2012 GMC Acadia Problems and Recalls (294 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2012 GMC Acadia is Steering (13% of 294 owner reports). There are 5 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Steering — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 294 complaints · 5 recalls

What problems show up on the 2012 GMC Acadia?

39 of 294 filings named Steering (13% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Body / frame (38 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 2011 has 268 reports on file; this year has 294. 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 2012 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. Steering. Check for play in the wheel, noises on lock and whether it tracks straight.
  3. Body / frame. Look for rust, collision repair and body gaps that do not match a clean truck.
  4. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Steering. 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: Steering 39 complaints · 13.3% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 8
  • Fires 2
  • Injuries 17
  • 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 Steering (STEERING) appears in 39 of 294 owner complaints (13.3%) in this vehicle snapshot. Steering (STEERING): 39 complaints, 13.3% of reports Steering (STEERING) 1 crash reports 39 · 13.3% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 38 complaints, 12.9% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 1 crash reports 38 · 12.9% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 30 complaints, 10.2% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 crash reports 30 · 10.2% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 22 complaints, 7.5% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 1 crash reports 22 · 7.5% Engine (ENGINE): 22 complaints, 7.5% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 crash reports 22 · 7.5% Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING): 21 complaints, 7.1% of reports Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 1 fire reports 21 · 7.1% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 20 complaints, 6.8% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 20 · 6.8% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 18 complaints, 6.1% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 18 · 6.1% Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 9 complaints, 3.1% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 9 · 3.1% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 91 complaints, 31.0% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 1 crash reports 1 fire reports 91 · 31.0% 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)
Steering (STEERING) 39 13.3% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 38 12.9% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 30 10.2% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 22 7.5% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 22 7.5% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 21 7.1% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 20 6.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 18 6.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 9 3.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 91 31.0% 1 crashes · 1 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 Apr 2012; the first recall shown was reported in Apr 2012. 2012-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2013-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2013-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2014-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2014-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2014-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2015-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2015-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2015-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2015-Q4: 17 owner reports 17 2016-Q1: 15 owner reports 15 2016-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2016-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2016-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2017-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2017-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2017-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2017-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2018-Q1: 10 owner reports 10 2018-Q2: 12 owner reports 12 2018-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2018-Q4: 11 owner reports 11 2019-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 2019-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2019-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2019-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2020-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2020-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2020-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2020-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2021-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2021-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2021-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2022-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2023-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2023-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2024-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2024-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2025-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2025-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2025-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2026-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2026-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 Owner reports Apr 2012 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 12V151000 ◆ Recall campaign 12V151000 Recall campaign 14V118000 ◆ Recall campaign 14V118000 Recall campaign 14V266000 ◆ Recall campaign 14V266000 Recall campaign 15V415000 ◆ Recall campaign 15V415000 Recall campaign 21V246000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V246000 Investigation RQ19003 ● Investigation RQ19003 Investigation EA20002 ● Investigation EA20002
  • Campaign 14V118000 was reported 402 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.
  • Campaign 21V246000 was reported 2,981 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2012-Q2 Owner reports 2
2012-Q3 Owner reports 2
2012-Q4 Owner reports 3
2013-Q1 Owner reports 1
2013-Q2 Owner reports 3
2013-Q3 Owner reports 2
2014-Q1 Owner reports 4
2014-Q2 Owner reports 4
2014-Q3 Owner reports 7
2014-Q4 Owner reports 7
2015-Q1 Owner reports 5
2015-Q2 Owner reports 5
2015-Q3 Owner reports 3
2015-Q4 Owner reports 17
2016-Q1 Owner reports 15
2016-Q2 Owner reports 8
2016-Q3 Owner reports 9
2016-Q4 Owner reports 7
2017-Q1 Owner reports 9
2017-Q2 Owner reports 6
2017-Q3 Owner reports 8
2017-Q4 Owner reports 8
2018-Q1 Owner reports 10
2018-Q2 Owner reports 12
2018-Q3 Owner reports 4
2018-Q4 Owner reports 11
2019-Q1 Owner reports 12
2019-Q2 Owner reports 8
2019-Q3 Owner reports 11
2019-Q4 Owner reports 7
2020-Q1 Owner reports 5
2020-Q2 Owner reports 4
2020-Q3 Owner reports 7
2020-Q4 Owner reports 7
2021-Q1 Owner reports 5
2021-Q2 Owner reports 2
2021-Q3 Owner reports 9
2021-Q4 Owner reports 1
2022-Q2 Owner reports 3
2022-Q3 Owner reports 1
2022-Q4 Owner reports 1
2023-Q1 Owner reports 2
2023-Q2 Owner reports 3
2023-Q3 Owner reports 4
2023-Q4 Owner reports 1
2024-Q1 Owner reports 3
2024-Q2 Owner reports 2
2024-Q3 Owner reports 3
2024-Q4 Owner reports 3
2025-Q2 Owner reports 6
2025-Q3 Owner reports 3
2025-Q4 Owner reports 3
2026-Q1 Owner reports 1
2026-Q2 Owner reports 3
2026-Q3 Owner reports 2
Recall campaign 1 12V151000
Recall campaign 1 14V118000
Recall campaign 1 14V266000
Recall campaign 1 15V415000
Recall campaign 1 21V246000
Defect investigation 1 RQ19003
Defect investigation 1 EA20002
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 12V151000

    Glass / wipers / cameras

    Report date
    Component:
    Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
    Consequence:
    IF THIS OCCURS, DRIVER VISIBILITY COULD BE REDUCED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    GM WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE WIPER ARM NUTS, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 20, 2012.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. 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 →

  3. 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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. 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 →

  5. Recall campaign 21V246000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    Unsecured side curtain air bags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury.
    Remedy:
    GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, realign or replace the weld nuts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2021. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N202321200.
    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 294 complaints · page 1 of 12
2026-08-05Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11755081
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Hello so I notice 3 weeks ago my headlights keep cutting off and on then a week later my radio stopped working, The floor of the driver side is always wet after it rains. I noticed one day the rain started dripping on my feet when I drive after a big rain fall, I believe the car is not sealed properly and now water is coming out from the airbag signs in my vehicle and the car starting to smell like mildew. I think water is sitting in certain parts of my vehicle. I'm not sure what to do.
2026-08-04Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11754818
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2012 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, after pressing the liftgate button the liftgate raised and crashed down independently after several seconds. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact researched and was made aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle remained at the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 189,352.
2026-05-21Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11739205
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2012 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to release from low gear while at a stop. The transmission was backed up. The engine light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who confirmed there were no recalls. The failure mileage was approximately 213,766.
2026-04-23Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11733369
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2012 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while reversing, the liftgate unexpectedly opened, even though the liftgate was properly closed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or a dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.
2026-04-12Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11730616
CrashFireInjuryDeath
service battery charging station error code keeps popping up
2026-02-09Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
NHTSA ODI 11716658
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Daytime Running light bulb and housing failure. Some 2012 Acadia models recalled under now expired recall for bulbs and deformation of surrounding housing. Apparently the above recall was excluded from this recall and should have been included. Both DRL on this vehicle have failed and surrounding housing has been damaged . Subsequently replacing just bulbs is not possible. The housing melted on the bulb. Photo is available on request. This failure should be considered a fire hazard. GM customer service center stated to me that this vehicle was not included in recall after VIN search. Some 2012 Acadias were in fact included , this one was not. And should have been since the failure occurred as stated in the original recall.
2025-12-18Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11705928
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The power lift gate suddenly comes down.
2025-10-16Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11693987
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Back up camera When in reverse the backup camera screen is black or shows very little light making it unusable. Unable to see objects or persons behind vehicle. Despite cleaning camera. No visual damage noted. * It is available for inspection upon request. * Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? NO * Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? NO *Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? NO , first appeared over a year ago.
2025-10-14Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11693365
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2012 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the liftgate independently unlatched and fell midway down, and then independently closed and latched. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 187,000.
2025-08-25Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11682845
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2012 GMC Acadia. The contact’s wife stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 172,000.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2012 GMC Acadia?

Owners named Steering most often — 39 of 294 reports (13%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2012 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 2012 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.

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