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2019 GMC Acadia: problems, recalls and reliability

2 recalls and 379 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is power train (42% of complaints); the 2020 and 2021 model years look more trouble-free.

Data updated weekly · 7 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall Feb 2021

2
recalls
379
owner complaints
2
fire reports
40,380
typical failure mileage, mi

All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.

NHTSA crash testOverall ★★★★★Front ★★★★★Side ★★★★★Rollover ★★★★
5-star NHTSA overall safety ratingOne of the most complained-about Acadia years (#2 of 19, age-adjusted)Weak spot: power train (42%)2 fire reports

Common problems

Computed from 379 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.

Power Train (transmission, axles, driveline)42% · 120 complaints
Electrical System (battery, wiring, electronics)24% · 69 complaints
Engine (engine mechanics)12% · 33 complaints
Steering (steering wheel, rack, power assist)5% · 15 complaints
Service Brakes (brakes)4% · 12 complaints
Exterior Lighting (headlights, taillights)2% · 7 complaints
shifter micro-switch is not working and is available for inspection upon request. Vehicle is not shutting off as it is indicating shift to park. The vehicle unable to shut off can cause issues while parked in the garage still running and worried about causing a fire. Problem diagnosed by private individual but have plans on taking it to dealership. The shift to park indicator issue has been occurring for almost a year and has progressively gotten worse. I have noticed other vehicles with the same make/model/year have had similar issues with known defects that a recall was issued.Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Aug 2026
I was at a red light, I went to drive as the light turned green and my car stopped and wouldn't drive, I could go into neutral to get out of way but anything the car would stop. There is no codes or lights turned on my dash though.Owner report · Engine · Jul 2026
I purchased vehicle used 2 years ago last year. I noticed the air conditioner was not cooling. I summed it up too, and extremely hot summer.This summer I did the same thing.I took it in immediately. Catastrophic, I think I bought it like this. It fell apart, the air conditioning compressor fell apart.There is like shrapnel through everything, and they have to go through and clean everything out.It's gonna cost me over two grand. But it only be in 40000 miles on it. I understand it's a twenty nineteen, but owner said at forty thousand miles.This should never happen.Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jul 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
When I shift my 2019 GMC Acadia into park, the warning message reads shift to park and there is a ding warning that plays for several mins. This has been going on for over a year. I took it to the dealership and they said they could repair it for $1000 dollars but the solenoid was only guaranteed for 30 days. There is no possible way a dealership can expect a person to pay $1000 dollars a month to keep their family and transportation safe.Owner report · Power Train · Jun 2026
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a "Steering Assist is Reduced " warning message unexpectedly displayed. The contact also stated that the thermostat became inoperable. Additionally, the thermostat information was no longer displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the thermostat had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for further assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 48,500.Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · May 2026
My check engine light is on there is a note that says steering assist is reduced. I took it to O'Reilly's to get it scanned. The code that comes up is P0128 indicating that the coolant thermostat has a fault. There are other GMC's that have a recall for this, but apparently not mine.Owner report · Steering · May 2026
I am getting the 'SHIFT TO PARK' error message when I put the vehicle in park. When I looked up the error this is what I got... but I don't see a recall for my vehicle. The "Shift to Park" message in GMC Acadias (2017-2019, primarily) is a common, known issue caused by a faulty microswitch in the shifter assembly that fails to recognize when the car is in Park. This defect prevents the engine from shutting off, drains the battery, and requires a replacement of the shifter switch or assembly.Owner report · Unknown Or Other · May 2026
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that upon parking and attempting to turn off the vehicle, the message "Action Required. Shift to Park" was displayed while the gear shifter was in park(P). The vehicle failed to turn off. The contact moved the gear shifter back and forth until the vehicle registered it was in park (P). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who replaced a wiring harness and switch. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 56,757.Owner report · Power Train · May 2026
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into park and failed to shut off. There was a shift to a park error message displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a contact issue in the transmission box. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was approximately 91,355.Owner report · Power Train · Apr 2026
2109 Acadia. The gear shift would not register as being in park when it actually was in park. This created an issue of the interior lights and radio not being turned off when the driver door was opened, posing the possibility of the battery being drained and the driver stranded. Upon searching, it was learned many Acadias have had this issue, including a friends'. This was reported to GMC Executive Resolution Team and that it cost us $341.38 to get it repaired. They refused reimbursement and have not issued a recall even though many Acadias are involved in this problem.Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Apr 2026

When filing, owners marked a crash in 5 of these complaints and injuries in 2 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.

Recalls - 2 campaigns

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION20V668000 · Oct 2020

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.

TIRES21V115000 · Feb 2021

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, XT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, 2018-2021 Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana, 2019-2020 Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, GMC Acadia, Sierra 1500, and certain Continental tires sold to the aftermarket for various model year 2018-2021 vehicles. The affected tires were cured for too long during production.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 22, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212329050.

Trouble codes owners mention

OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.

How other years compare

Check your exact Acadia by VIN

Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.

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Frequently asked questions

Is the 2019 GMC Acadia reliable?

NHTSA has 379 owner complaints and 2 recall campaigns on record for the 2019 GMC Acadia. The most complained-about area is power train (42% of complaints).

At what mileage do 2019 GMC Acadia problems usually appear?

Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 40,380 miles or less.

Does the 2019 GMC Acadia have open recalls?

2 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning power train:automatic transmission. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.