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GMC Acadia Problems and Repairs

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Comments

  • bruno21bruno21 Member Posts: 1
    I am posting this message for Sara at GM Service maybe she can help where dealerships fail....plain and simple these water issues are not mileage related they are age related....my 2008 Acadia was purchase brand new in January 2009....after conerns about reliability I purchase the best best GM Major Guard protection covering my vehicle to 110,000 miles.....now I come to find out that the water leak issue that seems to be a common thing...is not covered by my 0 deductible Major Guard warranty that cost me $1,800. To make matters worse it has now cause an electrical short in my stereo and my parking assistant is not working either.

    My advice to any acadia owner whos vehicle is under the 3 year 36,000 miles tell the dealership you have a problem with water coming in even though you don't.....in a few years you will and this will cause them to fix it.....it is a gasket or skylight weather stripping shrinkage issue.

    thanks
    Marc
  • rjbladerjblade Member Posts: 14
    Please note that the bulk of complaints are from owners of the 2007/2008/2009 variety of Acadias. Most of the the issues, except the leaking sun/moon roofs occur after the vehicle has greater than 30K miles. I have a 2011 SLT2 with all the options and 18K miles. The gas milage is horrible and the way the transmissions shifts is a little unusal, but todate, I have had no problems. I would recommend looking at the 2013 Acadia, As the interior has been upgraded and the software that controls the shifting of the transmission has been changed. The 2012 are know different than my 2011. At the first sign of any issues, I will dump this vechicle and take the loss. Sales or a safety issue is the only way to get GM"s attention. Other than that, GM may put fixes into the next model year to solve an issue. But don't expect GM to fix a design issue, until the following vehicle year.
  • duijiduiji Member Posts: 17
    edited February 2012
    Mine was a 2007 and I had multiple problems including rear sunroof leak, timing issue, water pump, struts and etc all before 35,000 miles. I had to get a lawyer and go after the dealership. I got out of it but not easily. Although I cannot say the newer ones will have the same issue I wouldn't expect it to change. The newer ones have not been out long enough to prove themselves and better. When I was having problems I was told 2009's were not having those problems and now they are, just give it time. The one thing that won't change is GMC's arrogance and inablity to accept any fault for producing such a problem vehicle. Don't buy this vehicle just based on the looks. I was always a GM guy but after the problems I ran into with this vehicle and the attitude of GM those days are over.
  • rjbladerjblade Member Posts: 14
    Duiji , I agree. The 2011 have not been out long enough and or have not log enough miles to start seeing the Major Problems. As I said the gas milage is at least 4MPG lower than the sticker shows. I belive the way the transmission shifts may have an effect on the gas milage. GM has change the way the transmission shifts in the 2013. My vehicle does exhibit some of the annoying traits, such as the zipper noise when the steering wheel is turned at low speeds, but not all the time. As I said. At the first sign of any of thse major faults start showing there ugly heads, The vehicle is gone. I am truly considering dumping this vehicle before the waranty expires! I do not want to go through the head aches that have been discussed here for a vehicle the cost upwards of 50K. These design flaws are truly irresponsible
  • gmcustsvcsarahgmcustsvcsarah Member Posts: 1,964
    I'm sorry to hear that you have had so many issues with your Acadia. Did you ever open any Service Requests with us through Customer Assistance? If so, could we get the case numbers to look into this?

    Sarah
    GM Customer Service
  • gmcustsvcsarahgmcustsvcsarah Member Posts: 1,964
    Have you already worked with Customer Service on this, bmataa? If you would like to open a service request with us, please send an email with your name/Edmunds username, phone and address, the last 8 digits of your VIN and current mileage, and the name of your dealership. As my coworker Christina answers inbound emails from the forum, it would also be helpful if you wanted to include a link to this thread so she would be able to understand the context better.

    Regards,
    Sarah
    GM Customer Service
  • gmcustsvcsarahgmcustsvcsarah Member Posts: 1,964
    Good morning Marc,

    Thank you for posting, and we'd be happy to look into this further with you. However, I can't promise anything up front. Please get in touch via email with your name, Edmunds username, phone and address, the last 8 digits of your VIN, current mileage, and the name of your involved dealership. Also, if you could please include a link to this thread, it would help provide my coworker Christina with context as she answers the inbound emails from the forum.

    Regards,
    Sarah
    GM Customer Service
  • lovehateacadialovehateacadia Member Posts: 1
    We bought our 2008 Acadia new in Feb of 2008. We expected some recalls since it was new and have had some. What we did not expect was everything else besides the recalls. We had to have the motor to adjust the drivers seat replaced, we had the water leakage issue, the service air bag light would come on (think we had it in twice for that), the right lane change light in side mirror did not work (thank goodness all of that was covered by our warranty). This past September 2011 we had it in twice at the repair shop for the a/c not cooling on passanger side and making a funny noise.The first time was for a freon leak and the second time the freon was low again and they recalibrated all the doors in the a/c system both of these were less than a month apart. How could that happen in such a short time? And now with the unusual warm weather we have had to use the a/c a few times and it is making the noise again and we have another leak. Not sure if it is freon or antifreeze (it will smell fishy if that makes any since). So back in the shop it will be going. And to top it off the car only has 27,653 miles on it. I LOVE my acadia but NOT worth all the things that have went wrong with it.
  • gmcustsvcsarahgmcustsvcsarah Member Posts: 1,964
    lovehateacadia,
    I'm sorry that you have had so many difficulties with your Acadia. Is your shop one of our dealerships? If so, we're available to assist in whatever way we can. Please let us know how everything goes with the repair, and send us an email if you would like assistance.
    Sarah
    GM Customer Service
  • bobfishbobfish Member Posts: 48
    edited February 2012
    We had a 2008 Acadia,zero problems and now a 2011.I think the transmission shifts just fine better than our 08 and the gas mileage is not any better or worse than any other cuv or suv of its size.
  • jones0333jones0333 Member Posts: 3
    I too have a 2008 acadia which has approx 110,000 miles on it and it is falling apart. Have had to replace transmission (which was luckily under warranty) now water pump is leaking and I haven't been able to get it fixed yet..so keep putting fluid in since it is a slow leak.. the steering column feels funny and makes a noise when turning (asked dealership last time had it in and they said this was not a warranty item).. had issues with leaking around driver door area which leaves water in my floor area around brake area and then starts smelling this has been doing since I got vehicle but dealership said it was not under warranty so I havent paid to get something fixed that GM should take care of ... I have recently been thinking of getting another vehicle and love the size and all of my acadia.. haven't been happy with gas mileage or all the problems so will prob go with something else. Feel that if so many people have the problems gm should take initiative to fix. Already had both headlights go out and had to replace as well.. Not happy with Acadia at all. It is embarrassing how the steering sounds.
  • obyoneobyone Member Posts: 7,841
    Most of the the issues, except the leaking sun/moon roofs occur after the vehicle has greater than 30K miles.

    Maybe that's the problem as I only have 10K on mine.

    After owning GM vehicles since 2000 i would highly recommend a Major Guard extended warranty for any GM vehicle as I've always used mine many times over and is an extremely valuable tool in up keeping
    GM vehicles.

    One thing I've noticed that contributes to the bad mileage is the shifting pattern of the transmission. If you depress the pedal normally, I noticed that the shift from 1 to 2 occurs at 3000 rpm. Not really high but compared to my Yukon Denali which never shifts at 3K (more like 2K) makes a big difference in gas consumption. Course the V8 delivers more torque at a lower rpm.
  • mdw69mdw69 Member Posts: 1
    I have the same issue with my 2010 Acadia White in colour. I wonder if it is a issue with the paint itself. I was going to ask the dealer, as well the passenger door is now rubbing the paint off each time the door is opened :(
  • gmcustsvcsarahgmcustsvcsarah Member Posts: 1,964
    I hope that your visit to the dealership goes well, mdw69. Defects in paint and
    other appearance items are normally corrected during new vehicle preparation. There is also information on appearance care on page 10-85 of your owner's manual.

    Please keep us updated, and if we can be of any assistance don't hesitate to get in touch via email.
    Sarah
    GM Customer Service
  • brooklyngirl1brooklyngirl1 Member Posts: 14
    I also had a 2010 and had the same exact problems after being at the dealer every other day my husband and I came to the conclusion that we had to get rid of the piece of junk. I think it is unfortunate that GM wont admit that they have this horrible product out there....
  • drachir52drachir52 Member Posts: 2
    We were getting close to a decision to purchase a 2012 Acadia SLT2, after reading the last 2 pages of this thread I am going to put our plans on hold until the 2013 model comes out and see what shakes down with them.
  • ineedaricciineedaricci Member Posts: 8
    I actually started this thread a few months back. We've had our engine dropped several times. Had the transmission repaired a few times too. Sensor issues out to wazoo. I have only 1 out of 4 power windows that work. Our radio just died one day out of the blue. We have constant timing problems. My air bag light is always on. The dealers reply, " It will just not function." Great...so if I'm in an accident the airbag will just not deploy. Awesome. thanks. :sick: We too have the problems with the seat, never even brought that one up. The light knob that actually turns the lights on and off is concaved into my dash board. I went to put the fog lights on one night, and boom the whole thing fell into the dash. One of the power window switches is in my door, guess it doesn't matter much though because it doesn't work anyway. It's almost comical how horrible this vehicle actually is.
  • ineedaricciineedaricci Member Posts: 8
    Good thinking!
  • jrdredjrdred Member Posts: 7
    I have just had to take mine back in for the radio flashing white and sometimes having what looks like a different language on it. This has happened since they worked on the leaks, that were in the vehicle seams, and had to remove part of the dashboard. However, they called to say I would need a new radio ($381.00). I don't think so! I am not putting any more money in this lemon!!! I am also not buying another GM product.
  • mavi1111mavi1111 Member Posts: 1
    edited March 2012
    Let me first start by saying that I want to love my Acadia, I really do. However, I cannot trust it while driving in the rain. About a year ago, I drove in a puddle of water and suddenly the car stalled. The steering wheel was locked for about 15 seconds. After that I tried to avoid any puddles and I was quit successful until today. Once again, I drove into some wet areas and the car stalled. The feeling of no control is very scary and luckily I was only driving about 20mph when this happened. I cannot begin to imagine what would have happened if I had been on the freeway. In addition to that, the rain has brought about a new and disappointing problem. As I go to move my vehicle from my driveway to the street, I turn the car off, take the key out of the ignition, step out, and shockingly the car is still running. I don't know anything about vehicles and the one person who does, my husband, is deployed to Afghanistan. So I do the next best thing I could do, with it being so late, and did a little research on the computer. It appears from other Acadia owners, that when it rains water is somehow able to penetrate the fuse box causing total malfunction and battery drainage. Sure enough an hour later I go out to check on the vehicle and the battery is dead. WOW. And of course I'm out of warranty, I think. Unless the Powertrain covers it, which I'm sure it doesn't. I wonder how much this one's going to cost me? It seems to me that GM is aware of this flaw judging by the amount of people who have experienced the same issues. So I'm left asking why this isn't being taken care of. Especially the incidents with getting the undercarriages wet. Like I said in the beginning, I want to love my Acadia, but everytime it rains I'm thinking I should have went with a Toyota.

    2007 GMC Acadia SLE
    6X,XXX miles (not sure the exact amount, my battery is dead. Thanks GMC!)
  • gmcustsvcsarahgmcustsvcsarah Member Posts: 1,964
    I'm sorry to read about these difficulties with your Acadia. If we can look into this further with you, please get in touch via email (include your name/Edmunds username, phone and address, the last 8 of your VIN and current mileage, and the name of your involved dealership).
    Sarah
    GM Customer Service
  • ldu4ldu4 Member Posts: 1
    I'm a diehard GM fan and want to buy a GMC Acadia but after hearing the stories...I don't know now....neighbor had plenty problems with engine service lights...dealer did what they could,,,but when she called GM customer service they were down right rude to her....don't need to buy anything from Gov't Motors with that kind of responses....
  • gmcustsvcsarahgmcustsvcsarah Member Posts: 1,964
    I hate to hear that your neighbor was treated rudely when she called in to speak with us, and if you would relay my apologies to her I would greatly appreciate it. If she would like for us to follow up on this with her, she's welcome to get in touch via email at the address listed in my profile here (as are you if you have any concerns).

    Regards,
    Sarah
    GM Customer Service
  • njohnson36njohnson36 Member Posts: 4
    Let me see if I can remember all of the things that have gone wrong with my 2008 Acadia. Tomorrow, I will be taking it in because the air conditioning light flashes 3 times and then goes off. I am out of warranty so I am sure it will be something major. The last time it was at the dealership it was for the light connetion recall after I had already spent $50 on new light bulbs. Before that it was the water pump, the stabilitrak (twice), when the air conditioning was on it would blow air that was hot as h***. Then I had the interior leakage problem from the sunroof; however, my particular VIN # was not included in the recall and your extended warranty does not cover anything water related--that was $380 for a defect from the factory!!! Then my Acadia would shut off while you were driving it. At this point, we are just trying to get it paid off so that we can get something else.
  • gmcustsvcsarahgmcustsvcsarah Member Posts: 1,964
    I see that you're frustrated, njohnson36, and I apologize that you have had to deal with multiple trips in for different issues, which I can understand is inconvenient.

    Please keep us posted on how your visit goes tomorrow, and if we can be of any assistance don't hesitate to send us an email at socialmedia@gm.com.

    Sarah
    GM Customer Service
  • njohnson36njohnson36 Member Posts: 4
    edited March 2012
    My husband just reminded me that the rack and pinion also had to be replaced. And when the car only had about 20k miles, we were on a trip with 5 of our friends and all of our luggage and the computer went out. The other problem that I currently have is the rubbing noise when you turn the steering wheel. It is annoying, but not worth paying the dealership to fix it. That's assuming they would even know how! :mad:
  • bonnie3653bonnie3653 Member Posts: 1
    Driving home from work today, my acadia would not stop chiming. I thought maybe it was low on coolant so I filled it up. Even after I filled it up and the engine was cool it won't stop chiming. It's driving me crazy! Is there anyway to disable it? Please help!
  • kf1908kf1908 Member Posts: 3
    Please provide the contact information for the attorneys that are pursuing the class action suit. I've had multiple issues with my 2008 GMC Acadia and am tired of getting the run around from GMC "customer service." Thanks!
  • kf1908kf1908 Member Posts: 3
    2008 GMC Acadia owner with a little over 100k miles. Have had problems with the power steering since about 50k. At first, when turning at slow speeds we noticed a popping noise. Took to local dealership and they drove it and said they didn't hear the sound. Then I started noticing that at times, the steering locked up for a few seconds - usually during heavy rains. Took back to dealership and was told that the problem was the power steering gear. Called GMC customer service, representative was the worst in terms of giving me the run around - one day she told me there was a recall for power steering, not the "power steering gear" but if the dealership could classify the issue as "power steering" not specific to the gear GMC would fix it. The next day she didn't recall saying that and said the power steering recalls were for other GMCs, not Acadias. Anyone have any luck with this issue?
  • gmcustsvcsarahgmcustsvcsarah Member Posts: 1,964
    What is your case number, kf1908? I'd be happy to check into things.
    Sarah
    GM Customer Service
  • njohnson36njohnson36 Member Posts: 4
    Results on the air conditioning problem---Dealership says that their is a leak in one of the a/c lines behind the engine head. The cost will be $454 to repair the lines which includes 4 hours of labor (with no real guarantee that this will work) or $1400+ to replace the lines (because you have to buy all 4 a/c and heater lines that are not sold separately). Absolutely ridiculous! :cry:
  • gmcustsvcsarahgmcustsvcsarah Member Posts: 1,964
    njohnson36,

    I know that vehicle repairs can be expensive, and definitely can empathize. Now you that you have a diagnosis, what are your thoughts on how you will proceed?

    Sarah
    GM Customer Service
  • kf1908kf1908 Member Posts: 3
    71-1038624692 The representative's name is Portia.
  • gmcustsvcsarahgmcustsvcsarah Member Posts: 1,964
    Thank you for getting me that case number. I double checked your VIN and didn't see any open recalls on your vehicle. I also saw that your case was closed, and that the decision that had been delivered to you was a final decision. I realize that it may not have been the most satisfactory resolution - what route are you now pursuing to get this addressed?

    Sarah
    GM Customer Service
  • kirby2010kirby2010 Member Posts: 136
    I'm considering a replacement for my 2007 Toyota 4Runner. I like the idea of the third row seating and the available room in the back of the Acadia. And I like the look of the Acadia. But I'm concerned about the trend on reliability, especially since many of the same issues seem to be recurring - lights, water issues, steering,etc.

    I'd be interested in knowing if the there is a trend towards improvement and if the GM service rep that posts here regularly has made a difference in getting problems solved.
  • anribaanriba Member Posts: 2
    Wow. I just drove one home for a trial for the weekend and now read all this. Its a new slt. Is GM still producing low reliability vehicles? What else should I buy?
  • safety9285safety9285 Member Posts: 88
    kirby2010: I have a 2011 Acadia. I had a 2007. I did not have that water issuses but I did not have a sunroof. The water leak issues came from poorly designed sunroof drains. I have a sunroof now and no worries. The lighting issues and electrical issues came form the leaks. There was a problen also with the sockets holding the daylight running lights but that has been adressed. I had a problem with the steering locking up. It was caused when you ran through a puddle of deep rain and main a certain turn. The water would get up on the power streering belt cuasing it to slip and that would not lock it up but you needed to be a gorilla to turn it for a few seconds. That has gone away also.
    I lost the transmission at 97,000 but had it replaced under warranty.
    My new car's transmission is really differenct then the 2007. They went to synthetic oil for the engine.
    To make a long story short, I put on 98,000 on my 2007 and traded it in on a 2011. I have been in the new 4's. The Acadia rides a ton better and the seats are more comfortable. One big thing for me is the the Acadia says GMC on the front grill. I pay extra for that logo.
  • safety9285safety9285 Member Posts: 88
    Some more: I went to AWD. This is a winner drive train. Got the Denalli version. Nothing else in it class rides like it.
    I drove the 4 runner, Yukon, Trailblazer, all the Fords. Once I decided I did not need to tow anything over 4500 lbs, the decision was a no brainer.
    I wish when people post nasty notes on the Acadias, they would put the model year.
    All the problem seem to be 2007 - 2010. Then Obama took over and everything changed
  • safety9285safety9285 Member Posts: 88
    I was jus kidding about the Obama thing. The new Acadias are nice vehicles.
  • hdaohdao Member Posts: 20
    In addition to that, I used premium gas when traveling on long distance roads. Keep constant speed from 65-72 mph. For the highway mileage accuracy, I reset MPG monitor while my Acadia is in constant highway speed, so it would tell me exact mileage on HW.
  • njohnson36njohnson36 Member Posts: 4
    After doing our research on the parts and what it would take to repair it, we dropped it back off at the dealership last night so that they would have it first thing this morning to repair it. However, when I just called the dealership to check to see if the car would be ready tonight, they said they had every size coupling except the one that will fix the hole in my a/c line. They are paying to have the part over-nighted. How gracious of them since they should have already had the part knowing that the vehicle was coming today!
  • gmcustsvcsarahgmcustsvcsarah Member Posts: 1,964
    It's always great to read about somebody enjoying the Acadia, safety9285! I hope you enjoy many trips in your 2011, and if we can ever be of assistance don't hesitate to get in touch at socialmedia@gm.com

    All the best,
    Sarah
    GM Customer Service
  • renie39renie39 Member Posts: 6
    There is a setting in the menu (at least, there is on my Acadia) for setting the radio for automatic volume, that lowers it when you slow down, and increases volume at higher speeds. Possibly this is what you are noticing.
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    njohnson36,
    Please keep us updated on the status of your repair. I look forward to hearing further from you.
    Christina
    GM Customer Service
  • hbacadiahbacadia Member Posts: 7
    I feel your pain! The number is 877 593-0955. Reference ID: A13644. They are consumer protection attorneys out of Los Angeles that handle claims with manufacturers and car dealers. I am not sure if it is a class action suit or individual claims. I personally don't know where else to turn. Good Luck with your situation.
  • mrsfyredudemrsfyredude Member Posts: 3
    :confuse: I have an '08 (less than 40k miles) and just recently have been experiencing the same problem. I don't think it's the gas as I've even tried to put the "additive" in as recommended and it still does the "dieseling" when sitting at an idle upon first start up in the morning. GM can say "bad gas" all they want, but I'm not buying it. Anyone get a different answer? Just curious.

    Also, I'm glad to read i'm not the only one that has steering problems in high water...though it doesn't help the problem at least I know I'm not alone!
  • mrsfyredudemrsfyredude Member Posts: 3
    (I posted this as a reply to a message, but thought I'd see if I get any response as a stand alone)

    I have an '08 (less than 40k miles) and just recently have been experiencing very rough idle. I start it in the a.m., drive about two blocks to the car pool line at the kids' school and while sitting waiting to drop them off it starts "dieseling" (for lack of a better term). The gauges fluctuate and it literally shakes the entire car! I don't think it's the gas as I've even tried to put the "additive" in as recommended and it still does the "dieseling" when sitting at an idle upon first start up in the morning. GM can say "bad gas" all they want, but I'm not buying it. Anyone get a different answer? Just curious.

    Also, I'm glad to read i'm not the only one that has steering problems in high water...though it doesn't help the problem at least I know I'm not alone!
  • gmcustsvcsarahgmcustsvcsarah Member Posts: 1,964
    mrsfyredude,

    I'm sorry to read about the rough idle situation you described. It sounds as though you have been working with a dealership on this? If we can follow up on this with your dealer, please let me know!

    All the best,
    Sarah
    GM Customer Service
  • mrsfyredudemrsfyredude Member Posts: 3
    If it "sounds" that way it wasn't my intention. No, I have not taken it into the dealership as of yet, as it is only a "morning, one time" problem and from reading the other comments more than likely all I'll get from the dealership is "bad gas." Yeah, well as a working mother, I can't lose my car for a day or however long it takes them to determine that it's the gas or SAY it's the gas 'cause they couldn't "duplicate" the problem or whatever.

    Now if you'd like to contact Classic GMC in Arlington, Tx and work out a loaner situation with them or whatever and then contact me back, hey...that would be great! I'll take it to them today and they can keep it for however long it takes, at no charge to me. Let me know how that works for you.
  • gmcustsvcsarahgmcustsvcsarah Member Posts: 1,964
    mrsfyredude,

    I'm sorry for misunderstanding! I saw the phrase "GM saying it's bad gas" and assumed that you had been working with your dealership. I certainly understand how integral a part a vehicle plays in daily life, as well, and respect the fact that you do not want to be without transportation.

    We can call Classic to see about alternative transportation, but would need to get a Service Request set up first through our department. If you would like to pursue this further, please send us an email at socialmedia@gm.com (include your name/Edmunds username, address and phone, the last 8 of your VIN and current mileage).

    All the best,
    Sarah
    GM Customer Service
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