RoadVitals

2026 GMC Acadia Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
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Latest Sep 25, 2026
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
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Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
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What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2026 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

  • Driver assistance327.3%
  • Electrical218.2%
  • Powertrain (other)218.2%
  • Airbags19.1%
  • Engine19.1%
  • Transmission19.1%
  • Brakes19.1%

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

Driver assistance

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

Blind spot monitor goes off for everything. Engine has chirping noise. Brand new

NHTSA ID 11746874 · filed Jun 27, 2026

The contact owns a 2026 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while at a stop sign and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated and crashed into the rear passenger's side of a Semi Truck. Both the AEB and the IAEB failed to engage during the incident. The vehicle sustained severe front-end damage. The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy, and the Forward Collision Avoidance System failed to engage to prevent the crash. The driver sustained a neck and right shoulder injury. The front passenger seat occupant sustained a right arm and left leg injury, and a headache. No medical treatment was received. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 4,700.

NHTSA ID 11743270 · filed Jun 10, 2026

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Electrical

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Horn began sounding unexpectedly and intermittently while driving and parked. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The uncontrollable horn startled surrounding motorists and pedestrians, causing confusion and defensive reactions. While removing the fuse temporarily stopped the noise, it eliminated a critical safety feature. The horn remains inoperable as of 4/6/26. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? GMC Dealership. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? GMC Dealership. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No prior warning. Issue began Jan 31, 2025 (66 days after purchasing the brand new vehicle). Timeline of events: Jan 31, 2026: Horn began sounding unexpectedly and intermittently while driving and parked. Per dealership advice, the horn fuse was removed to allow for safe travel. Feb 5, 2026: First service visit. Service advisor reported a "kinked wire" was found and repaired. Feb 15, 2026: Issue recurred; horn sounded continuously while driving. Fuse was removed again to disable the horn; it has remained inoperable since. Feb 26, 2026: Second service visit. Dealership diagnosed the issue as a faulty steering wheel and placed an order (ETA: 7–10 days). Mar 3, 2026: Follow-up call. Advised the part was under “national control” with an additional 10-day delay. Mar 13, 2026: Dealership notified me that the steering wheel request was denied by GM because the part is restricted and the cause remained unproven. Mar 18–20, 2026: Third service visit (loaner provided). New diagnosis identified an internal failure in the SIR coil. Part was confirmed as backordered.

NHTSA ID 11729333 · filed Apr 6, 2026

My wife and child drove the car to the grocery store and parked the car l. When she returned to leave , the car would not start and flashed a warning with key fob not detected and some kind of security light warning. The instrument cluster told her to place the key in left console cup holder to crank the vehicle . This did not work either .I drove the second key fob to her to determine if it was a key fob issue and the 2 nd key did not work as well. Called dealership and service requested the car being towed. Tow truck didn’t feel comfortable with the removing the vehicle as it was sitting due to space in the parking lot. They dispatched a small tow truck , but in the meantime I disconnected the battery cable and waited about 15 min. The car cranked and I immediately drove it to dealership. There was no code shown at the dealership and this was the first time they have had dealt with this issue. The mechanic drove the car the next day and the same situation happened again , except this time the key fob worked after several failed attempts . I feel that this is a safety issue because the car failed to operate and had no manual ability to operate without the electronic system functioning properly and this could have happened anyway and stranded my wife and child . A few months before in an unrelated incident , the power trunk malfunctioned and had to be reprogrammed . It would not operate except manually . Car is currently at dealership still being evaluated .

NHTSA ID 11718747 · filed Feb 18, 2026

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Powertrain (other)

Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

Vehicle ran out of fuel and became disabled in an active roadway/exit ramp. The vehicle retained 12-volt electrical power and the dashboard and electronic controls remained operational. With the brake pedal depressed and the ignition/electrical system on, I attempted to shift the transmission from Park to Neutral so the vehicle could be pushed out of traffic. The vehicle repeatedly displayed “Conditions Not Correct for Shift” and remained locked in Park because the engine was not running. There appears to be no driver-accessible mechanical/manual override that allows the transmission to be placed in Neutral when the engine cannot run. As a result, a disabled vehicle with functioning electrical power can remain physically immobilized in a live traffic lane, creating a collision hazard and preventing occupants or bystanders from moving it to a safer location. This condition could occur not only from running out of fuel but potentially from any engine failure that prevents the engine from running. I believe the inability to place a disabled vehicle into Neutral under these circumstances presents a safety hazard.

NHTSA ID 11762039 · filed Sep 3, 2026

Engine has a noise (chirp) when vehicle delivered. Found out after purchase that a known problem was present in the engine compartment that engineering has been unable to identify. Bulletin #PIP6045B (Oct20,2025) Document ID:7006702 With the engine failures General Motors have had I have concerned about operating. A failure could result in danger to the occupants.

NHTSA ID 11753144 · filed Jul 27, 2026

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Airbags

Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2026 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while at a stop sign and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated and crashed into the rear passenger's side of a Semi Truck. Both the AEB and the IAEB failed to engage during the incident. The vehicle sustained severe front-end damage. The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy, and the Forward Collision Avoidance System failed to engage to prevent the crash. The driver sustained a neck and right shoulder injury. The front passenger seat occupant sustained a right arm and left leg injury, and a headache. No medical treatment was received. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 4,700.

NHTSA ID 11743270 · filed Jun 10, 2026

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Engine

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

Blind spot monitor goes off for everything. Engine has chirping noise. Brand new

NHTSA ID 11746874 · filed Jun 27, 2026

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.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2026 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while at a stop sign and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated and crashed into the rear passenger's side of a Semi Truck. Both the AEB and the IAEB failed to engage during the incident. The vehicle sustained severe front-end damage. The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy, and the Forward Collision Avoidance System failed to engage to prevent the crash. The driver sustained a neck and right shoulder injury. The front passenger seat occupant sustained a right arm and left leg injury, and a headache. No medical treatment was received. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 4,700.

NHTSA ID 11743270 · filed Jun 10, 2026

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Brakes

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

Purchased NEW 2026 GMC Acadia on XXX XXX - Fastened seat belts, Started vehicle in a driveway, Switched into forward gear and Vehicle lurched forward while Depressing the brake with no braking action occurring (BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR). Shut off engine and depressed the Emergency Brake Button to stop the vehicle. Vehicle struck another vehicle upon stopping causing several thousand dollars damage. XXX - Notified [XXX]/[XXX] the dealer, no help. Called GM and filed a Case #XXX. Vehicle inspected by GM on XXX. No response forthcoming from GM or the dealer yet after 6 weeks since the incident. XXX - Called for a wrecker to have vehicle towed to the dealer where it was purchased. While awaiting the tow truck I completed a video of damage to both vehicles, before starting the vehicle (first time after the accident) the brake pedal was depressed and traveled to the floor. Started vehicle and brakes regained some braking ability to drive onto a roll back tow truck and delivery to the dealership above. Fortunately, this brake failure happened in a private driveway and not within a busy intersection where major injuries likely would have occurred. STILL WAITING ON GENERAL MOTORS!! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID 11767037 · filed Sep 25, 2026

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

Data on this page last refreshed .