Problems · by component
2013 GMC Acadia power train problems
27 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2013 GMC Acadia cite power train, 19% of all 140 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
27
19% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
What owners say about the power train
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“Dear Sir/Madam, For the 3rd time now, my transmission is being rebuilt. After purchasing it from the dealership and it was still under warranty GMC Bakersfield rebuilt the transmission, then again in 2020 at 119,000 miles it broke down again and All Automatic in Bakersfield rebuilt it for $3500 and now here it is 2026 and only 60.000 miles later again All Automatic is having to rebuilt the transmission again and asking now for another $4950. I was excited to finally hear there was a recall, only to find it was only for 2014 GMC Acadia's. The transmission have failed again and yes it is available for inspection at All Automation in Bakersfield, CA on Quantico. During the course of breaking down the my safety and the safety of my children was at risk. My vehicle was jumping, jerking the RPM's were all over the place and at one point in the course of driving on the freeway it felt like it lost power and nearly stopped. This has been an ongoing problem since the purchase of the vehicle. It has been inspected and diagnosed by All Automatic. There were no warnings, messages or symptoms that were constant. It was sporadically slipping up until the time it gave out. I…”
“Unknown, The vehicle will begin to jerk or shake when it gets up to about 30 - 40mph then levels out. Sometimes it will repeat the jerking when traveling at speed of 50 - 60mph for a few seconds then levels out. Sometimes the vehicle hesitate on take off from a stopped position.”
“At 35-40 and 55-65 mph, the car slips/ pulls back. I took it to the dealer, my rep said it is a known issue and GMC issued a bulletin but will not recall it because it's too expensive. There are thousands of reports online. Please investigate.”
“The contact owns a 2013 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that after coming to a stop for a traffic signal or stopping for other traffic, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact was unaware if any warning lights were illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the torque converter solenoid had remained in an open position, causing the vehicle to stall while stopped. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact stated that his mechanic had researched online and related the failure to TSB Number: 10052215-6979 (Power Train). The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 194,032.”
“I dont know exactly what is wrong but from online videos i think power train or transmission. When driving the vehicle will struggle/delay shifting. When it does finally shift its so hard it throws u forward. When having to quickly get on the gas it will delay to where your not really moving. This almost caused accidents multiple times. ( not pulling out in front of people) entering interstate is a good exsample. It has also lost power when crossing intersection!”
“My GMC Acadia has been experiencing transmission problems. It has been jerking and it has been failing to accelerate properly. The check engine light is not on and the mechanic says he can not find a problem with the vehicle.”
Showing 6 of 27 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 30, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.