GMC Acadia 2013 Problems

mike_howard

I am looking to buy a GMC Acadia, 2013 model with less than 100,000 miles. I love the GMC Acadia but have read numerous things on the net about problems with these vehicle. I need some honest opinions about this vehicle so I can decide whether to pursue one or move on to something else. I read about the problems with previous models, but does the Acadia 2013 still have the same problems....

stever

All cars have "problems" but most cars are pretty reliable these days. Even known problems that attract a lot of forum posts may still only affect 2 or 3 % of owners.

With a used car, sure, be aware of glitches that seem to affect that model. But it's probably more important to get an idea of how the car you are shopping was maintained. Some dealers will redact the owner info and give you the maintenance history, or at least verbally tell you how the car was maintained. If you have a relationship with a mechanic, you can get a pre-purchase inspection done.

Consumer Reports, JD Power and other sites offer reliablity info.

mike_howard

stever said:

All cars have "problems" but most cars are pretty reliable these days. Even known problems that attract a lot of forum posts may still only affect 2 or 3 % of owners.

With a used car, sure, be aware of glitches that seem to affect that model. But it's probably more important to get an idea of how the car you are shopping was maintained. Some dealers will redact the owner info and give you the maintenance history, or at least verbally tell you how the car was maintained. If you have a relationship with a mechanic, you can get a pre-purchase inspection done.

Consumer Reports, JD Power and other sites offer reliablity info.

Thanks for your info. What i'm searching about this car are the malfunctions and the defects that come in this powertrain and transmission, engine.... I need to make sure if GMC corrected those problems on the new model of 2013 or still exited....

stever

If you just go by forum posts, transmission issues seem to be the most common problem with Acadias. A goodly number of posts complain about the steering and all GMs seem to have Stabilitrak problems as a common theme.

Going just by forum posts is hardly scientific though.... Even Consumer Reports and True Delta rely on "self-reporting". The best resource would be warranty claims made but manufacturers don't share that info.

You can look at TSBs and get a hint about some common issues that way.

Warranty claims costs a manufacturer a lot of money so it's in their economic interest to constantly make "rolling" fixes as dealers report various issues, so in theory a transmission defect that affected 2012's would be fixed by now. It can take a couple of years to learn whether a particular fix worked though.

mike_howard

stever said:

If you just go by forum posts, transmission issues seem to be the most common problem with Acadias. A goodly number of posts complain about the steering and all GMs seem to have Stabilitrak problems as a common theme.

Going just by forum posts is hardly scientific though.... Even Consumer Reports and True Delta rely on "self-reporting". The best resource would be warranty claims made but manufacturers don't share that info.

You can look at TSBs and get a hint about some common issues that way.

Warranty claims costs a manufacturer a lot of money so it's in their economic interest to constantly make "rolling" fixes as dealers report various issues, so in theory a transmission defect that affected 2012's would be fixed by now. It can take a couple of years to learn whether a particular fix worked though.

Thanks once again for a valuable information!

I have checked the page you suggested and it seems that Acadia 2013 still have so much problems and defects.... So Do you advise me of an American 7 seats SUV with high reliability?

stever

Buy what you like.

Seriously, the odds of getting hammered by a bunch of repairs, even on a used car, aren't bad. I took a flyer on an '09 Grand Caravan last April that had 125,000 miles on it. Used it to move cross-county (two trips) and have put 15,000 miles on it in a year with just paying for a brake job. I got it from a reputable dealer who shared owner info and maintenance records, and had my own mechanic look it over before the first road trip. Oh, and the selling dealer replaced a flaky TPMS that they had fixed before putting it on their lot. And I have an outstanding recall on the ignition switch I need to address.

So a few minor issues and overall I'm happy. But if you go read the Grand Caravan discussions - ouch! My wife and I are living dangerously relying on this one clunker of a vehicle.

Another option is to try to find a CPO one. I'm not a big fan of extended warranties, but they do offer a lot of piece of mind if you don't have to pay too much for one. If you are near a Carmax, check out their inventory and their warranty options.

tifffaith83

I am very new to this mechanical stuff. I have 2 acadias..a 2010 and an 07.. Our 2010 was wrecked by family member. Which is why we purchesed the 07...whos diagnosis was a broke timing chain.. We were going to use it for parts.. My husband and i have decided that we like the 07 better..would it be possible to take the motor from the 2010 and put it in the 07?.if so, is that all that needs to be done?..also does anyone know if you can have the "brain" boxes switched and/or reprogrammed?.. Please help, this is our ONLY form of transportation.  Thanks again!! AND GOD BLESS!!!