2021 GMC Acadia Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2021 GMC Acadia, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Electrical4120.0%
- Engine3215.6%
- Fuel system3014.6%
- Driver assistance2512.2%
- Brakes199.3%
- Steering188.8%
- Powertrain (other)167.8%
- Airbags104.9%
- Suspension31.5%
- Visibility21.0%
- Body & structure21.0%
- Seat belts21.0%
- Other / unspecified10.5%
- Exterior lighting10.5%
- Tires & wheels10.5%
- Transmission10.5%
- Interior & seats10.5%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
Vehicle stalled several times. Check engine light and many code came up. Crack sensors replaced. Veh still stalls. Dealer and independent dealer believes it might be cpu. All wires from cpu checked with no issue found. When veh stalls if you manipulate the wire veh will start and run with demished power and demished steering control. Rpm go to off mode. Has happened on highway and side road. Very scary with 3 kids in car on highway.... not able to resolve issue. Veh has a little less then 60k
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, traffic stopped abruptly, and the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard; however, the vehicle continued to accelerate while the Forward Collision Avoidance warning feature activated with a red warning light on the instrument panel. The contact attempted to steer off the road to avoid a collision; however, the vehicle crashed into the vehicle ahead, resulting in a three-vehicle collision. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. Another driver involved claimed unknown injuries, and the contact sustained whiplash but did not seek medical attention. Police were called, but a police report was not filed at the scene. The vehicle was towed to an independent tow yard. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
Car was running great and mins later I get an error stating steering assist is reduced -Drive with care. Vehicles temperature gauge is stuck at cold and fans turn on after turning off the vehicle. I had the vehicle serviced at Dave White on Alexis Rd in Sylvania almost exactly a year ago for the same reason. Was told by the service manager the issue was a computer update and not the thermostat and proceeded to charge for the "update" no issues with vehicle until now.
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.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
exhaust flex pipe is cracked. Causes fumes of gas to be released through the crack. inspected by GMC Repair shop Vibrating noise started, then a few days later the smell of gas, and now yes the Engine light is on. This has been on going for about 3 weeks.
My 2021 GMC Acadia that has 63,768 miles on it was idling Wednesday 9/30 when it died and would not start back we had to have it towed to a shop to get it checked out and it was throwing the P023F code for the fuel pump control module that has a recall bulletin for the same thing make model problem and under their 80,000 miles but recall not on my vin number and GM is refusing to pay for it. It's going to cost me 937.27 to get it fixed.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, traffic stopped abruptly, and the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard; however, the vehicle continued to accelerate while the Forward Collision Avoidance warning feature activated with a red warning light on the instrument panel. The contact attempted to steer off the road to avoid a collision; however, the vehicle crashed into the vehicle ahead, resulting in a three-vehicle collision. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. Another driver involved claimed unknown injuries, and the contact sustained whiplash but did not seek medical attention. Police were called, but a police report was not filed at the scene. The vehicle was towed to an independent tow yard. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.
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.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
While driving the brake vacuum pump exploded leading to catastrophic brake failure. My husband was driving and was able to stand on the brakes to get the car to stop, but had i been driving, I am not strong enough to have stopped the car. I have 3 children with my youngest being 1. If this had happened with me and my kids, we could have had a major wreck and/or DIED! GM is aware of the brake vacuum pump issues but does not have a recall on the part. The braske assist light did not come on the dash until brakes were lost.
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.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
Car was running great and mins later I get an error stating steering assist is reduced -Drive with care. Vehicles temperature gauge is stuck at cold and fans turn on after turning off the vehicle. I had the vehicle serviced at Dave White on Alexis Rd in Sylvania almost exactly a year ago for the same reason. Was told by the service manager the issue was a computer update and not the thermostat and proceeded to charge for the "update" no issues with vehicle until now.
My 2021 GMC Acadia steering wheel dangerously stiffened while I was turning off the road into a busy shopping parking lot making it difficult to continue my turn. Having to put on my brakes sharply as to not collide with the out going traffic. There was no warning prior to the incident and had to make a quick safety judgement call and hoped the steering wheel would turn. Only after does the warning come on saying there is an issue with the steering assist and to drive carefully! The following morning I took it to Eagle Buick/GMC. There the tech experienced the same. I was told the parts for the repair would take around a week with an estimated cost of $1604.25. I had to carefully drive back with traffic and unable to continue my days work. As I look up this issue I am finding other GMC vehicles with the same dangerous issues that should not wait until it causes an accident, injury or even death. Please make this an important priority as the occurrence has no warning and after it gives only a drive carefully?
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
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.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, traffic stopped abruptly, and the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard; however, the vehicle continued to accelerate while the Forward Collision Avoidance warning feature activated with a red warning light on the instrument panel. The contact attempted to steer off the road to avoid a collision; however, the vehicle crashed into the vehicle ahead, resulting in a three-vehicle collision. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. Another driver involved claimed unknown injuries, and the contact sustained whiplash but did not seek medical attention. Police were called, but a police report was not filed at the scene. The vehicle was towed to an independent tow yard. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.
On 9/08/2026 I was driving and almost got a wreck but I was able to get out and was going less the 25 and lost control of the vehicle and barely hit the curb and the two air bags went off and I was sent to the hospital
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 base of windshield then eventually ices up the wiper blades and not cleaning the windshield. The vehicle is not designed to handle winter and freezing rain conditions, after building vehicles for many years we should have a better wiper system. --Blades should have electric heat wires in them, --maybe need completely electric windshield to handle snow/ice cond. -- The placement of the defroster vents are very poorly placed, they should be all across the base of the windshield. A couple of days ago we had freezing rain, blades were freezing up, heater defroster was at max heat, and fan was at max, I had to constantly pull over and scrape ice off. This is very dangerous situation be it ice or snow. Design engineers really don't seem to take the winter conditions into consideration in the design of vehicles. I have driven over 5 million kms during my career and used to dealing with many types of conditions. No accidents . Just want to bring these issue to your attention. I am extremely disappointed in this unit because of this. Thanks [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
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 vehicles and pedestrians.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
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.
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
Service safety restraint system notice comes on constantly and disappears at random times.
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.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
The magnetic chest clip does NOT latch. It can easily be pulled apart by hand. It compromises my child’s safety tremendously by allowing the harness straps to slip off of her shoulders in event of a crash leading to a projected infant. Upon doing further research and posting in my moms group on facebook i’ve found countless reports dating back to 2023 where this magnetic chest clip is a terrible design and idea. Many consumers reported to the manufacturer and received multiple replacements and regretted buying the $360+ car seat. It needs recalled and removed IMMEDIATELY before they have an ejected child lawsuit or many.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 same risk to other motorists on the road. When I have had the vehicle in the dealership (Champion Buick/GMC of Brighton) in which it needs to be towed, they have not been able to find or confirm this issue. The dealership has had the vehicle for multiple weeks with help and assistance of GM with also no resolution. This is a very intermittent issue and when it happens it is an extremely dangerous situation. The vehicle gives no warning except for a total shut down.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 look like road hazard/debris, rather a split in the sidewall. I have not taken the tire back to the dealer or a tire store. I did photo document the failure and cracks.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 stated that the failure reoccurred while driving and the vehicle stalled. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the transmission fluid needed to be replaced per the service bulletin #PIP5608H; however, the failure persisted. The dealer advised the contact to drive the vehicle for 200 miles and bring it back if the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the vehicle continued to shudder and stall while driving. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who diagnosed that the transmission torque converter needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 4,100.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
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 failure because it was not raining at the time. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not included in GMC Special Coverage: N22378380. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 37,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .