There are 13 owner-reported steering complaints for the 2020 GMC Acadiain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
I bought the car at the end of October 2025, so it was always cold till last month. Last month the first day it’s warm I get a warning saying my steering assist has been limited with a code saying the thermostat needs replacing as well as the sensor. This is a known issue with these vehicles and now I have to pay $1500 out of pocket to have fixed because my limited warranty expired 2 weeks before it was warm enough to trip the codes. This is ridiculous especially seeing as I am disabled and can’t afford an extra $1500 after spending $7000 for the down payment!
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the AC was inoperable. The message “Driving Assist Reduced - Drive with Care” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the battery. While driving, the message "Driving Assist Reduced" was displayed. The contact was concerned about driving the vehicle due to the failure of the steering wheel. The contact stated that the failure was related to GM Special Coverage: N252508350. There were four attempts to contact the manufacturer, but there was no response. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.
My 2020 GMC Acadia slt has a a warning message that pops up on the dash display which reads power steering operating at reduced assistance. Please proceed with extreme caution. At high speeds the wheel kinda pulls and is loose for handling. It also atfff conley buick out by the conley buick sericexx2020 acadias. I don't not54⁴ lower rates of speed becomes extremely hard to maneuver . Almost zero ability to turn the steering wheel. I'm disabled and really can't afford the costly repair. It seems to be a very dangerous problem and well known to compromise ones ability to control the 2020 Acadia danalis. I had my suv ckd out at conley buick the results were power steering module needs to be replaced. When driving down the road the steering becomes dangerously loose especially
Reduced steering assist came up on screen then as we went a few more miles the tire pressure on right front dropping like crazy for no reason on screen in vehicle stopped looked at tire no issues.
The "Steering Assist is Reduced" warning came on the same time the engine thermostat display stopped working. Then the check engine light came on the same time the AC stopped working. At first I thought maybe it was just the battery, so I had that changed out. But the "Steering Assist" warning continued and the engine thermostat display was still stuck on "Cold" no matter what (note: the oil temp display still worked fine). Looking in to the problem, apparently a defective Engine Thermostat is a pretty common issue with this vehicle. Why isn't there already a recall on this? The risk of engine overheating is HUGE and dangerous. I called GMC and they want to charge and arm and a leg to fix it (the car has 47000 miles so is just out of warranty). I don't want to wait until there is an accident to have something done about this.
1. Shift to Park failure, P0700/P187e internal sensor, causing me to have to get a rebuilt transmission. 10/2025 2. Transmission shudder/hard-shifting ongoing 2022-2025 3. Coolant/thermostat issues. Steering Assist Reduced" message, fans stay on HIGH, no AC, engine temp on ZERO ongoing since 2024 3. Start/Stop button failure multiple times (replaced 3 times) 4. Rack and pinion/steering gear (would not return/ got stuck while turning) got new rack and pinion 2023 5. Water pump leaking, replaced 4/2024 6. Since 2023, have had ongoing “Timing OVER ADVANCED”, warning issues since 2023. This is TOO MUCH for a New car!!! I’ve owned MANY cars and NEVER had this many issues!!! There appears to be multiple design flaws with this model and similar models!
Thermostat
An error pops on the dash that says steering assist is reduced-drive with care, and the thermostat gauge does not work, nor does the air conditioner and the vehicle fan under the hood is extremely loud. This has been happening intermittently since September 2024. Basic research on the Internet is showing many people have the same issue with these vehicles. Further research suggests possible vehicle computer system issues. I don't know why there isn't a recall already.
Power steering system fails intermittently. Power steering goes and comes back on without warning, causing the driver to oversteer the vehicle. Mechanic performed software update, which did not fix the problem and told me the power steering module needs to be replaced, which would be over $1,000 for the part, plus labor and re-alignment. Additionally, the replacement power steering module is not currently available - it is on backorder.
When it rains(or car wash) my power locks don't work. I get locked out of my car. My car reset itself in the middle of an intersection(like I turned it off and back on again). One of my gauges is always not working. The sunroof doesn't work right. Water is getting in the electrical area somehow. I've taken it to two chevrolet dealerships, but no help.
Steering Assist reduced drive with care message. This is an extremely common issue and should be a recall. ALOT of people including my dealer service advisor has this issue with their vehicle this message comes up fans kick on high a/c stops working and temp gauge stops working. It can be reset by unplugging battery or clearing the code.
My steering assist is reduced drive with care message is on. The AC is no longer working and the fan is constantly running and sounds horrible. The temperature gauge has not come off of cold. After researching this issue online-it looks like this is a constant problem with Acadias from 2017-current. People are talking about the cost being between $1100-2400 to fix. There is a service bulletin out about this issue(17-NA-158) May 2017 If GMC knows that this is a problem why are they not recalling them?? My car was purchased brand new and of course is out of warranty like most others(the extended warranty doesn’t cover it either) GMC needs to recall these vehicles and fix this issue!!!!!
While driving, the power steering went out and a service power steering message appeared. I turned off the vehicle and waited a few minutes and when the car was turned on it went away and the power steering came back.
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 25, 2026