Problems · NHTSA complaints
2017 GMC Acadia Limited problems
Owners filed 636 complaints about the 2017 GMC Acadia Limited with NHTSA between Sep 2016 and Nov 2025. The most-cited component is power train (220).
Complaints
636
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
9
Reported by owners
Fires
2
Reported by owners
Injuries
12
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Power train220
- Electrical system169
- Air bags75
- Engine53
- Service brakes29
- Steering25
- Exterior lighting25
- Electronic stability control (esc)13
- Seat belts11
- Lane departure11
- Fuel/propulsion system10
- Vehicle speed control8
- Forward collision avoidance8
- Suspension8
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 29, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
9
57
43
120
119
34
33
71
106
44
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 9 |
| 2017 | 57 |
| 2018 | 43 |
| 2019 | 120 |
| 2020 | 119 |
| 2021 | 34 |
| 2022 | 33 |
| 2023 | 71 |
| 2024 | 106 |
| 2025 | 44 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Power train
220 reports3 crashes
“I have gotten a alert on my vehicles dashboard after parking saying "shift to park" my car won't turn off until I can wiggle the shifter just right or have to take it out of park, back to drive back to park. I didn't have my radio on once and I didn't notice it wasn't all the way off and my battery went dead.”
Electrical system
169 reports1 crash2 fires
“Cannot shift out of park. AC stops blowing also. Electric seats stopped working. Replaced BCM modular, solenoid , entire shifter and more. It worked for two months. -Happening again. Cannot shift out of park and the AC stops working. Seat are working at moment. It’s all intermittent. Currently dealer will not help me. No warranty anymore. Im on a site where thousands of gmc’s have this same problem. Im gonna have to bring back to another dealer but no one can figure it out how to fix this. I sent my last bill. I also had one before that with the shifter assembly and solenoid replaced. I cannot find at moment”
Air bags
75 reports2 crashes
“The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.”
Engine
53 reports1 fire
“The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10-15 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormally loud blower motor sound while accelerating, before the vehicle lost motive power. The transmission was shifted to neutral(N) and pushed to the side of the roadway. The TPMS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who determined that the transmission clutch had failed, and the transmission needed to be rebuilt or replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed there was no recall coverage or warranty coverage on the VIN for the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.”
Service brakes
29 reports1 crash
“I put the car in park and the push button start would not let me turn off my car. I sat in the parking lot almost 30 min, putting my car in park, then drive, then park for my car to recognize its actually in park to turn off. I started getting this error on the start and stop at lights... it never turned off during the start and stop but fearing my life or my families life.... I took it to my local GMC dealership and the manager from the Service department said this is a common issue with this model, he has repaired HUNDREDS of them. His words. This is a safety issue.... I am shocked this has not been recalled. The lack of urgency to get this fixed is very concerning. It costs my $708.92 to fix this issue. I 100% think i am owed this money due to something that should 100% be recalled. I found an open class action lawsuit that was confirmed by the dealership to be the exact same issue I had. https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/consumer-products/auto-news/gmc-class-action-alleges-acadia-shift-to-park-defect/”
Steering
25 reports1 crash
“We were receiving a message stating steering reduction. Turns out the thermostat sticks open and the electronic control module reset was a temporary fix. We had the thermostat replaced and the issue hasn’t happened again. Steering issues should be a safety issue and be considered for recall. Your thoughts please.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 29, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.