2010 GMC Acadia problems
NHTSA has received 436 complaints about the 2010 GMC Acadia, and 34% of them involve steering. Next are engine (19%) and electrical system (10%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 436 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Steering 34% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 5 and 10
- Injuries and deaths
- 13 and 1
- Typical mileage
- 75,000 miles 367 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 | 27 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 24 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 69 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 76 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 66 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 40 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 31 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 19 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 9 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 2 |
| 200k+ miles | 4 |
What the data shows
Of the 367 complaints that include odometer readings, half describe a problem before roughly 75,000 miles. For steering specifically, the median reported mileage is about 70,000 miles (138 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 5 complaints mention a crash; 10 complaints mention a fire; 13 injuries reported; 1 death reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2010 ranks 8th most-complained-about out of 19 model years of the GMC Acadia with enough data (252 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 4 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.
The contact owns a 2010 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The contact became aware of white smoke coming from the vents. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The contact and minor children exited the vehicle. The contact stated that while exiting the vehicle, there was fire coming from underneath the hood. The Fire truck arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire.
The contact owned a 2010 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, white and black smoke had leaked into the interior cabin through the air vents. No warning lights illuminated. The vehicle had caught on fire under the hood. The contact pulled over to the side of the road when the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The local fire department arrived on scene and extinguished the fire. The source of the fire was unidentified. A police report was filed.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 GMC acadia. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the steering wheel began to vibrate accompanied by a loud popping noise. The contact attempted to turn left but the steering wheel traveled in the opposite direction which caused the contact to crash into two vehicles. After inspecting the vehicle, the contact observed that the front passenger side strut was fractured and separated from the vehicle. The failure had occurred previously on the opposite side.
While driving the check engine light came on. The dealership read the code and diagnosed that the timing chains needed to be replaced. Unsafe condition that can cause the engine to stop running while being driven at highway speeds. My research showed GM extended warranty and covers costs for timing chain replacement on the 3.6 engines for the 2007-2009 model years, but not the 2010.
Timing chains stretch. Very common issue on this and other GM vehicles with 3.6l engine. Just purchased my vehicle and it's at the dealer for a $2600 repaor on this problem. Can happen at any mileage and without warning other than check engine light. Timing chains stretch causing engine to be out of sync and eventually engine damage/failure while driving. Minimum cost of repair is $2500+ as engine has to be removed to do the repair.