GMC Acadia transmission and drivetrain problems, 2016–2027

644 of the 2,203 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the GMC Acadia 2016–2027 name the transmission and drivetrain (NHTSA’s “Power Train” heading — the transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, axles and differentials — NHTSA files them under one heading). The loudest years: 2017 (237), 2018 (163), 2019 (154). Filed under the same heading across these years: 4 recall campaigns. Every figure is a linked federal record; none is a failure rate, none a repair cost, and none a verdict on one car.

644 complaints, 12 model years 29% of everything filed about the Acadia typically at 37k miles

GMC Acadia transmission and drivetrain problems by model year

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications

One row per model year on file, newest first. A year marked in depth has its own page: the complaints, the owners’ words and every document under this heading for that year.

Model year	Complaints naming the transmission and drivetrain	Share of the year’s	Typically at	On file under the heading
2027	0	—	—	—	the year →
2026	3	33%	—	—	the year →
2025	4	6%	—	15 TSBs	the year →
2024	7	11%	—	45 TSBs	the year →
2023	12	28%	—	73 TSBs · 2 recalls	the year →
2022	4	8%	—	91 TSBs	the year →
2021	17	11%	—	107 TSBs	the year →
2020	22	21%	—	111 TSBs · 1 recall	the year →
2019 in depth	154	40%	50k	90 TSBs · 1 recall	the record →
2018 in depth	163	41%	37k	102 TSBs · 1 recall	the record →
2017 in depth	237	34%	36k	112 TSBs · 1 recall	the record →
2016	21	9%	—	91 TSBs	the year →

Two things the counts carry that are not the car: how many of each year were sold, and how long each has been on the road — an older year out-counts a newer one before anything is wrong with it. The share column is the honest comparison across years: what part of that year’s complaints named the transmission and drivetrain. Nothing here is a rate.

When the transmission and drivetrain complaints were filed, and at what mileage

Source: NHTSA complaint database

644complaints name the transmission and drivetrain, all years

Filed per calendar year, every model year together: 2016: 2 · 2017: 6 · 2018: 13 · 2019: 90 · 2020: 104 · 2021: 37 · 2022: 49 · 2023: 67 · 2024: 88 · 2025: 116 · 2026: 72

37kmiles, typically

Across the model years, half of the 315 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the transmission and drivetrain problem between 21,000 and 57,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.

In owners’ own words

Source: NHTSA complaint database

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the transmission and drivetrain, from the model years with the most to say. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.

When the car is parked on a flat surface (inside the garage, parking garage, parking lot), the car will display "shift to park" when it is already in park. The accessories stay on until the driver is able to get the car's computer to notice the car is in park

Power Train at 14,000 miles Aug 19, 2018 NHTSA owner report

Placed the vehicle in park, it was stationary and it rolled forward. Message in the info center said "shift to park". I was parking in a mall parking lot. This has occurred 5 times. I can push the gearshift back and forth and then it can be turned off and the message will disappear.

Power Train at 21,000 miles Aug 9, 2018 NHTSA owner report

My 2018 Gmc Acadia has warning of shift to park. When it is in park. And will not allow me to turn off the car. I feel this is a major issue. This only happens when it is stationary

Power Train at 21,000 miles Aug 22, 2019 NHTSA owner report

2018 Gmc Acadia VIN my car has 41,000 miles. When I park and try to shut my car off a message pops up that says "shift to park". It will not allow me to shut my car off because it does not identify that it is in fact in park. Today it took me 15 minutes of turning my car off and on and shifting in and out of park to get it off.

Power Train at 41,000 miles Aug 21, 2019 NHTSA owner report

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while driving at 45 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed however the vehicle failed to increase in speed and started to jerk. The “service stability track” warning message was displayed. The failure was intermittent.

Power Train at 49,600 miles Dec 6, 2021 NHTSA owner report

What is on file about the transmission and drivetrain, across the years

Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications

Recall campaigns filed under this heading, any model year

23V172000 High
Mar 16, 2023 · 8,744 vehicles
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2023 Cadillac XT6, GMC Acadia, Chevrolet Blazer, Traverse, and 2022-2023 Cadillac XT5 vehicles. 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 High
Feb 2, 2023 · 10 vehicles
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2023 Cadillac XT5 and GMC Acadia vehicles. The right-front half-shaft assemblies may be improperly connected to the transmission, causing them to separate.
20V668000 High
Oct 29, 2020 · 194,105 vehicles
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.
17V516000 High
Aug 22, 2017 · 2,905 vehicles
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles and 2017-2018 GMC Acadia vehicles. The right front intermediate driveshaft may fracture and separate while driving.

Other systems with a record on the GMC Acadia

Source: the same files

Every system, every model year: GMC Acadia problems by year →

From here

Every 2027 model on file, by price Compare two vehicles, trim vs trim See what a VIN was priced at See what owners reported

Common questions

Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communications

Which GMC Acadia years have the most transmission and drivetrain complaints?

2017, 237; 2018, 163; 2019, 154. Raw counts, and an older year has had longer to collect them; by share of each year's own complaints the loudest is the 2018 (41%).

Is there a recall for the transmission and drivetrain on the GMC Acadia?

Yes — 4 campaigns are filed under this heading across these model years: 23V172000 (2023), 23V043000 (2023), 20V668000 (2020), 17V516000 (2018). A recall is matched by VIN, and applies to specific years; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

When do transmission and drivetrain problems show up on the GMC Acadia?

Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 37,000 miles across the model years; half of them between 21,000 and 57,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.

What does NHTSA's "Power Train" heading cover?

The transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, axles and differentials — NHTSA files them under one heading. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.