YearToAvoid

2010 GMC Acadia Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Caution

Complaint Index

73/100

#5 most-complained of 16 Acadia years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2010 GMC Acadia has a complaint index of 73 and ranks 5th worst among 16 model years, earning a Caution verdict. Steering problems dominate, with 148 complaints (43% share) and a median failure mileage of 70,000, plus 4 recalls.

Complaints
342
Recalls
4
Crashes / fires
5 / 8
Injuries / deaths
11 / 1
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
19
16.5 city / 23.5 hwy

Top 2010 GMC Acadia problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Steering148 (43%)
  2. Engine91 (27%)
  3. Electrical System59 (17%)
  4. Transmission & Powertrain43 (13%)
  5. Airbags16 (5%)
  6. Suspension, Wheels & Tires14 (4%)
  7. Structure & Body13 (4%)
  8. Brakes12 (4%)
  9. Other12 (4%)
  10. Seat Belts6 (2%)

What owners report

  • Steering wheel locks up or loses power assist while turning, sometimes during parking or highway curves, leading to crashes into poles, barriers, or other vehicles.
  • Headlight bulb sockets and connectors overheat, melt, and in some cases catch fire, with wiring burning near the headlamp housing.
  • A main battery cable shorted against a frame bolt, causing floor matting to catch fire and cutting power steering and brakes while driving.
  • Front suspension or steering components vibrate and pop at low speed, sending the steering wheel in the wrong direction during a turn.
  • The engine loses power or dies without warning lights, in one case emitting smoke on the highway before failing completely.
2010 GMC Acadia complaints: complaints filed per quarter382010 Q12011 Q42013 Q32015 Q22017 Q12018 Q42020 Q32022 Q4
423 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2010 Q1 to 2026 Q2; peak 2014 Q3 (38).

2010 GMC Acadia recalls

4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 15V415000Jun 30, 2015Structure & Body691,144 vehicles

    Structure:body:hatchback/liftgate

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured January 3, 2007, to February 29, 2012, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured July 6, 2008, to March 9, 2012, 2007-2012 GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured September 15, 2006, to February 29, 2012, and 2007-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured August 17, 2006, to March 18, 2010. The affected vehicles, equipped with the power liftgate option, have gas struts that hold the power liftgate up when open. These struts may prematurely wear and the open liftgate may suddenly fall.

    Risk: If the open liftgate unexpectedly falls, it may strike a person, increasing their risk of injury.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit so that the motor will prevent the rapid closing of the lift gate, free of charge. The recall began on November 15, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 15240.

  2. NHTSA 14V266000May 20, 2014Seat Belts1,339,355 vehicles

    Seat belts

    General Motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through May 14, 2014, Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured June 6, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured April 9, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through March 18, 2010. In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cable that connects the seatbelt to the front outboard seating positions may fatigue and separate over time.

    Risk: If the steel cable becomes fatigued and separates, the seatbelt may not properly restrain the seat occupant increasing the risk of an injury in a crash.

    Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair and replace the lap pretensioner, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. An interim notice will be mailed to owners in July 2014. A second notice will be mailed to owners once parts become available. The recall for the 2009-2010 model years began on July 11, 2014. The interim letter for the 2011-2014 model years were distributed on July 11, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-462-8782 (GMC), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). General Motors recall number for this campaign is 14187.

  3. NHTSA 14V118000Mar 17, 2014Airbags1,176,407 vehicles

    Air bags:side/window

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia and 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse and 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the driver and passenger seat mounted side impact air bag (SIAB) wiring harnesses may result in the SIAB and seat belt pretensioners not deploying in the event of a crash.

    Risk: Failure of the side impact air bags and seat belt pretensioners to deploy in a crash increase the risk of injury to the driver and front seat occupant.

    Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected harness connections with soldered connections, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2014. Buick owners may contact the owner center at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet owners at 1-866-694-6546, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and GMC owners at 1-866-996-9463. GM's number for this recall is 14030. Note: Vehicles repaired as part of Customer Satisfaction Campaign 10085 and special coverage 10335 have already had the subject condition repaired and therefore are not included in the safety recall.

See all 4 recalls for the 2010 GMC Acadia →

2010 GMC Acadia fuel economy and fuel cost

City
16.5 MPG
Highway
23.5 MPG
Combined
19 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,400
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2010 compared with other Acadia years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010Caution73342419
2011Caution60269519
2012Caution67296519

All GMC Acadia years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2010 GMC Acadia reliable?
NHTSA data shows the 2010 Acadia has a complaint index of 73 and ranks 5th worst out of 16 model years, giving it a Caution verdict relative to other Acadia years.
What is the biggest problem with the 2010 GMC Acadia?
Steering is the top problem area, accounting for 148 complaints (43% of the total) with a median failure mileage of 70,000, including reports of steering lockups leading to crashes.
Does the 2010 GMC Acadia have recalls?
Yes, NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2010 Acadia covering seat belts, airbags, and structure/body issues, none of which are do-not-drive recalls.
How does the 2010 Acadia compare to other years?
The 2010 model's complaint index of 73 is worse than the 2013 (20), 2015 (33), and 2020 (7) model years, but better than the 2017 (100) and 2014 (93) years, which carry Avoid verdicts.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.