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GMC Acadia Heating Cooling Problems

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Comments

  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252

    Sorry to hear of your concerns. I'd be happy to look further into this situation and discuss further. You are welcome to send an email to socialmedia@gm.com Attn:Andraya with your full contact information and VIN. I look forward to hearing from you.

    Andraya
    GM Customer Care

  • dalfdalf Member Posts: 1

    Got a 2008 Acadia SLT 2, just bought it in April. When i got it the A/c was working now it is kaput. Had it checked and was told that need a new compressor, condenser and dryer. The a/c guy say that it is not leaking but too much pressure is building. Claims my vehicle sholud only be topped up with 2 lbs of Freon. Took it to get a second opinion, the 2nd guy say it has too much pressure on the high side and he did not detect any leak (it has dye). we also search with a special light he has. He say there was only one lb of Freon in it and he refill. This was about 3 weeks ago. worked well since then. Now it is back to not getting any cool air. The 2nd guy opinion is that the Freon maybe evaporating into the compressor which is causing the high reading on the high side and I may have to change the compressor. Whats your opinion?

  • moandbingmoandbing Member Posts: 1
    Ok, so we bought a 2012 GMC Acadia SLT through the GM family first employee vehicle program. It had 11,000 miles on it. We've had a few annoyances which I believe shouldn't exist on a vehicle of this caliber. First my wife had a problem connecting her iPod, it would freeze up and she would have to unplug it from the USB in the dash compartment then re-plug it to get it working again, took it in but it still does it. Then we had a problem with the back hatch strut but that was fixed on a recall. Next we had, or rather, still have a problem with vibration. The steering wheel shakes, vibrates, at around and only at 35-40 mph. We have taken it in 3 times, once they said it was the tires, another time they couldn't detect it, and the other time they said it was normal, really?! Now it's the AC. Hissing coming from the front vent and only warm coming out, not good in 88 plus degree weather. Took it in and they said they had to recharge the system for around $350! Is it normal for a 2 year old vehicle that rarely uses AC to have to recharge its AC?? What gives GM? Quality Grade?? Boy cant wait to see what the Acadia has in store for us next. BTW... we have owned several other GM products and have not had as many problems as the Acadia.
  • tdoyletdoyle Member Posts: 1

    I own a 2008 GMC Acadia. I bought it new. I have had some minor and major problems with the car...but I love it and want to keep it. Recently the AC began to work only some of the time. While the car was at the dealer for yet another recall in July I asked them to check the coolant level. They informed me I would have to pay almost $200 just to check for a leak....the days of just checking coolant levels are over. Soon thereafter I brought it to my own mechanic and for FREE he spent over an hour looking for a leak and checking the A/C. He stated that the back seat blows cold air while the front sometimes blows cool air. He could find nothing wrong, but it could be behind the dash. As of 2 days ago it only blows hot air! I am furious and astonished to see so many of the exact same complaint here. GM needs to do something! My car has less than 55,000 miles and I planned on keeping it for many more years. Is there a consumer protection group that can help those of us with the same issue. Has anybody out there had this truly repaired?

  • fillmore5fillmore5 Member Posts: 1

    I am on my second Acadia SLT-1. I bought a new 2011 in 2010 and bought this one new (2013 model) on Labor Day of 2013. I only have 6,685 miles on it and the A/C stopped working on the passenger's side last night. I loved both of my Acadias until last night. I live in Alabama and it is 100 degrees during the day right now and I must have the A/C. We are taking it to the dealer tomorrow to have it worked on. The air on the passenger's side and in the rear are blowing about 15 degrees warmer than the driver's side. This will be the last Acadia purchase for me. I may drive it another year, then trade it in before the warranty expires.

  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252

    Was the dealership able to make repairs today, fillmore5? We certainly understand the importance of having the air conditioning operating in the hot Alabama weather and we apologize for the inconvenience. Please keep us posted and if there is anything we can do to help, just private message us your VIN and contact information.

    Amber N.
    GM Customer Care

    @fillmore5 said:
    I am on my second Acadia SLT-1. I bought a new 2011 in 2010 and bought this one new (2013 model) on Labor Day of 2013. I only have 6,685 miles on it and the A/C stopped working on the passenger's side last night. I loved both of my Acadias until last night. I live in Alabama and it is 100 degrees during the day right now and I must have the A/C. We are taking it to the dealer tomorrow to have it worked on. The air on the passenger's side and in the rear are blowing about 15 degrees warmer than the driver's side. This will be the last Acadia purchase for me. I may drive it another year, then trade it in before the warranty expires.

  • amyslimamyslim Member Posts: 1
    So my 2008 GMC Acadia was having some problems where my A/C was not blowing at all on driver and passenger sides but it would on AUX. Then I was noticing water coming through under my glove box onto the flooring on the passenger side. After taking the paneling off to get to the motor blower we found that it was under water! Long story short...A/C hose came off and it was backing into the motor blower. That was in May. Now its October and getting colder...so when I try to turn on my heat...it will not come on except for AUX. We took the motor blower out and lubed the fan on it just in case that was the issue. Well now the heat will come on if I...1) keeping pressing different buttons (defroster, and direction of air) or 2) if I leave the defroster on for 10 - 20 minutes then it will eventually turn on...but I have a one year old and with winter coming I need this to work. Our mechanic said that they really won't know whats going on unless it doesn't work completely! Any suggestions? HELP!
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    amyslim, I see that you have a great skill set to resolve concerns as they arise with your vehicle. If you decide to allow a local dealership to look into this for you, we're here to assist you. All we would need you to do is send us a private message with your VIN, current mileage and contact information. I look forward to your response.

    Marlea W.
    GM Customer Care
  • melyelmelyel Member Posts: 1
    I purchased a 2010 SLT2 not even a month ago. Upon purchase, I noticed that the heat would blow on the driver side, but only outside air would blow through the passenger side vents. I asked the dealership to fix all open recalls and replace actuator. I got it back yesterday after a week in the shop and it STILL only blows outside air on the passenger side. Is there anything else it could be besides the actuator? I really don't want to have a lot of issues out of this vehicle, as I am a loyal GM owner.
  • susieq18susieq18 Member Posts: 1
    I had such good luck with my first Acadia (2010) i replaced it with a new one (2013). I have always had HVAC issues with the 2013. Only heats in the winter on manual. This spring, it now only cools when my setting is higher than the temperature outside. The dealership says there is nothing it can do because it is not throwing codes. UGH! I have responded to a GM owner blog post in the past. Was hopeful when one of the GM customer reps asked me to send them an email with VIN and description of problem. Their response was they had a discussion with my dealership and all should be fixed on my next trip in. Guess what? No such call, No resolution. Those official looking blog posts are just meant to dismiss, not resolve. I would really like for folks above to actually follow-up. What did it take for the problem to be fixed? And who did the work?
  • chnedychnedy Member Posts: 1
    We were really enjoying our 2012 Acadia. Of course we're beyond the warranty at 44,000 miles when I receive the call explaining the A/C repair is $1500 (replacing A/C line and opening dash to access an evaporator where the refrigerant leak is thought to originate). Quick research of the situation and, lo and behold, one finds A/C issues are a common thread for GMC vehicles on a number of sites. Seems like a recall is in order, or at least a dealer check during the maintenance visits. This is a dealer maintained vehicle. I'm also curious whether the refrigerant is remotely toxic. We use this vehicle to chauffer the kids around. I'll be researching that next.
  • thecardoc3thecardoc3 Member Posts: 5,747
    edited April 2015
    In the event of a major release of refrigerant such as a sudden system failure while it is being serviced a technician could be in some danger, but that's about the only way. Here is the MSDS for R134a. http://www.refrigerants.com/msds/r134a.pdf
  • artgamble711artgamble711 Member Posts: 1
    Another disappointed Acadia customer here. I have a 2010 slt1. No air. I am told I need a front evaporation core, about a $1,500 repair.
    It appears GMC has had so many problems with this that they should do something about it. My mechanic told me this unit usually last the life of the car...but not on the Acadia, he has seen many of them need to be replaced.

    I called G.M., spoke with Lou in The Philippines, and he gave me a case number. Nothing to do with the case number, no help with repair...but I have a case number.

    I have owned G.M. my entire life. Not again, when I see all these problems with the same item and no recall or help with repair.
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    artgamble711 said:

    Another disappointed Acadia customer here. I have a 2010 slt1. No air. I am told I need a front evaporation core, about a $1,500 repair.
    It appears GMC has had so many problems with this that they should do something about it. My mechanic told me this unit usually last the life of the car...but not on the Acadia, he has seen many of them need to be replaced.

    I called G.M., spoke with Lou in The Philippines, and he gave me a case number. Nothing to do with the case number, no help with repair...but I have a case number.

    I have owned G.M. my entire life. Not again, when I see all these problems with the same item and no recall or help with repair.

    Hi Artgamble711,

    I apologize for this, and we would be happy to look into this further for you. Can you please send us an e-mail to socialmedia@gm.com along with your case number? We look forward to hearing from you soon!

    Patsy G
    GM Customer Care

  • 41tonya41tonya Member Posts: 1
    Just wanted to add to the list. I have a 2010 GMC Acadia which I purchased new. It has 56000 miles and now the air conditioner does not work properly. There seems to be no problem with the fan or thermostat. We refilled the coolant after which it blew cold air for a couple of days. We noted the placement of the tubing when refilling. It's definitely not a great place for something used in cooling the vehicle. I have to admit I have loved driving this vehicle better than any other, and there have been quite a few. It is disappointing that after 50,000 miles there is a problem with something as basic as the air conditioning. That's not the case with our Ford which is the same age but has twice the miles. 
  • wgraham1wgraham1 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2009 Acadia now the AC adds to a long list of issues. New engine at 85K, Transmission wave plate broke now the AC. When the AC is on there is heat on the Drivers side but cool air every where else. I did have my battery boosted. Is there a quick fix? This thing is a piece of junk.
  • jgrisham10jgrisham10 Member Posts: 1
    Add me to the list, was just informed my rear evaporation core needs to be replaced. 2013 GMC Acadia, with 36,125 miles...88 miles out of warranty. Talk about frustrating, local dealership is telling me their hands are tied. My out the door cost is roughly 1K. This is my second and possibly last Acadia, waiting on GM reponse...GM, fix the AC problem!!!
  • spartan20spartan20 Member Posts: 1
    My 2009 Outlook XR is having AC problems and I am about to put down over $200 to have it recharged, and if there is something wrong I hope my extended 7 yr GMPP warranty will cover it. It is amazing that the lines are exposed the way they are - saw them when installing an accessory and reminded every time I change the oil. I did see in this thread that an AC line was damaged by an engine mount. Guess what the other issue is that my Outlook is in for....a bad mount that I was mistaking for a tranny issue. I had suspected it was tranny due to all the issues on websites. Avoiding the adversarial nature of dealing with the dealer/GM process is why I got the warranty, specifically the GM warranty. I will let the readers know how this plays out in detail, and involve GM customer service reps if necessary. I would like to keep buying GM as my Dad did 30 years with Olds but I don't like the trends I am seeing in customer services. Wish me luck.
  • patty__7patty__7 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2007 GMC Acadia (with under 100,000 km) with the same issue as many have mentioned above - air conditioning blows air but it is not cold and even gets warm on the passenger side. I have driven GMC cars since the day I turned 16 and got my license (2 Jimmy's, 2 Envoys, a Pontiac Torrent and finally this Acadia). I haven't had any issues with any of my past cars but this Acadia has been a disaster. It has already required a new transmission about 2 years ago, just two weeks ago a part of the muffler broke causing my car to sound like a race car (a $500 fix) among countless other issues. Will take it into the dealer today as it is +30 degrees in Toronto and I am 6 months pregnant - this may be my last GMC car.
  • baw76baw76 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2008 acadia having issues with the a/c not working.  Freon charge is correct.  A/C compresser is constantly cycling on and off.  System was working intermitently and now has completely quit.  Blower only blows hot air.  Does gm have any recalls out for a/c issues since this seems to be a chronic issue for acadias? Or is gm helping fincially with repairs?  I have owned numerous gm products and constantly have issue unlike other brands i have owned. Another very dissatified gm customer.
  • udflyer_98udflyer_98 Member Posts: 1
    We own a 2008 Acadia SLT and love the vehicle, but we are disgusted with all of the problems we have had with it. Last summer my R-3-5 flywheel went out on my transmission. Thank god we had an extended warranty or it would have been $6000 out of our pockets. Early this Spring GMC comes out with a recall on the transmission and finally owns up to all of the identical issues people were having with it. Last week we were driving to a wedding and the AC started making sounds like pressure releasing but continued to cool the cabin. After the wedding, we left to go to the reception and it was blowing cool (but not cold air) and it was about half the flow volume as usual. Let's just say it was a hot ride to the reception! I already had an appt set up for the following Friday because I asked the dealership to check it because my wife said it was occasionally making these pressure noises. I took it in last Friday and they said the work would be covered by my extended warranty.
    They call me back 2 hours later and tell me that its my heater core (coil???) and I'm not covered under warranty. I only have 66,000 miles on the vehicle and the warranty expires at 68,500. Unfortunately, the service person didn't look at the dates and it expired 9 days prior. They then informed me that it was going to be $1800 to repair because they had to tear the entire dash out to get to the part. Since I had made the appt 7 days prior, I asked if they could reconsider since I couldn't get it in any sooner and it would only make the warranty expired by 2 days. The dealership said they would check. They call me back again and tell me that the warranty dept has agreed to cover the labor which leaves me with a bill of a little over $700. It's much better than $1800, however, I still don't feel its fair that I should pay anything since its so close to my warranty expiration date. I'm still waiting on them to call and let me know that it's fixed. It's been 2 days. I'll be requesting my service history report because I do recall mentioning these same symptoms to them 1-2 years ago. All in all, if I wouldn't have an extended warranty on this Acadia, we would've spent over $10,000 in repairs in the 7 years we've owned it which is ridiculous. Worse yet, I just purchased a new RAM 1500 and don't have the extra cash to get my wife a new vehicle. Now we're forced to wait and see what will be the next BIG COST this Acadia brings us. I'd love to stay loyal to GMC and purchase a Yukon in the future to better handle our family of 5, but at this point I'm steering away and may cave into my wife's request of a Honda Odyssey and turn into that minivan family.
  • sad_gmc1sad_gmc1 Member Posts: 2
    I'm another unsatisfied customer. I own a 2011 GMC Acadia Denali, which was bought brand new. So far I have had several expensive repairs including replacing the power steering unit. In addition my daytime light does not work on one side (thanks GMC for issuing a recall on this because before that, the repair was going to cost me an estimated $1,200). Now I am experiecning a problem with my air conditioner. I checked into this and it appears that many of you have also experienced this problem.

    I contacted customer service, was provided information regarding my concern, and was given a service request number. After discussing this with the technician, I learned that GMC has not been known to cover this issue unless it is under warrenty (they have also noticed the trend). Unfortunately, I no longer have a warranty to cover this issue. I understand that cars do not last forever, but with good engeneering and a company that stands behind their product, it should last more than 100,000+ miles. Especially if they are mostly highway miles like mine.

    The issue was indeed the rear evaporator coil. This seems to be a trend! The technician kindly did not charge me for the freon and knocked off around $100.00 toward the repair (Thank you Meyer Automotive in Seward, NE); however, this issue is still going to cost me a significant amount of money.

    I love my Acadia and have even talked a few co-workers into purchasing an Acadia Denali similar to mine. Hopefully they do not experience the same issues. I am unsure what to do. My vehicle is paid off, but I fear I will continue to have to invest money into it and I might be better off trading it in and looking for something more reliable. Any suggestions?

    I really appreciate this forum, I hope others can make an educated decision on investing in a vehicle that is worth the money.
  • gmcac12gmcac12 Member Posts: 1
    I bought my 2012 Acadia new and I have been having an AC issue for one year now, so it started around 25,000 miles. It sometimes make a high pitch noise or a blowing noise like it is losing air. I have taken it to the dealer a few times now and they can't diagnose it because it isn't throwing a code. Which is crap. It will work and then won't work, sometimes it blows cold and sometimes not. I took it in today again and they said it was low on freon but surprise they can't find the leak. So my problem will continue and my warranty runs out in December, so needless to say this will be going down the road by the end of the year. Not happy with our local GM dealer and it makes me really want to buy a Ford next.
  • sad_gmc1sad_gmc1 Member Posts: 2
    I left a post on August 19 regarding the air conditioner on my 2011 Acadia Denali. It is now repaired and seems to be working well (at my expense). However, I was on my way to work this morning and the cruise control wouldn't work. In addition I got a message that my traction control needed serviced. I am just sick! I was debating on what to do with my Acadia. I was concerned that I would have to stick more money into it after several expensive repairs. My husband and I are now looking looking at a Toyota. I love my Acadia, but I can't be robbed due to a poor purchase. It's too bad a 4 year old, 1 owner vehicle, with primarily highway miles can't be reliable. Unfortunately, I suppose I will give a foreign vehicle a chance (I've only owned GMC and Chevy vehicles with one being my husband's 2015 Chevy truck). I'm done. Best of Luck to all of you. I am hoping this is only a concern with my vehicle as I have talked my sister and two of my husband's co-workers to invest in Acadias.
  • herrondanherrondan Member Posts: 1
    I own a 2013 Acadia, bought it new in 2013. Just 2 days ago the rear air stopped blowing. We drove for about 2 hours yesterday and after every 20 or 30 minutes, the rear air would start blowing but only for about 20 seconds. I was hoping there was going to be some type of recall, but the only recalls out there have already been taken care of on our car. I guess I will call the dealer, but I don't have a good feeling about this after reading all the previous comments. :disappointed: Only have 41K miles on the car. We've been thinking about trading it in since the first issues started after we bought it.
  • acadiaowner10acadiaowner10 Member Posts: 1
    Wow! I just left my dealership and was very unsatisfied with what they told me, so I googled acadia ac problems and found this!
    I purchased my 2010 acadia a little over a year ago. When I test drove it the ac didn't work, but they recharged it and it seemed to work fine, but like others have said it made a hissing noise. Well a couple weeks ago it quit working altogether. So I took it in today & I'm told they are draining it & putting dye in to check for leaks, I reminded them that was what was done a little over a year ago but was told it was the only way to diagnose the problem. 20 minutes later my car is done & magically no leaks! I'm so disapointed to see others with the same problem that isn't being addressed! So apparently ac is yearly subscription like XM radio at $129/year! Fabulous! 
  • thecardoc3thecardoc3 Member Posts: 5,747
    edited September 2015
    AC oil dye isn't the only way to locate a leak. The problem with AC oil dye is that it takes time to show where the leak is at. That means testing by re-inspecting the system has to be done in about a week to a month after the recharge where dye has been added for the dye to reliably show up.

    An AC system that is not cooling could still have as much as 60% of its refrigerant charge remaining. At 2.3 lbs. (37oz, 2010 GM Acadia) total charge that means a system that is undercharged by about fifteen ounces doesn't appear to work. Right now we don't know how much refrigerant was left in the system, it might have been totally empty but that's not likely. When a shop charges an AC system and attempts to locate a leak that is that small they are attempting to find approximately .0026 ounces of refrigerant that has leaked in the time that they have had the car. (think of this as a single drop of liquid by volume, except that it is a gas that has leaked)

    There are electronic leak detectors capable of identifying refrigerant leaks that small, (2600ppm in this example there are tools capable of detecting very small amounts of refrigerant 100-200ppm) but they are seldom used due to the expense of not just the tool, but the time that it takes to use them. (Junk ones are in the $200 range and truly good ones approach $700) On top of that, the tools wear out and have to be replaced just about every two to three years and that expense is not typically made by the shop, but by the technician who chooses to invest that much into his/her craft. It can take an hour or two in order to carefully search the entire AC system for a small leak with an electronic leak detector, and there is every chance that it might not be located with that kind of effort if the leak is actually intermittent, or only occurs under operating pressures and vibration. Meanwhile an AC service and leak check might pay the technician somewhere between .5hours and 1hour, no matter how much time he/she actually invests.



  • ericawvericawv Member Posts: 1
    I have a2009 Acadia SLT with around 85k miles. A year ago the heat on the passenger side stopped blowing hot air...AC worked fine from all vents, it was just the driver side that only blew freezing cold air and no heat. My poor feet had frostbite every morning by the time I got to work. We took it to the dealer who told us it was the heating element and would be about a $1,000 repair... I decided I would just be cold in the winter. However, Recently I had to have an my emissions sensor replaced. Here is the messed up part....since replacing the sensor my drivers side now only blows scalding hot air, and no AC. The AC is ice cold in every other vent in the car (including the passenger side), however drivers side - no AC only heat! What in the world???? We are trying to trouble shoot this problem because obviously the drivers side did not need the heating element replaced a year ago as now the heat works just fine! thank God we didn't fork out that money. However now we are scratching our heads. Thank God summer is over for now.
  • thecardoc3thecardoc3 Member Posts: 5,747
    A temperature blend actuator that is failing could cause what you have reported. There are not separate heating (or cooling) elements for each portion of the dash, only control doors operated by electronic actuators to change the temperature of the air. That is likely what the service advisor at the dealer was trying to explain but was misunderstood. While the actuators themselves can and do fail, problems like doors that have stuck, and even control or wiring harness issues do happen and testing must be done to prove what is happening to your car and what must be done to repair this problem.

    As far as the emissions repair having anything to do with the system changing from being stuck on full cold and now being stuck at full hot, a battery disconnect could cause the control head to attempt a recalibration of the mode doors and its possible that it just happened to move and complete part of the recalibration process. When the control head detects a problem with the system as it would have when it was previously stuck on cold it should have been generating trouble codes. Once codes are generated the actuator was likely prevented from even trying to move the door until the codes would have been cleared by a battery disconnect.
  • acadia10acadia10 Member Posts: 1
    I have owned my 2010 Acadia for 4 years now. I have had various things go wrong with it. The first thing to go was the Navigation system. Then it was a slight bounce from tires when I drive it, even with brand new balanced tires, which will also cause it to throw an error on tire pressure read. And now, my AC has quit working. I didn't notice anything leading up to it. I got in the car yesterday and pushed the button to turn it on and it just flashed at me and blew hot air. I'm sure this will be pricey so I haven't called the dealership yet. Pretty upsetting to know there is no recall as it appears hundreds have had the same issue!!!
    I love the comfort of my Acadia but it hasn't been the most sound or cost effective car. 
  • ayl2016ayl2016 Member Posts: 1
    Add me to the list with AC problems. I purchased a brand new 2012 Acadia.
    this year, just when the weather started to warm up, I tried to turn on the AC. But the light flash a couple times then turned off, i cannot even turn it on. so no cold air at all in the car. i am very disappointed that with 37k miles the AC stopped working, especially seeing so many other people experienced the same problems. Still no recall on the problem.
    I am going to take my Acadia to the dealer this week, I don't want to get steamed up on freeway again!
    Not sure how much this bill may turn out to be ...
    I hope GM can start to address this issue.
  • lovellrichlovellrich Member Posts: 3
    My issue is SIMILAR but not exactly but clearly there is some major flaws and defects in the heating and cooling systems of these acadias.

    My issue is probably the actuator I'm guessing.
    Long story short, driver side hot when should be cold, and passenger side cold. All pressure and fan speed is fine, and no smells or doesn't seem to be any leaks.

    Just blowing hot air on one side of the car when it should be cold and the other side is cold as it should be.

    This is a 2012 Acadia.

    Any suggestions, tips?? I would highly appreciate it. Obviously out of factory warranty but do have an after market warranty but I'm sure this isn't covered like most stuff. Does anyone know if this MIGHT BE COVERED? I know it will vary depending on coverage but just curious on some thoughts?
    thanks for reading
  • mrssmith13mrssmith13 Member Posts: 1
    We cannot get the A/C issues fixed on our 2012 GMC Acadia! We took it in after the A/C failed and paid $1,800 for it to be completely replaced. Within weeks it failed again and seemed to have a problem holding freon so they recharged it. Within days it went out again. This time the shop replaced the entire A/C compressor and within a few weeks it was not working and there was clearly fluid leaking. Took it in, they replaced the lines as they were cracked. This fix lasted ONE WEEK and the A/C stopped working again yesterday.

    I am disgusted with this problem and cannot believe that a good brand like GMC would have so many problems on an essential system like the A/C unit! We live in Phoenix, AZ and our temps during the summer require the use of A/C. If this cannot be fixed, we will be forced to trade it in and never buy another GMC again. Total disappointment :disappointed:.
  • txgmownertxgmowner Member Posts: 1
    My A/C went out on my 2010 Acadia (which we loved) at 36K miles at month 37 and was not covered by warranty. I was told the evaporator coil needed to be replaced ~1800 to repair. I submitted a complaint to GMC and they offered to see if they could reduce the cost with the dealership. Instead I traded it in for a 2013 Acadia. The 2013 Acadia A/C went out after 27K miles while under warranty. The dealership could not find any problem but recharged the unit with dye. Since the car was close to being near the warranty expiration, I again called GMC to submit a complaint suspecting that recharging the unit was not the correct fix. 12 months later and 36K miles the A/C is not working again. As suspected the dealership indicated the problem was not the same problem and I would need to pay for diagnosing the problem. I called GMC again and submitted another claim. They agreed to call the dealership and approve a $100 diagnosis charge - I still had to cover any cost above that. Since I qualify for GM employee discounts on vehicles, I have owned many GM vehicles for myself and family. I have never had nor have I heard from others of evaporator coil failure at less than 36K miles especially on back to back Acadia vehicles. How can this not be a defective part?
  • suzc101suzc101 Member Posts: 1
    Same issue, if GMC doesn't do something about this, I will NEVER buy GMC again. My husband has a Yukon, I have the 2010 SLT 2 AWD, and an older Cadillac. The fact that so many people are having the same issue and GMC isn't recalling this is disgusting! I was so happy a few months ago when I purchased my car from a dealership, and the biggest warranty the would give me was the 30 day and the 3 yr 30,000 miles on the train. I should have ran! I did get the AC issue fixed under the 30 days, but now, in NE, with two little kids, I can't count on my heat, really, the owners must be so proud!

    It is not a cheap car and I will be reporting this to the Better Business Bureau, as I think everyone else here should do too!
  • gloriab67gloriab67 Member Posts: 2
    I just bought my first GMC 2012 Acadia Denali and right now not happy with GMC only had the vehicle 30 days and engine Hot a/c OFF SHOWED across the screen and the dealer ship is saying may come out of my pocket if so goodbye gmc my two tahoes never went down like this has. not happy at all
  • gloriab67gloriab67 Member Posts: 2
    well I want more than just words I want action don't tell me you'll look into and than do nothing because word of mouth speaks volumes and when people where your car is and you say in the shop after only 30 days that's not good. put your money where your mouth is GMC!
  • ray80ray80 Member Posts: 1,655
    gloriab67 said:

    I just bought my first GMC 2012 Acadia Denali and right now not happy with GMC only had the vehicle 30 days and engine Hot a/c OFF SHOWED across the screen and the dealer ship is saying may come out of my pocket if so goodbye gmc my two tahoes never went down like this has. not happy at all

    Have you checked the coolant level?


  • tkauffman1tkauffman1 Member Posts: 1
    I bought a 2011 GMC Acadia Denali on 5/18/17 and the driver side blows out cold AC and also cold in the back two rows. On the passenger side (only in the front) it does not blow cold nor hot. There is no circulation at all. I got a 1 month warranty with my dealership (Criswell, Gaithersburg MD) but that only covered engine and transmission. They told me they would not fix it for free. I am very disappointed that this is a common problem with GMC and that Criswell wouldn't handle this problem especially when the vehicle is less than a month purchased.
  • wally7334wally7334 Member Posts: 1
    My wife and I purchased our 2012 GMC Acadia new and the AC never seemed to work all that great. After one summer here in the California heat we began to think it was something other than a black car with a black leather interior. So we took our car into the local GMC dealer where after three months or her car being in and out of the dealer and them replacing all of the AC components for both zones, we were then left with a AC which cooled marginally at best. When we discussed this with the service manager, he stated the 60 degree temp was as good as it was going to get and that GMC AC units are not "the best".
    So great... we have purchased a nice looking car with an air conditioner which is substandard at best. Nice to know that the service manager agrees with us on something.
    Oh but wait... the AC stopped working two weeks ago. The warranty for the dealer's repairs are only for a year so we would have to pay for this ourselves (control panel blinks three times) After looking under the hood there is a leak on the pressure hose. It will be really enjoyable to drive around in 103 degree weather this next week. If this is not enough, many of the interior parts are falling off or I have had to replace them. Driver's side window door control cluster, kick plate on the doors hood strut, rear door window controls, cracked plastic on the front passenger seat belt and all buttons on the climate control instrument have worn off.
    We cannot be the only people who have had major issues with the AC. I compare this AC to my 2004 Dodge Ram which I could hang meat in because it stays so cold. I have yet to do any AC service on that vehicle.
    This is our first and last GM vehicle. GM customer service.... any comments?
  • jweldonhjweldonh Member Posts: 1
    We have a 2013 GMC Acadia Denali and we had to totally replace the AC last year at the dealership and it has gone out again so we're getting ready to shell out more money to be replaced again. $1500 isn't pocket change to us so we're very disappointed. I'm thinking our next vehicle will be something else.
  • melwoodsmelwoods Member Posts: 1
    I'm really bummed to see all these AC issues.....especially since it appears to be due to a design flaw! I have a 2012 Acadia Denali (approx 66g miles). My AC hasn't worked properly, so we recharged it with no luck. I took it in for routine service and asked them to check it out. Imagine my shock when I got a call telling me the line is worn and can't be spliced because it's in the wheel well.....and it will cost an additional $1,900 to fix!!! I certainly don't have a couple grand lying around and, like others, feel this should've been addressed by GM prior to now.
  • mandatinymandatiny Member Posts: 3
    To my surprise there is quite a discussion happening on how bad GMC A/C works. We have a 2016 Acadia and have to take it in to the dealership to get a new compressor already. It only has 54,000 miles and isn't even 3 years old. Getting a new compressor is not cheap and I cannot believe there was not a recall or that from year to year they didn't fix these issues. This was our first GMC and we raved about it. I won't be recommending it to anyone and I certainly don't think we'd buy another.
  • mandatinymandatiny Member Posts: 3
    Update: We called GMC to get a case number but that was over a week ago. Not only are we having issues with getting in touch with our case manager but also getting a call back from the dealership themselves! We have two small children and this is the family car that GMC has had for a week now with no new information. The lack of communication from GMC is almost as bad as their A/C parts. This was our first GMC as previously stated and now sure to be our last.
  • MandyJoMandyJo Member Posts: 1
    edited August 2018
    I bought a new 2015 Acadia in 2015 and it worked great until a week before I was leaving to take 4 teenagers on a road trip to the Grand Canyon from Arkansas. The A/C was blowing hot air, ended up being due to a leak in the manifold hose assembly. They were so hard to get, it took a long time and I had to rent a car to take my kids to the Grand Canyon. It ended up being a very costly repair. Especially since my warranty ran tout 50 miles after my card wouldn’t cool us down in one of the hottest times on record.
    When the new manifold hose assembly came in and looked very different from mine, according to the repair man. He said that GMC has fixed the issue by putting a protective layer over that specific area of the hose that was rubbing against some hot part of the engine leading to leaks. I don’t know why there wouldn’t be a recall if GMC has already identified a factory problem and have taken steps to correct it by putting a new cover over the spot the ribs and now has a Leac by it from rubbing against the engine whatever it’s rubbing against so way to go problems .


    it from rubbing against the engine whatever it’s rubbing against so way to go problems .
  • AHWDLWAHWDLW Member Posts: 1
    We own a 2013 GMC Acadia Denali. We bought it brand new and it has only 56,660 in mileage on it. We have had three air conditioning failures since we drove it off the lot. It's always the same issue. The front air works but it starts blowing hot air out of the rear vents. The dealer fixed the first two failures under warranty but now we are out of the extended warranty because of time, not mileage. Today they just told me because it's out of warranty that it will cost $2,680 to fix the air. I think this is very unacceptable. They keep telling me that this failure is something different than the last two failures, very interesting being as every time the air has failed, it's the same symptom of blowing hot air from the back vents. As much as this car cost, there should not have been any air conditioning failures. And, don't get me started on the headlights? First the drivers side headlight went out $652, a few months later the passenger side went out $682. That's over $1,300 in less than a year for light bulbs. Really? I just filed a complaint with GMC. Waiting for the rep to call.
  • ScottAMScottAM Member Posts: 1
    I have read several of the AC problems listed here for GMC Acadia and so many are close to what I was experiencing, but not 100%. I looked to the freon each time the AC would go out, which seems to be every few months, and I was getting tired of the drill. Then today I noticed (after checking and filling freon again) that the AC was cold when the engine was idling, but once I started to drive, the AC would cut out. I started looking into this further. Freon was good, high side and low side. Got under the car and found the compressor, and after some research, I removed the compressor clutch hub to see if this looked like a potential issue. I wiped the face of the clutch hub down with a cloth and noticed three 1/4 inch round posts that came through the inner face of the clutch hub from the outer piece of the clutch. The three posts were coated in black [non-permissible content removed] and grime. I gently scraped the [non-permissible content removed] and grime off these three spots thinking the grime prevented the clutch from keeping a firm grip on the compressor at higher speeds. After a thorough cleaning, I put the clutch hub back on, making sure to keep the spacer in place. I took the car for a drive at highway speeds, turning the AC on and off as I sent, and I am vary happy to say that as of now, the AC is working perfectly. This may not be everyone else's issue, but I was not ready to shell out $1000 - $1,500 for more AC work and was honestly about to turn this car in to a dealer as trade-in towards something more reliable. If you are mechanically inclined, I'd suggest trying this if your AC is cold at idle but cuts out when you are driving. Good luck!
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