10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
21,650 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2018 GMC Acadia drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2018 GMC Acadia Owner Comments (Page 3 of 6)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #63

Oct 072019

Acadia

  • 25,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

When trying to put in park won't shut off says shift to park, started around 25,000 miles have to be sure vehicle is level and not on an incline. Vehicle also surges at times loosing power when you're going down the highway. Also, at times when you go to start vehicle it will hesitate and disconnects from battery thus resetting everything. Had to replace battery at 25,000. The rear wiper will go on it's on without turning it on.

- Camden, AR, USA

problem #62

Jul 082020

Acadia

  • miles
The transmisduon shifter when shifted into park, the information center said vehicle not in park and it will not let me shut the car off it was a 400$ repair at the GM dealership not covered under any of my warranty

- Waterford, MI, USA

problem #61

Aug 142020

Acadia

  • 22,000 miles
Whenever the vehicle was put in park and I attempted to shut it off, it would give me the shift to park error code and would not let me cut the car off completely. It would happen just about every time I drove it. I just got it out of the shop for the third time and was told this time they replaced the assembly. So far it has not happened again but it has only been a week. It started back in January 2020.

- Pooler, GA, USA

problem #60

Apr 022019

Acadia

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2018 GMC Acadia shown 'shift to park' message even car is stopped/ parked.

- San Francisco, CA, USA

problem #59

Jul 052020

Acadia 6-cyl

  • miles
Gear shifter moves to park position but indicators and engine off switch will not switch to park state without jiggling shifter handle tip.

- College Station, TX, USA

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problem #58

Jun 252020

Acadia 4-cyl

  • 38,000 miles
Shift to park. Would not shut down or could not lock vehicle. Warning light & beeping sound.

- Mineral Wells, WV, USA

problem #57

Jun 172020

Acadia 6-cyl

  • 43,617 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The car would not turn off when put in park when the car was stopped. The engine would turn off, but the electrical devices (lights, radio, odometer readings, etc.) would remain engaged. The warning indicator said the vehicle was not in park and it would take 5-10 minutes of turning the engine on and off, and shifting back and forth in and out of gear before the car would turn off completely. A search on line indicated several people complaining of the same issue. This car is 2 yrs old with less than 40K miles. It was maintained as a company leased vehicle by us before being purchased by us, so we know it has been properly maintained. We ended up having to have the shift column replaced.

- Chesapeake, VA, USA

problem #56

May 132019

Acadia 6-cyl

  • miles
My car keeps giving notice of it not being in park, when its clearly shifted into park. It wont shut down, let you lock doors. Just beeps until it finally realizes its in park. Even after continuously re shifting into park. Worse in the summer months. It needs to be fixed as many others are having the same issue!

- Abilene, TX, USA

problem #55

Jun 112020

Acadia 4-cyl

  • 44,000 miles
When I shift the to park and try to turn off my car the shift to park lights up and I have to down shift and then shift to park again to get my car to shut off also the air compressor has already quit working with less than 40K miles on it.

- Alicia, AR, USA

problem #54

May 162020

Acadia 6-cyl

  • 34,500 miles
My vehicle was stationary. I stopped the vehicle and placed the shift lever into the park position. When I pressed the start/stop button, the button's amber warning light came on, an audible warning began sounding and all instrument lights stayed on. When I looked at the driver's display, it stated, "shift to park". (the shift lever was already in the park position. I could not shut the vehicle down and could not leave the vehicle in that condition. I continued to move the shift lever from drive to park and after 8-10 shifts, the vehicle finally recognized that it was in park. Then, the start/stop button functioned correctly. Upon investigation, I found that this is a very common problem with 2017-2018 GMC Acadias (there is even a class action law suit pending). Some owners even report their vehicles rolling when in this condition. As of this date (5/19/2020) GM has not recognized this as a design problem and has not issued a recall. This is obviously a design issue since it happens within and out of the 3yr/36,000 mile warranty. If it happens at 36,500 miles the vehicle owner is out of luck! this is also, obviously, a safety issue. Thanks for your time and help.

- Corinth, MS, USA

problem #53

Apr 012020

Acadia

  • 41,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that after stopping the vehicle and placing the gear shifter in park, a message displayed to shift the vehicle into park. The contact shifted through the gears and the vehicle operated as intended. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed nor repaired. Neither the manufacturer nor the dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 41,000. The VIN was invalid.

- Oroville, CA, USA

problem #52

Apr 062020

Acadia

  • 37,000 miles
When gear lever is shifted into park and you try to turn of the engine a notice comes on telling you to put your car into park. I can not turn off the car until this message disappears. Sometimes it takes 7 or more tries to finally be able to shut off the car. If I leave it with the message then all electrical seems to stay on.

- Crete, IL, USA

problem #51

Feb 152020

Acadia

  • 37,000 miles
When attempting to turn the vehicle off after shifting to park and then pressing the start/stop button, the vehicle gives an error message that says "shift to park" even though the shift lever is in the park position. The error message prevents the vehicle from shutting down. This occurs when the vehicle is stopped, put into park, and then when attempting to shut down the vehicle.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

problem #50

Apr 012020

Acadia

  • miles
Shifter assembly went out, known issue and GM won't cover part

- Unionville, TN, USA

problem #49

Mar 042020

Acadia

  • 37,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that when the gear was shifted into park, a warning beep sounded, informed the driver that the vehicle was not in park. The contact was unable to turn the vehicle off. After several attempts, the contact was able to shift the vehicle into park and turn the vehicle off. The manufacturer was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 37,000. The VIN was invalid.

- Lyford, TX, USA

problem #48

Mar 032020

Acadia

  • 21,104 miles
When I put my vehicle in park, it will not shut off and dashboard it says 'action required. Shift to park.' Vehicle won't turn off and it keeps beeping. It is when I'm parked

- Albrightsville, PA, USA

problem #47

Mar 062020

Acadia

  • miles
Went car is park the dash still shows 'put car in park' car will continue to pee, will not lock. From what I read GMC knew of this problem but continue to sell GMC arcadia from 2017 to 2018. Even though this is a known problem they still charge the consumers for the repairs. This only happened went trying to put vehicle I park.

- Pensacola, FL, USA

problem #46

Feb 222020

Acadia

  • 17,300 miles
Vehicle will not acknowledge that it is in park. Forces electrical to stay on, and sometimes will not engage park so vehicle can move as if I'm neutral. Has thus far happened with vehicle stopped, but you can sometimes shut off engine and exit vehicle when it is not in park and can roll against you, or on kids exiting etc. Vehicle rolled in garage and struck, and could have crushed child against door.

- Darien, CT, USA

problem #45

Feb 142020

Acadia

  • 13,000 miles
After putting the vehicle in park, "shift to park" is displayed on the dash. I have to shift the car in and out of park several times to get the vehicle to recognize being in park.

- Coats, NC, USA

problem #44

Feb 022019

Acadia

  • 32,000 miles
When the vehicle is warm, the transmission appears to slip when shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear. The engine will rev between 500 to 1000 RPM while shifting. During this time (half to full second) the vehicle is not accelerating and does not respond to throttle inputs. The vehicle has been taken into dealerships 4 times for this complaint. At 35000 miles (3rd dealer visit), GM replaced the valve assembly. The problem reoccurred and GM is only offering to replace the same part, or extend the warranty on the transmission, but not both. No one at the dealership or GM technical assistance center has any idea what is actually wrong and is not taking any steps to find the cause of the issue. The service manager has admitted that there is a problem, but GM denied him any help in resolving the issue.they have said that this is not a safety issue, but I do not feel comfortable driving a car that may become unresponsive to accelerator pedal input for a full second. Note that this issue is still covered by the powertrain warranty at this time.

- Oakland, MI, USA

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