Problems · by component
2009 GMC Acadia exterior lighting problems
38 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2009 GMC Acadia cite exterior lighting, 11% of all 333 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
38
11% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
4
Reported by owners
Injuries
4
Reported by owners
What owners say about the exterior lighting
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“THERE WAS A RECALL AT ONE TIME FOR THE TRANSMISSION LINKAGE ABOUT IT POPPING OFF, I AM NOW HAVING IT POP OFF I HAVE NO CLUE HOW LONG IT BEEN THIS WAY SEEING AS IT GOES TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY NEVER SAID ANYTHING BUT IT HAD BEEN THAT WAY FOR A WHILE YOU CAN JUST LIFT IT OFF. HEAD LIGHTS GO OUT ALMOST EVERY 6 MONTHS ON THE DOT! I HAVE BEEN CAUGHT TWICE WITH NO LOW BEAMS. *TR”
“THE LIGHTING HOUSING IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE TYPE OF HEADLIGHTS BECAUSE THEY OVER HEAT IT AND CAUSE THE RUNNING LIGHTS TO MELT THE HOUSING AND CAUSE THE BULBS GO STICK TO IT AND THEN YOUR HEADLIGHTS DON'T WORK . THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW FLUCTUATES BETWEEN WORKING AND NOT WORKING IT'S INTERMITTENT. THIS IS A SET UP IS A HUGE PROBLEM FOR MORE THEN JUST ME AND I CAN'T GIVE YOU EXACT DATES BUT IT'S BEEN HAPPENING FOR A LONG TIME. I'VE WRITTEN TO GMC AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO RECTIFY ANY OF THESE ISSUES.*DT*JB”
“I LEASED MY 2009 GMC ACADIA ALMOST 2 YEARS AGO, IT HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE. I BOUGHT AS IS SO DEALER WOULD NOT RETURN MY CALLS THAT HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH PROBLEMS. FIRST, NOT EVEN 3 WEEKS AFTER I LEASED THE VEHICLE THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM STARTED TO GO, MY DRIVER WINDOW STOPPED WORKING, MY BACK HATCH WELL I CAN'T EVEN OPEN IT BECAUSE THERE IS NO KEY TO OPEN NOR IS THERE A BUTTON ANYWHERE THE MECHANICS SAID I NEED TO TAKE IT TO AN ELECTRICAL MECHANIC...WONDER HOW MUCH THAT WILL COST?, MY STABILTRAK SYSTEM CONSTANTLY FLASHES. THE ENGINE BURNS UP TOO MUCH OIL EVEN AFTER AN OIL CHANGE WITHIN 3WEEKS I NEED TO PUT OIL, I DO NOT DRIVE FAR NOR ALOT. TO WORK AND BACK. IT WILL COST MORE TO FIX THIS TRUCK THAN WHAT IT IS WORTH NOW I'M STUCK WITH $5,000 LEFT ON A VEHICLE THAT IS A PIECE OF POOP. WHEN I DRIVE THE TRUCK PULLS AS IF THE ENGINE CANNOT GET THE TRUCK GOING. I CAN'T TURN OFF THE TRUCK WHILE PUTTING GAS BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WONT TURN OVER ONCE THE GAS HAS BEEN PUT IN AND STARTED. THE MECHANIC SAID ITS THE TRANS EVAP SYSTEM. I DONT UNDERSTAND HOW GMC CAN GET AWAY WITH MANUFACTURING VEHICLES LIKE THIS WITH NO CONCERN FOR THE CUSTOMERS.”
“I OWN A GMC ACADIA 2009. I PURCHASED IT IN MARCH OF 2018 WITH 136,402 MILES ON IT. FIRST THAT WENT WAS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS, SECOND MY STABLILTRAK SYSTEM AND TRACTION SYSTEM SAID MY BREAK WAS ON WHEN IT WASN'T, THRID WAS MY RIGHT REAR TIRE PRESSURE WAS "LOW" AND IT WAS NOT AND FOURTH MY BATTERY STARTED GOING LOW WHILE DRIVING IT. WHILE I NOTICED ALL THESE MAJOR ISSUES I NOTICED MY RADIO DOESN'T WORK RIGHT, THE LEFT SIDE OF MY CAR HAS NO VOLUME IN THE SPEAKERS AND MY LIGHTS AREN'T WORKING RIGHT. ONE BULB ON FRONT IS OUT AND I NOTICED THEY WOULD COME ON AND GO OFF WHENEVER THEY WANTED AND THEN NEVER AGAIN SHORTLY AFTER. THE BACK ON JUST FILLED WITH WATER FOR NO REASON AND BURNT MY BULBS OUT BEFORE I REALIZED IT WAS FILLED TO THE TOP. I'VE OWNED IT FOR 6 MONTHS AND ALREADY HAVE THOUSANDS WORTH OF DOLLARS IN REPAIRS.”
“2009 GMC ACADIA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, STEERING WHEEL POWER AND FAULTY BRAKES. *LD THE CONSUMER THE LIFTGATE AND LAMP WERE REPAIED UNDER RECALL, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE CONSUMER DID NOT RECIEVE NOTIFICATION FOR THE RECALLS CONCERNING THE ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, AND TIMING CHAIN. *JS”
“IN VERY COLD WEATHER (UNDER 20 DEGREES F) AND IN WET CONDITIONS (RAIN/CARWASH) THE REAR TURN SIGNALS DO NOT WORK AND IT APPEARS THE BREAKS PEDAL IS ENGAGED (LIGHTS ARE BRIGHT). ALSO IN THE SAME CONDITIONS, THE BACK UP CAMERA IMAGES STAYS ON FOR A MINUTE OR MORE EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TRAVELING FORWARD. WHEN THE TEMPERATURE TURNS WARM AND THE VEHICLE HAS A CHANCE TO DRY THE PROBLEMS GOES AWAY. IT STARTED IN WINTER 2016 AND RETURNED WINTER 2017.”
Showing 6 of 38 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.