2012 GMC Acadia Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
CautionComplaint Index
67/100
#6 most-complained of 16 Acadia years
The 2012 GMC Acadia has 296 NHTSA complaints and a complaint index of 67, ranking 6th worst out of 16 model years, with a Caution verdict. Electrical System issues lead at 19% of complaints, alongside 5 recalls including airbag and seat belt problems.
- Complaints
- 296
- Recalls
- 5
- Crashes / fires
- 8 / 2
- Injuries / deaths
- 17 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 19
- 16.5 city / 23.5 hwy
Top 2012 GMC Acadia problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Electrical System57 (19%)
- Structure & Body48 (16%)
- Steering46 (16%)
- Engine45 (15%)
- Other43 (15%)
- Transmission & Powertrain43 (15%)
- Airbags33 (11%)
- Fuel System24 (8%)
- Brakes19 (6%)
- Visibility & Wipers11 (4%)
What owners report
- Daytime running light bulbs burn out and melt the plastic harness at the base, sometimes recurring after multiple replacements.
- Steering wheel suddenly spins left then right accompanied by a pop or bump sound, followed by sharp unintended veering.
- Front and side airbags fail to deploy during a crash despite significant vehicle damage.
- Vehicle fails to stop when braking during low-speed maneuvers such as parking, with airbags not deploying on impact.
- Transmission hesitates or refuses to shift properly, with no diagnostic codes found by technicians.
- Rear suspension knuckle or hub assembly fractures, causing the wheel to partially separate and the driver to lose control.
2012 GMC Acadia recalls
5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 21V246000Apr 8, 2021Airbags108 vehicles
Air bags:critical fasteners
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2015, 2017 Buick Enclave, 2010-2019 Chevrolet Traverse, and 2011-2016 GMC Acadia vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not be properly attached.
Risk: Unsecured side curtain air bags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, realign or replace the weld nuts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2021. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N202321200.
- 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.
- 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.
2012 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.
2012 compared with other Acadia years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2012 GMC Acadia reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2012 Acadia has a complaint index of 67 and ranks 6th worst among the 16 model years covered, earning a Caution verdict relative to other Acadia years.
- What is the most common problem with the 2012 GMC Acadia?
- Electrical System complaints are the most common, accounting for 57 complaints, or 19% of the total, with a median failure mileage of 79,000 miles.
- Does the 2012 GMC Acadia have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2012 Acadia, covering airbags, structure and body, seat belts, and visibility and wipers issues.
- How does the 2012 Acadia compare to other model years?
- The 2012 Acadia's complaint index of 67 is worse than 2013 (20), 2015 (33), and 2020 (7), but better than 2014 (93) and 2017 (100), which are rated Avoid.