AI Damage2023 GMC Acadia: common problems
Owners of the 2023 GMC Acadia filed 47 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and engine. The maker issued 584 service bulletins for this year. We found 1 repair videos on YouTube. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 47
- involving a crash
- 3
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 584
- YouTube repair videos
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 28% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 28% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 21% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 9% of all complaints
- 5 Steering 9% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel/propulsion system 6% of all complaints
- 7 Backover prevention 4% of all complaints
- 8 Forward collision avoidance 4% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 13 complaints (28% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 69.
- Engine: 13 complaints (28% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 60.
- Electrical system: 10 complaints (21% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 157.
- Service brakes: 4 complaints (9% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 21.
- Steering: 4 complaints (9% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 15.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl
- 3.6 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 9-speed
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 47 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 13 | 0 | 69 |
| Engine | 13 | 2 | 60 |
| Electrical system | 10 | 0 | 157 |
| Service brakes | 4 | 0 | 21 |
| Steering | 4 | 0 | 15 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 3 | 0 | 12 |
| Backover prevention | 2 | 0 | 11 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 2 | 0 | 11 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 9 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Air bags | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 23 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 14 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration and drove forward, over a curb, and crashed into a tree. During the crash, the front end of the vehicle sustained severe damage, but no air bags deployed. No injuries were reported, and no police report was taken. The cause of the failure was not determined.
It does make a horrible clunking sound when I steer sharply which vibrates the car. So I definitely believe this does affect the steering. No question I will have to get this fixed ASAP.
My specific VIN is currently excluded from the active recall population, despite experiencing the identical manufacturing defect and catastrophic loss of motive power. This creates a severe highway safety hazard and a rolling/rollaway risk.
On one occasion, the unexpected braking behavior nearly resulted in my vehicle being rear-ended. I had the vehicle inspected at a GMC dealership, as well as by the dealer that I purchased the vehicle from. The problem was initially intermittent and was not reproduced during the first two inspections.
The vehicle was shifted into park(P), and the check engine and traction control warning lights illuminated. The check engine warning light remained illuminated. An independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle at the residence and retrieved DTC: C05CC. The dealer was notified of the failure via a voicemail message.
There were no warning lights nor did the car stutter or seem any different. I was also nightime making me invisible to other drivers. There was no way to shift the car from park to neutral to get it out of the road. After the incident Onstar sent an email with an error code P023F. The fuel module.
The contact stated that after further inspection, the contact became aware that the second-row middle seat belt buckle failed to latch securely into the seat belt buckle and failed to remain securely locked. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired.
The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle lost motive power in low gears while accelerating. There was a slight shudder. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was shuddering and shaking every 30 seconds.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 899 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 43% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Acadia has 184 complaints (12 years in the data). This year has 47, below average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- PI created to guide technicians through radio restriction process
- This preliminary information is for technicians that may see DTCs that are history and should not perform…
This preliminary information is for technicians that may see DTCs that are history and should not perform any part replacements. They should follow the notes mentioned prior to anything being replaced.
- This Preliminary information communicates to dealers a procedure to reset the radio
- This PI provides Diagnostics tips on how the LIN bus works and how to diagnosis it
- This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance
- This Preliminary information communicates to dealer to perform a MEC reset for wireless projection issues
- PI to help diagnose A/C concern
- This Preliminary information communicates an issue with an OTA pending message still displayed after an…
This Preliminary information communicates an issue with an OTA pending message still displayed after an OTA event and how to reset/clear the message.
- This preliminary information is to inform technicians and customers that the voice command will be…
This preliminary information is to inform technicians and customers that the voice command will be inoperative when trying to open applications. Engineering is investigating and this PI will be converted to a bulletin…
- Pi created to provide GM dealers with information on gathering information for projection issue
- This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size…
- Improvements to OnStar functionality
NHTSA lists 584 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Repair videos
We do not copy videos: these are YouTube links credited to their authors. Amounts are as stated by the author and not verified by us.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2023 GMC Acadia?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, engine, electrical system. Total complaints: 47. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (21%), infotainment or screen glitches (11%), vibration (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2023 GMC Acadia?
NHTSA lists 584 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2023 GMC Acadia from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2023 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.