2021 GMC Acadia Problems & Owner Complaints

Electrical System 37 3 crash 1 injury

“I was traveling in my 2021 gmc Acadia in which I have had numerous issues with is the almost 4 years I have owned it. The back up camera 2 weeks after purchase it went out in June of 2021. After that The vehicle In October of 2021 I get in the vehicle on rainy day. Infotainment systems reads error with the SD card that Issue progressed I called dealer finally I get service appointment after strike and my vehicle sits at Roger’s Pontiac GMC 2660 Michigan Ave Chicago IL 60616 for 10 hours now I placed thread around the crowl and by knob. Car was not touched I was told it was a internal issue and…”
NHTSA complaint #11647636, 2025 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“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 times within 2 years. Vehicle stopping and shutting off on the highway causing dangerous driving conditions!! Radio and lights flickering, with radio freezing and shutting off. Electrical system not working properly and overheating!”
NHTSA complaint #11630080, 2024 · crash

“I got into an accident because my back up crap camera did not warn me that a car had turned behind me. Also when and backing up and a car is coming it doesn’t indicate the car is coming until it’s behind me. I’ve taken it to the dealer and they say there’s nothing wrong with it. Also there is no break when you come too close to something in front of you.”
NHTSA complaint #11463901, 2021 · crash

Engine 29 2 crash

“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 times within 2 years. Vehicle stopping and shutting off on the highway causing dangerous driving conditions!! Radio and lights flickering, with radio freezing and shutting off. Electrical system not working properly and overheating!”
NHTSA complaint #11630080, 2024 · crash

“I got into an accident because my back up crap camera did not warn me that a car had turned behind me. Also when and backing up and a car is coming it doesn’t indicate the car is coming until it’s behind me. I’ve taken it to the dealer and they say there’s nothing wrong with it. Also there is no break when you come too close to something in front of you.”
NHTSA complaint #11463901, 2021 · crash

“Display suddenly says "Steering assistance reduced, drive with care" Temp gauge goes to C and stays there. Radiator fans speed up and stay on after the car has been turned off. Dealer unable to find a diagnostic code for the problem.”
NHTSA complaint #11741035, 2026

Fuel/Propulsion System 23

“I have seen numerous complaints for this same issue. My 2021 Acadia with 31,600 miles failed to start when parked in garage. It turned over just fine but wouldn't fire as if it wasn't getting any fuel. I had it towed to my regular mechanic. He troubleshot it and told me it was the "Fuel Pump Power Control Module". He said he could replace it but it would have to be programmed by a GM dealer as he didn't have the equipment to do that. So I had it towed to the local GMC dealer. Two tow bills equal $360. There is a recall for this issue. It is called "Emission Recall N252516900, Fuel Pu…”
NHTSA complaint #11751305, 2026

“My Acadia, 2021 has just 36011 miles. Car sputtered a few times like it was running out of gas and stalled as I was driving home in rush hour traffic. I couldn't even get it off the road. No warning lights or advance warning. Waited 3 hours for AAA (told 20 minutes) and then towed to dealer. Tow person could not get it into neutral so they used the sleds to ramp it up onto the flatbed. The dealer replaced the fuel module board which seems to be a common problem with these cars. Dangerous in that I thought someone might rear end the car while sitting in the single lane. Look on the Ac…”
NHTSA complaint #11682800, 2025

“I was driving down a heavy traffic expressway with a lot of semi traffic and the SUV started puttering. All of a sudden it died, the check engine light came on and I started to slow down quickly. I was in the middle lane of 3 lanes going 70 mph. VERY LUCKILY, I was able to pull to the right and barely made it onto the shoulder. The SUV had $28,972 miles on it. It was more that 100 degrees outside at the time. I called for a tow and had to wait over 2 hours. My car was nearly hit many times during the wait. The whole situation was very dangerous. What if my children were in the car at the time?…”
NHTSA complaint #11682193, 2025

Unknown Or Other 20 1 crash 2 injury

“I was traveling in my 2021 gmc Acadia in which I have had numerous issues with is the almost 4 years I have owned it. The back up camera 2 weeks after purchase it went out in June of 2021. After that The vehicle In October of 2021 I get in the vehicle on rainy day. Infotainment systems reads error with the SD card that Issue progressed I called dealer finally I get service appointment after strike and my vehicle sits at Roger’s Pontiac GMC 2660 Michigan Ave Chicago IL 60616 for 10 hours now I placed thread around the crowl and by knob. Car was not touched I was told it was a internal issue and…”
NHTSA complaint #11647636, 2025 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“I opened my power lift gate to load groceries in the trunk. It opened without issue. As I loaded the groceries the lift gate came crashing down on my head. This happened in the festival foods parking lot around 5:05 pm today (7/16/23). Once I moved out from under it I saw the left arm was popped off. I popped it back in , there is a metal piece that was messed up. It came/ happened out of nowhere. I’ve never had an issue with it.”
NHTSA complaint #11532590, 2023 · 1 injury(ies)

“The camera system has failed. The screen is black and there is an exclamation point and a camera on the screen.”
NHTSA complaint #11735258, 2026

Power Train 17 1 crash

“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 times within 2 years. Vehicle stopping and shutting off on the highway causing dangerous driving conditions!! Radio and lights flickering, with radio freezing and shutting off. Electrical system not working properly and overheating!”
NHTSA complaint #11630080, 2024 · crash

“This is a very known issue that has been reoccurring with GMC Acadia. The torque converter slipping. That cost alone is over $7.000 for the transmission. I am still making monthly payments for my 2021 Acadia. With rising cost above the board GMC could have resolved this issue before releasing this vehicle to the public for purchase. Only had this vehicle for 2 years and already a new transmission is needed. Other individuals i personally know have the same issue. From my research GMC is aware and fails to do a recall on this issue.”
NHTSA complaint #11737300, 2026

“Had vehicles looked at twice and serviced once for the transmission slipping. No issues were found when looked at and light was deleted. Took to another mechanic who drained and refilled transmission. Transmission still slips after service. This happens at acceleration and continues til 3rd gears where it jerks in between gears. Stops while driving continuously, the starts up again if stopped for any reason.”
NHTSA complaint #11717130, 2025

Service Brakes 17 1 crash

“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 car in front of me. I then put my left foot firmly on the brake. Now with both feet on the brake the car is climbing up the car in front of me and not braking. Finally, I put it in park and cut the engine. The whole front end of my car is crushed. Now 5 days earlier my husband had a similar incident when he was parking the car and th…”
NHTSA complaint #11481608, 2022 · crash

“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. GMC has done NOTHING to help me.”
NHTSA complaint #11746671, 2026

“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, which completely wrecked my engine. I nearly could have died and now my 2021 car is completely destroyed.”
NHTSA complaint #11743108, 2026

Steering 16

“No incident but steering assisted reduced could cause an issue. Also the fix is to reset the computer by detaching the negative pole on the battery. This could be an issue due to the heat in the car someone could get burned.”
NHTSA complaint #11754182, 2026

“Display suddenly says "Steering assistance reduced, drive with care" Temp gauge goes to C and stays there. Radiator fans speed up and stay on after the car has been turned off. Dealer unable to find a diagnostic code for the problem.”
NHTSA complaint #11741035, 2026

“My vehicle’s steering became dangerously stiff while driving on the highway, nearly causing my wife to be involved in a serious accident. While she was traveling on I-95 in Miami, Florida, the steering suddenly got so hard that she could barely control the vehicle and was unable to turn the wheel properly. This created an extremely dangerous situation and put her life, as well as the lives of others on the road, at risk. She was thankfully able to get off the highway, and I had to come take over the vehicle to make sure she got home safely. This was terrifying and completely unacceptable. A f…”
NHTSA complaint #11722994, 2026

Air Bags 8 2 crash 2 injury

“I was traveling in my 2021 gmc Acadia in which I have had numerous issues with is the almost 4 years I have owned it. The back up camera 2 weeks after purchase it went out in June of 2021. After that The vehicle In October of 2021 I get in the vehicle on rainy day. Infotainment systems reads error with the SD card that Issue progressed I called dealer finally I get service appointment after strike and my vehicle sits at Roger’s Pontiac GMC 2660 Michigan Ave Chicago IL 60616 for 10 hours now I placed thread around the crowl and by knob. Car was not touched I was told it was a internal issue and…”
NHTSA complaint #11647636, 2025 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“The vehicle was traveling at a very low speed in a parking lot and impacted a light pole. All front airbags deployed and the drivers steering wheel airbag deployed severely breaking the drivers arm, causing shoulder injuries, and neck injuries. The occupant would have been completely fine had the airbags not deployed.”
NHTSA complaint #11502824, 2022 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“Airbag light on dash comes on solid. Dealership had vehicle for 3 days and repair made to seat belt tensioner, days later, airbag light returns on dash. Other GM vehicles were recalled for airbag problems but maybe should include the Acadia.”
NHTSA complaint #11574333, 2024

Back Over Prevention 7 1 crash

“I got into an accident because my back up crap camera did not warn me that a car had turned behind me. Also when and backing up and a car is coming it doesn’t indicate the car is coming until it’s behind me. I’ve taken it to the dealer and they say there’s nothing wrong with it. Also there is no break when you come too close to something in front of you.”
NHTSA complaint #11463901, 2021 · crash

“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 function properly, and an image was not displayed. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11645263, 2025

“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 replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V709000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 25,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11567287, 2024

Vehicle Speed Control 7 2 crash

“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 car in front of me. I then put my left foot firmly on the brake. Now with both feet on the brake the car is climbing up the car in front of me and not braking. Finally, I put it in park and cut the engine. The whole front end of my car is crushed. Now 5 days earlier my husband had a similar incident when he was parking the car and th…”
NHTSA complaint #11481608, 2022 · crash

“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. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to tow the vehicle to their location to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was awaiting a tow truck and had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 2,500.”
NHTSA complaint #11427862, 2021 · crash

“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 phone and android auto. I was able to safely get to an exit and park, turn off the car and restart and the dash did come back on to then go black about 5 minutes later this time the hud stayed on and I was able to get to work where the car sat off for 8 hrs , when leaving work the dash stayed on. The radio screen would turn off randomly a…”
NHTSA complaint #11709819, 2025

Forward Collision Avoidance 6

“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, which did not activate immediately. The vehicle remained in motion for several minutes in an area with children and parents present. The emergency brake only engaged after approximately 30–45 seconds of repeated attempts. I was forced to steer off the road to avoid a collision. The vehicle had been inspected at a GM dealership on March…”
NHTSA complaint #11728151, 2026

“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 occurred while on a trip, and meant having to travel a long distance without having emergency braking, collision warnings or the ability to monitor speed. The car was taken to local dealer and they replaced the entire instrument cluster.”
NHTSA complaint #11679159, 2025

“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 codes produced are P0014 and c0800-03.”
NHTSA complaint #11574872, 2024

Fuel System 4

“The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle started running rough before the vehicle stalled. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to restart. There was no warning illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel pump module had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the part to do the repair was on backorder. The contact researched online and associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V639000 (Fuel Sy…”
NHTSA complaint #11719020, 2026

“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 the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was employed by an independent mechanic, and the vehicle was driven to the place of employment. The independent mechanic attached the mobile diagnostic tester to the vehicle and retrieved DTC: P023F, which indicated fuel pump secondary circuit failure. The contact was advised th…”
NHTSA complaint #11712434, 2026

“The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The driver was able to coast to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the fuel pump control module. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 36,970.”
NHTSA complaint #11700332, 2025

Lane Departure 4

“My thermostat failed in my car, my temp goes out and reads at 0° then my steering assist says it’s reduced. There are many forums online regarding this issue.”
NHTSA complaint #11740094, 2025

“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 it the battery has to be unplugged and reconnected resetting the car and everything goes back to being fine for a short period of time.”
NHTSA complaint #11709573, 2025

“Vehicle gives, “Driver assist reduced Drive with care” warning randomly. Lane change will no longer work and engine light will come on. Problem is sporadic and does not stay active. Engine light will shut off after a day. Once vehicle is shut off cooling fan runs extremely loud and for a long period of time draining battery.”
NHTSA complaint #11650976, 2025

Engine And Engine Cooling 3

“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 diagnosed due to the check engine warning light being illuminated. The contact was informed that DTC: P1098; was retrieved, which indicated a fault with the coolant control valve. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was confirmed that the coolant control valve had failed. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The contact…”
NHTSA complaint #11725820, 2026

“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. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure was a quick fix and was covered under the warranty. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several times and was covered under warranty. The contact was informed that there was no fix for the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mil…”
NHTSA complaint #11716760, 2025

“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 vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the exhaust resonator failed the whole exhaust assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11487664, 2022

Suspension 3

“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 vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The dealer scheduled an appointment and provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 42,200.”
NHTSA complaint #11745670, 2026

“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 vehicle with under 50k miles on it. I have read that there is a recall on the 2022 Acadia's for this exact issue so I can only assume it is the same issue happening on the 2021's as well.”
NHTSA complaint #11597155, 2024

“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 dealer for diagnosis. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to the dealer prior to the failure after the contact heard an abnormal noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. However, the dealer could not replicate the failure and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was…”
NHTSA complaint #11431036, 2021

Seat Belts 2

“Service safety restraint system notice comes on constantly and disappears at random times.”
NHTSA complaint #11571391, 2023

“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 the since it seems to be an ongoing problem with the Acadia model. I purchased a 2018 model before this one and the same thing happened with the middle safety restraint in the second row seat. I have contacted GM and they informed me there is nothing they can do to waive the fee of fixing this defect.”
NHTSA complaint #11548564, 2023

Structure 2 1 injury

“I opened my power lift gate to load groceries in the trunk. It opened without issue. As I loaded the groceries the lift gate came crashing down on my head. This happened in the festival foods parking lot around 5:05 pm today (7/16/23). Once I moved out from under it I saw the left arm was popped off. I popped it back in , there is a metal piece that was messed up. It came/ happened out of nowhere. I’ve never had an issue with it.”
NHTSA complaint #11532590, 2023 · 1 injury(ies)

“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 of closing, the driver's side trunk lid spring fractured. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11544492, 2023

Visibility/Wiper 2

“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. When wipers are turned on there is a quite often a build up of ice on the wiper blades. This causes the wiper blades to raise above windshield and not clean the windshield (partially or completely) Generally you need to stop and break/snow or ice from the wiper as you can not see. Same occurs when e get a freezing rain ice builds up at…”
NHTSA complaint #11448903, 2022

“Since purchase of this vehicle in Dec 2020, the rear camera vision has been intermittent. I originally thought it to be driver problem however I am now told that there is a module that needs to be replaced and it is not available and possibly not being manufactured at the present time. As a result the entire Camera parking assist system is completely out of service with no information on when the module may be available to repair the issue. I believe this may be a Safety issue as backing up into traffic be it parking lots or roadways, this equipment is an essential addition to safety to other…”
NHTSA complaint #11429267, 2021

Equipment 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 replacing the unit. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 107,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11666686, 2025

Exterior Lighting 1

“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 gear because of the termination of power. I have had this exact problem happen 3 times leaving me and my family stranded on a busy road with nothing working. On each occasion I have removed my family from the vehicle in fear of being rear-ended! This would not only cause an accident with harm or fatality to my family, but has put that sam…”
NHTSA complaint #11441021, 2021

Latches/Locks/Linkages 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 contact had to manually lock the door; however, after locking the door, the contact was unable to unlockthe vehicle. The contact had to climb through the trunk of the vehicle to enter the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure only occurred while it was raining. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failu…”
NHTSA complaint #11653371, 2025

Parking Brake 1

“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 shaking terribly, slowing the vehicle. The check engine light came on as well as both parking brake lights on the dash (the indicator light saying the parking brake was on and the indicator light saying there was a problem with the brakes). It felt light the vehicle had engaged the parking brake with I was driving and was dragging the park…”
NHTSA complaint #11469251, 2022

Tires 1

“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 service and spare installed. This morning , while examining tire and rim , found two long radial cracks approximately 50 to 75 mm in length on the outboard surface of the tire. The cracks are about 90 degrees apart. The vehicle has just under 34000 miles on the OEM installed tires. The reason I am contacting NHTSA is that the cracks do not lo…”
NHTSA complaint #11540522, 2023