2019 GMC Acadia Complaint Log

2109 Acadia. The gear shift would not register as being in park when it actually was in park. This created an issue of the interior lights and radio not being turned off when the driver door was opened, posing the possibility of the battery being drained and the driver stranded. Upon searching, it was learned many Acadias have had this issue, including a friends'. This was reported to GMC Executive Resolution Team and that it cost us $341.38 to get it repaired. They refused reimbursement and have not issued a recall even though many Acadias are involved in this problem.

The warning steering assist reduced, drive with caution appears. Shift to park appears. Temperature gauge drops to zero. Fan runs on high. A/C & heater don’t not work when this happens. We certainly do not feel safe driving our Acadia like this. Can’t trust that it won’t start on fire.

When shiftiing to park and turning the car off the message "Action Required Shift to Park". It is difficult to get the message to go away.

Park to shift issue - the vehicle did not register that I was in park, jerked hard when trying to place in gear, did not register the PROPER gear (reverse, neutral, drive), would NOT unlock doors to let passengers out even if it were an emergency. Seems to be triggered on inclines but have also been having issues on flat ground. Other Acadia's apparently have a recall for this issue but my VIN does not register as recalled which is not acceptable. https://www.quillarrowlaw.com/blog/gmc-acadia-shift-to-park-recall-what-owners-need-to-know/ THEN trying to accelerate on road it acted as though in neutral, would only barely function in low gear. Again, gear shifting did not respond. The fab did not register to unlock the car (it has a new battery) or the trunk, or start the car just prior to the issue revealing itself.

The "shift to park" continues to pop up and can take as long as 20 minutes to get it to go off. From what I have seen this is a super common issues for the 2019 models and why there isn't an active recall I am not sure. Getting pretty frustrating when I have read 100s of complaints about the same thing and GM isn't doing anything about it.

It has the ABS lights on and tire traction light on check engine light on and given signs of failed transmission Slow to takeoff shuttering of transmission

Loss of steering assist code P0128 due to stuck thermostat.

The engine temperature gauge was reading cold when driving for 40 minutes and the fan was running on high. Also said steering assist reduced. Brought it in and had to replace the thermostat, because of the code they received. That fixed the issue.

Shift to park error on dashboard When turning the car off and it is in park, the car does not register that it is in park and continues to run electronics in the car. Causing the car to show the error on the dashboard. This runs the battery down and car may jump out of park and roll. Asked dealer to look at it and they refused due to it not being on the recall list for my vin #. No, dealer refused and no other person will touch this issue, since its electronic in the vehicle and only the dealer can fix. Had it to another repair shop that informed me of this information. No known abnormalities prior to the incident that occurs every time you try to shut off the vehicle. Causing several attempts to turn the car off and make sure it is off and does not move on its own.

Owner of a 2019 GMC Acadia Denali (VIN: [XXX] , current odometer ~87,164 miles), purchased new. In early February 2026, the check engine light came on. Independent diagnostic scan confirmed persistent P0420 code (“Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold Bank 1”) as current, history, pending, and permanent. Inspection showed the front exhaust pipe bracket had snapped, damaging the flex pipe and causing an exhaust leak. This failure mode directly triggers the P0420 code and requires replacement of the bracket and affected flex pipe section. This is a known recurring issue on GM’s Lambda-platform vehicles (shared platform, 3.6L V6 engine, and exhaust system design). GM Special Coverage Adjustment N212356540 covers 2019 Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave models for front exhaust pipe bracket separation (resulting in pipe damage, holes, leaks, rattling, or efficiency codes), providing free repair for 15 years or 150,000 miles from in-service date, regardless of ownership. The failure on this Acadia is mechanically identical, yet the model is excluded from coverage despite matching part design and numerous similar owner complaints documented on NHTSA and BBB reports. Multiple attempts were made to resolve through the selling dealership (no response to service inquiries). Matter was escalated to GM Executive Resolution. GM required a redundant diagnostic scan at an authorized dealer (additional cost incurred), despite independent confirmation of the issue. GM ultimately denied any coverage, TSB applicability, goodwill assistance, or further support. The snapped bracket and resulting exhaust leak can produce noise, fumes in cabin, potential component damage, and emissions noncompliance via false/legitimate catalyst efficiency codes. Inconsistent application of coverage for the identical defect across equivalent Lambda-platform models raises concerns about a widespread safety/emissions issue affecting 2019 GMC Acadia. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Parts # 84733196 Harness ASM-TRAS CONT WRG and 84955379 SWITCH ASM-TRNS CONT have been replaced three times. This is described by dealer as a faulty PARK SWITCH. When this switch fails the vehicle is unable to be shifted to park. Vehicle needed to be located in a level position, wheels chocked and battery disconnected to safely disable the vehicle. Dealership and General Motors has been made aware of problem won't do anything, other that have me pay for the labor and new part to fix it, AGAIN. There is no warning ,it simple decides to fail to shift to park.

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled unexpectedly. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The contact also stated that while coming to a stop and attempting to depress the brake pedal, the vehicle lost motive power but unexpectedly lunged forward. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted after the failure. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission 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 85,695.

Vehicle experiences multiple simultaneous failures including “Steering Assist Reduced / Drive With Care” warning, extremely loud cooling fan operation, temperature gauge not functioning, tire pressure monitoring system failure, and widespread electrical issues (windows, mirrors, infotainment delay). Issues occurred together and are consistent with numerous owner reports for 2019 GMC Acadia models. Condition affects steering assist and engine temperature monitoring, creating a potential safety risk.

Shift to park alert continues to come on when car is already shifted into park. Car will not shut off without pulling car back out of park and shifting back into park. Causing a delay in all electrical attached to power down, potentially draining the battery.

My 2019 GMC Acadia suffered a "major trans fluid leak" specifically from the transmission accumulator feed pipe. Because of this leak, the transmission lost its necessary hydraulic pressure, leading to "internal damage". This is why I experienced harsh shifts and a complete "missing 3rd gear". This exact part and failure mode are the center of NHTSA Recall 20V668. The recall warns that missing bolts on the accumulator can cause a fluid leak, progressing to a total loss of propulsion—which is exactly what has happened to my vehicle.

2019 GMC Acadia message: Action Required Steering Assist Is Reduced Drive with care Both power steering and AC affected, check engine light on, engine temperature gauge off

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the gear shifter failed to shift into park(P). The vehicle failed to turn off, with the message "Shift to Park" displayed with an audible chime. The contact was forced to move the gear shifter back and forth before it was recognized that the transmission was in park(P). A dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.

My Temp control sensor is causing my check engine light to come on. After reviewing the problem, It seems many owners have had this same problem nation wide. I,m simply adding to the complaints by other owners that this should be a recall problem since so many owners are having this same problem. I,ve only had this car for 2 weeks & like the vehicle very much but this is a per the mechanic that may be caused by the sensor being placed too close to the exhaust without better protection from the heat. Please take this into consideration & hopefully come up with an adequate protective cover

I see where GMC Acadia is have a recall on transmission and if it’s the description of my two GMC Acadia’s, but when I put my Vin number in it doesn’t have a recall

Started getting a warning indication when starting the vehicle that stated some portion of driver assist was not functioning (or some verbiage close to that). We didn't notice any difference in the operation of the vehicle and took it to a service shop after about a week. They did some testing and discovered the problem. I am not mechanical at all but they said there were several technical bulletins from the manufacturer that led them to the problem - a bent pin on one of the rocker arms. I am going to upload the technical bulletins (3) they provided me as well as the invoice (3 pages).

Shift to Park Issue - this is a know issue/recall for the 2019 GMC acadia yet it when I enter my VIN number the recall doesn't show up as a problem. YET it took me 10 tries yesterday to try and turn my car off because each time I went to turn it off, I got the message to Shift it to Park. This has been occurring weekly since I purchased the used car in August 2025.

There are 2 issues im experiencing. The first is the vehicle won't allow me to shut down the engine because it doesnt recognize that its been shifted into "park". Ive already paid close to 800.00 to.have this repaired because my model year is not covered in the recall. Today, it started doing it again. The safety issue is that either I, my wife, or my teenage daughter (depending on who is with the vehicle). Can be left stranded, unless we pop the hood and disconnect the battery. The second issue is that the tire pressure monitor is no longer working. It is sending warnings that our tire pressure is low. When its not. The safety issue is needing to pull to the side of the road to check the tire pressure and also not knowing when the vehicle may actually have a low tire.

There is a "shift to park" alert that is listed as a recall from 2017-2019 gmc Acadia's. I have this alarm but apparently my vin is not affected. I would like this to be investigated as it seems my vehicle should be included in the recall.

Shift to park caused by a faulty micro switch. Woukd take up to 30 min to get car in park, leading to engine shutdown failures and possibly battery drain I did replace battery before I knew this was causing this. Messages did appear saying this was an issue ,must shift to park but no indication of how to do it. I got this repaired at barkley GMC Dec 29:30

When in park the car is alerting to “shift to park”.

When parking the vehicle the electrical system will put a warning on the dash indicating you are not in park. A message indicates shift to park. The car will not shut off and you cannot lock the vehicle. This happened when I first bought the vehicle and it was under warranty and repaired. It is now happening a second time in 2025.

I purchased a used 2019 GMC Acadia from Grieco Honda around November 20, 2023. They showed me a CarFax report indicating the vehicle had never been in an accident. Immediately after the purchase, I reported several issues and attempted to return the car under their 30-day warranty. However, the salesperson convinced me not to return it, assuring me that they would address all of the problems. From the beginning, I complained that the car shook violently when driving between 45–60 mph, especially during acceleration. The vehicle took an unusually long time to heat up, and the brakes were loud and squeaky. A few months later, after driving over a large speed bump, the airbag warning light turned on. During my next oil change, I mentioned this issue, along with a problem with the window sensor. They dismissed my concerns and told me to take the car to GMC across the street because they lacked the tools to diagnose it. At GMC Hurd, I was told the diagnostic service would cost 160 and that I would need to leave the vehicle for the day. At the time, I couldn’t leave the car because I needed it to pick up my children. Now, in November 2025, my inspection is due. I brought the car back to GMC, and they informed me that the vehicle had been in a major accident prior to my ownership. They discovered that the airbags had previously deployed and were stuffed back into the driver’s seat and sewn shut. I have never been in an accident with this car. I reported this to Grieco since they were the ones who inspected the vehicle in November 2023 and passed it. I believe they managed to get the car through inspection without properly or thoroughly examining it before selling it to me. They have dismissed my concerns and told me there is nothing they can do. This is outrageous, as the airbags would not have deployed in an emergency, putting my safety at serious risk.

Check Engine Light came on with message of "Steering Assist is Reduced Drive with Care". This same thing happened to my sister-in-laws 2019 Acadia 2 months earlier. Took it in right away to the dealership to find out it's the thermostat, it's a common/known issue and it isn't covered under my extended warranty and will cost ~$1300. I'm seeing this is a common issue for Acadia's and has not had a recall, don't understand why. It's one thing if this is a easy part to replace, but GM has made it so that most people now need a dealership or auto repair shop to fix it.

Shift to Park message comes up and vehicle will not turn off. This happens frequently and so far I have been able to get it to shift into park by clicking the lever on the shifter multiple times.

Car stalls and transmission dies

The transmission is shuttering and jerking, had it diagnosed and was told that the torque converter is going out with only 137,000 miles on my 2019 GMC Acadia

Vehicle is in park, and the shft sensor does not recognize the shifter is in park. Won't let you turn off rhe car.

The Shift to Park is not recognizing when my car is in park and continues to ding and won’t let me turn my car off.

Shift to park error message when in park.

The put in park shows after engine is turned off, have to restart and shift out of park and back to park. This could take several times to accomplish.

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Steering Assist Fault - Drive with Caution" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who retrieved DTC: P0128 (Engine Coolant Temperature Below Thermostat Regulating Temperature) and replaced the engine coolant thermostat. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 55,114.

I own a GMC Acadia 2019.The problem that is happening has to do wiyj "shift Park" message I am getting when I turn off my car. It is "IN PARK" but this message in instrument panel shows and keep beeping. After several shifting in different gears stop sometimes , sometimes not. I see some messages that there has been a recall, others saying not. I see a lot of Acadia 2019 owners are having this issue. I will try to coontact dealer but it looks like they are not helping others

The steering assist message comes on and off whenever the weather gets cold in the fall and winter. This causes my air conditioning and/or heater to not work. I have done research and the temperature sensor needs to get replaced because there is a malfunction of the temperature not reading the coolant. Everything is fine with fluids and driving. This happened when I turned on the heater.

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that after arriving at her destination and shifting into park(P), the message "Please Shift to Park" was displayed and the vehicle could be turned off. After several attempts, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 88,000.

Thermostat fails. Steering assist reduced message comes up on dash. Temperature gauge stops working, air conditioning stops working and engine fans run constantly when vehicle is running. I had the dealership fix and replace under warranty the first time and now it happened again a second time.

I own a 2019 GMC Acadia SLT. The problem started after arriving at my destination and shifting into park. The message "Shift to Park" was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle can sometimes be turned off and sometimes instrument panel continues to ding and does not shut off. After several attempts the vehicle can returned to normal and sometimes it does not. This problem is a regular occurrence. No warning lights illuminate. The vehicle was taken to a dealer on my way home from a long trip. The service tech stated that there has been a LOT of complaints and he was surprised there were no recalls for this problem. The problem still persists on and off daily. The failure mileage was 49,000.

I bought a car about 2 months ago and they did not tell me the thermostat was bad and they won’t cover it.

AFTER PUTTING CAR IN PARK AND TURNING ENGINE OFF, SHIFT TO PARK WILL APPEAR ON DASH- CAR ALREADY IN PARK .

Ongoing issue with the 2019 GMC Acadia, "Shift to Park" shows on dashboard when vehicle is in park. Unable to turn the vehicle off.

SHIFT INTO PARK ALERT AFTER CAR IS IN PARK

Due to negligence of gmc wright of wexford during the replacement of 3rd new transmission they did not clamp a hose together causing coolant to leak and my thermostat to come on n off. Causing further damage to my vehicle

Unknown My 2019 Acadia Denali has/is been repaired 6 times in 1 1/2 years for engine oil leaks , has had transmission repairs twice , radiator repair and replacement. Also suspension warranty work as well . I feel the oil leaks is and has been excessive and dangerous due to no warning lights never displayed to alert me to check oil

The contact owned a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH and attempting to adjust the steering wheel, the steering column and the steering wheel detached and fell in the contact’s lap. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the steering column and steering wheel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 125,298.

When I park and then turn the car off the car fails to recognize that the gear shifter is in the park position. As a result, the car doesn’t fully shut down, leaving the engine running or the electronics active. This drains the battery. I have seen this issue is recalled for other 2019 Acadias but don’t under why it is not recalled in mine. I’m afraid I’ll be out and about and unable to turn my car off resulting in a dead battery and being stranded.

Check engine light comes on, temperature gauge stops working, driving assist reduced notification, engine fan runs on high only. Temperature gauge and sensor were replaced 27,000 mi ago when this happened before.