- The problem
- 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.
- The risk
- Unsecured side curtain air bags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury.
- The 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.
Vehicle safety record
2011 GMC Acadia Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 280 complaints about the 2011 GMC Acadia with NHTSA, most often about the steering (64) and the engine & cooling (56). Those complaints describe 8 crashes, 10 fires and 11 injuries. It is covered by 5 recalls, the latest in April 2021 for the critical fasteners. For comparison, the 2010 has 348 and the 2012 has 302.
NHTSA data checked
CAbout as many problems as a typical Acadia year, for its age
#41 most complained-about 2011 vehicle
- Complaints
- 280
- Recalls
- 5
- Crashes
- 8
- Fires
- 10
- Injuries
- 11
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2011 GMC Acadia problems
Share of all 280 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2011 GMC Acadia recalls 5
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- 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.
- The risk
- If the open liftgate unexpectedly falls, it may strike a person, increasing their risk of injury.
- The 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.
- The problem
- 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.
- The 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.
- The 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.
- The problem
- 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.
- The 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.
- The 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.
- The problem
- 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.
- The risk
- If this occurs, driver visibility could be reduced, increasing the risk of a crash.
- The 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 owners say
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280 complaints about the 2011 GMC Acadia
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 12.
The relay for the fan at the top of the fuse/relay box on the right side when facing the front of the vehicle. (under the hood) Gets hot and blows the relay and melts the spot where the relay prongs plug in. Causing the need for a new fuse box and circuit problems within the fuse box connectors. The fans, specifically the a/c fan does not kick on when turning on the a/c and the low speed fan does not kick on at all until the secondary temp fan kicks on after the temperature raises past the normal operating range....
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Which an overheating engine is bad for all parts of the engine which can and sooner or later will lead to a catastrophic failure putting the operator and other motorists life's at risk.This time it created a small fire that was extinguished only because the fuse box cover was off and I was looking at it as it happened, putting the cover back on extinguished the fire. This is the third time it has happened with the exact same problem. You tube is full of videos with the exact same problem.
We purchased the vehicle on August 20, 2025. At which time we paid over $4,800 for the vehicle. I will be trying to submit all files pertaining to the vehicle. We are both disabled and on the fixed income from ssi. However, a week after purchasing the vehicle all issues began to rise up. There was no transmission fluid, the oil need changed, catalytic converter showed up on AutoZone print out, wheels to make a sound when turning, brakes needs fixed, electrical seems to have an issue. The reason I am submitting...
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this is in prayer asking for any remedy with this situation through the recalls, bulletins, and whatever else maybe available for the vehicle. I thank you for your time, effort, and consideration in this matter.
Unknown
My air bag light keeps coming on saying to service it. I saw the recalled issues before with the other Acadias and was thinking maybe my year model would need to be looked into as well. I haven't ever had a wreck for them to come out but the light comes on frequently.
Transmission shudder from torque converter
Tailgate system has failed causing tailgate to force closed after opening halfway. Risk of being pinned between the car and tailgate. Similar to previous recall POWER LIFTGATE PROP ROD RECOVERY, gate is not being controlled or caught.
System failed from wear on the rear ac hose from the power steering hose rubbing on it. Creating a leak in my ac system
I had issue with the timing chain an have check engine light is on I have heard other people having problems with there timing chain. It starts hard. I've had it looked at multiple times. I feel like this is a safety concern. It has low miles on it
Not sure but the ex owner of the vehicle told me the it had a recall on the drivers seatbelt (wasn't due to a car accident)
The engine light came on. Had a mobile mechanic look at it, he ran a diagnostics, it showed a P0017 code. He advised to get another opinion on how to repair, as he said it may need a new engine. Took it to a local repair shop, was told the same thing. The Acadia runs fine, and only has 116K miles. The problem is that it will not pass the required emission test for annual registration and tag. The cost of a new engine was estimated at about $10K, which is more than the Acadia is worth. Was told that these vehicles have had a history of this same issue.
seatbelt locks and does not release
2011 gmc Acadia slt gear shift does not lock causing it to slip into neutral with slightest bump of shifter or sudden hard breaking Also passenger seat belt does not.lock at all when breaking and driver side seat belt never unlocks there are safty recalls on these issues for this model but.says mine has zero unfixed recall also defrosting and mirror defrost does not work properly causing me to have very bad visibility I had a close call when driving in Houston a week ago when I had to slam breaks due to a crazy...
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driver who did not see me.and cut me off the lane my gear shifted into neutral causing me to not be able to accelerate after breaking to avoid the next speeding car fortunately I was lucky and was able to quickly shift back into drive and go there are electrical issues as well and there has only been one other owner and well maintained so I don't know what to do next my passenger nearly hit dash during this that's when I realized passenger seat belt does not lock
DRLs melted into the housing, seems like this is possibly caused by cowls that are not properly sealed allowing moisture into headlight assembly. This is obviously a fire hazard and will be a costly repair. I am not sure if vehicle insurance covers this but I doubt it.
Looking into a check engine light I found I had a misfire in a few cylinders. Looking into it I found oil in my spark plug tubes, my coils were perfectly dry and the top of the tubes were dry as well. Looking into this issue I found multiple tsb forms for the issue stating there was a manufacture defect in the head. It says it effects all vins for all years as they use the same engine.
The contact owns a 2011 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, she heard an abnormal noise from the rear passenger side tire. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer but was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
I was driving on the freeway then my car suddenly started slowing down. I tried changing lane so i can pull over on the side of the freeway but unfortunately i couldn't get to pull over before the car completely stopped on the freeway. I called AAA. They sent a tow truck which came to the freeway to tow my car. My husband came and took me to work. The car was towed to a GMC dealership. I went to the dealership after work. I was told my car has timing chain problem and if not fixed will damage the engine. I went...
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online to read reviews of this car only to see it was a very common problem for this year and model of GMC which if i have ever read those reviews i would not have bought a GMC. This vehicle should be recalled for this issue.
Looses power while driving. Cannot jump the battery it needs to be recharged every time. Power steering stops working while driving( low rpm and when stopped) dangerous for merging or lane changes. Engine shudders when trying to accelerate. TCM/ ECM replaced 2020. Problem still persists. Whining noise upon start of the vehicle. Auto start will not work. traction control light, check engine airbag and
Power steering rack & high pressure power steering line. If this fails while you're driving on a highway you will lose power steering causing a serious accident. Also the timing cover is leaking. Both of these expensive repairs seems to be an issue with all gmc acadia suv's yet the nhtsa has not investigated or required the manufacturer to do a recall and cover the costs of repair. Costs for both repairs is $5000.00 !!!
The contact owns a 2011 GMC Acadia. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that he used his knowledge of vehicles to depress the accelerator pedal, which raised the RPM and caused the steering wheel to become operative. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while the vehicle was idling. Additionally, the contact stated that the steering wheel would seize while driving and steering to the...
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left. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 174,300.
Hi, I think the 2011 Acadia Denali should be in the recall along with the Terrain. The reason being that I always get flashed at night and every night as though I have the high lights on which I don't. That's every night. Please check into this. With all this road rage going on I worry I might come across one angry person or cause someone to wreck. Please I'm worried. Thank you.
I had a collision with a deer and my airbags did not deploy
While driving down the road, transmission will shudder and have difficulty maintaining constant speed. This is especially dangerous while merging on to the highway. It is searching for the gear to be in while rpms are fluctuating.
The contact owns a 2011 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the subframe underneath the driver's side felt loose and not properly aligned. The contact merged to the right lane and continued to drive the vehicle. The contact stated that her son and daughter drove the vehicle and noticed the failure as well. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local Pep Boys who replaced all four tires and performed a 4-wheel alignment; however, the failure had been reoccurring and was more...
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noticeable while making turns and driving around curves. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was unknown.
The steering randomly gets tight and then let's loose while driving or turning.
Upon starting our vehicle to leave the breaks were very hard to compress. They did eventually release but made a whooshing noise as though there is someone blowing air from the brake pedal. There is no damage or leaking from the break line or the master cylinder. This could lead to failure of the breaks and it is concerning. This vehicle is available upon request to inspect. This has not currently be confirmed by a dealer or service center, or others that would inspect vechicles. There are no warning laps or messages presenting. 11/23/21 is the first day that this occured.
GMC Acadia: every year compared
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 261 | 4 | C |
| 2014 | 468 | 6 | D |
| 2013 | 140 | 3 | B |
| 2012 | 302 | 5 | C |
| 2011 | 280 | 5 | C |
| 2010 | 348 | 4 | C |
| 2009 | 333 | 7 | C |
| 2008 | 858 | 5 | F |
| 2007 | 431 | 5 | D |
2011 GMC Acadia vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 GMC Acadia | 280 | 5 | C | |
| 2011 Ford Edge | 1,803 | 3 | F | Compare |
| 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee | 1,640 | 6 | D | Compare |
| 2011 Kia Sorento | 1,520 | 8 | F | Compare |
| 2011 Ford Explorer | 1,198 | 8 | F | Compare |
| 2011 Dodge Durango | 800 | 8 | F | Compare |
| 2011 Subaru Outback | 653 | 16 | F | Compare |
| 2011 Buick Enclave | 213 | 6 | D | Compare |
| 2011 Toyota Highlander | 187 | 5 | C | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2011 GMC Acadia
Does the 2011 GMC Acadia have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2011 GMC Acadia: critical fasteners (April 2021); hatchback / liftgate (June 2015); seat belts (May 2014); side / window (March 2014) and more. Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2011 GMC Acadia?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the steering (64), engine & cooling (56), electrical system (47).
How many complaints has the 2011 GMC Acadia had?
280 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on November 12, 2010 and the latest on May 10, 2026. Of these, 8 describe a crash and 10 a fire, and together they report 11 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2011 GMC Acadia a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 51 out of 100 (grade C: about as many problems as a typical GMC Acadia year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which GMC Acadia years have the most complaints?
2008 (858), 2017 (707), 2014 (468). See every GMC Acadia year compared.
What should I do if my 2011 GMC Acadia has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data