GMC Acadia problems
364 owner complaints with NHTSA, no active recalls. Here's where owners say it breaks.
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy.
- Reliability score 7.2/10 — around the segment average
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Top trouble spots 8 categories with 3+ complaints
What owners are saying recent NHTSA-filed complaints · verbatim
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift to park(P) as intended and could not be turned off. The message "Shift to Park" was displayed. The contact was able to turn off the vehicle after shifting to low gear. The local dealer was…
When I placed the vehicle in park, the dashboard alert/warning would signal "shift to park". This would continue to go off for quite some time, and it continued to get worse and take longer to shut off. Eventually the alarm would not go off I turned the car back on and off, nor…
Shift to park caused by a faulty micro switch. Woukd take up to 30 min to get car in park, leading to engine shutdown failures and possibly battery drain I did replace battery before I knew this was causing this. Messages did appear saying this was an issue ,must shift to park…
I would park my car and try to turn off car. The car would not turn off. The car continued to ding the car remained on. The safety issue is the car wouldn't turn off. After many many times shifting from park to drive it would finally park, this happened every time using the car.…
Estimate your repair exposure
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
Common questions
Is the 2019 GMC Acadia reliable?
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 7.2 out of 10 based on 364 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2019 GMC Acadia is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
Should you avoid the 2019 GMC Acadia?
The 2019 GMC Acadia is acceptable, with specific caveats. Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy. The record behind that call: Reliability score 7.2/10 — around the segment average. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
What's the most common problem on the 2019 GMC Acadia?
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is powertrain, with 143 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 48,374 miles. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop.
What's the most expensive thing that goes wrong?
The powertrain is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 48,374 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
How do I check if my GMC Acadia has open recalls?
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Is an extended warranty worth it on a 2019 GMC Acadia?
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 364 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $2,500, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.