2017 GMC Acadia Complaint Log

When shifting vehicle into park and turning off the ignition switch a notification shows up and says shift to park even though vehicle is already in that position.

The shift to park keeps showing up and I had this issue taken care of last year at the dealership and it just started again. It is over $600 to have the repair done and should last more than a year before it needs to be replaced again. The lane assist pops up every couple weeks that it is not working.

Dash states put in park. But in park, car would deplete battery which I replaced but didn't fix. Unsafe as manuel states car can shut down while driving to preserve battery. Only 23,635 miles. Mostly parked. Parts $57 with $378 labor!

Steering assist is reduced

Shift to Park warning comes on when the car is turned off and it is in park. When we park the the car and shift the car to park and turn the car off the warning "shift to park" comes on and the electrical systems will not disengage. The radio stays on, the car can not be locked, and the doors ding loud alarms if you try to exit the car. The only fix is to sit in the car for several minutes and flick the switch under the gear shift and hope that the shift to park warning eventually goes off and you can exit the car. It sometimes takes 8-10 minutes for this to happen. This first happened intermittently and now happens every time we turn off the car. It has been replicated in a dealership and service center. The independent service center that did our brakes said they were aware this was a common problem in GMCs and they experienced it. We have been told it is a microswitch and the repair option is not under any kind of recall or warranty and up to us to pay for the full repair even though it seems there are thousands of people online experiencing the same problem and paying hundreds of dollars for this fix.

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while parked at her work, she had attempted to start the vehicle and was unable. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The contact had smelled the strong odor of gasoline from the front end of the vehicle. The contact stated a co-worker had looked underneath the vehicle and confirmed the leak of gasoline. The contact had taken the vehicle back to the same independent mechanic, who advised that the fuel pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that she was in a parking lot at a shopping center as she was looking for a parking spot, the driver's side air bag exploded, there was no crash. The contact said that she heard a loud "boom," and she had scrapes on her arms, hands, and face. The contact stated that her sons both had cuts and scrapes on their faces, the contact said one of her children needed stitches on his lip from the explosion. The contact stated that the police and emergency services were at the scene. The contact stated that her vehicle was towed back to her residence. The contact stated that she and her children were transported by ambulance to the emergency room. The contact stated that the police issued a report, but she was not given the report number. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle briefly lost motive power before slamming into gear. Additionally, the vehicle vibrated abnormally while changing gear. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

Thermostat Issue (Steering Assist is Reduced Drive with Care) have changed this sensor 3 times in the past 3 years, there is no excuse for that. The emergency braking almost cause me and my daughter to be hit by a train when my car emergency braked while going over train tracks. this is unexcusable

The engine is spewing oil from the sides of the engine. This is causing overheating and check engine light to come on. Mechanics cannot get an error read on it. There is no oil leak coming from under the engine.

On [XXX] my 2017 Acadia Denali started driving poorly and a steering assist reduced message appeared. I had O'Reilly scan for error messages and they were: P0128 and P0826-00. The dealership confirmed that they would need to replace the thermostat. The Buick GMC Beaverton technician made a video of my vehicle: [XXX] My safety was put at risk due to the risk of my steering going out. My car intermittently was having trouble engaging in driving (it randomly acted like it was not firing, it was "jerking"), I heard my cooling fan come on immediately the next day when started my car to drive it to the GMC dealership. I feared that my car would just die going over a mountain pass without cell coverage. On [XXX] I had the same steering assist reduced message and then replaced my thermostat at 39,228 miles. I will need to replace this again, 37,638 miles later. The GMC service technician mentioned that this is a typical problem for my car, and I have discovered a 2022 Acadia recall for their thermostats. Please extend this recall to include the 2017 Acadia. The component was not inspected by the police or insurance rep (yet), but it was inspected by the GMC dealership and O'Reilly veri scan. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Vehicle will not shut off, keep showing shift to Park, even when vehicle is in park with parking brake engaged. This has been a common occurrence and I see where people discuss a recall, but one is not available for my VIN.

The Car has over the last few years not turn off due to shift to park. This is concerning, due to we cannot turn the car off unless we strike the shifter few times assuming this is the remedy. It doesn't look like there is any type of recall but there should be.

See attached document for complaint.

My car will not park. I get a shift to park error message. I tried restarting and shutting it off. Didn't work. I ended up putting it in neutral turning on the emergency brake and then shutting the car off. I have had no problems with this car to this point, I am a single car owner and my car must be reliable. I can't spend a half hour trying to get the car to shut off.

In March of 2022 at around 79,000 miles, the temperature gauge was intermittently stuck on cold with the cooling fan constantly running and “steering assist reduced” displayed in the DIC. The car was found to have a bad thermostat which was replaced at the dealership on 3/28/2022. About 2 months ago the car started doing the same exact thing again. I have an appointment at the same dealership on March 23. It is likely the same problem again and I have only driven about 50,000 miles since the last time it was fixed. The car is now out of warranty. This is apparently a common recurrent with these model cars. There is in fact a service bulletin released about this very issue. GMC should replace and repair this issue since it is clearly a flaw.

Pulled into a parking space, put the car into park and tried to shut the car off. The warning system said I needed to shift to park. I was in park but could not shut the car off because the car thought I wasnt in park. Took 15 minutes of shifting from park to all gears and shaking the gear shifter before it finally let me shut the vehicle off. This is now the second time this has happened and ive had to have the same thing repaired. They are replacing the whole shifter assembly. Error reads SHIFT TO PARK. This is happening every few years now and at almost 1000 dollars to repair and only lasting a year or so, this is ridiculous.

While driving get notice lane departure not working and thermostat registered zero, when code scanned, states low thermostat temp and able to reset with code reader. Will reoccur in minters to days later. This is an electrical issue to to the ability to reset with a code scan tool, but also a safety issue since it also effects the electrical safety ability associated with the sensor.

Seeing the intermittent shift to park messages when the vehicle has been shifted into park and the ignition is turned to the off position. Shifter wire harness jumper & transmission controls A malfunctioning shifter raises fears of potential rollaway accidents, even if such cases remain rare. For anyone who has to park on a slope, this fear can cause serious worry. Yes, there is a service bulletin (19-NA-206) No, this is 1 of the only problems I have had with this. The other issues I have had is the clear coating on the rims are peeling

Backup camera often does not have a clear picture. Very grainy and static.

Every time I park it show up “ shift to park and it takes long to remove the code. battery keeps dying because of it since the car won’t turn off all night.

GMC customer care representative & local GMC service department supervisor unable to help. 2017 Acadia Shift to Park message. It’s Difficult to turn the car off. The vehicle refuses to acknowledge the park position. Potential rollaway hazard. You may inspect. Took it to GMC service & confirmed it is a prevalent issue: Transmission control 13534320 = gearshift assembly & Jumper harness 84733196. This problem has been recurring for several years and I have problem solved how to shut the car off. GMC customer care rep said it’s an issue with all 2017 Acadias and tried to help. The system deemed it complicated case & escalated it to a Supervisor. She read a “customer care” script. After talking, she admitted that realistically GMC would not help. Yesterday, she advised me to file a complaint with NHTSA. I read that 2 other states Ohio & Tennessee won class action lawsuits because of the hazardous shift to park issue. If GMC issued recalls for 2017 Acadia shift to park then my 2017 GMC Acadia should have been included. I have been waiting for the recall for several years. GMC admits the problem is prevalent in 2017 GMC Acadias. Would you please issue a recall associated with this issue and link it to my VIN. Thank you.

The middle row passenger side bucket seat seems to have a seat buckle failure. We have had a booster seat professionally installed for over a year. I check daily before my son gets in the seat that the seat is properly secured, but this morning it was loose. The shoulder belt that you have to pull all the way out to ratchet. It in place was completely un ratcheted and free to move. The buckle was still buckled completely, and the only way the shoulder belt should have been able to be loose like that would’ve been completely unbuckling and letting it retract all the way. The seat buckle was never unbuckled whatsoever. It seems like that ratcheting mechanism somehow failed and released the lock on the shoulder belt which was supposed to be holding the car seat in place. To properly resecure the car seat, I needed to unbuckle and allow the seat buckle to completely retract back into its normal position before pulling it back out to route through the car seat and re-ratcheting it tightly. The locking mechanism appears to be working now, but I am concerned that without unbuckling the seat buckle it just randomly Unlocked on its own.

Driving down the street and I heard a extremely loud drop. The transmission went out with no warning or even indication of trouble. The vehicle ran very smooth until that point.

The contact's boyfriend owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked abnormally while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure; however, the mechanic stated that the failure was related to the transmission. The contact called two local dealers about the failure, and both stated that the vehicle could not be serviced in the near future. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

Shift to Park light remains on after you’ve put the car in “park” which could potentially run the battery down. Car does not recognize when it is in “park”. Have to “jiggle” the gear a bit, in hopes that it turns off.

WHEN I STOP AND PUT ME CAR IN PARK IT USUALLY GIVES A WARNING SHIFT INTO PARK

Vehicle is showing message of “shift to park” while trying to turn ignition off and currently in park. There is a current recall but it is saying this vehicle is not included in recall.

Vehicle keeps intermittently coming up with "Power Steering Reduced: Drive with Care," during this my steering is perfectly fine, however my A/C stops blowing cold air, the temperature gauge stops working and my engine fan is running constantly. This is obviously a well known issue since googling that warning and my vehicle it comes up with the issue and what the cause is. Which the cause is from the thermostat remaining open and allowing coolant to run through the system, even when the vehicle is not overheating. I just bought this vehicle used from my local dealership and am surprised that GM has not recognized this is an issue affecting numerous vehicle. This should at the very least be put as a warranty covered issue!

Shift to park appears when vehicle is already in park and the vehicle will not turn off.

While driving at highway speeds, a warning appeared on the Driver Information Center (DIC): “Steering Assist is Reduced – Drive with Care.” Simultaneously, the temperature gauge was stuck on “C,” the radiator cooling fan ran at high speed, and the air conditioning stopped blowing cold air. After researching the issue, I discovered that these symptoms are commonly linked to a failing thermostat—a known and widespread problem with GM’s 3.6L LGX engine. Unfortunately, replacing the thermostat on this engine is not a simple repair, often requiring significant labor and cost. The most concerning aspect is the loss of steering assist, which poses a serious safety risk, especially at highway speeds. Given the frequency of this issue across many GM vehicles, it’s clear that this is a defective part and not an isolated incident. GM should take responsibility and cover the cost of repairs for affected vehicles. This is not just a mechanical failure—it’s a safety hazard that deserves immediate attention. I'm attaching a picture of the message as well a paid repair invoice from the work the dealer performed to replace the thermostat on my vehicle.

The transmission in my 2017 GMC Acadia needs to be replaced. According to an article from Qulll&Arrow, LLP, transmission problems affected the 2017, 2018, 2019 and some 2020 models, however, my VIN number is not included in this. I am reporting this so it can be documented in case other owners come forward and a pattern can be established.

vehicle has shift to park message, and will not allow the vehicle to shut down even though the vehicle is in park.

When I shift my car to park, it doesn't register that it is in park. It won't let me shut the car off. I can move the gear shift around a bit and it will eventually say it is in park. It can take sometimes up to 10 minutes for me to be able to shut off my car. I have read that this is a known issue and there was a recall, but my vin number was not included for some reason? The issue started about a month ago and has been continually getting worse.

Subject of the problem: Service brakes/Hydraulic brakes Problem of the vehicle: While driving, the brake pedal sometimes suddenly goes all the way down without resistance, and the vehicle does not slow down as expected. In order to regain brake pedal twice. Frequency of the problem: This issue occurs intermittently, but it poses a serious risk because the vehicle may not stop when needed. I already had the brake booster kit and hose replaced at an authorized GMC dealership because I was told this was the cause. However, the exact same problem continues to happen after the repair. Safety concern: This appears to be a defect that affects braking performance and safety. The issue occurs intermittently while driving (e.g., at stop lights, low-speed braking, or during normal driving). It has happed multiple times since the repair. This problem could cause loss of braking power and result in a crash. It is extremely dangerous and has not been resolved by the manufacturer's recommended repair. I have called the GMC service center at 18004678782 and 18002221020 with this problem. They told me that they could do nothing about it and to deal with the dealership directly myself and they can not do anything. I have talked to the dealership but they just tell me there was another problem other than the initial problem they told me. The dealership did the first checkup and that problem was not fixed. Then went in again because the same problem was happening so they did another checkup and told me there was another problem not the initial problem they told me. The second checkup they did, the part and labor was $2,700. I went in with the same problem and have to pay that much. The problem was not solved with the initial diagnosis they gave and now have pay extra ($2,700 - second checkup price) to fix the problem they did not fix. Thank you.

WHEN I PUT MY CAR IN PARK I WILL GET A "SHIFT TO PARK" NOTIICATION AND WILL HAVE TO MOVE MY CAR MULTIPLE TIMES TO GET IT TO REGISTER. THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM ON OTHER 2017 GMC ACADIA BUT DOES NOT FALL UNDER MY VIN #

Shift to park. Car will not register as in park. Have previously had issue fixed and has started again. Was told this is a common reoccurance and would likely happen again over time even if I pay to have it fixed again. Yesterday I spent 45 minutes trying to get the car to turn off. If it says shift to park the car will not shut completely down and there is nothing that can be done. I spoke with gmc for 30 min and was finally told to unhook the battery because they have no way to make it shut off without going to a dealership which was closed at the time.

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was slipping while attempting to change gears. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

I get a warning whenever the car is placed on park with the shifter telling me to shift to park even though it’s already on park. This causes the car to not be able to turn off

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10-15 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormally loud blower motor sound while accelerating, before the vehicle lost motive power. The transmission was shifted to neutral(N) and pushed to the side of the roadway. The TPMS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who determined that the transmission clutch had failed, and the transmission needed to be rebuilt or replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed there was no recall coverage or warranty coverage on the VIN for the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.

The transmission failed at 90k miles, causing shuddering and stalling on acceleration. This has occurred several times on major highways and is very dangerous.

I have gotten a alert on my vehicles dashboard after parking saying "shift to park" my car won't turn off until I can wiggle the shifter just right or have to take it out of park, back to drive back to park. I didn't have my radio on once and I didn't notice it wasn't all the way off and my battery went dead.

I’m just reporting several known issues. First, with code P2138, which I got today at Oreilly after my car started throwing warnings. I used my parking brake briefly and afterwards got the following warnings on my car: “Steering Assist is Reduced, Drive with care”, “Engine power reduced” , “Propulsion Power is reduced” , “Service Parking Brake”. I’ve never even had one of these warnings. I’ve only gotten “shift to park” which is another known & common issue. With this P2138 code, it can affect acceleration and essentially loss of control over it, but seems I suddenly have several issues. Recently the infotainment system is possessed, touch screen stops working, it calls people by itself, beeps and scrolls by itself and is essentially useless. Might as well be driving at 1997 something or other, at least I could play a tape or CD. This is Denali trim at 87K miles. Primarily though I’m concerned with this code, if it’s legit, it is very dangerous. How unreliable and unsafe to not know.

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while attempting to shift into park(P), the vehicle failed to turn off, with the "Shift to Park" message displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that after several attempts, the vehicle eventually turned off. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V516000 (POWER TRAIN). The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Drive shaft has excessive play

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the brake pedal was firm. The contact applied full pressure to the brake pedal, and the vehicle stopped. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with brake vacuum pump failure. Additionally, the contact was informed that the brake vacuum pump had fractured, and a part of the brake vacuum pump had lodged into the engine. The contact was informed that the brake vacuum pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,911.

When placed in park a message appears to Shift To Park and the vehicle electrical system stays energized.

The vehicle keeps shaking specially at the first and second gear, up to 40miles/hr and at any up hills roads. I took it to the mechanic and he said that it’s an issue in the transmission and needs to be replaced. Also the engine fan randomly turns on automatically, and a warning message stating “Steering assist reduced. Drive with care”

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

Side Detection Malfunction Message on Dash. Blind spot and cross traffic alerts not working. Vehicle has a blind spot on the driver's side and without this alert, I have found that vehicles appear to not be there but actually which causes issues with merging traffic and lane changes leading to potential collisions. Dealer replaced the side detection modules under warranty and special policy because of water intrusion into the modules. This exact same symptoms and parts have occurred and replaced 5 times, and a 6th is currently needed. All work was performed exclusively at GMAC dealer and vehicle is accident free. GM issued a special policy that covered this specific repair, and the vehicle now needs to it done a 6th time and GM has refused to assist saying vehicle is out of special policy. I have requested that GM inspect the vehicle but no response. I contacted GM and they declined assistance. I currently have the feature turned off because it was providing an error message on the dash and false alerts. I don't believe that GM actually has a long-term fix for this safety issue. Original Set of Sensors - 0 Miles - 2nd set of sensors - 5,894 Miles - 2/2018 3rd set of sensors - 17,078 Miles - 5/2019 4th set of sensors - 32,546 Miles - 4/2021 5th set of sensors - 45,463 Miles - 3/2023 6th set of sensors - 64,335 Miles - 3/2025

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware that the steering wheel was inoperable, with the message “Steering Assist Reduced” displayed. The contact stated that the steering wheel was loosened and became difficult to turn. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the thermostat coolant sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 80,510.