This is ridiculous especially seeing as I am disabled and can’t afford an extra $1500 after spending $7000 for the down payment!”
NHTSA complaint #11731342, 2026

“While idling, my vehicle has a strong exhaust smell inside the cabin. Per the GM Dealer, this is due to faulty flex hose.”
NHTSA complaint #11729759, 2026

Fuel/Propulsion System 9

“Vehicle will shutter or buck at variable speeds like, 35-38 mph, 40-45 mph and so on. if I take my foot of the gas and reapply it will shutter buck again at almost any speed. I took it to a mechanic and there are no codes, no check engine light. Shop recommended changing the transmission fluid so we did. Car still responds the same way, shutters and bucks when reapplying fuel pedal or slow acceleration.”
NHTSA complaint #11689632, 2025

“The vehicle stalls when air start kicks on so when stopped auto stop kick on and when your ready to go the go stalls to turn back on. I have also lost power to the car randomly. Power train issue on car keeps coming on with engine light. I have taken to dealer when car was under warranty and they were very dismissive to my issue. They changed some sensor under warranty And they said the issue was fixed. But the issue remains and it’s causing several issues to the car with Also a fueling code to the engine light”
NHTSA complaint #11650043, 2025

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Forward Collision Avoidance 8 1 crash

“Back up camera randomly stops working (black screen-completely gone, or blue screen). Dash will randomly dim on its own and does not go back to normal unless car is shut off and turned back on. adaptive cruise control will disengage for no apparent reason. stabilitrak will flash on screen but no other indicators or reasons; nothing happens with car. Occasionally the blind spot mirror lights will not light up when vehicle is present.”
NHTSA complaint #11738492, 2026

“My front camera that detects the front collision and helps with adaptive cruise control just went dark. I thought maybe it would reset after turning engine off and restarting it, but it didn’t help. Not sure what happened.”
NHTSA complaint #11702024, 2025

Service Brakes 7

“On multiple occasions the car will suddenly brake or like throw on the parking brake and stop suddenly no warning”
NHTSA complaint #11724282, 2026

“The car has parking brake on unable to disable.Have to put in drive force the system to move. Same with reversing the car. Air bags not working. Seat belt restraint on when we are wearing them. Left turn signal failure. Steering limited caution sign on. ESC sign on. Engine light on. Transmission unable to shift soon light on. Traction lights on. ABS brake light on. Temp says -40 degree when 30 out. I’m finding this unsafe to drive. Call GMC that told me to start On Star diagnostic. Pull up at least 4 codes And today the transmission indicators came on. Not sure what to do. The car has low m…”
NHTSA complaint #11567007, 2023

Vehicle Speed Control 4 1 crash

“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 complaint #11419981, 2021 · crash

“The contact owns a 2020 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the brake was applied independently. The contact mentioned that the brake was operating when there was nothing in front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the cause of the failure was undetermined. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was not repaired. in addition, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle started slowing inadvertently. The contact stated that the vehicle was locked and needed to be in the park to operate however, once the accelerator pedal w…”
NHTSA complaint #11434897, 2021

“The vehicle was purchased brand new from Serra GMC in Washington Michigan in April 2020. It has been back to the dealer 5 times for the same issue, with another 4 times that it was not taken into dealer! Reoccurring issue involves the instrument cluster, All gages and visual indicators go to zero (speed, tach, fuel, temp, etc...) as well as getting a notification that the traction control is disabled, the ABS is disabled, cruise is disabled, and other electronic aid. This happens at highway speeds and to loose all function is a safety concern, it is not repeatable and happens randomly but it…”
NHTSA complaint #11434839, 2020

Air Bags 3 2 crash 2 injury

“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…”
NHTSA complaint #11428646, 2021 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

Lane Departure 3

“front and rear camera not working blind spot indicator not working side mirrors warning of oncoming vehicles not working radio not working”
NHTSA complaint #11551153, 2023

“Service indicator on the driver information center stating to service vehicle detection AKA blind spot alert the system has failed once already was taken in for repair to GM was repaired and it has now failed again and is going in for service on April 4th 2023”
NHTSA complaint #11515280, 2023

“SIDE BLIND ZONE SYSTEM TEMPORARIALLY UNAVAILABLE message displayed in DIC, and system does not function. I can not rely on the system as it very often does this. This issue started on 12/08/2022. I feel that I am at risk of a crash as I rely on this system for blind spot detection. There are MANY forums that state that MANY other 2020 GMC Acadia's have this issue. I feel like this is a GM issue, and the consumer should not be left with the cost of any repair, if necessary. This is a safety risk and could result in death from a crash due to a failure of a safety system.”
NHTSA complaint #11497527, 2022

Seat Belts 3

“The contact owns a 2020 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the front driver's side and front passenger’s side seat belt locking mechanism failed to remain latched. The contact stated that while driving, the seat belts would erroneously become unlatched. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the seat belts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 35,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11578048, 2023

“SQUEAKING NOISE FROM THE FRONT END DRIVER SIDE JUST APPEARED WHILE DRIVING. DRIVER SEATBELT WILL NOT LATCH ON THE FIRST COUPLE OF TRIES.”
NHTSA complaint #11339516, 2020

Visibility/Wiper 3 1 crash

“Rear view camera stopped working as I was backing up and ran into a pole damaged my right rear wheel well and panel.”
NHTSA complaint #11500227, 2022 · crash

“Rear-View Camera Failure: The rear view camera functions intermittently. While in Reverse, the screen goes black, with a red triangle and a circle with a line through it. This SAFETY ISSUE increases risk of incidents resulting in injury and/or property damage while the vehicle is in reverse. I understand there already exists a NHTSA RECALL (NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V709000) however, it states that only vehicles equipped with the optional Surround Vision feature are affected. My vehicle does not have the 360 Surround Vision (RPO UV2). but is experiencing the same SAFETY ISSUE!”
NHTSA complaint #11608328, 2024

“The backup and surround view cameras repeatedly fail. I took it in once and they replaced the head unit. The problem reappeared within days after this repair. The design of this truck makes visibility without the cameras difficult at best and dangerous at worst.”
NHTSA complaint #11425365, 2021

Back Over Prevention 2

“The contact owns a 2020 GMC Acadia. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V709000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. The VIN was not available.”
NHTSA complaint #11540115, 2023

“Center console display does not start when you start vehicle. Stays blank! This happens occasionally. Sometimes restarting will fix, other times not. There is no rear view camera when this happens. Not sure what else is affected, such as backup warnings.”
NHTSA complaint #11477176, 2022

Fuel System 2

“The contact owns a 2020 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle, it stalled after initially adding fuel. Even though the reading indicated there was 1/8 of a tank of fuel. The fuel gauge failed to move. The thermostat was stuck open. The electric steering was not working properly. The engine light was illuminated. The traction control was turned off. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V639000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact stated that he was a master mechanic. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagn…”
NHTSA complaint #11734889, 2026

“The contact owns a 2020 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed at an intersection, the failure recurred, and the vehicle stopped in the middle of the intersection. The vehicle failed to restart, and the driver was unable to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an unknown dealer, but was not diagnosed because the contact declined to pay the diagnostic test cost. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where…”
NHTSA complaint #11688919, 2025

Structure 2 2 crash

“Rear view camera stopped working as I was backing up and ran into a pole damaged my right rear wheel well and panel.”
NHTSA complaint #11500227, 2022 · crash

Carry Handle 1

“While trying to reinstall the evenflo car seat, the latch to lock the car seat into place failed. The metal on the car seat is broken. The car seat has been used in the vehicle for less than a year, and if I had not noticed this upon trying to move the car seat it could have caused a serious injury should my child have been involved in an accident.”
NHTSA complaint #11635749, 2025

Engine And Engine Cooling 1

“The contact owns a 2020 GMC Acadia. While the vehicle was at the dealer for maintenance, the contact was informed that the radiator was leaking and needed to be replaced. In addition, the contact was advised that there was coolant intrusion. The contact stated that it was not specified if the coolant intrusion had gone into the engine. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact was informed that the fueling system needed cleaning service, as well as the brake fluid and transmission fluid needed to be serviced. The vehicle was taken to several…”
NHTSA complaint #11698525, 2025

Exterior Lighting 1

Latches/Locks/Linkages 1

“The contact owns a 2020 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the doors failed to open from outside the vehicle while using the key fob or while attempting to open the doors manually. The contact entered the vehicle from the rear hatch door and discovered that the door lock and unlock buttons were inoperable. The contact pulled the door handle to manually open the door from the inside. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 68,140.”
NHTSA complaint #11722524, 2026

Seats 1 1 crash 2 injury

Wheels 1

“TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND HAD A CATASTROPHIC LOSS OF AIR SUDDENLY AND WENT FROM 40PSI TO 0 PSI IN ABOUT 15 SECONDS. OCCURRED ON PASSENGER SIDE REAR. UPON INSPECTION OF TIRE NOTHING WAS FOUND IN EVIDENCE TO HAVE CAUSED THIS FAILURE. TWO DIFFERENT AGENCY'S EXAMINED TIRE AND SAID IT WAS IRREPARABLE. IN DOING SOME RESEARCH ON THIS FOUND THAT THIS BRAND OF TIRES - CONTINENTAL CROSS XL SPORT CROSS CONTACT MODEL HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH A RECALL FOR OVER CURED TIRES CAUSING SUDDEN LOSS OF AIR. BOTH THE DEALER AND GM STATED THAT OUR TIRES ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL. WE WERE DRIVING ON THE PAR…”
NHTSA complaint #11406466, 2021

How we read this (methodology)

How to read this: raw complaint totals are not a clean reliability score — a model year with more cars sold, or simply more years on the road, accumulates more complaints regardless of how good it is. So this page leans on two signals that are not distorted by sales volume: the share of complaints falling on each vehicle system (the breakdown above) and NHTSA's own crash / fire / injury / death flags. When we compare model years of the same model, we normalise by years on the road (complaints ÷ vehicle age) rather than comparing raw totals. Age-normalised, the 2020 GMC Acadia draws about 13.9 complaints per year on the road, ranking 12 of 15 among the GMC Acadia model years we have ingested (1 = most complaints per year on road).

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Data source: U.S. NHTSA (nhtsa.gov). SaveVIN surfaces public recall data and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NHTSA.