2019 GMC Acadia Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
AvoidComplaint Index
80/100
#4 most-complained of 16 Acadia years
The 2019 GMC Acadia carries a complaint index of 80 and ranks 4th worst out of 16 model years, earning an Avoid rating. NHTSA lists 386 complaints and 2 recalls, with Transmission & Powertrain (40% of complaints) and Electrical System (30%) as the top problem areas.
- Complaints
- 386
- Recalls
- 2
- Crashes / fires
- 5 / 2
- Injuries / deaths
- 2 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 21.5
- 19.5 city / 25 hwy
Top 2019 GMC Acadia problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Transmission & Powertrain154 (40%)
- Other120 (31%)
- Electrical System114 (30%)
- Engine61 (16%)
- Steering33 (9%)
- Brakes19 (5%)
- Collision Avoidance & Cameras9 (2%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires9 (2%)
- Lane Departure6 (2%)
- Fuel System5 (1%)
What owners report
- Vehicles sometimes rolled away unexpectedly while in park with the engine running, in one case crashing into a parked car.
- Drivers report a 'shift to park' error message appearing even when the vehicle is already in park, preventing the engine from shutting off or the doors from locking.
- Door locks reportedly failed intermittently during rain, trapping occupants inside on more than one occasion despite a dealer repair attempt.
- Owners describe headlights that appear too dim or 'blacked out' to safely see the road at night, even with high beams on.
- One owner reported an engine fire while the vehicle was parked, with no warning light illuminated beforehand.
- Brakes reportedly failed to slow the vehicle when applied hard, contributing to a rear-end collision in one case.
2019 GMC Acadia recalls
2 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 21V115000Feb 25, 2021Suspension, Wheels & Tires33,838 vehicles
Tires
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, XT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, 2018-2021 Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana, 2019-2020 Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, GMC Acadia, Sierra 1500, and certain Continental tires sold to the aftermarket for various model year 2018-2021 vehicles. The affected tires were cured for too long during production.
Risk: Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall resulting in sudden air loss or a belt edge separation which could lead to a tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 22, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212329050.
- NHTSA 20V668000Oct 29, 2020Transmission & Powertrain194,105 vehicles
Power train:automatic transmission
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
Risk: Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.
2019 GMC Acadia fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 19.5 MPG
- Highway
- 25 MPG
- Combined
- 21.5 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,025
- 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.
2019 compared with other Acadia years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2019 GMC Acadia reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2019 Acadia has a complaint index of 80 and ranks 4th worst among 16 model years, so it is rated Avoid relative to other Acadia years.
- What are the most common problems with the 2019 GMC Acadia?
- NHTSA complaints show Transmission & Powertrain issues make up 40% of reports, with a median failure mileage of 49,800 miles, followed by Electrical System problems at 30% of complaints, often reported around 21,000 miles.
- Does the 2019 GMC Acadia have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2019 Acadia, one covering suspension/tire inspection and one covering a transmission start-stop accumulator that may need bolt replacement.
- How does the 2019 Acadia compare to other model years?
- The 2019 model's complaint index of 80 is higher than most other Acadia years; only 2014 (93) and 2017 (100) score worse, while years like 2020, 2022, and 2023 score under 15 and are rated Best.
- Were there any fires or crashes reported for the 2019 GMC Acadia?
- NHTSA data shows 2 fires, 5 crashes, and 2 injuries reported among the 386 complaints for the 2019 Acadia, with no deaths recorded.