There are 6 owner-reported visibility & wipers complaints for the 2011 GMC Acadiain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
WINDSHIELD WIPERS WON'T WORK
BACK WINDSHIELD SHATTERED WHEN TRUNK WAS CLOSED USING THE POWER TRUNK DOOR FEATURE. ONE MONTH LATER, THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR QUARTER PANEL WINDOW SHATTERED WHEN THE TRUNK WAS CLOSED USING THE POWER TRUNK DOOR FEATURE. CAR WAS STATIONARY IN BOTH INSTANCES.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 GMC ACADIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE RUNNING LIGHT STOPPED FUNCTIONING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO UPON CHANGING THE LIGHT BULB, NOTICED THAT THE RECEPTACLE HAD MELTED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED IN MAY OF 2015. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,747.
HVAC SYSTEM FAILURE FOR THE SECOND TIME IN LESS THAN A YEAR THAT LEAD TO FREON LEAKING INTO THE PASSENGER CABIN OF OUR 2011 GMC ACADIA THAT HAS LESS THAN 44,000 MILES. IT WAS MAKING AN EXTREME HISSING SOUND, FOLLOWED BY A MISTY CLOUD OF FREON GAS, AND NOW LETS OFF AN ACRID, PLASTIC/ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL THAT FILLS THE CABIN FOLLOWED BY STEAM RISING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND THE VENTS IN THE CAR'S HOOD. THE CAR STARTS TO SMELL LIKE IT IS ON FIRE, ONLY WE CAN'T FIND THE SOURCE SINCE IT IS OBSCURED BY THE DASHBOARD. WE HAVE HAD TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES FOR THE SAME ISSUE, YET ALL THEY DO IS UPGRADE THE SOFTWARE AND RECHARGE THE FREON UNIT. IT EVENTUALLY LEAKS AND SHOOTS OUT FREON INTO THE FACES OF THE PASSENGERS, WHICH IS NOT SAFE! NOW THE BURNING SMELL HAS US CONCERNED THAT WE ARE DRIVING A VEHICLE THAT IS GOING TO CATCH FIRE AT ANYTIME.WE INITIALLY HAD GM AND GMC REPAIR THIS PROBLEM IN OCTOBER 2013, BUT THE UNIT FAILED AGAIN EXACTLY A YEAR LATER IN OCTOBER 2014. THERE ARE DOZENS UPON DOZENS OF OWNERS ONLINE THAT HAVE WELL-DOCUMENTED CASES WITH THE SAME HVAC UNIT. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE THE CAR CATCHES FIRE, AND HEAVEN FORBID, KILLS SOMEONE. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 GMC ACADIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER WAS MISSING AFTER DRIVING THROUGH A CAR WASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO ADVISED HIM TO REMOVE IT WHEN DRIVING THROUGH A CAR WASH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 3400.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 GMC ACADIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR WINDSHIELD WAS EXTREMELY SMALL AND DISTORTED THE REAR VISIBILITY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REARVIEW BACK-UP CAMERA SHOULD BE EQUIPPED IN ALL MODEL VEHICLES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM AND ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE FUNCTIONED AS DESIGNED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026