The 2009 GMC Acadia has 7 safety recalls and 331 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is steering (114 complaints).
Recalls7safety recalls
Complaints331filed by owners
Crashes · fires8 · 14reported in complaints
Injuries · deaths17 · 0reported in complaints
Safety recalls
Structure › Body › Hatchback/liftgate
NHTSA recall 15V415000 · Jun 30, 2015 · 691,144 vehicles
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.
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
NHTSA recall 14V266000 · May 20, 2014 · 1,339,355 vehicles
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.
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
NHTSA recall 14V118000 · Mar 17, 2014 · 1,176,407 vehicles
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.
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.
Seat belts
NHTSA recall 10V375000 · Aug 12, 2010 · 207,210 vehicles
Problem: GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009-2010 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE, BUICK ENCLAVE, GMC ACADIA, AND SATURN OUTLOOK VEHICLES. THE SECOND ROW SEAT SIDE TRIM SHIELD RESTRICTS THE UPWARD ROTATION OF THE SAFETY BELT BUCKLE WHEN THE SEAT BACK IS RETURNED TO A SEATING POSITION AFTER BEING FOLDED FLAT. IF THE BUCKLE CONTACTS THE SEAT FRAME, ADDITIONAL EFFORT IS REQUIRED TO RETURN THE SEAT TO A SEATING POSITION. IF SUFFICIENT FORCE IS APPLIED, THE BUCKLE COVER COULD BE PUSHED DOWN THE STRAP, EXPOSING AND PARTIALLY DEPRESSING THE RED RELEASE BUTTON.
Risk: THE SAFETY BELT MAY NOT RESTRAIN THE OCCUPANT AS INTENDED DURING A CRASH, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT.
Fix: DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE SECOND ROW SEAT SIDE TRIM SHIELDS. IF A SAFETY BELT BUCKLE IS DAMAGED, DEALERS WILL REPLACE IT FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 18, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463, AND SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876, OR AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
Electrical system
NHTSA recall 10V240000 · Jun 4, 2010 · 1,365,070 vehicles
Problem: GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2009 BUICK, LUCERNE; CADILLAC DTS; HUMMER H2; MODEL YEAR 2008-2009 BUICK ENCLAVE; CADILLAC CTS; MODEL YEAR 2007-2009 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; GMC ACADIA, SIERRA, YUKON, YUKON XL; SATURN OUTLOOK; AND MODEL YEAR 2009 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A HEATED WASHER FLUID SYSTEM (HWFS). A RECALL WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 2008 TO ADD A FUSE TO THE CONTROL CIRCUIT HARNESS TO ADDRESS THE POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES OF A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD (PCB) ELECTRICAL SHORT. HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN NEW REPORTS OF THERMAL INCIDENTS ON HWFS MODULES AFTER THIS IMPROVEMENT WAS INSTALLED. THESE INCIDENTS RESULTED FROM A NEW FAILURE MODE ATTRIBUTED TO THE DEVICE'S THERMAL PROTECTION FEATURE. THE SIGNIFICANCE VARIES FROM MINOR DISTORTION TO CONSIDERABLE MELTING OF THE PLASTIC AROUND THE HWFS FLUID CHAMBER.
Risk: IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE HEATED WASHER MODULE TO IGNITE AND A FIRE MAY OCCUR.
Fix: DEALERS WILL PERMANENTLY DISABLE AND REMOVE THE HEATED WASHER FLUID MODULE. AN UPDATED PAGE FOR THE OWNER MANUAL WILL BE PROVIDED AND INSERTED IN THE OWNER MANUAL TO DOCUMENT THAT THE FEATURE HAS BEEN PERMANENTLY DISABLED AND REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 11, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463 AND HUMMER AT 1-800-732-5493 OR AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
Power train › Automatic transmission › Lever and linkage › Column shift
NHTSA recall 09V073000 · Mar 6, 2009 · 276,729 vehicles
Problem: GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING 276,729 MY 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE, CHEVROLET COBALT, HHR, MALIBU, TRAVERSE, GMC ACADIA, PONTIAC G5, G6 AND SATURN AURA AND OUTLOOK PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLES SAFETY STANDARD 102, "TRANSMISSION SHIFT POSITION SEQUENCE, STARTER INTERLOCK, AND TRANSMISSION BRAKING EFFECT", AND FMVSS 114, "THEFT PROTECTION AND ROLLAWAY PREVENTION". ON SOME OF THESE VEHICLES, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE ADJUSTMENT CLIP MAY NOT BE FULLY ENGAGED. IF THE CLIP IS NOT FULLY ENGAGED, THE SHIFT LEVER AND THE ACTUAL POSITION OF THE TRANSMISSION GEAR MAY NOT MATCH. WITH THIS CONDITION, THE DRIVE COULD MOVE THE SHIFTER TO "PARK" AND REMOVE THE IGNITION KEY, BUT THE TRANSMISSION GEAR MAY NOT BE IN "PARK".
Risk: THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE COULD ROLL AWAY AFTER THE DRIVER HAS EXITED THE VEHICLE, RESULTING IN A POSSIBLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND ENSURE THAT THE SHIFT CABLE ADJUSTMENT CLIP IS FULLY ENGAGED. IN THE EVENT THAT THE CLIP DOES NOT ENGAGE, THE SHIFT CABLE WILL BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE MARCH 24, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463, PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668 AND SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876 OR AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
Seat belts › Rear/other › Buckle assembly
NHTSA recall 08V615000 · Nov 24, 2008 · 16,667 vehicles
Problem: GM IS RECALLING 16,667 MY 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE, CHEVROLET TRAVERSE, GMC ACADIA, AND SATURN OUTLOOK VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 209, 'SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES.' THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH A SAFETY BELT BUCKLE IN THE SECOND OR THIRD ROW THAT IS MISSING A RIVET.
Risk: IN A VEHICLE CRASH, IF THE RIVET IS MISSING, THE BUCKLE MAY SEPARATE FROM THE MOUNTING STRAP, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY TO THE PASSENGER.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE SAFETY BELT BUCKLES IN THE SECOND AND THIRD ROWS, AND REPLACE THEM IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 26, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080; CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438; GMC AT 1-866-996-9463; SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876; OR THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE AT <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM>HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM</A> .
Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.
Crash test ratings
2009 GMC Acadia 4-DR. w/SAB
Overall
Not Rated
Frontal crash
Not Rated
Side crash
Not Rated
Rollover
★★★★★
Rollover risk
15.5%
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program). Ratings are comparable only between vehicles of similar size and weight, and ratings from 2011 on use tougher tests than earlier years. Photos: NHTSA.
Fuel economy
Acadia FWD
19mpg combined
City / highway
17 / 24 mpg
Fuel
Regular Gasoline
3.6 L · 6 cyl · Automatic 6-spd · Front-Wheel Drive · about $3,550/year to fuel
Acadia AWD
19mpg combined
City / highway
16 / 23 mpg
Fuel
Regular Gasoline
3.6 L · 6 cyl · Automatic 6-spd · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive · about $3,550/year to fuel
EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.
What owners report
Problem area
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Typical mileage*
Steering Hydraulic power assist › Pump; Gear box (other than rack and pinion)
114
3
0
0
70,000 mi
Power train Automatic transmission
72
1
0
1
81,453 mi
Engine
67
1
3
3
98,500 mi
Electrical system Ignition
47
0
5
2
70,000 mi
Exterior lighting
38
1
4
4
66,000 mi
Structure Body › Hatchback/liftgate; Body
26
2
2
14
60,000 mi
Unknown or other
17
0
2
0
105,000 mi
Air bags
15
4
0
2
112,000 mi
Electronic stability control (esc)
14
0
0
0
87,000 mi
Vehicle speed control
11
0
1
0
60,415 mi
Seat belts Rear/other
10
1
0
2
100,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion system
9
0
0
0
56,000 mi
*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.
Recent owner complaints
Jul 4, 2026 · 54,000 milesVisibility › Rearview mirrors/devices › Exterior The contact owns a 2009 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the front driverâs side and passengerâs side exterior mirrors moved out of place and failed to remain in a set position. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was garage-kept and was concerned about the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.
Jun 25, 2025Engine There was a recall for gmc premature timing chain engine recall. This recall was complete in 2011 but it did not fix the problem. The timing chain keeps breaking off the cam shaft sensor and needs to be replaced.
Apr 23, 2024Steering The vehicle tire system lights came on the air bag sensor light Car did not fill safe driving no control on the road unstable on turns car was sold one lug muissing front tire ,returned car several times last time I took the vehicle was due to drivesrs back wheel wobbling so bad , Someone followeing said it looked like tire was coming off . the owner said it was fine , put it on the rack let me drive off , I drove it and it was very unstable to drive and took it to Nor cal Tires Ukiah Ca they informed me it was not safe to drive .
Jan 5, 2024Engine The stabilizer/traction control keeps going off and it will stay off.i can turn,hit a bump or start it up and the traction control/stabilizer system is off.i almost had a accident on the freeway in the rain because it turned off out of nowhere and I almost lost control. Also I was going down the road and all of a sudden my vehicle died and I had little control over vehicle. Once it came to stop it would not start again and when attempting it sounded like something was stuck in my fan or something because of the way it rattled and sounded and was rough sounding. Vehicle was inoperable and had to be towed. Upon investigating it was the timing chain kit that had failed suddenly for no apparent…
Nov 15, 2023Electrical system The stabilizer/traction control keeps going off and it will stay off.i can turn,hit a bump or start it up and the traction control/stabilizer system is off.i almost had a accident on the freeway in the rain because it turned off out of nowhere and I almost lost control
Apr 7, 2023Visibility › Sun/moon roof assembly When it rains the drainage holes in the sunroof of the vehicle do not drain properly. The water runs down the side of the passenger side window in the front and on the circuit/fuse box in the front. When this happens, the water effects the driving. The vehicle will get sluggish and eventually cut off when the circuit/fuse box gets wet. The vehicle had a recall in approximately 2015 and I took it to be serviced. I think the problem is reproduced. I had no warnings of this type of issue. This just happened in April 2023 when I was caught in a storm.
Jun 6, 2023Air bags Airbag light keeps flashing had it checked at a dealer said it needs new module on passenger side. Airbag wonât deploy if thereâs a crash.
May 28, 2023Electrical system Stabilitrak system in 2009 gmc Acadia randomly acts up disabling abs system and traction control. Also randomly get a low oil pressure warning light but oil level, temperature is fine and no noises smoke or performance decline. Used different scan tools to read codes and the vechile has none listed. Changed numerous sensors and the problem is never resolved
Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.
NHTSA defect investigations
EA20002 · opened Aug 31, 2020 · closed Aug 30, 2024 · led to recall 21V245Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure On August 31, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Engineering Analysis (EA) EA20002, as an upgrade of Recall Query (RQ) RQ19003. This investigation, related to recall 14V-266, was opened to investigate instances of detachment of the flexible steel seat belt anchor cable attached to the outboard side of the front seats in vehicles manufactured by General Motors (GM). The subject vehicles included model year (MY) 2009 through 2014 GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, and Chevrolet Traverse SUVs as well as MY 2009 through 2010 Saturn Outlook SUVs. These vehicles were previously repaired for this defect under recall 14V-266. The subject vehicle population is approximately 1.3 million vehicles. Special Coverage N192219480, issued in June 2019, addressed the subject defect in vehicles that previously received the recall remedy repair for subject recall 14V-266. The Special Coverage…
RQ19003 · opened May 28, 2019 · closed Aug 31, 2020Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure On May 19, 2014, General Motors LLC (GM) notified the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) that it would conduct Safety Recall 14V266 to address fatigue and separation of the flexible steel cable that connects the front outboard seat belts to the seat-mounted belt pre-tensioner in 1.4 million model year (MY) 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook, 2009-2014 Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse (Lambda Platform) vehicles.The remedy was to inspect for signs of damage and replace pre-tensioner anchor cables as needed. Re-work was conducted to relocate the pre-tensioner anchor cable out of the occupant entry path. ODI has subsequently received four (4) Vehicle Owners Questionnaires (VOQ) reporting anchor cable separations with no apparent warning in covered vehicles after the Recall 14V266 remedy had been applied.ODI opened RQ19-003 to assess the effectiveness of the actions GM took in…
DP12003 · opened Jun 4, 2012 · closed Jul 24, 2014Loss of Headlamp Illumination As of July 16, 2014, out of a population of 248,453 subject vehicles, NHTSA received 473 consumer complaints of inoperative head lamp. Many of these complaints indicated that the head lamp harness suffered damage from overheating. After reviewing the complaints, ODI found: -69% (328) alleged that a single head lamp was inoperative. -18% (86) alleged that both head lamps were inoperative but not at the same time. -9% (41) alleged that both head lamps were inoperative but the complaints did not indicate whether the failures had occurred at the same time. -4% (17) alleged that both head lamps were inoperative at the same time. -One additional complaint cited wire harness damage to both sides but did not specify an outage -No crashes or loss of vehicle control were reported. -Any alleged thermal damages were limited to melting of the head lamp harness and the head lamp housing. -A head lamp…
AQ10001 · opened Nov 18, 2010 · closed Dec 28, 2015Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit On November 18, 2010, NHTSA's Recall Management Division (RMD) opened an audit query (AQ10-001) to investigate recall remedy completion by rental car companies on safety recall campaigns.It was expected to provide the agency an indication of how completely and how quickly rental car fleets perform necessary recall-related remedies on the vehicles owned and then rented/leased for use on the roadways.RMD queried three (3) major motor vehicle manufacturers (Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors) and requested data regarding completion figures for fifteen (15) discreet safety recalls.Analysis of this data demonstrated that rental car recalls completion was neither complete nor consistent.The rental car companies representing the largest market share in the industry were then queried as to their respective policies for the rental, lease, and sale of vehicles with open recalls.The data and…