Problem Lookup › GMC › Acadia › 2012
Car problem report
2012 GMC Acadia problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2012 GMC Acadia has been recalled for and what owners report, from official government data. Updated October 25, 2026.
- 5safety recalls
- 302owner complaints
- 8crash reports
- 2fire reports
- 17injuries reported
302 complaints, against an average of 220 for the other 14 GMC Acadia model years.
Every GMC Acadia model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.
What goes wrong with the 2012 GMC Acadia?
The components named most often in the 302 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
What symptoms do 2012 GMC Acadia owners describe?
Found by reading the text of all 302 owner complaints. Tap a symptom for the answer, a real owner quote and any related recall.
- Why is the check engine light on in my 2012 GMC Acadia?17 owners · 5.6%
- Why does my 2012 GMC Acadia transmission jerk, shudder or shift hard?16 owners · 5.3%
- Why does my 2012 GMC Acadia stall, lose power or shut off while driving?15 owners · 5%
- Why is the airbag light on in my 2012 GMC Acadia?13 owners · 4.3% · Recall 21V246000
- What causes a knocking, ticking or rattling noise in the 2012 GMC Acadia engine?11 owners · 3.6%
Has the 2012 GMC Acadia been recalled?
5 U.S. safety recalls. Repairs are free at a franchised dealer; some are done over the air.
Air Bags: Critical Fasteners General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2015, 2017 Buick Enclave, 2010-2019 Chevrolet Traverse, and 2011-2016 GMC Acadia vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not be properly attached.
Risk: Unsecured side curtain air bags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, realign or replace the weld nuts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2021. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N202321200.
Structure: Body: Hatchback/Liftgate General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured January 3, 2007, to February 29, 2012, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured July 6, 2008, to March 9, 2012, 2007-2012 GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured September 15, 2006, to February 29, 2012, and 2007-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured August 17, 2006, to March 18, 2010. The affected vehicles, equipped with the power liftgate option, have gas struts that hold the power liftgate up when open. These struts may prematurely wear and the open liftgate may suddenly fall.
Risk: If the open liftgate unexpectedly falls, it may strike a person, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit so that the motor will prevent the rapid closing of the lift gate, free of charge. The recall began on November 15, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 15240.
Seat Belts General Motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through May 14, 2014, Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured June 6, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured April 9, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through March 18, 2010. In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cable that connects the seatbelt to the front outboard seating positions may fatigue and separate over time.
Risk: If the steel cable becomes fatigued and separates, the seatbelt may not properly restrain the seat occupant increasing the risk of an injury in a crash.
Fix: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair and replace the lap pretensioner, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. An interim notice will be mailed to owners in July 2014. A second notice will be mailed to owners once parts become available. The recall for the 2009-2010 model years began on July 11, 2014. The interim letter for the 2011-2014 model years were distributed on July 11, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-462-8782 (GMC), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). General Motors recall number for this campaign is 14187.
Air Bags: Side/Window General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia and 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse and 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the driver and passenger seat mounted side impact air bag (SIAB) wiring harnesses may result in the SIAB and seat belt pretensioners not deploying in the event of a crash.
Risk: Failure of the side impact air bags and seat belt pretensioners to deploy in a crash increase the risk of injury to the driver and front seat occupant.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected harness connections with soldered connections, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2014. Buick owners may contact the owner center at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet owners at 1-866-694-6546, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and GMC owners at 1-866-996-9463. GM's number for this recall is 14030. Note: Vehicles repaired as part of Customer Satisfaction Campaign 10085 and special coverage 10335 have already had the subject condition repaired and therefore are not included in the safety recall.
Visibility: Windshield Wiper/Washer: Linkages GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE, BUICK ENCLAVE, AND GMC ACADIA VEHICLES CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN ALASKA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH DAKOTA, UTAH, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, WYOMING AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. SNOW OR ICE BUILDUP ON THE WINDSHIELD OR ON THE WIPER MAY RESTRICT THE MOVEMENT OF THE WIPER ARM, CAUSING THE WIPER ARM TO LOOSEN AND CAUSE THE WIPER TO BECOME INOPERATIVE.
Risk: IF THIS OCCURS, DRIVER VISIBILITY COULD BE REDUCED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Fix: GM WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE WIPER ARM NUTS, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 20, 2012.
What do 2012 GMC Acadia owners report?
12 of the 302 complaints, the most recent for the most-reported components, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
Hello so I notice 3 weeks ago my headlights keep cutting off and on then a week later my radio stopped working, The floor of the driver side is always wet after it rains. I noticed one day the rain started dripping on my feet when I drive after a big rain fall, I believe the car is not sealed properly and now water is coming out from the airbag signs in my vehicle and the car starting to smell like mildew. I think water is sitting in certain parts of my vehicle. I'm not sure what to do.
The contact owns a 2012 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, after pressing the liftgate button the liftgate raised and crashed down independently after several seconds. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact researched and was made aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle remained at the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 189,352.
The contact owns a 2012 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to release from low gear while at a stop. The transmission was backed up. The engine light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who confirmed there were no recalls. The failure mileage was approximately 213,766.
The contact owns a 2012 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while reversing, the liftgate unexpectedly opened, even though the liftgate was properly closed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or a dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
service battery charging station error code keeps popping up
Daytime Running light bulb and housing failure. Some 2012 Acadia models recalled under now expired recall for bulbs and deformation of surrounding housing. Apparently the above recall was excluded from this recall and should have been included. Both DRL on this vehicle have failed and surrounding housing has been damaged . Subsequently replacing just bulbs is not possible. The housing melted on the bulb. Photo is available on request. This failure should be considered a fire hazard. GM customer service center stated to me that this vehicle was not included in recall after VIN search. Some 2012…
The contact owns a 2012 GMC Acadia. The contact’s wife stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 172,000.
The transmission has all the symptoms of a broken wave plate and/or torque convertor as reported in the first generation T75 transmission service bulletin. This started occurring at 120K. I know the service bulletin was for the 2007-2009 models but the 2012 had the same exact transmission and waveplate. The car feels like it's going to shudder out and die on the highway.
The contact owns a 2012 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that shortly after purchasing the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who discovered that the catalytic convertor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The mechanic also inspected the vehicle and determined that the steering rack, front struts, and suspension control arms were also faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage…
Ratle sound in the engine thinking it may be the timing chain. Code p0430 came on stating catalytic converter bank 2 needs replaced. We replaced o2 sensor downstream on bank 2 code was cleared by shop. After driving a few miles same check engine light came on and i took it to the shop they hooked it up to run the code and it was the same p0430 again
About 1 month ago While making a slow speed turn from a parking lot to a street the steering seemed to lock for no reason. After a brief moment the steering resumed normal function. I inspected the ignition switch and found nothing abnormal. Checked power steering fluid level, it was in the operating range. Unable to duplicate the issue at that time. On 3-9-23 while driving the vehicle started making an unusual noise coming from the engine. It seemed to be consistent with engine rpm. I believe it was the power steering pump. After stopping and starting the engine the noise was gone. A few…
SIDE IMPACT AIRBAG CONNECTOR,FRONT SAFETY BELT ANCHOR, POWER LIFT GATE PROP ROD RECOVERY
2012 GMC Acadia: questions owners ask
Is the 2012 GMC Acadia reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 302 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 GMC Acadia; the most common categories were steering (46, 15.2%), structure (44, 14.6%), power train (43, 14.2%). There are 5 safety recalls. 8 complaints mention a crash, 2 mention a fire, 17 injuries were reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2012 GMC Acadia?
Across 302 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are steering (15.2% of complaints), structure (14.6% of complaints), power train (14.2% of complaints), electrical system (13.9% of complaints), engine (11.9% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.
Does the 2012 GMC Acadia have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2012 GMC Acadia; the most recent (campaign 21V246000, 2021-04-08) concerns Air Bags: Critical Fasteners. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Why is the check engine light on in my 2012 GMC Acadia?
17 of the 302 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2012 GMC Acadia (5.6%) describe the check engine light coming on. One owner wrote: "Ratle sound in the engine thinking it may be the timing chain. Code p0430 came on stating catalytic converter bank 2 needs replaced. We replaced o2 sensor downstream on bank 2 code was cleared by shop." (NHTSA complaint 11668471, June 2025). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why does my 2012 GMC Acadia transmission jerk, shudder or shift hard?
16 of the 302 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2012 GMC Acadia (5.3%) describe harsh, jerky or delayed transmission shifting or shuddering. One owner wrote: "The transmission has all the symptoms of a broken wave plate and/or torque convertor as reported in the first generation T75 transmission service bulletin. This started occurring at 120K." (NHTSA complaint 11681462, August 2025). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why does my 2012 GMC Acadia stall, lose power or shut off while driving?
15 of the 302 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2012 GMC Acadia (5%) describe the engine stalling, losing power or shutting off while driving. One owner wrote: "My 2012 GMC Acadia has had numerous issues that all lead to the fuel pump assembly. Three separate times, my cars ignition has just shut off while driving." (NHTSA complaint 11543140, September 2023). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why is the airbag light on in my 2012 GMC Acadia?
13 of the 302 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2012 GMC Acadia (4.3%) describe airbag warning lights or airbag faults. 2 related recalls exist: campaign 21V246000 (air bags: critical fasteners). The fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, realign or replace the weld nuts, free of charge. One owner wrote: "I HAVE A 2012 GMC acadia denali with about 147,000 miles on it and the "Service Air Bag" light is on I brought it somewhere to have the code read and the said there is about 5 different codes popping up for the issue..." (NHTSA complaint 11544375, September 2023). Recall repairs are free at a dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What causes a knocking, ticking or rattling noise in the 2012 GMC Acadia engine?
11 of the 302 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2012 GMC Acadia (3.6%) describe a knocking, ticking or rattling engine noise. One owner wrote: "Ratle sound in the engine thinking it may be the timing chain. Code p0430 came on stating catalytic converter bank 2 needs replaced. We replaced o2 sensor downstream on bank 2 code was cleared by shop." (NHTSA complaint 11668471, June 2025). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Check your own Acadia
Counts are a starting point, not a verdict: popular models collect more complaints because more of them are on the road, and NHTSA does not verify individual reports. To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (U.S.) or your registration at check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk (UK). Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations and recalls.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint databases (public domain), retrieved October 25, 2026. Model year 2012 only.