GMC Acadia Transmission Problems by Year
By CarWhere Research · Updated
Yes. Owners have filed 1,180 transmission complaints with NHTSA for the 2008–2025 GMC Acadia. For the GMC Acadia, that's 0.94 transmission complaints per 1,000 sold across the 2015–2022 cohorts, 3.4× the median of the 53 models we can rate. The worst years are 2008, 2017 and 2018.
Transmission complaints
1,180
Filed with NHTSA, 2008–2025 models
Per 1,000 sold
0.94
2015–2022 cohorts
Share of all complaints
23.1%
of 5,102 complaints for this model
Transmission recalls
6
NHTSA campaigns, all years
GMC Acadia transmission complaints by model year
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA whose component list includes Power Train (transmission, transfer case and driveline), and per 1,000 vehicles sold where a published U.S. sales figure exists. Worst years are highlighted.
| Model year | Transmission complaints | Per 1,000 sold | Share of all complaints | Crash / fire / injury | Transmission recalls | Transmission TSBs* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008WORST | 279 | — | 32.6% | 3 | — | 97 |
| 2009 | 72 | — | 21.7% | 2 | 09V073000 | 97 |
| 2010 | 43 | — | 12.4% | 0 | — | 114 |
| 2011 | 33 | — | 11.8% | 5 | — | 114 |
| 2012 | 43 | — | 14.3% | 2 | — | 108 |
| 2013 | 27 | — | 19.7% | 1 | — | 130 |
| 2014 | 34 | — | 7.3% | 3 | 14V092000 | 112 |
| 2015 | 22 | 0.23 | 8.5% | 0 | — | 103 |
| 2016 | 20 | 0.23 | 8.6% | 3 | — | 94 |
| 2017WORST | 232 | 2.08 | 33.4% | 3 | 17V516000 | 111 |
| 2018WORST | 161 | 1.82 | 41.6% | 5 | 17V516000 | 102 |
| 2019 | 150 | 1.51 | 40.3% | 1 | 20V668000 | 90 |
| 2020 | 21 | 0.29 | 21.9% | 0 | 20V668000 | 111 |
| 2021 | 17 | 0.28 | 11.8% | 1 | — | 107 |
| 2022 | 4 | 0.08 | 8.9% | 0 | — | 91 |
| 2023 | 11 | — | 28.9% | 0 | 23V17200023V043000 | 73 |
| 2024 | 7 | — | 13% | 0 | — | 45 |
| 2025 | 4 | — | 6.9% | 0 | — | 15 |
- Per 1,000 sold = complaints ÷ published U.S. calendar-year sales × 1,000. Calendar-year sales stand in for the model-year cohort. A dash means no published figure or fewer than 5,000 sold, too small to divide by.
- Older model years have had more time on the road to collect complaints, so compare neighboring years, not 2010 against 2024.
- Crash / fire / injury = complaints where the owner reported a crash, a fire or an injury.
- *Technical service bulletins in the year's leading TSB categories that name the transmission.
Common GMC Acadia transmission problems owners describe
We searched the narratives of all 1,180 transmission complaints for symptom keywords. One complaint can mention several, so the shares don't add up to 100%.
GMC Acadia years to avoid for the transmission
2008 GMC Acadia
279 transmission complaints (32.6% of the year's 857). Most often described: transmission repaired or replaced.
2017 GMC Acadia
232 transmission complaints (33.4% of the year's 695), 2.08 per 1,000 sold. Most often described: shudder or vibration. Covered by transmission recall 17V516000.
2018 GMC Acadia
161 transmission complaints (41.6% of the year's 387), 1.82 per 1,000 sold. Most often described: will not shift, stuck in gear or no reverse. Covered by transmission recall 17V516000.
Worst years are those with at least 10 transmission complaints and at least 1.5 times the model's median year. For every year's overall verdict, including other systems, see the GMC Acadia years to avoid.
GMC Acadia transmission recalls
NHTSA recall campaigns filed under Power Train for any GMC Acadia model year. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check a specific car by VIN on NHTSA's site.
- 23V172000 · 2023-03-16 · 2023 models
The transmission may have been built with an incorrect sun gear, which can result in the driver-side half-shaft disengaging from the transmission.
- 23V043000 · 2023-02-02 · 2023 models
The right-front half-shaft assemblies may be improperly connected to the transmission, causing them to separate.
- 20V668000 · 2020-10-29 · 2019–2020 models
The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
- 17V516000 · 2017-08-22 · 2017–2018 models
The right front intermediate driveshaft may fracture and separate while driving.
- 14V092000 · 2014-02-21 · 2014 models
In the affected vehicles, the transmission shift cable adjuster may disengage from the transmission shift lever. As such, these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter…
- 09V073000 · 2009-03-06 · 2009 models
GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING 276,729 MY 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE, CHEVROLET COBALT, HHR, MALIBU, TRAVERSE, GMC ACADIA, PONTIAC G5, G6 AND SATURN AURA AND OUTLOOK PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLES SAFETY STANDARD 102,…
Related research
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2008 GMC Acadia have transmission problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 279 transmission complaints with NHTSA for the 2008 GMC Acadia, 32.6% of all 857 complaints for that year. The most common description is "transmission repaired or replaced" (67 complaints). 3 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Does the 2017 GMC Acadia have transmission problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 232 transmission complaints with NHTSA for the 2017 GMC Acadia, 33.4% of all 695 complaints for that year, or 2.08 per 1,000 sold. The most common description is "shudder or vibration" (17 complaints). One transmission-related recall covers it: 17V516000. 3 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Does the 2018 GMC Acadia have transmission problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 161 transmission complaints with NHTSA for the 2018 GMC Acadia, 41.6% of all 387 complaints for that year, or 1.82 per 1,000 sold. The most common description is "will not shift, stuck in gear or no reverse" (9 complaints). One transmission-related recall covers it: 17V516000. 5 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Which GMC Acadia years have the most transmission complaints?
2008 (279), 2017 (232) and 2018 (161), by owner complaints filed with NHTSA that name the transmission. Raw counts favor older and higher-selling years, so compare the per-1,000-sold column too.
What are the most common GMC Acadia transmission problems?
In the 1,180 transmission complaints, owners most often describe transmission repaired or replaced (11.2%), jerking, lurching or harsh shifts (9.3%) and slipping or revving without accelerating (7.7%). One complaint can mention several symptoms.
Is this a transmission failure rate?
No. These are complaints owners chose to file with NHTSA. Many failures are never reported, and one complaint is not a confirmed defect. Dividing by sales shows how often owners complain relative to how many were sold, which makes models of different sizes comparable.
How we count
Counts are unique owner complaints (by NHTSA ODI number) filed with NHTSA for each GMC Acadia model year, from NHTSA's public complaints data fetched July 2026 to November 2026. A complaint counts as a transmission complaint when NHTSA's component list for it includes Power Train (transmission, transfer case and driveline).
Per 1,000 sold divides complaints by published U.S. calendar-year sales for that year. A year needs at least 5,000 sales to get a rate, and a model needs at least 3 such years for its overall rate. The comparison median covers every model with at least 50 transmission complaints that clears those floors.
These are complaint rates, not failure rates. Owners report some problems more than others, and a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
Sources
- NHTSA complaints by vehicle (owner complaints API) — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Report a vehicle safety problem — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration