2019 GMC Acadia Engine
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
Check Engine Light came on with message of "Steering Assist is Reduced Drive with Care". This same thing happened to my sister-in-laws 2019 Acadia 2 months earlier. Took it in right away to the dealership to find out it's the thermostat, it's a common/known issue and it isn't covered under my extended warranty and will cost ~$1300. I'm seeing this is a common issue for Acadia's and has not had a recall, don't understand why. It's one thing if this is a easy part to replace, but GM has made it so that most people now need a dealership or auto repair shop to fix it.
Shift to Park Vehicle does not recognize the gear shifter is in the park position. Vehicle does not fully shut down.
My coolant thermostat went out, causing my AC and steering assist to stop working. I have spoke to multiple other people who have had this same issue with their GMC Acadia and I believe this should be a recall. It’s going to cost me $1200 to have this issue resolved.
While driving the thermostat will go to zero and the steering assist is disabled. I have read a lot of forums that this is a known issue. The only way to reset it, so we have A/C is to disconnect the battery and it will last a day or two and do the same thing.
Unknown My 2019 Acadia Denali has/is been repaired 6 times in 1 1/2 years for engine oil leaks , has had transmission repairs twice , radiator repair and replacement. Also suspension warranty work as well . I feel the oil leaks is and has been excessive and dangerous due to no warning lights never displayed to alert me to check oil
My 2019 GMC Acacia SLT would not go into park to allow me to shut off my vehicle. It ran for over an hour before it finally went into park. This was dangerous as I had a young child to pick up in a busy part of town and I had to leave it running to try to get help. With a 3 year old child this was crazy. This is not the first time it has done this. My car had a recall and whomever fixed it didn’t do it. I feel this needs to be fixed properly now.
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the "Steering Assist - Reduce Speeds" message was displayed, and there was a loud roaring sound coming from the engine. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The failure recurred while the heat was turned off in the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a faulty temperature gauge. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Engine consuming extra oil due to failed piston ring. Also, may be the cause of a coolant failure code. Burning through excessive oil and check engine light came on. Also, prior to these warnings, I've felt hesitation when accelerating and when the car changes gears. I was told by a shop that I need a new engine. This causes a dangerous situation because the car could just stop working while driving or in traffic.
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The low oil message was displayed. The contact added oil to the engine. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the oil gasket and plate needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 72,885.
I’ve had 2 issues with the thermostat going bad. The official part is called the water outlet assembly that includes the thermostat. I’ve also had several others tell me they have had this issue.
Thermostat gets stuck, generally in open state. AC also is disabled in this condition, soft code (no MIL) mentions "limited steering available" and temp gauge on dash goes to 0. Hard code eventually comes (solid Check Engine light on the dash). Code, MIL, and temp gauge can be cleared and fixed by disconnecting battery negative terminal and reconnecting it, and it will run consistently for a while, though it will return. Online there are no thermostat modules for this engine available (3.6L V6, also in Cadillac XT6, Buick Enclave, and Chevrolet Traverse) showing that thermostat replacement is widespread. Online forum searches also describe widespread thermostat issues for this engine, at roughly $1200 per fix. A reliable thermostat is critical for long-term engine functionality, and should not need replacement at half of design life (~75-80k miles). Though this one tends to fail open instead of close, overcooling of an engine still could have its own issues, and failing closed could lead to engine overheating.
My vehicle would not turn completely off, I would have to start it about ten times before the warning sounds and the yellow light on the ignition switch would go off. I took my Acadia to Rod Hatfield Chevrolet Lexington, KY. I was told that there was an internal short with the transmission shifter, the shifter and harness would need to be replaced. considering that I purchased this vehicle new, and it has 39,793 miles I feel like it should have been covered under the warranty however, it cost me $903.3. I have an open case with GMC who suggested that I contact you to see if my Vehicle Identification Number could be added to for recall.
WHEN ACCELERATING THE VEHICLE EXHAUST OR ENGINE IS REALLY LOUD LIKE THERE'S AN EXHAUST LEAK.
DURING TAKEOFF WITH MODERATE ACCELERATION AROUND 1500-2000 RPM THERE IS AN EXHAUST DRONING/BUZZING SOUND FORWARD OF THE FRONT PASSENGER AREA. VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO DEALER TWICE, THE FIRST TIME THEY REPLACED THE ENTIRE EXHAUST SYSTEM, BUT AFTER 6 MONTHS THE SAME SOUND RETURNED. THE SECOND TIME THEY TRIED TO LOOSEN AND RETIGHTEN THE EXHAUST BUT THE SOUND RETURNED IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARD. THE DRONING SOUND IS MORE LIKELY TO OCCUR AFTER EXHAUST IS WARMED UP.
AT 500 MILES PAST THE WARRANTY EXPIRATION THE RADIATOR DEVELOPED A CRACK ALONG THE TOP SEAM. THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS A MANUFACTURES DEFECT AS THE VEHICLE WAS LESS THAN TWO YEARS OLD. GMC DECLINED TO REPLACE THE PART BECAUSE IT WAS 500 MILES PAST THE WARRANTY ALTHOUGH THEY DID NOT DENY IT WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. I HAVE A GMC CASE NUMBER DOCUMENTING MY DEALINGS WITH THEM. I HAVE PHOTOS FROM THE DEALERSHIP SHOWING THE CRACKED RADIATOR, AS WELL AS AN EMAIL STATING IT WAS A DEFECTIVE PART. I HAVE THE RECEIPT AND I HAVE THE ACTUAL RADIATOR ITSELF. I NOTICED THE RADIATOR LEAKING ON MY GARAGE FLOOR WHEN IT WAS STATIONARY. THIS WAS 10 DAYS AFTER IT WAS LAST SERVICED AND THERE WAS NO ISSUE AT THAT TIME. THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS NOT CAUSED BY IMPACT, BUT JUST THAT THE SEAM SPLIT AT THE TOP OF THE RADIATOR.*DT*JB
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Quick Summary
The 2019 GMC Acadia has 15 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.