Lane departure, seat belt, and emergency brake issues are among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
General Motors Company (GMC) says the Acadia is a cornerstone of their success story. But success doesn’t spell perfection. Now in its third generation, the mid-size SUV has had its fair share of problems over the years. It’s had some great reviews but also some bad ones. Complaints include lane departure issues, faulty seat belts, and malfunctioning automatic emergency braking (AEB).
Launched in 2021, 14 years after the first Acadia was unveiled in the U.S. the 2022 model is attracting criticism about several components and systems. Complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) relate to the electrical system, forward collision avoidance, lane departure, seat belts, and vehicle speed control.
There are 3 recalls, all of which increase the risk of the SUV crashing, and one of which also increases the risk of a fire due to possible fuel leaks. There are also 170 manufacturer communications on file with the NHTSA, including a variety of technical service bulletins (TSBs).
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2019 2020 2021
Varied lane departure problems top the list of consumer complaints to the NHTSA. There are also several other safety issues.
A review on Edmunds warns potential purchasers to “stay away from (the) 2022 GMC Acadia.” Giving it just 1 out of 5 stars, the reviewer says he has had “nothing but problems” with the SUV.
His advice: “I would go another route if looking for a new SUV. I’m sure they will just blame Covid when a recall is issued.”
NHTSA complaints provide more detail about problems they have encountered.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Engine | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Electrical System | |
| Power Train | |
| Seat Belts | |
| Air Bags | |
| Back Over Prevention: Warnings | |
| Electrical System:instrument Panel:speedometer/odometer | |
| Electronic Stability Control | |
| Exterior Lighting |
An owner from Michigan complains that the driver-side blind spot monitor doesn’t detect vehicles. He asks, “Does somebody have to die to correct a safety defect?”
The first indication that something was wrong was when he “was entering a freeway and nearly caused an accident.” He scheduled a service but couldn’t get an appointment for two weeks.
“The system started working again just before the appointment and the dealer service department could not find a problem. My neighbor’s 2021 GMC Acadia has the same issue.”
Another lane departure problem reported by an owner in Idaho relates to cruise control. According to the complaint, it “does not down-shift the vehicle early enough.”
Also regarded as a vehicle speed control issue, the complaint states that cruise control doesn’t react for the first 6 mph over a set point. Then, when it downshifts, it only downshifts one gear.
“The vehicle exceeded 10 mph over (the) set point on a 6% grade and (the) brakes had to be engaged because (the) manual limit did not perform as intended at the moment. This might have been ok in the 90s but all other cars I (have) had (have) handled this much better in (the) last 15 years.”
Additionally, “the lane keep assist attempts to drive the car into oncoming traffic when there are road patches present in the lane.”
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Filed as a forward collision avoidance problem, a New York GMC Acadia owner complains that the automatic emergency braking (AEB) system has been activated unnecessarily twice. Both times at a 4-way stop. Now he has disabled what should be a safety device.
Describing what happened, the owner says he was turning left into an intersection when the AEB reacted to the car and engaged. It slowed down the car “and almost brought it to a full stop in the middle of the intersection. I now drive the car with AEB disabled.”
The owner of a 2022 GMC Acadia from California is concerned that the passenger side seat belt won’t buckle up. An obvious safety issue, he says:
“The receiver piece for the buckle gets jammed and does not latch. My wife and I just had a baby and we are concerned about all the seat belts now, not sure if the others will give out as well.
If you have a 2022 GMC Acadia that has recurring problems, you may have bought a lemon. Usually, these issues impact the use and value of a vehicle. But it can be difficult to assess without an experienced lemon lawyer to help you.
Lemberg Law has assisted many clients to claim from vehicle manufacturers when their vans, cars, and trucks have problems they cannot solve. If we believe you have a lemon, we undertake to negotiate a settlement deal on your behalf. This may be in the form of a replacement vehicle, a buyback, or a refund.
All you need to do is fill in our contact form or call our Helpline and we will assess your problems free of charge. Remember that the law says GMC must pay the legal fees of lemon law cases.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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