YearToAvoid

2021 GMC Acadia Transmission & Powertrain Problems

NHTSA lists 17 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2021 GMC Acadia, 11% of its 149 total complaints. No related recall exists. Median mileage at failure was 4,063 miles, with no fires and one crash reported.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints
17
11% of 149
Crashes reported
1
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
0
Median mileage
4,063 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical transmission symptoms owners report

  • Vehicle unexpectedly loses power or decelerates hard while driving at highway speed, with erratic speed changes.
  • Engine RPMs surge abnormally while stopped or braking, sometimes with a hard, jerking transmission shift.
  • Vehicle shudders or shakes between 30 and 60 mph, sometimes followed by stalling and difficulty restarting.
  • Vehicle hesitates or fails to accelerate with rising RPMs but no forward power, followed by a warning message and check engine light.
  • Transmission slips during acceleration and drops into neutral with a transmission warning, then refuses to restart until it sits for a while.
  • Vehicle judders or stutters when pulling away from a stop, with no warning lights or diagnostic codes found.

When 2021 GMC Acadia transmission complaints were filed

First complaint Apr 23, 2021, latest May 12, 2026.

2021 GMC Acadia transmission & powertrain complaints: complaints filed per month2Apr 2021Dec 2021Mar 2024Mar 2025Sep 2025Nov 2025Feb 2026
17 complaints filed with NHTSA from Apr 2021 to May 2026; peak Mar 2025 (2).

Transmission & Powertrain recalls for the 2021 GMC Acadia

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints by Acadia model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 2007184 (43%)
  2. 2008279 (33%)
  3. 200972 (22%)
  4. 201043 (13%)
  5. 201133 (12%)
  6. 201243 (15%)
  7. 201327 (20%)
  8. 201434 (7%)
  9. 201518 (7%)
  10. 201621 (9%)
  11. 2017235 (33%)
  12. 2018163 (41%)
  13. 2019154 (40%)
  14. 202022 (21%)
  15. 202117 (11%)
  16. 20224 (8%)
  17. 202312 (28%)
  18. 20247 (12%)
  19. 20254 (6%)

Frequently asked questions

How many transmission complaints does the 2021 GMC Acadia have?
NHTSA lists 17 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2021 Acadia, which is 11% of the 149 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a transmission recall for the 2021 GMC Acadia?
No. The data shows no related recalls listed for the 2021 Acadia's Transmission & Powertrain complaints.
At what mileage do 2021 Acadia transmission problems start?
The median mileage at failure among reported cases is 4,063 miles, indicating many issues surfaced very early in ownership.
Did the 2021 Acadia transmission issues cause any crashes or fires?
NHTSA data shows 1 crash and 0 fires and 0 injuries linked to these complaints.
How does the 2021 Acadia compare to other years for transmission complaints?
The 2021 Acadia's 11% share is lower than years like 2018 (41%) and 2019 (40%), which had far higher shares of transmission complaints.

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.