2017 GMC Acadia Electrical System
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
OUR 2017 GMC ACADIA DENALI IS EXPERIENCING "ACTION REQUIRED" "SHIFT TO PARK" ALERT ON THE DASH. THE INDICATOR ON THE DASH SHOWS THE CAR IS IN "P" FOR PARK AND THE SHIFTER IS PLACED INTO THE PARK POSITION. THE ONLY RESOLVE FOR THIS ERROR TO GO AWAY IS PUSHING BACK AND FORTH ON THE SHIFTER UNTIL FINALLY SOMETIMES UP TO TEN MINUTES, THE SYSTEM RECOGNIZED THAT THE CAR IS ACTUALLY IN PARK. IF YOU DO NOT SPEND THE TIME TO TRY AND MAKE THE SYSTEM RECOGNIZE THAT SHIFTER IS IN THE PARKED POSITION THE CAR WILL CONTINUE TO TRY ALERT YOU WITH DINGING INSIDE THE CAR AND THEN HONKING. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE TO WHICH HAS BEEN REPORTED BY SEVERAL PEOPLE UPON OUR INVESTIGATION AFTER EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEM. THE PART TO WHICH IS NEEDED TO FIX THIS ISSUE IS CURRENTLY ON BACKORDER PER OUR LOCAL GMC DEALERSHIP TO WHICH THERE IS NO ESTIMATED TIME TO RECEIVE THE PART IN TO RESOLVE OUR ISSUE. WE ARE BEING TOLD IT COULD TAKE "WEEKS" PRIOR TO THIS PART BEING RECEIVED TO FIX THE ISSUE.
DASH DISPLAYS THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT IN PARK WHEN IT IS FOR SURE.
MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT UNLOCK FOR HOURS THEN IT FINALLY DID AND RAN FOR A BIT. THEN WHEN STARTED AGAIN WOULD NOT N. THEN WENT TO BRI G IT IN AND NOTHING WORKED CORRECT. THE SPEEDOMETER WAS AT 0 AND IT WAS SCARY! THE WHOLE VEHICLE WOULD NOT WORK RIGHT AND WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN THEY SAID IT WAS A SIDE SENSOR MODULE AND IT WAS $735 TO REPLACE. MY CAR IS NOT THAT OLD. THEY SAID WETNESS COULD HAVE GOT TO IT. WE LIVE IN MIN EDITS. MANY CARS GET WET. THAT IS ABSOLUTELY CRAZY. THEY ALSO TOLD ME THEY SHARE SOPOSE TO BE COMING OUT WITH A RECALL AND NEW BOXES THAT COVER THESE SENSORS. I WILL BE EXPECTING TO BE REIMBURSED WHEN THIS BECOMES A RECALL WHICH IT DEFIANTLY NEEDS TO BE! I PAID A LOT OF MONEY FOR THIS VEHICLE. THE PRICE OF MINE SHOULD BE ON THIS!
SHIFT TO PARK ERROR MESSAGE WHEN GEAR SHIFT IS IN PARK AND VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF. THE AUXILIARY POWER STAYS ON (RADIO AND USB) AND WILL NOT LET ME LOCK THE DOORS. THIS HAPPENS NEARLY EVERY DAY. MUST RESTART THE VEHICLE AND PUT INTO GEAR THEN INTO PARK MULTIPLE TIMES.
WHEN YOU PUT THE SHIFTER INTO THE PARK POSITION AND YOU TRY TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE WITH THE START/STOP BUTTON AN ON DASH ERROR CODE OF 'SHIFT TO PARK' APPEARS EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE IS CLEARLY IN PARK. YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. IT BEEPS INCESSANTLY, THE BATTERY REMAINS ON AND THE DOORS DO NOT WANT TO LOCK. GMC HAS BEEN MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE BY HUNDREDS OF 2017 ACADIA OWNERS HOWEVER THEIR ENGINEERS HAVE NOT FOUND A SOLUTION. THIS DEFECT IS FORCING ME TO TURN THE ENGINE ON AND OFF MULTIPLE TIMES, TRYING PUTTING THE CAR IN REVERSE AND THEN SHIFTING BACK IN DRIVE, WIGGLING THE SHIFTER, OPENING THE REAR PASSENGER DOORS AND REPEATING ANY AND ALL OF THESE PROCESSES UNTIL IT EVENTUALLY TURNS OFF THE SHIFT TO PARK MESSAGE AND ALLOWS THE VEHICLE TO SHUT DOWN (OR IF YOU CAN CONFUSE THE ELECTRICAL PANEL AND HAVE ANOTHER MESSAGE POP UP TO OVERRIDE IT, SUCH AS THE ONE THAT SAYS 'CHECK REAR PASSENGER SEAT". I DO NOT KNOW IF MY CAR IS EVER TRULY IN GEAR OR NOT. I'M AFRAID THAT IT MIGHT CAUSE A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHERE MY VEHICLE ROLLS THINKING IT IS NOT IN PARK OR THE BATTERY DIES UNEXPECTEDLY OR THE VEHICLE IS STOLEN BECAUSE IT WILL NOT SHUT OFF OR THE DOORS WILL NOT LOCK. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE BRAND NEW AND THIS STARTED OCCURRING AT AROUND 15,000 MILES AND IS A HIGHLY REPORTED PROBLEM THAT NECESSITATES A RECALL FIX FOR SAFETY.
I PURCHASED A NEW 2017 GMC ACADIA ON DECEMBER 14TH 2017. ON OCTOBER 11TH 2018, MY ACADIA WAS RENDERED COMPLETELY DISABLED BY A WHAT HAS BEEN DESCRIBED BY THE DEALERSHIP AS A " DEAD BATTERY" I WAS ALMOST LOCKED IN THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED AND THE ELECTRONIC LOCKS WOULD NOT OPERATE. THERE WAS NO PREVIOUS INDICATION, NOTIFICATION OR WARNING BY THE VEHICLE AND MONITORING SERVICE OR OF AN IMPENDING BATTERY FAILURE OBVIOUSLY, A 10 MONTH OLD BATTERY IN A NEW CAR SHOULD NOT BE COMPLETELY DRAINED AFTER ONLY 10 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP ( LEADING ME TO BELIEVE THERE MAY BE MORE AT PLAY THAN JUST A BAD BATTERY). HAD THIS HAPPENED ANYWHERE ELSE BESIDES MY DRIVEWAY, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A MAJOR ISSUE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO THE NEAREST AUTHORIZED GMC REPAIR FACILITY. THE DEALERSHIP RAN DIAGNOSTIC TESTS OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG, BUT THIS STILL LEAVES ME WITH DOUBTS ABOUT THE RELIABILITY OF THE VEHICLE AND INTEGRITY OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
2017 GMC ACADIA DENALI. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO MECHANICAL ISSUES. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING VERY LOUD AND ROUGH UPON INITIAL START UP. THE CHECK ENGINE AND SERVICE ELECTRIC PARKING BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. SERVICE PARKING BRAKE APPEARED ON THE DIC, A MESSAGE STATING AWD OFF APPEARED IN THE DIC. AND A NOTIFICATION FOR AN ISSUE WITH THE EMISSIONS SYSTEM ALSO APPEARED. *JS
AFTER RELEASING ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE, THE SERVICE PARKING BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON AND THE PARKING BRAKE LIGHT FLASHES. PARKING BRAKE IS NO LONGER OPERATIONAL.
HORN IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE USE ESPECIALLY IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. VERY HARD TO ACTIVATE AND TAKES 2 HANDS TO GET IT TO WORK. DEALER CLAIMS NO FIX BUT MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS. THIS IS ONGOING SINCE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN JULY 2017
I BOUGHT A NEW 2017 GMC ACADIA DENALI THE END OF FEBRUARY AND THE NEXT DAY FOUND OUT THAT THE HORN DOES NOT WORK. THE HORN IS EXTREMELY HARD TO PUSH AND REQUIRES EXTRA PRESSURE WITH BOTH HANDS AND ARCHING MY BACK AGAINST THE SEAT TO TRY AND MAKE THE HORN TO WORK. I HAVE BEEN BACK TO THE DEALERS 3 TIMES IN 2 WEEKS AND IT IS NOT FIXED. THERE ARE ONLY 644 MILES ON THIS NEW SUV AND MY WIFE WILL NOT DRIVE IT BECAUSE IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN WITH NO HORN. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 GMC ACADIA. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, SMOKE AND SPARKS SUDDENLY APPEARED FROM THE VENTS INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. WHEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED, FLAMES WERE PRESENT UNDER THE HOOD ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE FLAMES WERE EXTINGUISHED AND THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS INVESTIGATED. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ELECTRONIC MODULE CASING HAD BLOWN OFF AND THE MODULE HAD CAUGHT FIRE DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. *TT *TR
TWO MONTH OLD 2017 GMC ACADIA DENALI FWD. HORN IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO OPERATE UNDER ANY CONDITIONS. IT TAKES TWO HANDS TO MAKE IT WORK AND ONLY WITH EXCESSIVE FORCE, AND IN ONLY ONE SPOT ON THE STEERING WHEEL. RECENTLY I WAS ALONGSIDE OF A BIG RIG AND THE DRIVER DID NOT SEE ME. HE STARTED TO MANEUVER INTO MY LANE AND THE ACADIA HORN WOULD NOT WORK. NEARLY CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT ON A 70MPH POSTED HIGHWAY. THE DEALER KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND IT HAS BEEN REPORTED TO GMC AND NHTSA BY MANY 2017 GMC ACADIA OWNERS. TO DATE, GMC OFFERS NO FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM. A RECALL OR AT LEAST A REPAIR BULLETIN NEEDS TO BE ISSUED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT, OR WORSE. THIS IS A WIDESPREAD SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE 2017 GMC ACADIA, AND POSSIBLY THE 2018 GMC ACADIA IF THE SAME HORN ACTIVATION HARDWARE IS USED IN THE NEWER MODEL.
HORN HAS NOT WORKED FROM DAY ONE. DEALER SAYS CAN'T FIX UNTIL GM REDESIGNS A SOLUTION. SAD.
IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SOUND THE HORN. IT TAKES MULTIPLE PRESSES AND OFTEN WON'T SOUND WITHOUT USE OF BOTH HANDS. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. IT IS AN ONGOING HAZARD.
WHILE DRIVING, THE HORN FAILED TO ACTIVATE WHEN DEPRESSED. SUBSEQUENTLY, WHEN PARKED, THE HORN REQUIRED EXCESSIVE PRESSURE TO ACTIVATE (TWO HANDS). TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, THE SERVICE ADVISOR TRIED THE HORN AND AGREED THAT IT REQUIRED EXCESSIVE FORCE TO BLOW THE HORN. P/N 84050792 WAS REPLACED WITH NO CHANGE IN THE PRESSURE REQUIRED TO BLOW THE HORN. RESEARCH SHOWS MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE SAME ISSUE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 GMC ACADIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HORN TOOK EXCESSIVE FORCE IN ORDER TO OPERATE. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN SIDE IMPACT COLLISION BECAUSE THE DRIVER COULD NOT ALERT THE OTHER DRIVER OF THEIR PRESENCE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE COLLISION CENTER WHERE IT WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THIS FAILURE WAS COMMON AMONG THIS PARTICULAR MODEL VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED WITH THAT PARTICULAR FAILURE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 600.
THE HORN IS VERY HARD TO HONK. IT TAKES MY WIFE BOTH HANDS TO ACTIVATE THE HORN. I HAVE SEEN SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THE COMPUTER. I HAVE BEEN BACK AND FORTH WITH A GM REPRESENTATIVE FOR ABOUT 5 MOTHS AND HAVE GOTTEN NOWHERE. THEY APPARENTLY DO NOT SEE THIS AS A SAFETY CONCERN. I DO. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY ADJUSTED THE HORN, BUT THERE WAS NO IMPROVEMENT. WE CHECKED 3 OTHER ACADIAS ON THE LOT, AND THEY ALL HAD THIS PROBLEM.
HORN BUTTON IS VERY DIFFICULT TO ACTIVATE. TAKES 2 HANDS TO DEPRES...SAFETY CONCERN.
HORN WILL NOT HONK UNLESS EXCESSIVE PRESSURE IS APPLIED. IT TAKES 2 HANDS TO HONK THE HORN. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A HORN THAT REQUIRED MORE THAN 1 FINGER TO HONK.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 GMC ACADIA DENALI. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE HORN FAILED TO SOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HORN WAS POORLY DESIGNED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 400.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 GMC ACADIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HORN WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT EXTRA PRESSURE WAS NEEDED TO DEPRESS THE HORN IN ORDER FOR IT TO SOUND. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE FAILURE. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE OPERATED AS INTENDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 633.
NEW 2017 GMC ACADIA DENALI FWD. LESS THAN 100 MILES. HORN DOES NOT OPERATE WITH NORMAL DRIVER PRESSURE UNDER ANY CONDITIONS. REQUIRES EXCESSIVE PRESSURE TO OPERATE, REQUIRING USING BOTH HANDS AND THEN ONLY IN ONE SPOT. GM IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAS DONE NOTHING TO CORRECT, CALLING IT IS OPERATING "AS DESIGNED". THE DESIGN IS FLAWED AND GM FAILS TO ADMIT IT AND TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION. IT IS PAST TIME THAT THIS PROBLEM IS FIXED, AS IT HAS BEEN REPORTED MANY TIMES BY OTHER GMC ACADIA OWNERS AND IS ON RECORD WITH THE NHTSA. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO BE KILLED BEFORE A FIX IS RELEASED? DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO BE KILLED BEFORE THE NHTSA ACTS ON THIS POTENTIALLY LETHAL DEFECT?
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 GMC ACADIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE HORN FAILED TO ACTIVATE WHEN DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE STEERING WHEEL ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED BUT FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 700. .....UPDATED 03/08/17 *BF
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 GMC ACADIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HORN DID NOT FUNCTION UNLESS AN ABNORMAL FORCE WAS EXERTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TWO DEALERS WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT IT TOOK AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF FORCE TO GET THE HORN TO WORK. THERE WAS NO REMEDY FOR THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 1,800.
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Quick Summary
The 2017 GMC Acadia has 74 Electrical System complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.