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GMC Acadia 2013 — Reported problems
Reported by owners to the source below. It is not a verdict on this car: it is what people wrote. 🇺🇸 Local data
40 owners reported problems with the 2013 GMC Acadia to NHTSA, most often about air bags.
All reports
40Sunroof shattered driving on the interstate. Never saw a rock or anything. I think it shattered due to pressure and temperature changes.
I think my vehicle is apart of this recall: March 17, 2014 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V118000 Side Impact Air Bags Wiring Connections Failure of the side impact air bags and seat belt pretensioners to deploy in a crash increase the risk of injury to the driver and front seat occupant.
Transmission causes problems in can be on interstate and be switching lanes and it loses power and wont go takes forever to shift out. It will cut out and you can barely get pulled off side of rd in time. Electrical the battery voltage goes crazy up and down causing vehicle to power surge bad or at night time lights will go out for no reason while driving every now and then you can smell something melting or burning also the engine gets so hot but it's right temperature cooling fan runs constantly even when car is cool.since all the problem with Transmission the suspension is off some how. Its like it's not stable
The windows stopped working. Only the driver’s window still goes down and if it does go down, it often won’t go back up. If there was an accident and windows were the only escape option, you would probably be trapped in the vehicle. It has not been looked at, because I cannot afford to fix it. I do know other acadia owners that have the exact same problem.
The contact owns a 2013 GMC Acadia. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V118000 (Air Bags); and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer was contacted but the manufacturer was not contacted.
Dear Sir/Madam, For the 3rd time now, my transmission is being rebuilt. After purchasing it from the dealership and it was still under warranty GMC Bakersfield rebuilt the transmission, then again in 2020 at 119,000 miles it broke down again and All Automatic in Bakersfield rebuilt it for $3500 and now here it is 2026 and only 60.000 miles later again All Automatic is having to rebuilt the transmission again and asking now for another $4950. I was excited to finally hear there was a recall, only to find it was only for 2014 GMC Acadia's. The transmission have failed again and yes it is available for inspection at All Automation in Bakersfield, CA on Quantico. During the course of breaking down the my safety and the safety of my children was at risk. My vehicle was jumping, jerking the RPM's were all over the place and at one point in the course of driving on the freeway it felt like it lost power and nearly stopped. This has been an ongoing problem since the purchase of the vehicle. It has been inspected and diagnosed by All Automatic. There were no warnings, messages or symptoms that were constant. It was sporadically slipping up until the time it gave out. I have spoke to several 2013 GMC Acadia owners who have the exact same problem along with the back light covers falling off and All the plastic coverings on the inside falling off.
I bought a 2013 gmc Acadia with a 3.6l engine and I was driving it home, and the engine locked up on me, and it didn’t throw a code or anything, it just shut off and wouldn’t start back up, and later I find out that it had an oil leak from somewhere and now I have to have the engine replaced, which is 13k dollars, the vehicle is located at walker Chevrolet in nitro wv, I’m a single dad of 5 children and I can’t afford to fix this vehicle at that price, I asked if they could take payments to replace it, and they said not and that they would NOT Release the vehicle back to me until it is paid for, and now I’m stranded with 5 children with no way to go to the store or anything. The engine locked up on me in the middle of the four lane in st albans wv, and I almost got hit by vehicles that were behind me and everything.
Unknown, The vehicle will begin to jerk or shake when it gets up to about 30 - 40mph then levels out. Sometimes it will repeat the jerking when traveling at speed of 50 - 60mph for a few seconds then levels out. Sometimes the vehicle hesitate on take off from a stopped position.
The contact owns a 2013 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that intermittently, the vehicle was difficult to start. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light and the traction control warning light were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the alternator, the stabilizer, starter, ignition switch, the door panel, the axle, the matt sensor, the canister valve, gas cap, and power master window switch was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The mechanic determined that the failure was related to the fuse box. The contact used a diagnostic scanner to scan the vehicle but was unable to retrieve any diagnostic trouble codes. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall related to the electrical system. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.
The contact owns a 2013 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the vehicle was intermittently difficult to start. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. The check engine and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the alternator, stabilizer, starter, ignition switch, door panel, axle, MAP sensor, canister valve, gas cap, and power master window switch were replaced. The mechanic determined that the failure was related to the fuse box. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall related to the electrical system. The contact used a diagnostic scanner to scan the vehicle but was unable to retrieve any diagnostic trouble codes. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.
My 2013 GMC ACADIA started fire on April 9, 2024 around 11PM in the driveway of our home. The vehicle was parked and off. The vehicle wasn’t used during the day. The last day of use was on April 8, 2024 around 6PM. The fire department stated it was potentially an electrical fire within the engine of the vehicle.
I was tboned January 9, 2023 the side impact airbags didn't deploy nor does it seem the seatbelts engaged. There were 2 side impacts to the passengers side ZERO airbags deployed. It WAS part of a recall AND recall work had been completed almost immediately in 2014 (GM website screenshots attached for your easy reference for the 2 recalls showing completed). YET, they STILL failed! NO indication they had an issue nor would fail when needed as they did. The driver of the other vehicle was seemingly going a high rate of speed when she failed to stop for the red light her direction and tboned me as I was traveling through an intersection for a green light my travel path. My vehicle was totaled, part of the total report attached indicated "Diagnose Airbags" as they didn't deploy. (Screenshots of a GM autobody shop estimate line item as well as CarFax report attached for your easy reference) Multiple injuries sustained, including a serious TBI.
The harzard lights button are no longer working. Unable to push button for them to come on. Can not check mileage on car that button is no longer working either. Information panel does not work any longer either.
At 35-40 and 55-65 mph, the car slips/ pulls back. I took it to the dealer, my rep said it is a known issue and GMC issued a bulletin but will not recall it because it's too expensive. There are thousands of reports online. Please investigate.
The contact owns a 2013 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that after coming to a stop for a traffic signal or stopping for other traffic, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact was unaware if any warning lights were illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the torque converter solenoid had remained in an open position, causing the vehicle to stall while stopped. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact stated that his mechanic had researched online and related the failure to TSB Number: 10052215-6979 (Power Train). The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 194,032.
Battery saver mode activated dinged then car talked to me. I've replaced the alternator and brand new battery.....car battery draining FAST n only pulling 11.03 volts when it's supposed hit 14.5-15.5volts. Also air bag lite is on saying service airbag. I've only had the car 3 months....bought it from a dealer march 13th n till 2-3 days ago been working fine. Now saying service air bag n battery saver mode activated. I have no clue to this .....I'm lost after replacing the battery n alternator.
Unknown. Engine blew. Was determined by independent service provider. Vehicle wouldn’t start and blew white smoke from the exhaust.
I dont know exactly what is wrong but from online videos i think power train or transmission. When driving the vehicle will struggle/delay shifting. When it does finally shift its so hard it throws u forward. When having to quickly get on the gas it will delay to where your not really moving. This almost caused accidents multiple times. ( not pulling out in front of people) entering interstate is a good exsample. It has also lost power when crossing intersection!
Left rear brake light dose not work, that is also the left rear turn signal. Part number 13582912 brake/turn signal bulb. GMC can not provide me with one. Chevrolet can not provide me with one. None of the chain store parts companies have them either. I have call GMC customer service line and also Chevrolet customer service line. They are of no help. Thank You.
Car had sat most of the day. By approximately 2:30CST, we decided to go do a little shopping. We drove about 1 mile and the dash displayed "check battery charging system". My husband assumed it was the alternator going out so we turned around swapped vehicles. Probably 45 mins after swapping vehicles I received a call stating my vehicle was up in flames.
The contact owned a 2013 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while driving at 25 MPH, the contact was struck by another vehicle that ran a red light at 60 MPH and struck the passenger side of the vehicle. No air bags deploy. The contact suffered a concussion and was taken to the hospital. The vehicle was towed to a collision center. The vehicle was deemed totally lost. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 135,000.
Light “Service Air Bag” came on and will not go off going at speed of 10 mph.
My GMC Acadia has been experiencing transmission problems. It has been jerking and it has been failing to accelerate properly. The check engine light is not on and the mechanic says he can not find a problem with the vehicle.
My service air bag light is on. The dealership says it’s a sensor for which I will be responsible for replacing out of pocket. They stated my air bags will not deploy properly. As the faulty sensor is a manufacturing flaw why is GMC not responsible for the replacement?
The Airbag error message has been displaying on my dash board for awhile now. On November, 2021, I took it to the nearest GMC dealer and repairs to the connector were charged to the extended warranty. One month later the error message reappeared and disappeared after one day. It kept on like that for awhile until July 2022 when I took it to the dealers and they said they fixed it, next day the same error message. Now the dealers are lying that what they worked on was drivers seat side bag and that this time around, the issue is with the bottom part of driver's seat..... My wife and small kids use this car for commute to and from school and this poses a huge risk and danger to my young family everyday.
Power lift gate failed and dropped closed while person under it. No injury but continues to fail each time now. Will be going in for repair next week. Looks like there was recall on 2007-2012 for this issue.
A MESSAGE APPEARED ON MY DASHBOARD STATING "SERVICE AIR BAG". I BROUGHT MY 2013 GMC ACADIA TO KING O'ROURKE DEALERSHIP IN SMITHTOWN, NY. THEY INFORMED ME "THERE IS A FAULTY SENSOR WHICH CONTROLS THE AIRBAGS. SINCE THE SENSOR IS DEFECTIVE, MY AIRBAGS WILL NO LONGER WORK". LAST YEAR, THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST GM FOR THIS PROBLEM BUT GM WILL NOT RECALL THE FAULTY SENSOR FOR THE AIRBAGS EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE AWARE OF THIS. MY ENTIRE FAMILY'S LIFE IS IN JEOPARDY WITHOUT AIRBAGS! WHY IS THE CONSUMER RESPONSIBLE FOR A FAULTY SENSOR WHICH CONTROLS THE AIRBAGS? CAR COMPANIES SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LIFE OF THE CAR WHEN IT HAS TO DO WITH AIRBAGS!
The original side detection system is not an enclosed system. Allowing water, snow, sleet, and salt can penetrate the system. Once, there is penetration and corrosion in the system it effects the entire automobile's electrical system and instrument cluster. Causing the vehicle to come to a complete halt.
Service air bag light and blind spot detection system lights are on.
I brought the car to the dealer due to an AIRBAG warning light on my dash. My VIN, regardless of identical issues to those noted in the dealer recalls, was not included in them. The items below were noted by the dealer as requiring immediate attention and estimated to cost $2,400. Current Mileage: 95,635 - AIRBAGS LR and RS Side Impact Sensor faulty. If not replaced the airbag system will not function correctly at the time of impact, preventing the airbags from deploying, and putting the passengers of the vehicle in harm's way. Warning light on dash alerts to sensor's invalid data from the sensor. - TAIL LIGHT casings fill with water causing an electrical short and the bulbs to burn out. This also causes a double-time ticking when you try the turn signal, alerting you to the issues.
2013 GMC Acadia left brake light, tail light, turn signal bulb is burned out. There is no way to purchase another bulb. Retail stores don't have it. General Motors Corporation discontinued it. 2013 to 2017 GMC Acadia all affected. I've tried GM direct,GM parts online no one has it. GMC customer service was no help, Chevrolet customer service was no help. No left brake light. No left turn signal. Accident waiting to happen.
After having for just under a year the transmission seems to be acting up when going from 2nd to 3rd gear around 30mph to 40mph. After reading several forms it seems this is a common occurrence in these vehicles.. not sure if it’s been reported but all the forms are showing people had to spend a good amount to determine what the issue is and seems that everyone had to replace the transmissions for the problem to go away. I’m not sure how everything works but feel it should be looked at maybe.
On 02/10/2022 my side warning detection monitors are both activated/lit up intrmittently while parked or driving indicating faulty operation and therefore replacement. The vehicle has around 120K miles so out of any warranty. But this will be the third or fourth time ( not original ow er so dealer has records) that this has happened. Last time in December 2020 I had an extended warranty that covered the passenger module but was not the "improved" module with some type of casing to address the corrosion causing the failures as they wanted an extra $3-400 for that part. Why they still manufacture the bad part is interesting since they have recognized they have a pro lem with the older part. Have seen other complaints that not fixing these can result in other electrical failures that can be dangerous even an electrical fire was reported from this. Obviously I feel the issue is widespread enough for a blanket recall beyond the one issued for 6 y3ears or 80K miles.
Started having issues with transmission stuttering during gear shifts. Very slow shifts at time and difficulty keeps RPM up when climbing hills. Took it to a shop that identified an issue and was advised the transmission would need to be replaced.
WHEN DRIVING IN TRAFFIC AND SLOWING DOWN OR COMING TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE GOES COMPLETELY DEAD. I WILL HAVE TO RESTART AT EACH STOP. WHEN IT DOES START, IT IS NOT A SMOOTH TAKE OFF, IT IS EXTREMELY ROUGH, ALMOST LIKE A MANUAL TRANSMISSION IN THE WRONG GEAR. THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING. AND IT IS GETTING WORST EVERY DAY. I HAVE TO TRANSPORT MY FAMILY IN THIS VEHICLE AND IT IS VERY UNSAFE FOR US. I STILL HAVE A YEAR TO PAY FOR IT AND I AM HEARING MORE AND MORE CUSTOMERS WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. THE DEALER DOESN'T WANT TO TOUCH IT, BECAUSE THEY ARE UNSURE WHAT IS WRONG, OR IF THEY CAN REPAIR IT. FRANKLY, THIS SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE WITH THIS MANY CARS. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL NEAR-MISSES WITH ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF THE CAR STALLING IN TRAFFIC.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 GMC ACADIA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND CEASED ON THE FLOORBOARD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO WHITESIDE CHEVROLET BUICK GMC CADILLAC (50714 NATIONAL RD E, ST CLAIRSVILLE, OH 43950) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED HOWEVER, NOTHING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS REFERRED TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH PRODUCT LIABILITY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 99,000. *DT THE CONTACT HAS FILED A SAFETY REPORT WITH THE MANUFACTURER.
BOUGHT THE CAR AND THE AC DOESN'T WORK SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE A RECALL
WON'T TAKE FUEL JUST JUMPS AT ONE POINT THEN EVERY TIME I FILL UP WITH FUEL IT WILL JUST SET AND GRIND I HAVE TO KEEP PUMPING THE GAS FOR IT TO FINALLY START THEN IT STARTS JUMPING FOR AWHILE BETWEEN FILL UPS AND I'M AFRAID IT WILL DIE WHEN I GO TO PULL ON THE ROAD IT'S THAT BAD.
THE SERVICE SIDE DETECTION SYSTEM HAS APPEARED IN THE DIC DUE TO WATER INTRUSION IN THE SENSORS. THEY WERE ORIGINALLY REPLACED PER THE TSB16-NA-178 IN APRIL OF 2019. THE ISSUE HAS SINCE RE-OCCURRED 2/18/21 WHILE DRIVING, WHICH JEOPARDIZES MY SAFETY. I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS MAY LEAD TO ADDITIONAL ELECTRICAL ISSUES AND MAY CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO ENTER LIMP MODE.
2013 GMC ACADIA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE 35R DRUM AND SNAP RINGS FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE DUE TO THE VEHICLE BEING OUT OF WARRANTY. *JS
Questions
- What do owners report most on the 2013 GMC Acadia?
- Problems with air bags: 11 reports of 40 on record at NHTSA.
- How many owner reports mention a crash or a fire?
- Out of 40 reports: a crash is mentioned in 2 and a fire in 2. These are what owners wrote, not confirmed findings.