Reliable Auto DB

2012 GMC Acadia reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2012 GMC Acadia has 302 complaints with NHTSA after 15 years, or 12 per year. That is about even with the other Acadia years here. Their median is 13 complaints per year. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Critical fasteners, Liftgate, and Seat belts.

2012 GMC Acadia
Photo by Kevauto, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

302

Per year

12

Recalls

5

Years on the road

15

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Steering (46 of 302), then Structure (44) and Powertrain (43). Those filings include 8 that report a crash, 2 that report a fire, and 15 that report an injury.

Next to 2013

The 2013 Acadia has 140 complaints, 4 per year. The 2012 has more complaints per year than the 2013.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2012 GMC Acadia. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (5)

Recall air bags, critical fasteners 2021-04-08 · NHTSA campaign 21V246000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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.
Recall structure, body, liftgate 2015-06-30 · NHTSA campaign 15V415000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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.
Recall Seat belts 2014-05-20 · NHTSA campaign 14V266000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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.
Recall air bags, side and window 2014-03-17 · NHTSA campaign 14V118000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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.
Recall visibility, windshield wiper, linkages 2012-04-09 · NHTSA campaign 12V151000
Summary 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.
Remedy GM WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE WIPER ARM NUTS, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 20, 2012.

Complaints by component (302 total)

Steering
46
Structure
44
Powertrain
43
Electrical system
42
Engine
36
Air bags
35
Fuel and propulsion system
23
Exterior lighting
21
Speed control
10
Electronic stability control (ESC)
9
Seat belts
8
Visibility and wipers
8
Service brakes
7
Suspension
6
Seats
5
Visibility
4
Engine and engine cooling
3
Equipment
3
Fuel system, gasoline
3
Traction control
3
Wheels
3
Hydraulic brakes
2
Adaptive and mobility equipment
1
Latches, locks, and linkages
1
Tires
1
Show 17 more Show less
Crash-flagged

8

Fire-flagged

2

Injury reports

15

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

72012620132320143120153920163320173920183920192320201820215202210202311202412202562026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "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…"
    Electrical system, Air bags, Unknown or other · filed 2026-08-05
  • "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…"
    Structure · filed 2026-08-04
  • "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…"
    Powertrain, Engine · filed 2026-05-21
  • "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…"
    Structure · filed 2026-04-23
  • "service battery charging station error code keeps popping up"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-04-12

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2012 GMC Acadia SUV AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2012 GMC Acadia SUV FWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Acadia all-wheel drive 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic 6-speed All-wheel drive 16 23 19 MPG $3400
Acadia front-wheel drive 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic 6-speed Front-wheel drive 17 24 19 MPG $3400

Specs and fitment

1st generation (Lambda), 2012–2016
Body styles SUV
Oil dexos1 5W-30 (V6 per manual) , 6 qt capacity
Tire size 255/55R20, 255/65R18, 255/60R19 (trim dependent)
Towing capacity 5,200 lbs

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA safety recall 15V609000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that general Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured August 18, 2015 to September 24, 2015. Due to a manufacturing defect, the windshield wiper motor may overheat when used. A wiper motor that overheats increases the risk of a fire. Remedy: GM has notified owners, and dealers will replace the windshield wiper motor cover assembly, free of charge. Owners are advised not to use their front windshield wipers until the wiper cover has been replaced. If weather conditions prevent operation of the vehicle without using the windshield wipers, GM will make arrangements to pick up the vehicle for servicing. The recall began on September 30, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 15780. When NHTSA lists multiple GM nameplates in one campaign, the published unit count is shared across them.

Compare

Next year 2013 GMC Acadia See every GMC Acadia model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 GMC Acadia reliable?

The 2012 GMC Acadia has 302 complaints with NHTSA after 15 years, or 12 per year. That is about even with the other Acadia years here. Their median is 13 complaints per year. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Critical fasteners, Liftgate, and Seat belts.

What are common problems with a 2012 GMC Acadia?

The complaints owners file most often name Steering (46 of 302), then Structure (44) and Powertrain (43). Those filings include 8 that report a crash, 2 that report a fire, and 15 that report an injury.

Is the 2012 GMC Acadia more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2013 Acadia has 140 complaints, 4 per year. The 2012 has more complaints per year than the 2013.

Has the 2012 GMC Acadia been recalled?

The 2012 GMC Acadia has 5 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2012 GMC Acadia?

Owners have filed 302 complaints about the 2012 GMC Acadia with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2012 GMC Acadia get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2012 GMC Acadia is 19 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a GMC Acadia use?

US Acadia manuals specify dexos-approved oil viscosity for your engine.

What does NHTSA recall 15V-609 cover on the GMC Acadia?

NHTSA safety recall 15V609000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that general Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured August 18, 2015 to September 24, 2015.

What generation is the 2013 GMC Acadia?

1st generation (Lambda) (2012-2016).