2018 GMC Acadia Electrical Problems

Shift to park Malfunction again, 4 th time!! 1000$ to fix is ridiculous

NHTSA ID

11742706

Incident

May 28, 2026

Shift to park error Vehicle won’t shut off

NHTSA ID

11739392

Incident

Apr 17, 2026

For the last 6 months, I keep getting a "shift to Park" message on my dashboard indicating that my vehicle is not in park (in which it is). The problem is getting wors, so I called GMC on 5/14/26 to inquire and was informed that my VIN number WAS not include in the resent class action lawsuit for this issue. I then found out by searching myself on line for other complaints that GMC is very aware of this situation and yet refuses to fix the issue free of charge to customers. According to TSB 19-NA-206, t does list my year , make and model of vehicle affected by this faulty part. On 5.15.26, I called the dealership to inquire and was informed that my VIN was not covered under warranty (which I had already known), and that that service I would have to pay lots of money out of pocket for it. The service tech did look in the system and claims (without me even knowing that they had did that repair already....He lied I'm for sure). I informed him well if they did repair that part, and I'm still getting an error message about the same thing, clearly its faulty and the dealership should be responsible for fixing it. This was not the case as I was informed it would have to be out of my pocket. This mess is unfair! GMC is well aware of this faulty pat on vehicles, and to refuse to fix it free of charge is just down right hurtful! GMS is responsible for repairing this part on everyone's vehicle as it is a hazard to everyone and the community to have a vehicle unstable to be able to slide away from a parked position. This is such a road hazard, something has to be done about it. It's not far that I am expected to pay for these faulty wiring costs out my pocket when its a faulty issue GMC is very well aware of.

NHTSA ID

11738057

Incident

Jan 2, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and turned off, the “Shift-to-Park” warning light illuminated with a continuous audible alert. The vehicle was unable to recognize that the transmission was in park(P). Several attempts were needed to shift to park. The battery was disconnected to turn off the audible alert. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under an associated recall. During the recall repair, the shifter and wiring harness were replaced with Part Numbers: GM84955381 and GM84733196. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.

NHTSA ID

11734045

Incident

Nov 19, 2025

Vehicle dies with no warning, no warning lights, no power even emergency flashers are inoperative, almost like it got hit by an EMP

NHTSA ID

11725361

Incident

Mar 6, 2026

My car says Shift to park when I try to turn it off. Leaving my battery to drain.

NHTSA ID

11725071

Incident

Dec 1, 2025

Car does not turn off, says “Shift to Park” but car already is in park and car won’t turn off.

NHTSA ID

11723747

Incident

Mar 10, 2026

The vehicle has experienced repeated electrical and engine-related malfunctions, including random engine shutdowns while driving and random no-start conditions. The thermostat and cooling system failed and were replaced in 2024. Multiple sensors have failed. The braking system remains noisy even after brake replacement. The lane detection safety system does not provide audible alerts. The vehicle is currently operational and available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The vehicle has randomly shut off while driving on both highways and city roads in Azle, Texas. This occurred while my two children were in the vehicle. When the engine shut off, there was a risk of losing power steering and braking assist, which could have caused an accident, especially at highway speeds and in traffic. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The thermostat and cooling system failure were confirmed and repaired by a service center in 2024. Electrical and sensor issues have occurred repeatedly but have not been fully diagnosed or resolved. Brake noise persists despite replacement. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? UNKNOWN. The vehicle has been serviced by repair facilities, but the manufacturer has not provided a definitive diagnosis for the engine shutdown and electrical failures. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms prior to the failure? When did they first appear? Yes. Various warning lights and symptoms appeared prior to failures, including cooling system warnings and sensor alerts. Electrical issues and battery failures have occurred repeatedly, with batteries lasting only 2–3 years. Symptoms began after purchase and have continued throughout ownership. Additional details The brakes have been noisy even after replacement, and the lane detection system does not produce audible warni

NHTSA ID

11716369

Incident

Sep 4, 2024

Shift to park message has appeared again and the engine will not cut off. First happened in Feb 2020, mileage was 31,143. Took to Dealer and new wiring harness was installed. Had to take back to dealer April 2020 for same problem; shifter assembly was replaced at that time. Shift to park message came back on August 2023. Took back to Dealer and shifter harness replaced again and jumper harness was installed. Mileage was 52,993. Shift to park message has once again appeared, December 2025. Having to put car in park and push engine on/off button numerous times before engine will finally shut off.....sometimes having to unhook battery in order to kill the engine. This will be the fourth time we have had the same recurring issue repaired. My husband read through over half the 352 registered complaints and at least three fourths of them were all about the SHIFT TO PARK problem! As a female, I don't feel safe driving my Acadia not knowing if the engine will cut off or if it's actually in park or if the car will roll. Why can't GM fix this issue!!!!!! They should definitely be held accountable instead of ignoring the complaints!

NHTSA ID

11703859

Incident

Dec 6, 2025

SHIFTER PROBLEM 2018 GMC ACADIA. I NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE OR BULLETIN ABOUT SHIFT TO PARK SHIFTER PROBLEM

NHTSA ID

11697707

Incident

Nov 5, 2025

SHIFT TO PARK WARNING IS COMING ON WHEN CAR IS CLEARLY IN PARK. HAVE TO JIGGLE GEAR SHIFT TO GET IT TO GO OFF. IT IS JUST RANDOM. SOMETIMES STAYS ON. I AM READING THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL CAR. CALLED DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE GEAR SHIFT.

NHTSA ID

11696359

Incident

Oct 15, 2025

My Acadia has the shift to park default it has been fixed 3 times and now it is popping up again for the 4th time which means I can't turn my vehicle off it takes forever to get it to go off please help please help

NHTSA ID

11691514

Incident

Oct 2, 2025

Shifting to park and vehicle stating the vehicle is not in park, won't let me turn the vehicle off. Transmission going out, brought to many shops letting me know that the transmission is not working properly but won't give an engine light if anything is wrong with vehicle, Wont show on readers what is wrong with vehicle. Electrical, Doors will automatically lock and unlock most times lock and locks me in the vehicle having me have to climb through the windows and having to leave my windows open or locks me out the vehicle and can only get in by climbing in the trunk. Testing has been done and brought to GM to figure out the issue, and they replace the computer in it but still has the problem. I have had shops tell me these are all huge issues that needs to have a recall because my vehicle is not the only GMC Acadia that does all this. How is any of this safe for me and my kids.

NHTSA ID

11689335

Incident

Apr 8, 2025

SHIFT TO PARK WARNING. VEHICLE WILL NOT POWER DOWN.

NHTSA ID

11686250

Incident

Aug 4, 2025

The shift to park in my 2018 GMC Acadia was faulty. On many occasions and randomly, the car would be in park but would not turn off, saying I needed to shift it to park in order to turn the car off. This has left me unable to turn my car off resulting in dead batteries and missed appointments and being late for work. This defect is well documented by GM in TSBs PIT5616A, 18-NA-297, and 19-NA-206, which describes the exact symptoms and repair that I had to have completed. This problem has been on going and as a teacher I cannot continue to be late for school because my car, though in park, would not turn off. Given GM’s prior acknowledgement of this defect, I believe reimbursement is warranted. I have never been notified of a recall on this.

NHTSA ID

11686054

Incident

Jan 1, 2023

Shift to park- recall on 2017-2018 Acadia’s Started having issues several months ago- was occasional note constant. I see there has been a recall at one time and it is ac known problem. I am on my 2nd battery!

NHTSA ID

11682217

Incident

Jun 8, 2025

After shifting car to “P” park, it still says shift to park and drains the battery.

NHTSA ID

11678035

Incident

Apr 5, 2025

When I put my vehicle in park, the message “shift to park” pops up. It has been doing this for well over a year. I have already had to replace a battery once due to this because I didn’t realize it was still on. It does not happen everytime I park but at random times. The more it happens, the longer it takes for it to go off. At this point, I can only hope my car is really in park. I jiggle the shifter, hit the “ +|- “ on the shifter and have to turn the vehicle off and on about five or six times. Eventually it will go off. It took me 20 minutes today for it to go off in 100 degree heat. The vehicle’s AC is not running when trying to get the shifter to go off. It keeps the electronics running but not the AC. I keep waiting to receive a recall on this vehicle because of this issue but still nothing. I have noticed there is a recall for this but not vehicle. I have already replaced one battery due to this issue and do not want to continue to replace batteries and worry if the vehicle is really in park or not.

NHTSA ID

11677326

Incident

Jul 30, 2025

Battery saver ignited comes on and and the entire dash flickers and turns off ! This happened in a middle of an intersection and I could move my car. We jumped it and went to the nearest auto zone replaced the battery . It was pulling 89 amps . The next day it popped up again and we replaced the alternator. Upon replacing this there was oil everywhere! And we don’t know where it is coming from . Now shift into part light comes on !

NHTSA ID

11675562

Incident

Jul 22, 2025

There is a current recall on the 2018 GMC Acadia for a "Shift to Park" issue. It clearly states that GMC is aware of this issue and my vehicle is having this issue but for whatever reason, I am being told we are not part of the recall. My VIN is not coming up with it either but we are having the same issue.

NHTSA ID

11675335

Incident

May 16, 2025

Component/System: Transmission selector / electrical system (“Shift to Park” defect) Yes, vehicle is available for inspection upon request. I own a 2018 GMC Acadia. Since I purchased the vehicle used in June 2019, the car has frequently displayed a “Shift to Park” message even when the vehicle is in park and the gear shifter is fully engaged. This message prevents the car from turning off completely, leaving electrical systems running, the ignition on, and draining the battery. This issue has persisted nearly daily for the past five years. I brought the vehicle to a GM dealership in September 2020, while it was still under factory warranty, but the problem was not diagnosed or repaired at the time. The dealership could not reproduce the issue, but it continued regularly afterward. I am now paying nearly $900 out of pocket to have it repaired. Safety Risks: The vehicle does not fully shut down, increasing risk of electrical malfunction or battery failure. I am often unsure whether the car is truly “off,” which could pose a fire hazard or lead to the car rolling unexpectedly if the system misreads the gear position. This defect has also caused me to get stuck in unsafe areas, repeatedly turning the car off and on, jiggling the shifter until the system registers park. The constant battery drain has left me stranded with a dead vehicle multiple times. Reproduction / Confirmation: The issue has been reproduced by an independent repair shop and will be fixed at my expense next week. A GM dealership inspected it in 2020 but failed to diagnose or confirm the issue at that time. Inspection: The vehicle has been inspected by a GM-authorized service center. Not inspected by police or insurance representatives. Warning Messages or Symptoms: The “Shift to Park” message appears on the dashboard even after the vehicle is correctly shifted into park. This began shortly after purchasing the vehicle in June 2019, worsened over time, & still has the inability to turn off properly.

NHTSA ID

11674396

Incident

Jul 15, 2019

Shift To Park appears on the dash display also with a chime warning, when the car is physically in park and the engine is cut off. The shift to park display and the chime stays on causing a complete drain of the battery.

NHTSA ID

11672035

Incident

May 1, 2024

When putting my GMC Acadia in Park and shutting off the push start ignition the alarm goes off saying it’s not in park when it is clearly in park so I have to continuously start the car and try to keep putting it in park and shut ignition off. I googled it and saw there was a recall so took it to dealership but my vin was not included. I feel my safety is at risk as my battery also went dead stranding me in another city with my young grandkids on February 23rd, and I had a large bill to get a jump as well, I believe due to this same electrical issue! We are waiting on estimate now to get it fixed which is ridiculous as it is the same issue that is covered on many other of the same model vehicles! You should really look into this and maybe other electrical safety concerns costing consumers thousands of dollars on all these GMC vehicles it doesn’t seem fair. Thank you.

NHTSA ID

11663228

Incident

May 27, 2025

My vehicle has a persistent shift to park issue. My vehicle cannot be safely turned off. My vehicle needs to be restarted multiple times and the gearshift moved to the park position for the chance that it will register being in the parked position so the vehicle can be safely turned off.

NHTSA ID

11653878

Incident

Apr 1, 2025

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while shifting the gear shifter into park(P), the "Shift to Park” message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact was forced to shift from drive(D) to Park(P) repeatedly before the failure was corrected. In addition, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel would become sticky with the "Steering Assist Reduced - Drive with Care," message displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the infotainment system glitched and performed independent functions, causing the driver to be distracted. The contact stated that the infotainment system was replaced when the vehicle was purchased due to the failure; however, the failure recently recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of several failures and informed the contact that there were no recalls on the VIN. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

NHTSA ID

11648834

Incident

Dec 17, 2024

Mileage

105,000 mi