Problem Lookup âș GMC âș Acadia âș 2013
Car problem report
2013 GMC Acadia problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2013 GMC Acadia has been recalled for and what owners report, from official government data. Updated October 25, 2026.
- 3safety recalls
- 140owner complaints
- 5crash reports
- 8fire reports
- 4injuries reported
140 complaints, against an average of 232 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 2013 GMC Acadia?
The components named most often in the 140 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
What symptoms do 2013 GMC Acadia owners describe?
Found by reading the text of all 140 owner complaints. Tap a symptom for the answer, a real owner quote and any related recall.
- Why does my 2013 GMC Acadia stall, lose power or shut off while driving?20 owners · 14.3%
- Why is the airbag light on in my 2013 GMC Acadia?13 owners · 9.3% · Recall 21V246000
- Why is the check engine light on in my 2013 GMC Acadia?6 owners · 4.3%
- Why do the headlights or taillights fail on my 2013 GMC Acadia?6 owners · 4.3%
Has the 2013 GMC Acadia been recalled?
3 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.
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.
What do 2013 GMC Acadia owners report?
12 of the 140 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.
I think my vehicle is apart of this recall: March 17, 2014 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V118000 Side Impact Air Bags Wiring Connections 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.
Transmission causes problems in can be on interstate and be switching lanes and it loses power and wont go takes forever to shift out. It will cut out and you can barely get pulled off side of rd in time. Electrical the battery voltage goes crazy up and down causing vehicle to power surge bad or at night time lights will go out for no reason while driving every now and then you can smell something melting or burning also the engine gets so hot but it's right temperature cooling fan runs constantly even when car is cool.since all the problem with Transmission the suspension is off some how. ItsâŠ
The contact owns a 2013 GMC Acadia. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V118000 (Air Bags); and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer was contacted but the manufacturer was not contacted.
Dear Sir/Madam, For the 3rd time now, my transmission is being rebuilt. After purchasing it from the dealership and it was still under warranty GMC Bakersfield rebuilt the transmission, then again in 2020 at 119,000 miles it broke down again and All Automatic in Bakersfield rebuilt it for $3500 and now here it is 2026 and only 60.000 miles later again All Automatic is having to rebuilt the transmission again and asking now for another $4950. I was excited to finally hear there was a recall, only to find it was only for 2014 GMC Acadia's. The transmission have failed again and yes it isâŠ
I bought a 2013 gmc Acadia with a 3.6l engine and I was driving it home, and the engine locked up on me, and it didnât throw a code or anything, it just shut off and wouldnât start back up, and later I find out that it had an oil leak from somewhere and now I have to have the engine replaced, which is 13k dollars, the vehicle is located at walker Chevrolet in nitro wv, Iâm a single dad of 5 children and I canât afford to fix this vehicle at that price, I asked if they could take payments to replace it, and they said not and that they would NOT Release the vehicle back to me until it is paidâŠ
Unknown, The vehicle will begin to jerk or shake when it gets up to about 30 - 40mph then levels out. Sometimes it will repeat the jerking when traveling at speed of 50 - 60mph for a few seconds then levels out. Sometimes the vehicle hesitate on take off from a stopped position.
The contact owns a 2013 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the vehicle was intermittently difficult to start. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. The check engine and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the alternator, stabilizer, starter, ignition switch, door panel, axle, MAP sensor, canister valve, gas cap, and power master window switch were replaced. The mechanic determined that the failure was related to the fuse box. The dealer was notified of the failure andâŠ
My 2013 GMC ACADIA started fire on April 9, 2024 around 11PM in the driveway of our home. The vehicle was parked and off. The vehicle wasnât used during the day. The last day of use was on April 8, 2024 around 6PM. The fire department stated it was potentially an electrical fire within the engine of the vehicle.
At 35-40 and 55-65 mph, the car slips/ pulls back. I took it to the dealer, my rep said it is a known issue and GMC issued a bulletin but will not recall it because it's too expensive. There are thousands of reports online. Please investigate.
Left rear brake light dose not work, that is also the left rear turn signal. Part number 13582912 brake/turn signal bulb. GMC can not provide me with one. Chevrolet can not provide me with one. None of the chain store parts companies have them either. I have call GMC customer service line and also Chevrolet customer service line. They are of no help. Thank You.
AT LOW SPEEDS OR STOPS THE POWER STEERING GET SUPER TIGHT LIKE I DON'T HAVE ANY POWER STEERING. TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THE PUMP IS LEAKING AND IT SHOULD BE REPLACED. I HAVEN'T EVEN HAD IT A YEAR AND IT NOT COVERED. THEY EVEN KNOW ITS AN ISSUE. SEEN A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. WHY IS THIS NOT FIXED ????
ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO, WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE ENTIRE DASH BLACKED OUT FOR A FEW SECONDS, THEN WOULD GO THRU CHECKS AS IT WOULD COME BACK ON. THE MORNING I TOOK IT TO DEALER, THE PROBLEM STOPPED. THEY COULD FIND NOTHING. TWO DAYS AGO WHILE DRIVING VERY SLOW (MAYBE 10 MPH) IN HEAVY TRAFFIC THE DASH BEGAN GOING THRU ITS CHECKS AGAIN. I STOPPED AND WENT INTO A GAS STATION FOR A COUPLE OF MINS, RETURNED AND COULD NOT UNLOCK THE FRONT DOORS WITH MY KEY FOB. GOT INTO THE VEHICLE AND IT WOULD NOT START, NOR DID IT CRANK (NO SOUND). AFTER TRYING SEVERAL TIMES, IT DID START. O'REILLY AUTO PARTSâŠ
2013 GMC Acadia: questions owners ask
Is the 2013 GMC Acadia reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 140 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 GMC Acadia; the most common categories were electrical system (39, 27.9%), air bags (32, 22.9%), power train (27, 19.3%). There are 3 safety recalls. 5 complaints mention a crash, 8 mention a fire, 4 injuries were reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2013 GMC Acadia?
Across 140 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are electrical system (27.9% of complaints), air bags (22.9% of complaints), power train (19.3% of complaints), engine (15% of complaints), exterior lighting (7.1% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.
Does the 2013 GMC Acadia have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2013 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 does my 2013 GMC Acadia stall, lose power or shut off while driving?
20 of the 140 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2013 GMC Acadia (14.3%) describe the engine stalling, losing power or shutting off while driving. One owner wrote: "I dont know exactly what is wrong but from online videos i think power train or transmission. When driving the vehicle will struggle/delay shifting. When it does finally shift its so hard it throws u forward." (NHTSA complaint 11517617, April 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 2013 GMC Acadia?
13 of the 140 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2013 GMC Acadia (9.3%) 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: "My service air bag light is on. The dealership says itâs a sensor for which I will be responsible for replacing out of pocket. They stated my air bags will not deploy properly." (NHTSA complaint 11491925, November 2022). Recall repairs are free at a dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Why is the check engine light on in my 2013 GMC Acadia?
6 of the 140 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2013 GMC Acadia (4.3%) describe the check engine light coming on. One owner wrote: "My GMC Acadia has been experiencing transmission problems. It has been jerking and it has been failing to accelerate properly. The check engine light is not on and the mechanic says he can not find a problem with the vehicle." (NHTSA complaint 11494952, November 2022). 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 do the headlights or taillights fail on my 2013 GMC Acadia?
6 of the 140 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2013 GMC Acadia (4.3%) describe headlights, taillights or brake lights failing or condensation in the lamps. One owner wrote: "Left rear brake light dose not work, that is also the left rear turn signal. Part number 13582912 brake/turn signal bulb. GMC can not provide me with one. Chevrolet can not provide me with one. None of the chain store parts companies have them either." (NHTSA complaint 11507713, February 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.
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 2013 only; combines NHTSA's entries for ACADIA and ACADIA DENALI.