GMC Acadia Best and Worst Years (2010–2025)
Avoid the 2014, 2017, 2018, and 2019 GMC Acadia, which carry the highest Complaint Index scores (93, 100, 87, and 80). The 2017 has the most complaints of any year at 703. Best years are 2013, 2020, 2022, and 2023, with Complaint Index scores of 20, 7, 0, and 13.
Avoid 2014Avoid 2017Avoid 2018Avoid 2019Best 2013Best 2020Best 2022Best 2023
- Model years
- 16
- 2010–2025
- NHTSA complaints
- 3,937
- Recall campaigns
- 31
- Crashes reported
- 97
- Fires reported
- 42
- Top problem area
- Electrical System
Acadia Complaint Index by year
Higher = more complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and Do-Not-Drive recalls per year on the road, relative to other years of this model.
GMC Acadia problems and recalls by year
| Year | Verdict | Index | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Recalls | Top issue | MPG | NCAP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Caution | 73 | 342 | 5 | 8 | 4 | Steering | 19 | — |
| 2011 | Caution | 60 | 269 | 8 | 10 | 5 | Electrical System | 19 | 5★ |
| 2012 | Caution | 67 | 296 | 8 | 2 | 5 | Electrical System | 19 | 5★ |
| 2013 | Best | 20 | 135 | 5 | 8 | 3 | Electrical System | 18.5 | 5★ |
| 2014 | Avoid | 93 | 462 | 15 | 2 | 6 | Airbags | 18.5 | 5★ |
| 2015 | Good | 33 | 243 | 5 | 3 | 4 | Airbags | 19 | 5★ |
| 2016 | Good | 47 | 236 | 8 | 2 | 4 | Airbags | 17.5 | 5★ |
| 2017 | Avoid | 100 | 703 | 10 | 2 | 4 | Transmission & Powertrain | 20.5 | 5★ |
| 2018 | Avoid | 87 | 395 | 8 | 1 | 2 | Transmission & Powertrain | 22 | 5★ |
| 2019 | Avoid | 80 | 386 | 5 | 2 | 2 | Transmission & Powertrain | 21.5 | 5★ |
| 2020 | Best | 7 | 104 | 4 | 0 | 6 | Engine | 23 | 5★ |
| 2021 | Good | 40 | 149 | 7 | 0 | 2 | Electrical System | 23 | 5★ |
| 2022 | Best | 0 | 49 | 3 | 1 | 3 | Electrical System | 23 | 5★ |
| 2023 | Best | 13 | 43 | 3 | 1 | 4 | Engine | 23 | 5★ |
| 2024 | Good | 27 | 60 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Brakes | 22 | 5★ |
| 2025 | Caution | 53 | 65 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Brakes | 22 | 5★ |
Acadia years to avoid: what went wrong
2017 GMC Acadia Index 100 · 703 complaints · 4 recalls
The 2017 Acadia carries the highest Complaint Index of any year at 100, with 703 total complaints, the most of any model year. Transmission & Powertrain problems make up 33% of complaints at a median 36,000 miles, and Electrical System issues follow at 31% (median 30,123 miles). Owners report smoke and sparks from vents, horns requiring excessive force, and cruise control that would not deactivate. NHTSA lists 4 recalls, including a driver airbag inflator recall, a high-pressure fuel pump recall, and a right front intermediate driveshaft recall. Ten crashes and 15 injuries were reported for this year.
2017 transmission & powertrain problems →2017 electrical system problems →2017 airbags problems →
2014 GMC Acadia Index 93 · 462 complaints · 6 recalls
The 2014 Acadia has a Complaint Index of 93 with 462 complaints. Airbags dominate at 53% of complaints, with a median failure mileage of 82,500. Owners report crashes where airbags failed to deploy. Electrical System issues follow at 22% (median mileage 73,500). NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns, including a driver airbag inflator recall shared with 2014-2017 Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse models, plus a side curtain airbag attachment recall and a chassis electronic module recall. Crashes reported for this year reached 15, with 17 injuries, the highest injury count among Acadia years.
2014 airbags problems →2014 electrical system problems →2014 engine problems →
2018 GMC Acadia Index 87 · 395 complaints · 2 recalls
The 2018 Acadia has a Complaint Index of 87 with 395 complaints. Transmission & Powertrain issues lead at 41% of complaints, median mileage 37,000. Owners report vehicles that fail to acknowledge being in park, allowing rollaway movement, and brakes that failed to stop the vehicle. NHTSA lists 2 recalls: a high-pressure fuel pump recall and a right front intermediate driveshaft recall. Eight crashes and 12 injuries were reported. Electrical System complaints account for 28% of the total, with a median mileage of 31,500.
2018 transmission & powertrain problems →2018 electrical system problems →2018 engine problems →
2019 GMC Acadia Index 80 · 386 complaints · 2 recalls
The 2019 Acadia has a Complaint Index of 80 with 386 complaints. Transmission & Powertrain problems lead at 40%, median mileage 49,800. Owners report vehicles that rolled away while in park with the engine running, and brakes that failed to slow the vehicle during hard stops. NHTSA lists 2 recalls, covering tire inspection and a start-stop transmission accumulator issue. Five crashes were reported for this year, with 2 injuries, the lowest injury count among the avoid years.
2019 transmission & powertrain problems →2019 electrical system problems →2019 engine problems →
Most common GMC Acadia problems (all years)
Share of NHTSA complaints by component group. A complaint naming two components counts once in each.
- Electrical System952 (24%)
- Transmission & Powertrain837 (21%)
- Airbags678 (17%)
- Other645 (16%)
- Engine600 (15%)
- Steering485 (12%)
- Brakes318 (8%)
- Fuel System158 (4%)
- Structure & Body151 (4%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires108 (3%)
Frequently asked questions
- What year GMC Acadia should I avoid?
- Based on NHTSA complaints and recalls, avoid the 2014, 2017, 2018, and 2019 Acadia. The 2017 has the highest Complaint Index at 100 and the most complaints at 703.
- What is the best year for the GMC Acadia?
- The 2013, 2020, 2022, and 2023 Acadia are rated Best, with Complaint Index scores of 20, 7, 0, and 13 respectively. The 2022 has the lowest complaint count relative to its index.
- Is the 2017 GMC Acadia reliable?
- The 2017 Acadia is not one of the stronger years based on NHTSA data. It has a Complaint Index of 100, the highest of any Acadia year, with 703 complaints and top issues in Transmission & Powertrain (33%) and Electrical System (31%).
- Does the GMC Acadia have transmission problems?
- Transmission & Powertrain complaints account for 21% of all Acadia complaints across model years (837 complaints). This area is the top problem for the 2017, 2018, and 2019 model years specifically.
- How many complaints does the GMC Acadia have overall?
- NHTSA has recorded 3,937 total complaints across 16 model years of the GMC Acadia, along with 31 recall campaigns.