- The problem
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure fuel line.
- The risk
- A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
- The fix
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump, and high pressure fuel pipe, free of charge. The recall began July 2, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18188.
Vehicle safety record
2018 GMC Acadia Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 399 complaints about the 2018 GMC Acadia with NHTSA, most often about the transmission & drivetrain (164) and the electrical system (110). Those complaints describe 8 crashes, 1 fire and 12 injuries. It is covered by 2 recalls, the latest in May 2018 for the fuel pump. For comparison, the 2017 has 707 and the 2019 has 389.
NHTSA data checked
DMore problems than a typical Acadia year, for its age
#25 most complained-about 2018 vehicle
- Complaints
- 399
- Recalls
- 2
- Crashes
- 8
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
- 12
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2018 GMC Acadia problems
Share of all 399 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2018 GMC Acadia recalls 2
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 2018 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles and 2017-2018 GMC Acadia vehicles. The right front intermediate driveshaft may fracture and separate while driving.
- The risk
- If the front right intermediate drive shaft assembly separates while driving, the vehicle will lose propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. If the assembly separates while parked on a grade, without the park brake engaged, the vehicle may move unintentionally, increasing the risk of a vehicle roll-away.
- The fix
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the right front intermediate drive shaft assembly, free of charge. The recall began August 25, 2017. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 17329.
What owners say
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399 complaints about the 2018 GMC Acadia
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 16.
Our vehicle's horn beeped and a message on the dash said vehicle not in park. I copied the following from your web site and am requesting an update: General Motors has acknowledged the "Shift to Park" issue through several Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs). While there hasn't been a formal safety recall for this specific shifter issue as of early 2026, a class-action lawsuit has been filed alleging one is needed.
Steering assist warning comes on when I start the car and then the engine fan starts up very loudly and code PO128. My car has 48,000 miles and is a 2018. I am seeing this is a known issue and should be part of a recall so I want to know if it's covered.
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle inside the garage, shifting to park(P) and turning off the vehicle, the vehicle suddenly rolled backwards approximately 3 feet. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions and the vehicle only moved backwards. During one failure, the vehicle almost struck a pedestrian walking behind it. The vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions, but no fault codes were retrieved and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 45,000.
I get error electric Steering assist reduced or unavailable drive with care at around 84234 miles on my car . Upon looking up problem on Internet it has to do with the Thermostat. I also found where Gm has a bulletin N252508350 which only seems to cover certain vehicles with the same problem. This seems to happen at all different miles driven on vehicles. I don't see how Gm can get away with only fixing certain vehicles with this safety problem when it shuts down the electric steering assist . This problem from...
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what I can find on the internet is common to all years from 2017 up in Acadia with the 3.6L engine . The Thermostats seem to be defective and I feel Gm needs to address this problem for all of these vehicles . Not just for there special bulletin N252508350 which covers some vehicles in 2021with 3.6L engines. If the engine design was like the old engines and easy to replace the Thermostat by just taking out 2 bolts , I would say no problem I will replace it .But when you have to take half the Engine apart just to replace a 20.00 part that is defective that affects the steering of the vehicle, they need to have a safety recall.
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering message was displayed, and the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the temperature gauge remained at zero. The dealer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a failed high-pressure fuel pump. The contact was informed that the high-pressure fuel pump needed to be replaced. The contact referenced an unknown...
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recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 112,300.
Urgent code going off due to thermostat not being red gauge is stuck
The car will frequently but not always fail to shut off when the start/stop button is pushed while in Park. The message "shift to park" come up on the display and a yellow light comes on in the button. I have to restart the engine and it often takes as many as 10 attempts to finally shut off the engine. Between each attempt I have to shift the transmission out of park and back into park. This has been happening for more than a month.
I'm getting a shift to park on my dash after it's already in park. This causes the break to get stuck when driving.
I am unknown of what the issue is with the seatbelts on all seats will not properly lock.
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the gear shifter was shifted into park(P); however, the message "Shift to Park" was displayed. The gear shifter was moved back and forth, then shifted into park (P) before the proper gear was recognized. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the gear shifter was replaced, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, and the gear shifter, switch, and harness were replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 10,000.
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that after parking and then attempting to turn off the vehicle, the message " Shift to Park" was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to be parked and turned off successfully after various attempts, which included restarting the vehicle and engaging the parking brake. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or a dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
When trying to put car in park a "shift to park" notice appears on dashboard not allowing the car to be turned off. It takes multiple attemps be able to get the car into park and turn OFF. This has been an ongoing problem for several years and reported to the dealer. To date the dealer tells me there is nothing wrong with the car. Battery has been changed multiple times.
While driving the temperature gauge drops from normal to cold , the dash displays " steering assist reduced" and the fan is very loud . My mechanic said the thermostat and or sensor needs to be replaced . When he resets with the reader its good for about a week and temperature gauge is normal. After seven days it repeats I only have 40,000 miles on the vehicle and its a 1,400 dollar job. I believe this should be a recall because i have seen a lot of the same complaints in this forum and what about the people who have the same problem but don't complain ?
When I'm driving on the highway, I get a message on my dashboard saying steering assist reduced, drive with care. I have taken to the GMC dealership and they will not cover this repair even though it would be covered for 2021 GMC. When this happens, my car makes a loud noise and my steering wheel does not feel right. I do not feel safe.
Gear shifter is not registering that the vehicle is in park. Because of this issue I have to sit in the vehicle for up to 15 mins trying to get it to register that it is in fact in park and can turn off. If I didn't take the time to do this, it would kill my battery. Unfortunately with the heat index, the vehicle gets hot very quickly and im now worried about getting hot stroke trying to get it to register it is park. This is a known issue with the vehicle that has an active recall for other vin numbers with the same issue.
Hesitants and Shudders when shifting into 2nd gear.
this is the second time I am having to replace gear shift with under 160000 miles. Turn the car off and it tells me the car is not in park when it is. It can not tell what gear it is in or when. AGAIN. This is the second repair
Shift to park Malfunction again, 4 th time!! 1000$ to fix is ridiculous
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speed, the steering assist reduced warning light illuminated. The contact's husband attached a portable diagnostic tester to the vehicle, and P0128 was the failure code. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.
Shift to park error Vehicle won't shut off
When I put the shifter to park, it still dings and tells me "shift to park" and I struggle to make it go away and to be able to make it stop and be able to lock the car. It happens every time I drive it. Thank you
I am getting the known P0128 code. My engine says it's cold when it's not, my AC isn't working, and I am getting a message that says "Steer assist reduced. Drive with care". This is a known problem and complaint of the GMC Acadia.
the transmission kept slipping. the car continued to lose power until it just wouldn't go anymore. The mechanic said it is definitely the transmission and drive shaft but my particular VIN is not included. I am looking at $7,000 in repairs on a car I owe $13,000.00
For the last 6 months, I keep getting a "shift to Park" message on my dashboard indicating that my vehicle is not in park (in which it is). The problem is getting wors, so I called GMC on 5/14/26 to inquire and was informed that my VIN number WAS not include in the resent class action lawsuit for this issue. I then found out by searching myself on line for other complaints that GMC is very aware of this situation and yet refuses to fix the issue free of charge to customers. According to TSB 19-NA-206, t does...
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list my year , make and model of vehicle affected by this faulty part. On 5.15.26, I called the dealership to inquire and was informed that my VIN was not covered under warranty (which I had already known), and that that service I would have to pay lots of money out of pocket for it. The service tech did look in the system and claims (without me even knowing that they had did that repair already....He lied I'm for sure). I informed him well if they did repair that part, and I'm still getting an error message about the same thing, clearly its faulty and the dealership should be responsible for fixing it. This was not the case as I was informed it would have to be out of my pocket. This mess is unfair! GMC is well aware of this faulty pat on vehicles, and to refuse to fix it free of charge is just down right hurtful! GMS is responsible for repairing this part on everyone's vehicle as it is a hazard to everyone and the community to have a vehicle unstable to be able to slide away from a parked position. This is such a road hazard, something has to be done about it. It's not far that I am expected to pay for these faulty wiring costs out my pocket when its a faulty issue GMC is very well aware of.
I have a 2018 GMC Acadia SLT with the thermometer and temperature sensor that throws the steering assist error message, engine fan turns on and AC shuts off.
GMC Acadia: every year compared
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 52 | 3 | A |
| 2021 | 156 | 2 | C |
| 2020 | 107 | 6 | B |
| 2019 | 389 | 2 | D |
| 2018 | 399 | 2 | D |
| 2017 | 707 | 4 | F |
| 2016 | 236 | 4 | C |
| 2015 | 261 | 4 | C |
| 2014 | 468 | 6 | D |
2018 GMC Acadia vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 GMC Acadia | 399 | 2 | D | |
| 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee | 857 | 11 | C | Compare |
| 2018 Ford Edge | 855 | 7 | C | Compare |
| 2018 Subaru Outback | 816 | 3 | F | Compare |
| 2018 Ford Explorer | 735 | 7 | F | Compare |
| 2018 Volkswagen Atlas | 468 | 17 | D | Compare |
| 2018 Toyota Highlander | 277 | 5 | D | Compare |
| 2018 Kia Sorento | 255 | 3 | C | Compare |
| 2018 Dodge Durango | 234 | 5 | B | 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 2018 GMC Acadia
Does the 2018 GMC Acadia have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2018 GMC Acadia: fuel pump (May 2018); driveshaft (August 2017). 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 2018 GMC Acadia?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the transmission & drivetrain (164), electrical system (110), engine & cooling (37).
How many complaints has the 2018 GMC Acadia had?
399 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on April 19, 2018 and the latest on November 2, 2026. Of these, 8 describe a crash and 1 a fire, and together they report 12 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2018 GMC Acadia a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 38 out of 100 (grade D: more problems than 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 2018 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