2025 GMC Acadia Owner Complaints

Since delivery, my 2025 GMC Acadia AT4 has had severe wind noise from the driver's side window at highway speeds. The noise sounds like fingernails on a chalkboard and at times as though the window may shatter. I have taken it to the dealership 4 times with no resolution. I provided video clearly capturing the noise and was still told they could not hear it. I have confirmed the dealer road tests the vehicle in morning traffic at low speeds — where the noise cannot occur. It only happens at highway speeds. Their "cannot duplicate" finding is the result of inadequate testing, not the absence of a defect. After sitting for approximately 7 days, condensation builds up inside the cabin, indicating the driver's side window seal is improperly installed. I reported this to the dealer as well with no fix. After 4 visits, dismissed video evidence, and improper test procedures, the defect remains unrepaired. I request NHTSA investigate this as a potential widespread issue on 2025 GMC Acadia vehicles.

NHTSA ID

11755203

Incident

Oct 15, 2025

Our onstar module has stopped working since last November after a software update and now issues are starting to cascade causing many other electrical issues to the point that I expect the car to leave my wife and 15 month old daughter stranded. Ours and many other vehicles are having this issue and when any question is asked to gm no response is given or we’re just told to keep waiting.

NHTSA ID

11753902

Incident

Nov 30, 2025

The contact owns a 2025 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving uphill at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated, jerked, and stalled. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where a computer reprogramming was performed; however, the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving 65 MPH and merging into the left lane, the automatic emergency braking system erroneously engaged and the vehicle hard-braked, nearly causing a rear-end crash. The contact immediately depressed the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle accelerated as intended. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent and had occurred approximately six times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the cause of the failure could not be determined; however, the dealer advised the contact that the failure might be related to the camera system. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.

NHTSA ID

11752622

Incident

Apr 24, 2025

Mileage

3,000 mi

Today, June 11, 2026, my wife and 9 month old baby were on their way home from running errands in town when the vehicle started to violently shake, becoming frightened my wife tried to apply pressure to the brakes. When she pushed down on the brake pedal nothing happened and the pedal hit the floor. Our brand new 2025 GMC Acadia AT4 had just suffered catastrophic brake failure. So she pulled off onto the side of the road in hopes the uneven terrain would slow her down just enough to put it into park. Luckily enough it did. If it would have been 10 seconds later she would have been on a one way bridge where the speed limit is 60mph with no brakes. Four days prior to today on June 07, 2026 I sent a message to the individual that I bought the car from at the GMC dealership and told him that we had warning lights come up on the dash. He had me try and reset the screen but nothing happened. I asked when we could get it into a shop so it could be looked at he said that he would have someone reach out and schedule a time. I proceeded to ask if we were ok to drive the vehicle until then.To which he responded "If the vehicle isn't giving you issues mechanically, you should be good". Fast forward to today June 11, 2026 my wife is driving and has catastrophic brake failure. The vehicle was then towed by roadside assistance to the GMC dealership.

NHTSA ID

11743627

Incident

Jun 11, 2026

Telematic Modular Control is not working properly and part is on backorder. Dealership and GMC have refused to put into writing that my vehicle is safe to drive; however, they are refusing rental vehicle while awaiting arrival of part. Several of my safety features are not working correctly, my left turn signal went out randomly and my auto breaking has activated when there has been nothing near my vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11740057

Incident

May 2, 2026

The master cylinder failed under 10,000 miles. I was at 5000 miles. I am reading a lot of people have had issues with the master cylinder in the 2024 early 2025 models. Luckily I was in the driveway barely moving, but man if i were on a highway and it happened it could've been fatal!

NHTSA ID

11739018

Incident

Apr 11, 2026

When backing out of a parking spot of a store , I went to stop and pressing on the brakes nothing happened and I kept rolling backwards. I looked down to confirm I was pressing the brakes and my foot was on the brake pedal pressed firmly. I rolled to a stop put it in drive and checked the brakes and they worked like normal. I made an appointment at the dealership and had an appointment the next day. The said it did not have any codes, it preformed normal and passed inspected so there was nothing they could do about it.

NHTSA ID

11738784

Incident

May 18, 2026

Brake module malfunction Codes: “service ESC” “break assist failure. Press hard to break. Speed limited”

NHTSA ID

11736675

Incident

May 5, 2026

We filled a report on 04/04/2026 with NHTSA at 12:16 pm but can't find a copy of the whole report. My husband John Chandler was driving our 2025 GMC Avadia Elevation. He was backing out of a parking place when he noticed it wouldn't stop while putting his foot on the break. He was able to put it into drive and it lundged forward and wouldn't stop. He kept pushing with both feet on the break and wouldn't stop. I tried pushing the start button to stop but because his feet were on the break it would restart so then pushed the park button and it stopped as we hit the building. The air bags did not depoy so not going that fast. I pushed the button for 911 and they came on to assist and call police. They asked if everyone was al right and other questions. Lucky no one was hurt and thank God for that. Tow truck was called and taken to local tow yard. The 2025 Acadia was transported to the repair shop but has not been inspected by the insurance company or GMC yet. After repairs are complete it will be taken to the local GMC dealer Ron Smith in Merced, CA for inspection. We did not notice andy warning messages prior to the accident.

NHTSA ID

11733581

Incident

Apr 2, 2026

I got into my car to leave, I placed my phone on the wireless charging pad. When I got to my location about 10 minutes later, I grabbed my phone and went to put the wrist band attached to my phone around my wrist. The wrist band is a metal chain and it burned me on the side of my wrist and top of hand. I took the wrist band off as fast as I could, then touched it with my fingers to make sure that is where the sting was coming form, and it was. The passenger in the car also confirmed that the wrist band was dangerously hot. I took pictures of the burn marks it left on my wrist and hand.

NHTSA ID

11731438

Incident

Apr 15, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the sunlight reflecting off the dashboard chrome onto the windshield was blinding, forcing the driver to use a cardboard to protect their eyes. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure via an online chat. The failure mileage was approximately 10.

NHTSA ID

11729422

Incident

Apr 12, 2025

Mileage

10 mi

While backing out of a parking place my husband noticed he couldn't stop the 2025 Acadia and almost hit restraunt behind us, while pusing on the break. He then started to go forward and kept saying "I can't stop it, it won't stop, I'm pushing on the break." The vehicle then went forward and couldn't stop even pushing on the break. I tried pusing the button to turn off the 2025 Acadia a couple times (possible turning back on and because he foot was on the break restarted the vehicle) and then pushed park to see if that would stop. We hit the building in front of us and stopped. The air bags did not deploy so not going that fast. I pushed the button for 911 and they came on to assist and call police and asked if everyone was all right and other questions. Lucky no on was hurt and thank God for that. Tow truck was called and taken to local tow yard.

NHTSA ID

11729190

Incident

Apr 2, 2026

I purchased my 2025 GMC Acadia on March 26, 2025. // My vehicle began to have electrical/communication/system issues in August 2025. // I took my vehicle to the dealer to address these issues at this time. When I got to the dealership, a representative performed diagnostics, and said "I can't even get a read on this. There is no signal coming from your module. You need to contact OnStar about this." // I called OnStar, and they ran a test, and stated that it is a manufacturing defect that needed to be handled with GMC. //No one informed me of the severity of the safety implications involved. // In March 2026, my vehicle was inoperable. The module controls everything, and was draining the battery at a severely high rate. I had my vehicle towed to the dealership. They tried to deny all liability and said that they weren't the dealership that sold me the vehicle. // I had my battery jumped so I could take it from the dealership have a new battery installed. My vehicle stalled and shut off while I arrived at the Auto Parts store. *** Answer to Questions: Q1: Yes. My vehicle is available for inspection. It is at the dealership. // Q2: My safety and others were put at risk because the brand new batteries were constantly draining and making me stall out in mid-traffic without having any control. // Q3: Yes. The problem has been confirmed by the dealer. They tried (and still are trying) to avoid responsibility. Other reports show that this is a significant safety issue with many GMC vehicles. // Q4: Yes. The vehicle was inspected by the GMC dealership. This is day-16 with no solution. // Q5: Yes, there were issues with the car, as stated above. But absolutely no indication that it would be safety issue. My engine was running normal the night before. No signs that the battery was low or dead and prohibit me from driving safely or that it would shut off.

NHTSA ID

11729184

Incident

Mar 19, 2026

The vehicle has a serious transmission/drivetrain defect that repeatedly occurs when accelerating from a complete stop, especially onto an incline. The vehicle sometimes does not respond at all when the accelerator is pressed and fails to move, even though acceleration is being requested. In one recent incident, it remained stopped for about one minute before finally responding. During these events, the vehicle jerks and shakes severely and fails to gain speed as expected. This creates a major safety risk at stop signs, intersections, and uphill starts because the vehicle may not move when needed and cannot keep up with traffic. The problem has worsened, and during one of these incidents the check engine light came on. I have video evidence showing the loss of response to accelerator input, severe jerking/shaking, and the check engine light illuminating during the same event. The issue has been reported to dealers and GM customer service but has not been properly resolved.

NHTSA ID

11728147

Incident

Mar 30, 2026

This is ongoing from the purchase of the car. 1) Infotainment computer screen daytime illumination is so dark as to be a major safety issue as it causes too much time looking away from the road to operate the system. If you wear sunglasses you cannot see the screen at all. The dealer says nothing can be done to improve the problem. 2) Right rear tail light stopped working after 500 miles. Replacement requires dropping the rear bumper and quarter panel. The dealer actually damaged the body of the car while replacing the light. Where are the days of changing out a light bulb? 3) At 1200 miles the transmission torque converter is chattering and slipping on cruise control at 50 MPH. 4) Engine noise is very loud during acceleration. Seats seem flat with no bolsters and little cushioning.

NHTSA ID

11726383

Incident

Jun 1, 2025

The vehicle experiences a transmission/drivetrain defect involving delayed gear engagement, hesitation, and apparent slipping. When accelerating from a complete stop (especially onto an incline) the engine RPM increases but the vehicle fails to accelerate as expected. The vehicle jerks and shakes violently and is unable to gain speed. This issue is intermittent but highly repeatable and occurs almost every time when there is a slope immediately after a stop sign. It results in loss of acceleration, violent shaking, and inability to maintain or build speed, creating a serious safety risk in traffic. It first happened around 1 year (early 2026) after the new car purchase (Nov 2025). There are no warning lights or messages. The dealer claimed they were unable to reproduce the issue during a brief test drive without me present and incorrectly attributed it to a bulletin without performing a detailed diagnosis or repair or looking at the video we recorded on the issue. The issue persists and affects safe operation of the vehicle. No inspection has been done by police or insurance. In one instance, this occurred while other vehicles were approaching from behind, creating a dangerous situation where I could not accelerate to match traffic flow. This resulted in a high risk of being rear-ended due to the unexpected loss of acceleration. I am aware of other consumer reports describing similar transmission-related symptoms such as slipping, hard shifting, and hesitation in this model. Some complaints describe transmission issues occurring at low mileage without warning lights.

NHTSA ID

11726103

Incident

Feb 7, 2026

Automatic brake engaged unnecessarily/ unexpectedly while driving forward at a low speed. There was no reason for the brake to engage. There were no objects or people infont of us. This has happened twice in less than a month. Both times we were in a forward motion. It could have been a serious situation if the car behind us had been any closer when we suddenly breaked for no reason.

NHTSA ID

11726073

Incident

Mar 7, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH at nighttime, there was an abnormally loud explosion and the contact became aware that the sunroof had exploded unexpectedly, causing shattered glass to fall inside the vehicle onto the contact's head, face, and body. The contact stated that two of her children were occupying the third-row seats when the failure occurred. The contact stated that a larger quantity of shattered glass fell near or in the car seat of the contact's son, who was not occupying the vehicle during the failure. There was no reported injury. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the sunroof needed to be replaced; however, the repair was not covered under warranty. The contact was referred to the insurance company for assistance. The dealer informed the contact that an engineering inspection had been requested. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed that the vehicle could be repaired under warranty at the discretion of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000.

NHTSA ID

11723566

Incident

Mar 6, 2026

Mileage

9,000 mi

Unknown. Brakes still squeaking after getting them changed with the bulletin notice. Engine surges and idles rough- dealership could not diagnose. Not accelerating randomly, pedal goes in and it does not engage. Gas tank not filling up all the way. Rear cross tracking warning turned off when it is not turned off. AC smells rotten and musty

NHTSA ID

11717900

Incident

Jan 5, 2026

2/10/26. Driving down the highway behind a truck and horse trailer at 60 mph, electric brake system stopped working, couldn't stop, a turn lane saved me from rear ending the horse trailer. I thought i was going to die and kill or injure animals and people in my path. Police came and tow truck. 2/10/26 Vehicle was towed to the closest GMC dealer. MERIT GMC Duncan, Ok Vehicle is at service department. There has been 3 events of complete power failure with the vehicle. It had to be towed three times before. All within the last 6 months. It had never happened while driving! When it happened, a brake light appeared on my dash with the message "electric brake failure" and "speed limited". I slammed the Brake pedal to the floor repeatedly with nothing happening. I had many emotional breakdowns to the police officer, at the dealership, at work when I finally got there hours later and am terrified to drive again. I could have died and hurt others.

NHTSA ID

11717292

Incident

Feb 10, 2026

Warning message appeared stating "service brake assist" and "service ESC". Took vehicle to dealer, they found faulty Master Cylinder. Multiple parts involved, some on back order, could take weeks to a month or more for repair. Vehicle is less than 1 year in service with approx. 6k miles.

NHTSA ID

11716855

Incident

Feb 7, 2026

I bought this vehicle in August 2025 and October was the first incident that this occurred. What happened was I was driving to pick up my husband and all the warning lights on my car dash started going off and then it died. After we got it started again we took it to the nearest GM dealership and after we parked, we could not get it to shut off then when we started driving again, it died in their parking lot. This has happened multiple times since.

NHTSA ID

11715974

Incident

Oct 15, 2025

OnStar/Telematics Module cuts out, rending GPS and OnStar functions useless

NHTSA ID

11715919

Incident

Feb 5, 2026

New vehicle. At 935 miles on odometer, displayed “Service Power Steering” “No Assist Soon” message on dash. Contacted OnStar and was advised of potential loss of power steering & advised to take car to dealership. Car spent 10 days in service to have a new steering gear installed at GMC dealership.

NHTSA ID

11708877

Incident

Nov 29, 2025

Approximately 2 months after purchase, the sunroof spontaneously shattered/exploded while driving on the interstate. We had it fixed and about 3 months after that, the same exact thing happened.

NHTSA ID

11706386

Incident

Sep 18, 2025