2009 GMC Acadia problems
NHTSA has received 486 complaints about the 2009 GMC Acadia, and 23% of them involve steering. Next are engine (15%) and drivetrain & axles (14%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 486 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Steering 24% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 13 and 20
- Injuries and deaths
- 29 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 77,000 miles 396 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 23 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 30 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 69 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 90 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 60 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 57 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 36 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 12 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 14 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 3 |
| 200k+ miles | 2 |
What the data shows
Of the 396 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 77,000 miles. For steering specifically, the median reported mileage is about 70,000 miles (98 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 13 complaints mention a crash; 20 complaints mention a fire; 29 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2009 ranks 7th most-complained-about out of 19 model years of the GMC Acadia with enough data (258 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 7 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Driving down the road and notice a deer. Speed limit was 55, so we had slowed down to about 45. Deer crossing in front of us, and we almost come to a complete stop (about 10-15MPH). We hit the deer on the passenger front. Get out of the car to assess the damage, and notice a fire under the grill and headlights. Air bags had deployed. Everyone evacuated the vehicle, and it was a total loss.
Vehicle is hard to turn at low speeds, particularly when parking. Seems as though power steering is not working. Took to dealer and was told that power steering pump went out and that steering gear/rack should also be replaced for $1800+. This is ridiculous on a vehicle that was purchased new and serviced every 3000, primarily at the dealership from which it was purchased.
Having steering problems with my GMC acadia. Vehicle has appox. 75k miles and I have had several incidents of where it was hard to steer my vehicle. I took to the GMC dealership service dept. And it's the same issues everyone else is having with this make & model vehile. Rack & pinion is leaking & I need a new power steerling pump. There is clearly a defect with this GMC make and model and the customers should have to bare the cost of these reparis. I also noticed this occurs after the warranty ends too.