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GMC Acadia 2017 — 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 2017 GMC Acadia to NHTSA, most often about electrical system.
All reports
40The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into gear after parking in the McDonald's drive thru. The vehicle was shifted into gear and resumed normal operations after an extended period. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and the contact was informed that the vehicle operated as designed, and no repairs were needed. The failed had occurred in 2022, and the gear shifter and the drive shaft were replaced. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.
Bad thermostat causing power steering to go out and lose AC.
My Shift To Park senor come on often and wouldn't let me turn the vehicle off. I have taken to dealership for repair. Long wait and because parts are back ordered due to numerous vehicles having this same problem. This has left me stranded in my vehicle and not able to turn it off and leave the vehicle. I feel this is unsafe and should be handled on a recall. I am now without a vehicle for who knows how long?
My Acadia went into limp Mode displaying low power mode on the screen and wouldn’t start for a couple days after. Lights started illuminating on the dash as abs, traction control, and stanilitrack, then check engine light came on and my gmc app displayed code p2138. I have had since low power and extremely high gas consumption.
Something inside the wheel started smoking and my gmc app displayed low break fluid. I pulled over and had someone come out two days later. The breakpad had uneven wear and the caliper had a broken seal on it which in turn tore the caliper up! This was not a safe situation to have with 4 kids in the car. This car has been one problem after another !
P235/65r18, 106v 3 of the 4 tires are bubbled out lose air and are constantly feeling as if they are hydroplaning with lack of ice water or snow, constantly having to fill the tires with air. One has popped completely and am driving on a spare tire. It is unsafe to drive, 33 of the 4 tpms sensors have quit working as well:
Shift to park take forever to get it to recognize that vehicle is in park. my lane departure only works sometimes.
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that after shifting into park (P), the vehicle failed to shut off because it failed to recognize that the gear shifter was in park (P). The "Shift To Park" warning message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact jiggled the gear shifter button several times until the vehicle responded as intended and turned off. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently but became frequent. A dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that there were no recalls on the vehicle, and a diagnostic estimate was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked on an incline with the engine turned off, the contact's toddler was able to shift into drive(D), and the vehicle rolled backwards, hit a light pole and a basketball stand, causing damage to the front driver-side door. No police report was filed, and no injuries were reported. The contact was unable to shift back into park(P) and was forced to start the vehicle in neutral(N). The contact was then unable to shut off the vehicle as the gear shifter was no longer in park(P). Upon investigation, the contact learned that it was necessary to manually flip a switch underneath the gear console for the vehicle to register that it was in park(P). The contact initially took the vehicle to the independent mechanic but was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact submitted a claim with pictures and videos of the failure. The contact was then instructed to take the vehicle to a dealer for an inspection. The contact was later informed by the claim manager that the claim would be denied, and no further assistance was offered. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 99,968.
P0128 code, thermostat-related symptoms, Steering Assist Reduced warnings, increased steering effort, or other safety concerns while driving.
My Shift To Park senor come on often and wouldn't let me turn the vehicle off.
The contact owns an Evenflo Car Seat, Model Type: Evenflo Gold Revolve360 Extend, Manufactured Date: January 14, 2025, installed in a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the 360-degree rotating car seat failed to lock securely into position while the child was seated in the car seat. While attempting to position the car seat in the forward-facing setting, the rotational shell failed to engage or snap into the locking mechanism on the base. The failure had occurred inside the vehicle. The car seat was not repaired or replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was in the process of replacing the car seat.
Vehicle has experienced multiple electrical and mechanical failures at unusually low mileage. Purchased at 32,000 miles. At approximately 50,000 miles, the factory radio/infotainment system failed completely. Electrical systems were observed remaining active after the vehicle was powered off, suggesting an underlying electrical fault. At approximately 60,000 miles, the power steering rack and fuel pump both required full replacement and were confirmed and replaced by an authorized dealership. No warning lights appeared prior to these failures — components failed without any prior indication. At approximately 100,000 miles, the transmission began failing and exhibits the known torque converter shudder issue widely reported on this vehicle platform. The shudder was present prior to full transmission failure symptoms appearing. The pattern of premature failures across multiple unrelated systems — electrical, steering, fuel delivery, and transmission — suggests a broader manufacturing defect.
I have replaced 5 batteries in my vehicle. The battery is constantly being drained. There is no lights or residual drawing power that can be identified.
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the transmission and torque converter were previously replaced twice; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.
Imagine wrapping up your errands and stepping into your GMC Acadia to drive home. You arrive and everything seems fine until you park, press the button to shut it off, and a “Shift to Park” message lights up the dashboard. Thinking you might have made a silly mistake, you double-check the shifter, only to realize it’s already in Park. It has become so rampant, has drained my battery and caused anxiety.
Steering assist is reduced Brake assist reduced Seems to be a defective thermostat and sensor .temp gauge is below Normal operating temperature this needs to be addressed by GM should be a recall as this can be a costly repair.Many reports of same issue
UNKNOWN I’m told the micro parking switch is the problem. This is an intermediate issue. This is a well known problem with the GMC Acadias. Their times when I try to turn off the engine, I get a shift to park error message. The car will not turn off, I’m unable to lock the doors and I’m concerned that the car is not in the park position thus and fearful, it can roll away. This has been occurring more often than before.
When the car was parked and turned off, I received a notice to "SHIFT TO PARK" even though the car was in park.
I keep getting this warning "Action Required Steering Assist Is Reduced Drive With Care" . This warning has occurred randomly for several years. Recently, after getting this warning the check engine light came on and the engine temp gauge stopped indicating. I have seen a bulletin from GM that this condition is covered under a 'special warranty extension' for a single model year, but it is common over at least 5 model years. This should be a recall because of the steering assist issue.
Driver's side seat belt lower attachment point. Has a flexible cable swage attachment to the lower seat belt and. This braided steel cable has failed at the swage. No accident involved. Just a fatigue failure over time. But since this is a safety system, I thought I should report it. It seems very similar to the earlier seat belt failures on the same GMC platform. That recall is included as a reference document
When shifting vehicle into park and turning off the ignition switch a notification shows up and says shift to park even though vehicle is already in that position.
Dash states put in park. But in park, car would deplete battery which I replaced but didn't fix. Unsafe as manuel states car can shut down while driving to preserve battery. Only 23,635 miles. Mostly parked. Parts $57 with $378 labor!
Twice the side detection system failed due to corroded wiring under the bumper which then led into the electrical system failing on side air bag detection/blind zone detection/traction control system/display monitor and blinkers all failing to the point of vehicle not starting. The safety is these features failed which were both safety and stability. Risks occur in becoming stranded and the problem was first noted by dealer to be a poor battery. GM pushed out a "Special Coverage Adjustment' to have the wiring/module kit to be ordered and repaired by a dealer for no charge. Stipulations was within 6 yrs or 80,000 from 'placed in use'. Warning lamps occurred after the corrosion was too far along to be rectified and after the 6n yrs off the lot. Manufacture GM issued the special adjustment but dealership did not provide notice beyond letter at point of failure in vehicle so that twice I have had to contend with this issue and pay in full for the service work performed. The second fail of this wiring system and module was within 3 years of first replacement.
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the A/C system became inoperable. Additionally, the engine fan activated and remained activated even after the vehicle was turned off. The contact stated that the failure had recurred while driving. The contact related the failure to GM Special Coverage Number: N252508350 (Engine Coolant Thermostat). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Seeing the intermittent shift to park messages when the vehicle has been shifted into park and the ignition is turned to the off position. Shifter wire harness jumper & transmission controls A malfunctioning shifter raises fears of potential rollaway accidents, even if such cases remain rare. For anyone who has to park on a slope, this fear can cause serious worry. Yes, there is a service bulletin (19-NA-206) No, this is 1 of the only problems I have had with this. The other issues I have had is the clear coating on the rims are peeling
The shift to park keeps showing up and I had this issue taken care of last year at the dealership and it just started again. It is over $600 to have the repair done and should last more than a year before it needs to be replaced again. The lane assist pops up every couple weeks that it is not working.
Steering assist is reduced
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while parked at her work, she had attempted to start the vehicle and was unable. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The contact had smelled the strong odor of gasoline from the front end of the vehicle. The contact stated a co-worker had looked underneath the vehicle and confirmed the leak of gasoline. The contact had taken the vehicle back to the same independent mechanic, who advised that the fuel pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that she was in a parking lot at a shopping center as she was looking for a parking spot, the driver's side air bag exploded, there was no crash. The contact said that she heard a loud "boom," and she had scrapes on her arms, hands, and face. The contact stated that her sons both had cuts and scrapes on their faces, the contact said one of her children needed stitches on his lip from the explosion. The contact stated that the police and emergency services were at the scene. The contact stated that her vehicle was towed back to her residence. The contact stated that she and her children were transported by ambulance to the emergency room. The contact stated that the police issued a report, but she was not given the report number. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
Shift to Park warning comes on when the car is turned off and it is in park. When we park the the car and shift the car to park and turn the car off the warning "shift to park" comes on and the electrical systems will not disengage. The radio stays on, the car can not be locked, and the doors ding loud alarms if you try to exit the car. The only fix is to sit in the car for several minutes and flick the switch under the gear shift and hope that the shift to park warning eventually goes off and you can exit the car. It sometimes takes 8-10 minutes for this to happen. This first happened intermittently and now happens every time we turn off the car. It has been replicated in a dealership and service center. The independent service center that did our brakes said they were aware this was a common problem in GMCs and they experienced it. We have been told it is a microswitch and the repair option is not under any kind of recall or warranty and up to us to pay for the full repair even though it seems there are thousands of people online experiencing the same problem and paying hundreds of dollars for this fix.
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle briefly lost motive power before slamming into gear. Additionally, the vehicle vibrated abnormally while changing gear. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
In March of 2022 at around 79,000 miles, the temperature gauge was intermittently stuck on cold with the cooling fan constantly running and “steering assist reduced” displayed in the DIC. The car was found to have a bad thermostat which was replaced at the dealership on 3/28/2022. About 2 months ago the car started doing the same exact thing again. I have an appointment at the same dealership on March 23. It is likely the same problem again and I have only driven about 50,000 miles since the last time it was fixed. The car is now out of warranty. This is apparently a common recurrent with these model cars. There is in fact a service bulletin released about this very issue. GMC should replace and repair this issue since it is clearly a flaw.
See attached document for complaint.
The engine is spewing oil from the sides of the engine. This is causing overheating and check engine light to come on. Mechanics cannot get an error read on it. There is no oil leak coming from under the engine.
Thermostat Issue (Steering Assist is Reduced Drive with Care) have changed this sensor 3 times in the past 3 years, there is no excuse for that. The emergency braking almost cause me and my daughter to be hit by a train when my car emergency braked while going over train tracks. this is unexcusable
On [XXX] my 2017 Acadia Denali started driving poorly and a steering assist reduced message appeared. I had O'Reilly scan for error messages and they were: P0128 and P0826-00. The dealership confirmed that they would need to replace the thermostat. The Buick GMC Beaverton technician made a video of my vehicle: [XXX] My safety was put at risk due to the risk of my steering going out. My car intermittently was having trouble engaging in driving (it randomly acted like it was not firing, it was "jerking"), I heard my cooling fan come on immediately the next day when started my car to drive it to the GMC dealership. I feared that my car would just die going over a mountain pass without cell coverage. On [XXX] I had the same steering assist reduced message and then replaced my thermostat at 39,228 miles. I will need to replace this again, 37,638 miles later. The GMC service technician mentioned that this is a typical problem for my car, and I have discovered a 2022 Acadia recall for their thermostats. Please extend this recall to include the 2017 Acadia. The component was not inspected by the police or insurance rep (yet), but it was inspected by the GMC dealership and O'Reilly veri scan. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Vehicle will not shut off, keep showing shift to Park, even when vehicle is in park with parking brake engaged. This has been a common occurrence and I see where people discuss a recall, but one is not available for my VIN.
The Car has over the last few years not turn off due to shift to park. This is concerning, due to we cannot turn the car off unless we strike the shifter few times assuming this is the remedy. It doesn't look like there is any type of recall but there should be.
Tire size is P235/65R18 I purchased these tires in December of 2024. I am concerned that these tires were built without the correct compound to be qualified as an all-season. I have never had tires this bad in snow, even though they are all season brand-new tires with full tread. I immediately bought a set of snow tires for the vehicle. I again tried these tires in snow in November of 2025 after they had roughly 10,000 miles on them, and again found them to be the worst tires in snow that I have ever driven. I am concerned these were a mis-build.
My car will not park. I get a shift to park error message. I tried restarting and shutting it off. Didn't work. I ended up putting it in neutral turning on the emergency brake and then shutting the car off. I have had no problems with this car to this point, I am a single car owner and my car must be reliable. I can't spend a half hour trying to get the car to shut off.
Questions
- What do owners report most on the 2017 GMC Acadia?
- Problems with electrical system: 16 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 1 and a fire in 0. These are what owners wrote, not confirmed findings.