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GMC Acadia Problems and Repairs

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Comments

  • hskrchamphskrchamp Member Posts: 4
    I was returning to the dealer to pick up my Acadia the other day after they "fixed" the leak, I had them replace the fusebox located behind the glove box where the leak was prominent. As I pulled into the service department, they (the dealer) was pulling in 1 acadia and 2 enclaves to fix leaks. These were off the lot. Not even purchased yet. GM knows whats going on here. They just don't want to fix a million leaks. This may have "major recall" or Class Action Lawsuit".
  • vicdaddy514vicdaddy514 Member Posts: 6
    We experienced the same problem on 5 different occasions. Each time the dealer said it was fixed but it still kept leaking. Eventually we got them to order us a new car because ours was only 7 months old with 5,000 miles. Well within the guidlines of NY Lemon Law. I hope they fix yours right the first time and you don't have to go through what we did. By the way they said they never experienced the leaking problem before. I don't believe them.
  • bellholllybellhollly Member Posts: 1
    you are not alone. i just bought the 08 acadia. on the first sunny day, i experienced horrible glare from chrome trim. my husband did not have the problem as he is taller than me and the glare hit him lower (i'm 5'3"). check with our salesperson at the dealership (he's a relative) and he told us there is a GMC bulletin to fix this problem. there is both a temporary fix (some type of tape or adhesive cover) followed by replacement parts as soon as they can get them in.

    i don't have any advice about the sunroof. i don't have one.
  • hskrchamphskrchamp Member Posts: 4
    I just picked my Acadia up from the 3rd time for being in the shop for leaks and electrical issues (all related to the passenger front side, including all electrical functions of the door. Nothing worked). They replaced the fuse box assuring me that that would take care of the problem. IT DIDN'T!!! I took it back today and I got the Acadia to reproduce the problem in front of the service manager so they finally knew I wasn't crazy. They say they have it fixed. I will let you all know.
  • kateycukateycu Member Posts: 1
    The day I bought my acadia, 01/02/08, the check engine light came on while driving it home. I called the dealer and was told the gas cap wasn't tight. Yeah, right. Turns out the third service call and almost 30 days without my car, they are replacing a cylinder in the engine. Now they tear this engine apart and put it back together and I have a feeling it will never run the same. I have been in contact with GM customer assistance, but they have a book they follow. So I am making payments on a car that is sitting at the service department and I am not very happy about this. I do love this car, but am seriously thinking about switching away from GM products after this experience. :mad:
  • anjolecaanjoleca Member Posts: 2
    I had the same thing after 1 1/2 weeks. It was in the shop for a full month. They had to replace the head cam shafts. After I got it back, it was making a funny humming and whining noise. Took it back and they replaced the power steering pump....still did not fix....replaced power steering pump again....still did not fix...then was going to replace the rack and pinen steering this past Monday but received the wrong parts and then the process was halted by engineering and they felt like it was related back to the cam shaft problem. Today....they finally fixed my car. It was a cable that runs somewhere in the engine that had been damaged or moved or something when they did the orig. repair. I will get it back tomorrow.
    We had contacted the owners of the dealership and they have reimbursed our car payments that we have made, and they brought me a new Yukon off of their lot to drive until my car was figured out. If it did not get fixed this time, we were on our way to having them repurchase the car. It had already been approved. But....they seem to have fixed it. (we'll see)
    They have had my car way more than I have in the last two months. It has been in 6 times since we purchased it in Mid February. It has been a pain. Hopefully, when I get it back tomorrow....and it really will be fixed. I really love the car, but this is so exhausting and I don't think I will purchase a GM again either. However, our dealership has really taken care of us.
  • ralph26ralph26 Member Posts: 1
    I have owned this car for 7 months and have spent over 30 days at the dealer's service department. That's more than the 12 years that I owned Lexus combined. I actually never took a Lexus other than for regular maintenance. I had the water leak, the rear door not working, traction control, stabilitrak, the brake pedal sticking (21 days at the shop waiting for a part), cruise control, and the RPM's are usually all over the place while driving. The GM customer service department has NOT been very helpful either. Like others, I like the car's interior and exterior, the roominess and comfort but I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER GM AGAIN!
  • mghiottimghiotti Member Posts: 1
    My engine check light came on 1 week after I bought it in late February. From what I have found is this is a defective CAM Cap problem. This has been happening since summer 2007. My car was built in February 2008. Appears GM is letting these engines enter the market, then when the problem arises they fix it under warrenty. I don't know how thats legal. Its no wonder people are buying foreign cars and GM is losing its market share to toyota. I have bought GM for 40 years, and when I spoke to their regional rep, he didn't care. I can't believe this is the customer service you get when you buy a 30K plus car. This is my last GM car....
  • goodmaj1goodmaj1 Member Posts: 14
    Due to GM's policy on loaner cars, I finally found time to get the car into the shop for problems that have existed for months. In case you don't know, unless your car is going to be there overnight, GM's policy is that they won't give you a loaner. So, unless your dealer has a better policy, if you're planning to buy your Acadia as a family vehicle, be prepared for your family to either be stuck at home or at the dealership when you take it in for various warranty fixes. That's right, even though it's not your fault, when the car needs to be fixed for various defects, you get to be inconvenienced! Which is exactly why I'll never get a GM car again.....best decision I've made in five years was to lease.

    Anyway, I took it in for three specific problems. Two seem to be relatively common so for the benefit of others:

    - A few times we used remote start on the car when it was cold outside, say around 30 degrees. We'd get into the car after five minutes or so only to find the AC blasting and the thermometer reading 80+ degrees. After driving away the thermometer rapidly decreased but it would have been nice to get into a toasty car. Turns out this is a fault in the ambient temperature sensor and is pretty commonplace. It happened again last week in much warmer temperatures so it's an equal weather offender.

    - Recently, the screen on the nav/radio went completely black while driving. The sound still worked, but no screen. Dealer was going to order a new screen but it turned out this is a known problem with the programming of the device, GM called the dealer to reject the order. The screen itself isn't failing, rather the programming of the unit causes the screen to go black on occasion. GM supposedly is working on a programming fix. For us, after we restarted the car the screen came back.

    - DON'T TRUST YOUR GAS GAUGE WHEN IT GETS LOW. I posted earlier on this, but in a nutshell, we ran out of gas when the needle was slightly above E and the computer said we had 35 miles left. I realize that the computer is an estimate but the gauge isn't. This turned out to be a problem with the float/sensor in the tank itself.

    Only 30 more lease payments and then the GM experiment is over....
  • lemonowner08lemonowner08 Member Posts: 36
    I bought my Acadia the 29th of Dec, 2007. We had a pretty bad winter in Idaho this year but I was very impressed with the way the Acadia performed in snow and ice. I still think the concept of this vehicle is great, but GM still has a lot of work to do to make it the car they advertise it to be.

    I really had no trouble until it hit 2000 miles. I am not sure if I did not notice the clunk before because of snow and ice or what. Everytime I start the car now, however, and begin to drive about 7-10 mph, a loud clunk appears to come from the rear of the vehicle, and sometimes, I feel it under the floorboard of the drivers side. I asked my husband to take it and see what he thought. He suggested that I take it into the dealer and have them take a look at it, At first, I got the standard ,"could not duplicate", which infuriates me, especially since it happens every time! I took a ride with the tech and then he miraculously heard it and felt it. The only thing my dealership could come up with was the ABS doing a self-check. It is a profound noise, but I can live with it if it truly is a characteristic of the Acadia.

    The other issue I had them check was the brake pedal making a loud sqeaking noise. They had the TSB on it and changed out the brake fluid, or so they said. It started sqeaking again after 2 days.

    Since then, the clunking sound seems to be louder, so I contacted other local dealerships for information. Many said they just haven't had problems with the Acadia. Some say they haven't had anyone return them to service for any reason. Some acknowledge the have had some vehicles in for the same issues I am experiencing. Last week, we had a pretty hard rain while I was parked in front of my office at work. When I went to leave at the end of the day, I noticed my drivers seat belt was all wet and muddy after I pulled it across my blouse. I checked the headliner and it was very wet along the drivers side of the car, dripping, in fact. I checked the floor in front and back and it was wet as well. I immediately drove to the dealership so they could see it for themselves. They saw it and scheduled me in Monday, April 28th. They kept my Acadia for 2 days. They took apart the headliner and the drain tube was apparently missing. I informed them I had read about this issue on Carspace and the laughed at me and told me that you can't believe everything you read on the internet! Anyway, I picked up my car yesterday and they supposedly fixed the problem with the sunroof leaking. I won't know for sure until I take it to the carwash or until it rains again. However, since they had to take apart the headliner and seatbelt pillar, now the seatbelt does't pull out very easily, not does it retract and now it doesn't adjust at all within the pillar like it did before. It is stationary. I can't adjust the seat belt height anymore. I don't know how it would perform if the vehicle were involved in an accident. One of the reasons I bought this car was because of the safety features. So now, it goes back and I am once again, without a vehicle.

    I haven't even brought up the issue with the vehicle smelling like gas ,especially when using the remote start. I thought I was flooding the engine or something.

    I did ask them to check for overheating, although the temp gauge stays on 210 all the time! They said they checked it with an infrared light and it wasn't overheating. Could not duplicate. Surprise! Sometimes, just driving in town for 8 miles will make the front of the car too hot to touch, but they could not duplicate this issue. I truly doesn't happen every time, but has done it enough for me to be concerned about taking this on a long haul trip. I have only had it out of town twice since I purchased it. And that was only going 60 miles one way. I have to wonder how this will perform going several hundred miles.

    What a disappointment this Acadia has turned out to be, as well as the people working to fix it. I am telling everyone I know to avoid GM altogether. My whole experience with these issues has been so frustrating. You would expect to get more for $44,000. I spoke to someone from GM customer service yesterday, (Chelsea), and basically her answer was, "have your dealership document the problems and find the answers and fix them and if they can't or won't....sorry about your luck!" Wow! I purchased the vehicle. I am going to pursue the lemon law in Idaho if I don't get some resolution quickly. Oh, and the other thing....I get anywhere from 8-14 mpg in town driving under identical conditions. I got 10 mpg at the last fill up and I figured it manually just in case my instrument panel was damaged by water. I have no faith in this vehicle. I want badly to love it like I did the first 3 months! It will probably have horrible trade in value. This is one of the biggest mistakes I have ever made in my 51 years of life. Avoid the Acadia and all her sisters until such a time GM gets it right and offers help to all of us who are victims because they did not get it right the first time! Step up to the plate, GM!
  • kchef76kchef76 Member Posts: 3
    I have had my Acadia FWD SLT-2 for almost a year and it has almost 15K on it. Not too many problems other than the leaky sunroof. I have that same clunk you described and I assume it is the ABS activation from other bloggers voicing this such as yourself....albeit annoying my wife and I have learned to ignore it. The other annoying issue we have is the driver seat rocks back a half inch or so. The dealer said the fix is, get this, to have a 300 person sit in the seat and adjust the seat fully back and then fully forward 30 times to cure it. They performed this very scientific procedure with no success. It still moves back when I drive it when accelerating from a stop or when going up a hill at slow speeds. Overall the Acadia has met our needs. Good luck to you.
  • vicdaddy514vicdaddy514 Member Posts: 6
    Good luck with the sunroof leak. They couldn't fix mine afer 5 attempts. Now they are giving me a new car.
  • vicdaddy514vicdaddy514 Member Posts: 6
    My 08' Acadia also leaked behind the glove box and from the sunroof. I brought it in five times and they assured me they finally fixed the problem on the last one. I fought them and threatened legal action if they didn't give me a new Acadia. They did the right thing. Now I am waiting for my new Acadia which has been ordered. In the mean time it rained hared two days ago and its still leaking. I hope I have better luck with the next one. Good luck with yours!
  • ndelndel Member Posts: 12
    Please let me know if you resolve the issue of your gas smell in your acadia. I also have been getting a smell of gas through the vents in the car. I had it in 5 times but they can't recreate the smell. I don't think their trying too hard. I smell it everyday! I am over 5000 miles and it's not changing. I'm filing for arbitration. There is more information on messages191 thru 200. I also hate my car and I wanted to love it. The worst car decision ever made! So disappointed with GM.
  • davzgirl03davzgirl03 Member Posts: 1
    OMG! I bought a 2008 SLT1 Acadia and have had it for 2 weeks. Two days after having the vehicle the silver trim on the passenger door handle came off. I have noticed the clunking from the front end when it get to about 10mph after it's been in park. I took the vehicle in today to have the Touch of Class applied and told them about the two issues. We will see! After reading pages of complaints I am now terrified about this having just bought this car. After someone mentioned it earlier, I also notice a hum when it is idling. My husband just deployed to Iraq and we bought this car so we wouldn't have to worry about anything while he is gone. Eeek! I work full time with an hour commute each way and have a 2year old, I don't have the time or energy to be taking a brand new car in the shop. My hopes are that they will fix what I took it in for today and that will be the end of it. Right now, I'm not feeling very optimistic.
  • loachloach Member Posts: 246
    Take a deep breath. The noise from the front end is likely the anti-lock brake system doing its self-check and is normal operation. There is a TSB out where they can reprogram the way it operates to lessen the noise if it bothers you.

    Keep in mind you're reading a thread called "problems and repairs", so all you're going to read about on here is problems and repairs - there's similar threads here for just about every kind of vehicle! The vast majority of these issues will probably not apply to your vehicle.
  • lemonowner08lemonowner08 Member Posts: 36
    I got my Acadia back from the shop this last week. They found that I did not have a drain tube on my dual sunroof, alas, the reason for the interior leaking. It came from the factory that way. They did fix the leaking problem, but in doing so, they broke the plastic grommets around the visor where it covers the headliner and also broke my drivers side seat belt. They also left my headliner covered with greasy hand prints. They had to remove the headliner to attach a drain tube. It is fixed! It rained yesterday and my car did not leak. I couldn't believe the dealership had turned the car back to me with the other problems they created while trying to fix it! I had picked my car up at closing time, so I just headed home even though the seat belt was too stiff to pull out. The height adjuster on the pillar of the car was not moving either. I took it back to the shop, and they ordered a new seat belt assembly and height adjuster. When they installed the new seat belt, I asked them about the broken (one broke, one missing) grommets around the area where the visors attach to the roof. The have ordered new parts for them now, and I guess I will be back in the shop again next week. After I pitched a fit about the dirty hand prints, they also took the car into their detail shop and cleaned it up. I now have 2966 miles on my car. The last two days, I noticed the interior lights did not come on when I got out of or entered the car. I read the owners manual last night thinking I must have accidentally pushed a button. I went through the steps with the button next to light button left of the steering column. I did this in my dark garage last night. I pushed the botton in, opened the door and no lights, then pushed to make it come out, opened th drivers door, and again the interior lights did not come on. The only way I can get the interior overhead lights on is to turn the buttton all the way to one side (same one that dials up the illumination of the instrument panel). But, then they are on all the time. I suspect something happened to the overhead lights when they detached the headliner to repair the leak. So, it looks like I will have another trip to the shop this week.

    Please don't think all of this will happen to you. It all depends on the mentality and skills that are available at your dealership. Hopefully, after the grommets are replaced and the interior light issue is resolved, I won't have any more problems. That is what I am hoping anyway. One of the service writers is quite disgusted with the performance of the serivce techs in the shop and he told me as much. He told me that I have good reason to expect more for the amount of money I spent to buy the car and the amount of time it has taken to resolve issues that were no fault of my own! He seems to be genuinely interested in seeing this car fixed. I am remaining optimistic as I really do like so much about the vehicle! They did something which fixed the gas mileage issues and I am not smelling gas anymore. Now that I know the "clunk" is harmless and evidently a characteristic of the vehicle, then I am not worried about that anymore. I just need the lights to come on when I get into the car, especially at night! It's a safety issue for me. It worked before I took it in to have the headline replaced, so it is not a factory problem. It's a local issue. Too bad we have lost all our skilled labor in America!
  • ndelndel Member Posts: 12
    Please let me know what they did to fix the gas mileage problem and the gas smell. I still have existing problems in that area and I'm at about 6,000 miles. Thank you
  • skiermarkskiermark Member Posts: 2
    I recently had my Acadia for poor fuel mileage I was getting 17mpg on the hi-way, they adjusted the tire pressure to the factory specs. The mileage came back up to 20 mpg on the hi-way it seems to do the best if you keep the speed around 60 to 70 mph also if you are in the hills and using your cruise control the transmission shift down to a lower gear the keep the speed set, if you don't use the cruise control on these conditions and rely on you light footed throttle and use the down slope to gain speed before you start your up hill assent you may find that this helps. You have to be aware of how much throttle you give if you want to increase your fuel mileage.
  • tuffsubjecttuffsubject Member Posts: 20
    I'm having a similar driver seat rocking issue with a squeaking noise when I stop or accelerate at low speeds. I don't know how much the seat moves, but the noise is annoying. It feels and sounds like a "cheap seat" for this class of a vehicle. I'm 300+lbs and I haven't tried the 30x-front-to-back maneuver yet, maybe it will work with mine! :-)

    (sorry this reply was for another reply to your message, but the message board seemed to tie it to your message ... and it doesn't go with your original message. Huboy...)
  • tuffsubjecttuffsubject Member Posts: 20
    Squeaky brake pedal for me too. It has gone away over time, or I got used to it.
  • lemonowner08lemonowner08 Member Posts: 36
    I am sorry, I don't know what they did. I took my car in with the tank full, so I would know for sure they actually drove it. In addition, they showed me the receipts where they put gas in twice. In town, they got 15 mpg and out on the freeway, they got 24. I am still at 2966 miles, and have only had the vehicle out of town three times, myself. Twice was 25 miles away, and once 62 miles away, one way. I bought the car the end of Dec. '07 and I probably should have taken it out on the hwy more, but the weather here in Idaho was abolutely terrible for months. We couldn't go more than 50 - 55 mph for several weeks due to road conditions! The Acadia rocked in snow and ice, though. I absolutely loved the way it handled in those conditions. I noticed when I used the remote starter, everytime is smelled bad of gas. I thought I was flooding it or something by maybe holding the button down too long. It smelled of gas outside as well as inside. I am not smelling gas anymore, though. Maybe they made some kind of adjustment.

    I did ask the service writer if there was any kind of a TSB or upgrade to increase the mileage, and they told me "no". I am consistantly getting 14-15 mpg in town now. They must have done something. I won't complain. I will ask when I go in tomorrow about the interior light issue. Hopefully, they will tell me something that will be useful to all of you who are still suffering through similar issues. I will let you know as soon as I speak to them.
  • ndelndel Member Posts: 12
    Thank you. I only get 12-13 mpg with local driving. It's the gas smell that concerns me. It comes up through the vents when I have the heat or AC on, especially when I come to a stop. I can also smell it outside the car. I try to keep my recirculation button on to block it out. Local dealers have not been able to identify the problem. At 6000 miles I'm frustrated.
  • lemonowner08lemonowner08 Member Posts: 36
    :confuse: I called today to schedule an appt. to address the disappearance of my interior lighting. While on the phone, I told the service writer that I was getting much better gas mileage, and I asked him what they did to make that improvement. He said they didn't do anything. What do you say to that? Something they did eliminated the smell of gas as well as improving the mileage. Maybe they put some kind of addative in the tank. Anyway, it is nothing they want to take credit for, apparently. I will speak more with the service writer that appears to be a little more intelligent and possibly more experienced and see what he says when I take my car in. Sorry I don't have any new information for you this evening, but I will certainly give a heads up whenever I find a new fix for this issue or whatever pops up next!
  • lemonowner08lemonowner08 Member Posts: 36
    When the fault is your own, you have to admit it. I did not understand that there was a button on the dash--(not the push in dial that turns up the illumination on the instrument panel) , but rather the button behind that surrounds the round dial in question. I did not even know you could push that portion in! Anyway, the service writer provided me with a little education and wah-lah, the interior lights worked. I don't know how it got turned off to begin with, but I am guessing they (service techs)might have done it while working on the drain tube install. Maybe they did not want to drain the battery. As far as the compass on the rear view mirror, I must have fat-fingered it while using the Onstar and turned it off. Duh! So these were educational issues. My fault. The dealership installed the new grommets over the visors and they are great. I am happy. I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that the only reason I will need to see that service dept. is for oil changes! I hope to love and drive this Acadia for a good, long time. The gas mileage in town is 15mpg. I am told it is the weather being better. I will go with it for now. I can't complain. I used the AC today for about the 3rd time. (3040 miles now) It works well. The front of the car gets a little warm on the outside when exiting the vehicle, but I guess that is normal. I noticed the mpg went down a bit today, but that is to be expected when running the AC. I did not buy this car for gas mileage. I am a 51 year old female and comfort becomes an issue as you age. I would say the Acadia offers acceptable comfort. It really does fulfill the needs as I transport grandchildren, elderly family members, etc. It is so easy to get in and out of. The rear seat folds down easily for storage and the retrieval of groceries and such is a snap! I really like the "level" of this car for ease of use. So much is good about this vehicle, and I hope GM continues to look for fixes for the issues and takes care of them for all of us who had big hopes and dream for our Acadias. I will watch this site and post if necessary. Many thanks to everyone who posts. :)
  • acadia59acadia59 Member Posts: 4
    Too bad I did not find this site before today - I could have helped you with the light issue! I had the same thing happen. After calling the dealer after having it in there, and flipping through the book, it was a little embarrasing to find out it was my problem! The reason the button gets switched off is because when they are working on it they don't want to run down the battery with the interior light on. Just for future info in case it happens again.... Now about your leak - GOOD LUCK WITH THAT! I am sorry to tell you but today I dropped my car off for the FOURTH time for the same problem. I bought the car last January and did not have a problem with the lead under the passenger dashboard until August. It is good for a bit, then leaks again. The last time it was a major job. I started getting the "traction control off" message coming off and on and the driver interior reading light stopped working. Also I had problems with the acceleration. All of this was due to the water from the sunroof. They had to replace the whole fuse box (I think that was what it was called - will have to look it up). This took over a week. Two months later we are back to the water leak and the traction control light on. I called the manager requesting a meeting - he asked to have his guys instead of the outside "water" contractor work on it. So I dropped it off today, but am researching lemon law regs now. Hope you don't have the same continuous problem.
    :lemon:
  • lemonowner08lemonowner08 Member Posts: 36
    We have only had one good rain since the big leak. I didn't have a problem. I know they have washed my car twice now at the service garage and it hasn't leaked. I haven't actually had it at a car wash with the more powerful water jets, etc. Been kind of scared, to tell the truth! I was told that a Technical Service Bullitan (TSB) has been sent out to dealerships from GM, stating the drain tubes on the sunroof are too short. When the weather changes, it causes expansion and contraction, making it so the little tube disconnects completely. Then, you get the water problems. My car did not leak on the passenger side, just the driver side. I noticed it as soon as I entered the vehicle after work and took it to the dealership immediately. I am hoping it is fixed. So far, so good, In other posts, it looks like some people have used the lemon law to have their car replaced due to the leakage. My biggest concern still bothering me a bit, is the big knock when I first take off in the car. I am told it is the ABS system checking itself, but sometimes it will pop in the back, or under the floorboard, and followed by popping on the sides. And sometimes it is much louder than others. It sounds like metal when it has been dented. You know the noise or pop when that dent is pulled out, that is what this sounds like. So, right now, I am considering another shop's opinion. I hate being a nuissance, but a new car just shouldn't be this much work! Good luck on your water leak. Keep us posted!">
  • jbardojbardo Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2008 Acadia and it makes a "click" noise after putting it in gear & starting to drive. I took it back to the dealer and was told this is normal- ABS unit noise. It only happens when first starting to drive and doesn't happen after you stop and accelerate again. Does anyone else hear this "click" on your vehicle?
  • acadia59acadia59 Member Posts: 4
    I hear that noise also. I have never taken it in thought, probably because I also had this problem/heard this noise when I had my Dodge Caravan, so figured it was probably something normal. I am more concerned about the acceleration hesitation and the water leaks.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    That's normal on most cars with ABS - it's the self check system. On some cars you may feel a shudder in the brake pedal too.
  • lemonowner08lemonowner08 Member Posts: 36
    If the "click" is more like a loud "clunk", would you also state the noise originates with the ABS system? My pop or clunk is quite profound at times. Ocassionally, it happens more than once. (the noise). I have had many other GM cars equipped with ABS and I have never heard anything. I am still not sure there isn't something else wrong......trying not to be paranoid here, just want to be proactive if there is something that needs attention....please advise. (2008 AWD Acadia_
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I was trying to remember the other "self-test" noise that's occasionally reported around here, but it escapes me. I don't even remember the make/model - it wasn't brake related but it sounded similar (maybe stability control?).

    My non-GM cars both self test for ABS - neither is all that loud. One definitely "shudders" the brake pedal (my 100+ foot driveway slopes downhill so often I'm riding the brake and notice it). The other car just makes a mild clunking noise.

    You could visit the dealer and ask to test drive one similar to yours.

    Any owners have any comments?
  • manufan1manufan1 Member Posts: 26
    I always do, but like you said, it only happens when the car is turned on and accelerating to certain speed. The dealer told me it was the ABS turned on & I accepted it. I do not know if all cars have ABS make similiar sound.
  • acadiamommyacadiamommy Member Posts: 2
    Hi all! I was just wondering if any of you have experienced any shifting issues? I bought my 08 Acadia yesterday, its the Carbon Black SLT-2. I was told that I just needed to bring it in and have a software update performed. Well I did that and I dont feel any difference in the shfting. So I was told to drive it for the weekend and see if it updates within that time. If it doesnt, bring it back and they will work on it...? The shifting problem feels as if I were drive a manual transmission and Im going like 30mph and you put it in 5th gear... sluggish! But if I tromp on it it will down-shift. It seems as if it is always trying to find another gear. Anyone have insight?

    Steph
  • anthony008anthony008 Member Posts: 4
    Two weeks ago my 2007 Acadia would not idle normal during initial start up after sitting over night. It starts up then "hunts" for an idle. You can watch the tach bounce betweeen 1100 to 1400 rpm's until you press on the gas peddle then it stops. I brought it to the dealer and GM said it was bad gas experienced in the southeast region. GM vehicles are experiencing this problem with the new blends of gas made during the summer months. Well, they drained the tank flushed the engine and refilled it up. The problem went away until I filled up the car again yesterday (at a different station). Has anyone experience this problem. I will call the dealer Tuesday.
  • tuffsubjecttuffsubject Member Posts: 20
    I have a similar problem -- the downshifting is sluggish and by the time it loses speed and the accelerator is pressed (excessively) to get it to downshift, the need for acceleration has hit the critical point, resulting in a dramatic and jerky shift to a lower gear and a racing engine. I can eliminate this problem by putting the gearshift in "L" and manually downshifting at the point where I've pressed the accelerator and have gotten "no response" (as you describe, like driving in high gear at a slow speed and attempting to accelerate without downshifting). If I can do it manually, I am hoping they can program the PCM/TCM to be a little more aggressive at downshifting. There should be no need on a regular basis for the acceleration need to escalate to the point to require a dramatic downshifting/engine racing "episode". I can understand that this would happen if I were to punch the accelerator to the floor -- but not in conditions where gradual acceleration is needed.

    P.S. Mine goes into the shop 5/29/2008 to have this issue checked out.
  • acadiamommyacadiamommy Member Posts: 2
    Yes, but I already had it in the shop for the re-program and there is no difference. still the same. Im not sure what else they can do, any ideas? We need a gm tech on here!!!!!
  • steve177steve177 Member Posts: 1
    Today my wife ran into the back of another vehicle at a light driving our 2008 Acadia. When I got to where the accident was at first look I was impressed with the some what small amount of damage done to our vehicle and there was no damage to the vehicle she hit. Now to the reason I am posting this. Upon further inspection of our car I noticed coolant on the front grill. When I inspected the radiator i saw a place where something had been shoved into the radiator causing it to leak. What I found was there is a tab at each corner of the black grill on the front of the acadia and when the front end crumpled it shoved one of the tabs into the grill. If those tabs hadn't been there I wouldn't be paying 400-500 dollars for a new radiator. The accident was at less than 5 miles an hour. So be warned out there what you might think is a small fender bender with the Acadia can cost you a whole lot more money. I already called the customer service number for GMC and told them this should be changed for next years model but they wouldn't help me with the damage due to poor craftsmanship. Don't take this wrong I still love my Acadia just be warned.
  • aaplsueaaplsue Member Posts: 37
    I have the same issue with my new enclave, I took it to the dealer and they assured me it was the normal abs self check I did test a new one on the lot and it had no noise. I was also told from another blogger that a TSB has been issued and there may be a way to lesson the clunk noise. I did talk to Gm about the issue so they can look into it. Other then that the ride is quiet.
  • stuckonmestuckonme Member Posts: 9
    I have a 07 Acadia and have the same exact problems. The dealer is trying to make me think it's normal and not to worry about it. Well I cannot ingore the problem cause it is irritating. I have had my vehicle in the shop 3 times all times the transmission was reprogramed and the 3rd time they replaced some parts that after it was all said it done did not work. I am so frustrated at this point because a person should not have to go through this with a new vehicle. Bottom line GM is no help they are just blowing smoke up my a--- I am in search for legal help at this point and will probably file a bbb complaint. :lemon:
  • concernedoneconcernedone Member Posts: 4
    You might want to see if the antennae is still there. My wife and her sister both got new 08 acadias. The first time they took there car to a car wash the antennae broke off. First my sister in laws car, then my wife's car, at different times and at different car washes. I informed gmc. The dealer I went to said that it is not a warranty issue. He said that the car wash should replace it????? The dealer did replace both of them for us though.
  • happiertrailshappiertrails Member Posts: 3
    I had the same experience and then some! The clunk was 95% resolved by a "update" at the dealer. As you know, it's the ABS system check, but sometimes mine would still occur while driving. That problem was addressed pretty simply.
    My biggest complaint is how it accelerates! It's the worst, I test drove a couple of Acadia's and didn't notice this issue, ordered a car, signed the lease, and got this car that "clunked", and could not find a steady speed (or gear) due it's constant shifting and down shifting. At 20-25 MPH it's seems to be in third gear already, never really taching the engine enough, so it results in a very sluggish, unsteady speed. It is a constant struggle to get the car to safe steady speed.
  • happiertrailshappiertrails Member Posts: 3
    I feel your pain. It's unfortunate that were are going through the exact same issue, but it makes me feel like I'm not crazy after listening to your same complaints!
    I have an '08 Acadia. Test drove a couple of them liked it, ordered and leased it, and now I live with a car that I hate to drive. I got it Oct. '07 and have put 3100 miles on it because I hate driving it. It does not respond accurately to your pedal demands. It does own thing which proves to be dangerous at times. Because of the "variable" transmission is attempting to be more fuel efficent and lower emmissions, which I'm all for, it constantly struggles with where it should be.
    I agree, as you accelerate, your expecting the motor to tach, then shift. It shifts before you gain speed which has a sluggish response on the motor, then you accelerate futher to "make up" some speed, then the damn thing surges, while the tachometer is bouncing all over the map. I've taken it in to the dealer 4 times, and have had a open dialogue with GM about this and as they all report the car is "performing as designed". So, they are telling me they can't do anything for me.
    I can't believe I'm paying good money for a car that respond properly.
    I live in San Francisco, with the hills in this city, the car responds horribly. I shouldn't have to think about how or when to make this car respond safely.
    Yesterday, I had a very strange thing happen which was very scarry. Driving on a freeway which has moderate hills, I took my foot off the pedal and the car actucally surged for a second all on its own. I could feel and hear the motor do this. I was on the phone first thing in the AM to the lease dealer who arranged for me to get the car, and I am now looking into legal action.
    I'm a nurse and I have a strong ability to detect when something is wrong, and there is something definetly wrong with this car and it needs to go back. I'm glad others are so happy with their cars, doesn't mean we should be stuck with ones that don't function properly, more to the point, mine is unsafe.
  • ndelndel Member Posts: 12
    I have a 08 Acadia that I purchased in Jan. with the same shifting problems. When accelerating the car does not respond appropriately. It hesitates and surges. The engine seems to be woking too hard. It can be dangerous at times. The dealer told me it was just the way the car runs. I've also have problems with engine smells. I'm thinking it's all connected? This car has been a headache (literally).
  • stuckonmestuckonme Member Posts: 9
    It's unfortunate that after having this problem with the 07 Acadia that they did not have the sense to change of fix the problem for the 08 model. The funniest thing about it, the dealer told me that my situation was rare and they had no other complaints, after speaking with GM they said the same thing. I guess they don't think I would have the sense to explore the internet and research to see if anyone else had the same problem. I have read over 100 compliants of transmission problems , what part of rare is that ??? ( LOL ) I am so stressed out trying to figure out how to deal with GM and pretend I like my Acadia.
  • glynetteglynette Member Posts: 3
    drove a rental Cadillac and the headrests did the same thing. Very uncomfortable.
  • happiertrailshappiertrails Member Posts: 3
    That's so funny how you stated that you "want to pretend you like your car"! BECAUSE I DID THE SAME THING! I would get into and think...OK, I like this car..it's a pretty car. etc.....Then, in about 2 miles as the car is search for gears and speed, I'm suddenly swearing again.
    After taking to the dealer last week, they keep the car for 2 days, said nothing was wrong with it.....as usual. About the exact same time I was referred to a Consumers Law Firm by my lease broker who does not refer lightly, and I forwarded all my documentation from all the visits to the dealer. The firm called back saying that "yes" I have a case.
    I took the car to yet another dealer the very next day, which is located far from my home, thinking a different dealer may observe something different. Where as my local dealer said at pick up that no recent "updates" were available for acceleration at this time, so none were installed. The more distant dealer said that there were recent updates about 3 months ago specifically for acceleration, which completely contridicted what I was told by the previous dealer. So, it was interesting to witness the different service practices between the two dealers. Lets see how the car does when I get it back. But I have already put the legal wheel in motion. It is nothing I wanted to pursue, but GMC does not want to break the lease, I even said I wasn't interested in getting all my money back, just the deposit, and let me out of the lease. I have had the car 9 months and I only have 3100 miles on it because I never drive it. I have had it at the dealer 7 times in 9 month.
  • manufan1manufan1 Member Posts: 26
    I bouhgt my '07 Acadia in June last year....What you said here was exactly what happened to my Acadia until I brouhgt it back to dealer for the first maintenance and at he same time I had them done the computer software updates....The updates did work, it made the transmission work like normal.
  • hawkeye15hawkeye15 Member Posts: 9
    For all of you with shifting issues, the TSB #08-07-022 eliminated all hesitation and funny driving characteristics that may be bothering some of you. It didn't become available until the second week of May 2008, so some of you that just checked on updates, and were told you were current may not have had this one. It came with a warning about a possible decrease in mpg of 0-2 mpg. It holds the lower gears and won't shift into the higher gears as quickly. It also makes the downshift to 5th at higher gears less abrupt. I am completely satisfied and have seen NO mpg decrease. I get about 14 mpg with short in town trips and 21-22 at 76mph with an awd Enclave. I'd be interested to hear if those of you still experiencing problems have had this update.
  • hawkeye15hawkeye15 Member Posts: 9
    Sorry, the TSB is #08-07-30-022.
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