2010 GMC Acadia Problems: Steering (339 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2010 GMC Acadia is Steering (39% of 339 owner reports). There are 4 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Steering — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 339 complaints · 4 recalls
What problems show up on the 2010 GMC Acadia?
131 of 339 filings named Steering (39% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Engine (69 reports).
There are 4 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Airbags and Body / frame. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2009 has 328 reports on file; this year has 339. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Steering 131 complaints · 38.6% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 5
- Fires 8
- Injuries 11
- Deaths 1
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.
“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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering (STEERING) | 131 | 38.6% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 69 | 20.4% | 0 crashes · 4 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 34 | 10.0% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) | 23 | 6.8% | 0 crashes · 2 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 22 | 6.5% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 10 | 3.0% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 10 | 3.0% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 8 | 2.4% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 6 | 1.8% | 1 crashes · 1 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 39 | 11.5% | 0 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.
- Campaign 14V118000 was reported 1,473 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 15V415000 was reported 957 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2010-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2010-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2010-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2010-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2011-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2011-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2012-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 25 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 31 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 10V375000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V118000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V266000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 15V415000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | RQ19003 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA20002 |
Safety Recalls (4)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Airbags and Body / frame.
-
Recall campaign 10V375000
Safety recall 10V375000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- THE SAFETY BELT MAY NOT RESTRAIN THE OCCUPANT AS INTENDED DURING A CRASH, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE SECOND ROW SEAT SIDE TRIM SHIELDS. IF A SAFETY BELT BUCKLE IS DAMAGED, DEALERS WILL REPLACE IT FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 18, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463, AND SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876, OR AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
-
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.
-
Recall campaign 14V266000
Safety recall 14V266000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- If the steel cable becomes fatigued and separates, the seatbelt may not properly restrain the seat occupant increasing the risk of an injury in a crash.
- Remedy:
- General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair and replace the lap pretensioner, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. An interim notice will be mailed to owners in July 2014. A second notice will be mailed to owners once parts become available. The recall for the 2009-2010 model years began on July 11, 2014. The interim letter for the 2011-2014 model years were distributed on July 11, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-462-8782 (GMC), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). General Motors recall number for this campaign is 14187.
-
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.
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
Showing 10 of 339 complaints · page 1 of 14
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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 vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. The vehicle had liability coverage, and the insurance company declined to inspect the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was a total loss. The failure had occurred while the contact's minor children were seated in the rear seat of the vehicle. The contact and the children sustained smoke-related injuries. The contact and the children later received medical treatment for the smoke-related injuries. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The manufacturer declined to inspect the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 163,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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. The contact sought medical attention for smoke inhalation. The vehicle was towed to a local tow lot via the insurance provider. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The local dealer was not contacted. In addition, the contact related the failure to an unknown NHTSA Campaign that was previously repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Shift to park issue known recall issue in other GMC Acadias ... Vehicle will not lock into park and can NOT remove key anymore electrical still runs in vehicle causing the battery to drain ... Now have to force vehicle to shift into Park as best as possible but still does not fully lock into Park gear anymore ... I was shifting into Park.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Check Engine Light. Faulty timing chain. Rack and pinion repairs needed. Examined by two automotive locations: LaFontaine Automotive GMC of Ann Arbor (Michigan) and Mazur's Total Automotive in Pinckney, MI
CrashFireInjuryDeath
When drving at a slower speed to make a sharp turn, steering wheel almost locks up or have to use both hands to turn the wheel. As if there is no power steering in the vehicle. At times you can not turn as sharp as needed putting you in danger of being hit by another vehicle.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2010 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the high- and low-pressure hoses, steering pump, and rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The contact called the local dealer however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The car completely stopped while driving. Upon towing it to the shop, they stated the timing chain cause the engine to not work. This is a safety hazard due to anyone could of gotten hurt or this could have cause an accident due to I was not able to steer or do anything.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Timing chain was replaced on 11/26/2019 and failed again on 02/09/2022. Needs to be a manufacturer defect that gets fixed for free. So dangerous.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
all the wiring under the dash has got the installation melted off of the wiring and can't get the vehicle to start or get any power to the battery or ect and the fuse box under the dash has 50 fuses in it and out of all of them only one of them out of 50 is getting power and to me it's a fire Hazzard and i think gmc needs to do a recall on it or replace my vehicle i've got it in a garage now and that's what the mechanic has found out about is the wiring under the dash
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2010 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start without warning. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The contact was informed by an independent mechanic that the failure was due to the timing chain and rod bearings. The failure mileage was approximately 133,208.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2010 GMC Acadia?
Owners named Steering most often — 131 of 339 reports (39%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2010 GMC Acadia?
NHTSA lists 4 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about 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 2010 GMC Acadia?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check for play in the wheel, noises on lock and whether it tracks straight. 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.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
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.