Reliable Auto DB

2018 GMC Acadia reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2018 GMC Acadia has 395 complaints with NHTSA after 9 years, or 51 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Acadia years here — over the median of the other years, which is 11. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Fuel pump and Driveshaft.

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

395

Per year

51

Recalls

2

Years on the road

9

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (163 of 395), then Electrical system (108) and Engine (33). Those filings include 8 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 5 that report an injury.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 Acadia has 703 complaints, 76 per year, and the 2019 has 386 complaints, 17 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

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 2018 GMC Acadia. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall Fuel pump 2018-05-31 · NHTSA campaign 18V358000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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.
Recall Driveshaft 2017-08-22 · NHTSA campaign 17V516000
Summary 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.
Remedy 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.

Complaints by component (395 total)

Powertrain
163
Electrical system
108
Engine
33
Steering
24
Service brakes
21
Electronic stability control (ESC)
12
Fuel and propulsion system
7
Lane departure
6
Back-over prevention
5
Seats
5
Speed control
5
Suspension
5
Seat belts
4
Wheels
4
Forward collision avoidance
3
Fuel system, gasoline
3
Exterior lighting
2
Air bags
1
Engine and engine cooling
1
Parking brake
1
Structure
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Show 14 more Show less
Crash-flagged

8

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

5

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

92018842019612020292021302022302023392024742025392026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "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…"
    Fuel system, gasoline · filed 2026-09-22
  • "Urgent code going off due to thermostat not being red gauge is stuck"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-09-20
  • "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…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-11
  • "I am unknown of what the issue is with the seatbelts on all seats will not properly lock."
    Seat belts · filed 2026-08-31
  • "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."
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-08-31

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2018 GMC Acadia SUV AWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2018 GMC Acadia SUV FWD 4 stars 5 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 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic 6-speed All-wheel drive 21 25 23 MPG $2800
Acadia all-wheel drive 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic 6-speed All-wheel drive 17 25 20 MPG $3250
Acadia front-wheel drive 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic 6-speed Front-wheel drive 21 26 23 MPG $2800
Acadia front-wheel drive 3.6L, 6-cyl Automatic 6-speed Front-wheel drive 18 25 21 MPG $3100

Specs and fitment

2nd generation (C1XX), 2017–2023
Body styles SUV
Oil dexos1 5W-30 (V6 per manual) , 6 qt capacity
Tire size 235/55R20, 235/65R18 (trim dependent)
Towing capacity 4,000 lbs

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA safety recall 21V702000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that general Motors, LLC. (GM) is recalling certain 2022 GMC Acadia vehicles. The sensing diagnostic module (SDM) may have been left in "manufacturing mode" and not activated at the assembly plant prior to shipment. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection.". The air bags will not deploy with an unactivated SDM, increasing the risk of injury in a crash. Remedy: The vehicles will be returned to the assembly plant for SDM activation. Both affected vehicles are still in dealer inventory and therefore no owner notification letters will be mailed. Owners may contact GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212344261. When NHTSA lists multiple GM nameplates in one campaign, the published unit count is shared across them.

Compare

Previous year 2017 GMC Acadia Next year 2019 GMC Acadia See every GMC Acadia model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 GMC Acadia reliable?

The 2018 GMC Acadia has 395 complaints with NHTSA after 9 years, or 51 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Acadia years here — over the median of the other years, which is 11. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Fuel pump and Driveshaft.

What are common problems with a 2018 GMC Acadia?

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (163 of 395), then Electrical system (108) and Engine (33). Those filings include 8 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 5 that report an injury.

Is the 2018 GMC Acadia more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 Acadia has 703 complaints, 76 per year, and the 2019 has 386 complaints, 17 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 GMC Acadia been recalled?

The 2018 GMC Acadia has 2 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 2018 GMC Acadia?

Owners have filed 395 complaints about the 2018 GMC Acadia with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 GMC Acadia get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 GMC Acadia is 21.8 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).