2008 GMC Acadia Problems and Recalls (852 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2008 GMC Acadia is Transmission / driveline (25% of 852 owner reports). There are 5 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Transmission / driveline — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 852 complaints · 5 recalls

What problems show up on the 2008 GMC Acadia?

211 of 852 filings named Transmission / driveline (25% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Steering (102 reports).

There are 5 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Glass / wipers / cameras, Airbags, and Body / frame. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2007 has 423 reports on file; this year has 852. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2008 GMC Acadia

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 5 campaigns on file below.
  2. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  3. Steering. Check for play in the wheel, noises on lock and whether it tracks straight.
  4. Airbags. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Transmission / driveline. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Transmission / driveline 211 complaints · 24.8% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 22
  • Fires 13
  • Injuries 38
  • Deaths 0
All GMC Acadia years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) appears in 211 of 852 owner complaints (24.8%) in this vehicle snapshot. Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 211 complaints, 24.8% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 crash reports 211 · 24.8% Steering (STEERING): 102 complaints, 12.0% of reports Steering (STEERING) 5 crash reports 2 fire reports 102 · 12.0% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 91 complaints, 10.7% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 5 crash reports 91 · 10.7% Engine (ENGINE): 89 complaints, 10.5% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 4 fire reports 89 · 10.5% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 72 complaints, 8.4% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 2 crash reports 1 fire reports 72 · 8.4% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 63 complaints, 7.4% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 1 crash reports 1 fire reports 63 · 7.4% Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING): 45 complaints, 5.3% of reports Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 4 fire reports 45 · 5.3% Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 24 complaints, 2.8% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 24 · 2.8% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 19 complaints, 2.2% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 2 crash reports 19 · 2.2% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 163 complaints, 19.1% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 3 crash reports 2 fire reports 163 · 19.1% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 211 24.8% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING) 102 12.0% 5 crashes · 2 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 91 10.7% 5 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 89 10.5% 0 crashes · 4 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 72 8.4% 2 crashes · 1 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 63 7.4% 1 crashes · 1 fires
Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 45 5.3% 0 crashes · 4 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 24 2.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 19 2.2% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 163 19.1% 3 crashes · 2 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Oct 2007; the first recall shown was reported in Aug 2008. 2007-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2008-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2008-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2008-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2008-Q4: 9 owner reports 9 2009-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2009-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2009-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2009-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2010-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2010-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2010-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2011-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2011-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2011-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2011-Q4: 9 owner reports 9 2012-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2012-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 2012-Q3: 16 owner reports 16 2012-Q4: 14 owner reports 14 2013-Q1: 22 owner reports 22 2013-Q2: 27 owner reports 27 2013-Q3: 58 owner reports 58 2013-Q4: 49 owner reports 49 2014-Q1: 30 owner reports 30 2014-Q2: 46 owner reports 46 2014-Q3: 54 owner reports 54 2014-Q4: 39 owner reports 39 2015-Q1: 29 owner reports 29 2015-Q2: 20 owner reports 20 2015-Q3: 23 owner reports 23 2015-Q4: 29 owner reports 29 2016-Q1: 24 owner reports 24 2016-Q2: 15 owner reports 15 2016-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2016-Q4: 21 owner reports 21 2017-Q1: 15 owner reports 15 2017-Q2: 16 owner reports 16 2017-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2017-Q4: 12 owner reports 12 2018-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2018-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2018-Q3: 12 owner reports 12 2018-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2019-Q1: 18 owner reports 18 2019-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2019-Q3: 14 owner reports 14 2019-Q4: 9 owner reports 9 2020-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 2020-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2020-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2020-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2021-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2021-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2022-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2023-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Oct 2007 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 08V410000 ◆ Recall campaign 08V410000 Recall campaign 08V441000 ◆ Recall campaign 08V441000 Recall campaign 10V240000 ◆ Recall campaign 10V240000 Recall campaign 14V118000 ◆ Recall campaign 14V118000 Recall campaign 15V415000 ◆ Recall campaign 15V415000 Investigation EA08010 ● Investigation EA08010 Investigation DP12003 ● Investigation DP12003
  • Campaign 14V118000 was reported 2,146 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 15V415000 was reported 2,744 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2007-Q4 Owner reports 3
2008-Q1 Owner reports 2
2008-Q2 Owner reports 8
2008-Q3 Owner reports 6
2008-Q4 Owner reports 9
2009-Q1 Owner reports 9
2009-Q2 Owner reports 4
2009-Q3 Owner reports 3
2009-Q4 Owner reports 5
2010-Q1 Owner reports 2
2010-Q2 Owner reports 8
2010-Q3 Owner reports 11
2010-Q4 Owner reports 5
2011-Q1 Owner reports 5
2011-Q2 Owner reports 5
2011-Q3 Owner reports 11
2011-Q4 Owner reports 9
2012-Q1 Owner reports 7
2012-Q2 Owner reports 10
2012-Q3 Owner reports 16
2012-Q4 Owner reports 14
2013-Q1 Owner reports 22
2013-Q2 Owner reports 27
2013-Q3 Owner reports 58
2013-Q4 Owner reports 49
2014-Q1 Owner reports 30
2014-Q2 Owner reports 46
2014-Q3 Owner reports 54
2014-Q4 Owner reports 39
2015-Q1 Owner reports 29
2015-Q2 Owner reports 20
2015-Q3 Owner reports 23
2015-Q4 Owner reports 29
2016-Q1 Owner reports 24
2016-Q2 Owner reports 15
2016-Q3 Owner reports 11
2016-Q4 Owner reports 21
2017-Q1 Owner reports 15
2017-Q2 Owner reports 16
2017-Q3 Owner reports 11
2017-Q4 Owner reports 12
2018-Q1 Owner reports 9
2018-Q2 Owner reports 9
2018-Q3 Owner reports 12
2018-Q4 Owner reports 8
2019-Q1 Owner reports 18
2019-Q2 Owner reports 9
2019-Q3 Owner reports 14
2019-Q4 Owner reports 9
2020-Q1 Owner reports 11
2020-Q2 Owner reports 5
2020-Q3 Owner reports 6
2020-Q4 Owner reports 5
2021-Q1 Owner reports 2
2021-Q2 Owner reports 3
2021-Q3 Owner reports 2
2021-Q4 Owner reports 2
2022-Q2 Owner reports 2
2022-Q3 Owner reports 3
2022-Q4 Owner reports 6
2023-Q2 Owner reports 2
2023-Q3 Owner reports 2
2023-Q4 Owner reports 1
2024-Q1 Owner reports 2
2024-Q2 Owner reports 2
2024-Q4 Owner reports 1
2025-Q2 Owner reports 1
2026-Q1 Owner reports 1
2026-Q2 Owner reports 1
2026-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 08V410000
Recall campaign 1 08V441000
Recall campaign 1 10V240000
Recall campaign 1 14V118000
Recall campaign 1 15V415000
Defect investigation 1 EA08010
Defect investigation 1 DP12003
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (5)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Glass / wipers / cameras, Airbags, and Body / frame.

  1. Recall campaign 08V410000

    Glass / wipers / cameras

    Report date
    Component:
    Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
    Consequence:
    IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR, DRIVER VISIBILITY COULD BE REDUCED, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW WIPER CRANK ARM, DRIVER'S SIDE LINK, AND A CRANK ARM NUT. THE RECALL BEGAN O OCTOBER 13, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463, SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876, OR THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE AT HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 08V441000

    Safety recall 08V441000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    THIS MAY CAUSE OTHER ELECTRICAL FEATURES TO MALFUNCTION, CREATE AN ODOR, OR CAUSE SMOKE INCREASING THE RISK OF A FIRE.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSTALL A WIRE HARNESS WITH AN IN-LINE FUSE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080; CADILLAC AT 1-800-982-2339 OR HTTP://WWW.CADILLAC.COM; CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438; SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876 OR HTTP://WWW.SATURN.COM, GMC AT 1-866-996-9436; OR HUMMER AT 1-800-732-5493; OR THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE AT HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 10V240000

    Safety recall 10V240000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE HEATED WASHER MODULE TO IGNITE AND A FIRE MAY OCCUR.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL PERMANENTLY DISABLE AND REMOVE THE HEATED WASHER FLUID MODULE. AN UPDATED PAGE FOR THE OWNER MANUAL WILL BE PROVIDED AND INSERTED IN THE OWNER MANUAL TO DOCUMENT THAT THE FEATURE HAS BEEN PERMANENTLY DISABLED AND REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 11, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463 AND HUMMER AT 1-800-732-5493 OR AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 14V118000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    Failure of the side impact air bags and seat belt pretensioners to deploy in a crash increase the risk of injury to the driver and front seat occupant.
    Remedy:
    GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected harness connections with soldered connections, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2014. Buick owners may contact the owner center at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet owners at 1-866-694-6546, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and GMC owners at 1-866-996-9463. GM's number for this recall is 14030. Note: Vehicles repaired as part of Customer Satisfaction Campaign 10085 and special coverage 10335 have already had the subject condition repaired and therefore are not included in the safety recall.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Recall campaign 15V415000

    Body / frame

    Report date
    Component:
    Body / frame (STRUCTURE)
    Consequence:
    If the open liftgate unexpectedly falls, it may strike a person, increasing their risk of injury.
    Remedy:
    GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit so that the motor will prevent the rapid closing of the lift gate, free of charge. The recall began on November 15, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 15240.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 10 of 852 complaints · page 1 of 35
2026-07-27Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11753151
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2008 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver’s side air bags deployed; however, the vehicle was not involved in a crash. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact attempted to start the vehicle and the starter was inoperable. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle remained at the residence, and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
2026-05-13Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11737605
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Lifegate wont open all the way airbag light is on and truck shimmering when I drive it
2026-03-14Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11724309
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The car would not shift causing me to pull over on the side of a highway to restart the car this happened 5 times in a row b4 the car would shift into proper gear
2025-05-29WHEELS
NHTSA ODI 11663793
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Lift gate closes by itself I have to put a pole to hold it up and it won’t hit me, it says the air bags needs to be serviced, stabilitrak keeps going off, ball bearing needs work. Radio won’t turn on no sound on air signals, the body chasis something popped while driving, the tracking control keeps turning off, the seats move while driving, catalytic converter are moving car only go 12 mpg.
2024-10-08Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL)
NHTSA ODI 11618622
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The traction control turns on and then the shifts don’t work and I can’t drive since there is no speed also the rpm and the gas the speed and the battery gages start flickering up and down then I turn off the truck and it continues to work fine but after 40 miles or so it does it all again
2024-04-30Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11586104
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2008 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while her daughter-in-law was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made a popping sound, and then the fuse box near the passenger's side headlight caught fire. No warning light was illuminated. The contact's daughter-in-law was able to exit the vehicle. There were no injuries, and medical attention was not received. Bystanders called the police and fire departments. The fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. Police and fire department reports were filed. The fire chief informed the contact that the fire was caused by an electrical malfunction. The vehicle was towed to the residence and had not yet been deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
2024-04-30Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11586024
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Transmissions will not shift out of 1st gear. And puts out a 752 code. This can happen at anytime. Vehicle will suddenly lose power at any time.
2024-02-07Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11570596
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2008 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the battery had previously been replaced; however, the battery failed to retain a charge. The contact had to recharge the battery every day to start the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that water had leaked from the windshield and cowl to behind the glovebox, causing the battery to fail; however, no repair was recommended. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
2024-01-11FUEL SYSTEM
NHTSA ODI 11564926
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Deer hit me on the highway at 2am on December 26th. No air bags deployed.
2023-12-01Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11558005
CrashFireInjuryDeath
UNKNOWN 2008 GMC ACADIA back lift starts to open and then shuts right back down. try to raise it manually and it falls right back down. It can really hurt someone. would like to know what causes it to do that and if there is a recall.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2008 GMC Acadia?

Owners named Transmission / driveline most often — 211 of 852 reports (25%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2008 GMC Acadia?

NHTSA lists 5 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Glass / wipers / cameras, Airbags, and Body / frame. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2008 GMC Acadia?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources