2016 GMC Acadia Problems: Airbags (233 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2016 GMC Acadia is Airbags (55% of 233 owner reports). There are 4 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Airbags — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 233 complaints · 4 recalls

What problems show up on the 2016 GMC Acadia?

128 of 233 filings named Airbags (55% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Steering (23 reports).

There are 4 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Glass / wipers / cameras and Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2015 has 239 reports on file; this year has 233. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2016 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 4 campaigns on file below.
  2. Airbags. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed.
  3. Steering. Check for play in the wheel, noises on lock and whether it tracks straight.
  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 Airbags. 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: Airbags 128 complaints · 54.9% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 8
  • Fires 2
  • Injuries 16
  • 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 Airbags (AIR BAGS) appears in 128 of 233 owner complaints (54.9%) in this vehicle snapshot. Airbags (AIR BAGS): 128 complaints, 54.9% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 3 crash reports 128 · 54.9% Steering (STEERING): 23 complaints, 9.9% of reports Steering (STEERING) 23 · 9.9% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 13 complaints, 5.6% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 2 crash reports 2 fire reports 13 · 5.6% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 11 complaints, 4.7% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 11 · 4.7% Engine (ENGINE): 8 complaints, 3.4% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 8 · 3.4% Lane keeping (LANE DEPARTURE): 6 complaints, 2.6% of reports Lane keeping (LANE DEPARTURE) 6 · 2.6% Seat belts (SEAT BELTS): 4 complaints, 1.7% of reports Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 4 · 1.7% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 3 complaints, 1.3% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 3 · 1.3% Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 3 complaints, 1.3% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 3 · 1.3% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 39 complaints, 16.7% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 2 crash reports 39 · 16.7% 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)
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 128 54.9% 3 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING) 23 9.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 13 5.6% 2 crashes · 2 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 11 4.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 8 3.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Lane keeping (LANE DEPARTURE) 6 2.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 4 1.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 3 1.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 3 1.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 39 16.7% 2 crashes · 0 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 2016; the first recall shown was reported in Sep 2015. 2016-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2016-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2019-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2019-Q3: 12 owner reports 12 2019-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2020-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2020-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2020-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2021-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2021-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2022-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2023-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2023-Q3: 25 owner reports 25 2023-Q4: 25 owner reports 25 2024-Q1: 28 owner reports 28 2024-Q2: 18 owner reports 18 2024-Q3: 17 owner reports 17 2024-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2025-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2025-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2025-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2026-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2026-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2026-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 Owner reports Sep 2015 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 15V609000 ◆ Recall campaign 15V609000 Recall campaign 15V833000 ◆ Recall campaign 15V833000 Recall campaign 21V246000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V246000 Recall campaign 23V334000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V334000
  • Campaign 21V246000 was reported 695 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 23V334000 was reported 1,457 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2016-Q2 Owner reports 2
2016-Q3 Owner reports 4
2016-Q4 Owner reports 1
2017-Q1 Owner reports 1
2017-Q2 Owner reports 2
2017-Q3 Owner reports 2
2018-Q2 Owner reports 4
2019-Q1 Owner reports 1
2019-Q2 Owner reports 9
2019-Q3 Owner reports 12
2019-Q4 Owner reports 2
2020-Q1 Owner reports 5
2020-Q2 Owner reports 5
2020-Q3 Owner reports 4
2020-Q4 Owner reports 3
2021-Q1 Owner reports 5
2021-Q2 Owner reports 2
2021-Q3 Owner reports 2
2022-Q1 Owner reports 2
2022-Q2 Owner reports 5
2022-Q3 Owner reports 2
2022-Q4 Owner reports 2
2023-Q1 Owner reports 3
2023-Q2 Owner reports 9
2023-Q3 Owner reports 25
2023-Q4 Owner reports 25
2024-Q1 Owner reports 28
2024-Q2 Owner reports 18
2024-Q3 Owner reports 17
2024-Q4 Owner reports 3
2025-Q1 Owner reports 6
2025-Q2 Owner reports 6
2025-Q3 Owner reports 2
2025-Q4 Owner reports 3
2026-Q1 Owner reports 3
2026-Q2 Owner reports 6
2026-Q3 Owner reports 2
Recall campaign 1 15V609000
Recall campaign 1 15V833000
Recall campaign 1 21V246000
Recall campaign 1 23V334000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

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 Glass / wipers / cameras and Airbags.

  1. Recall campaign 15V609000

    Glass / wipers / cameras

    Report date
    Component:
    Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
    Consequence:
    A wiper motor that overheats increases the risk of a fire.
    Remedy:
    GM has notified owners, and dealers will replace the windshield wiper motor cover assembly, free of charge. Owners are advised not to use their front windshield wipers until the wiper cover has been replaced. If weather conditions prevent operation of the vehicle without using the windshield wipers, GM will make arrangements to pick up the vehicle for servicing. The recall began on September 30, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 15780.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 15V833000

    Safety recall 15V833000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    If the seat frame is not welded in the correct places, the seat may not perform as intended, and in the event of a crash, the seat occupant could be at an increased risk of injury.
    Remedy:
    GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the third row left side lower seat frame, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 29, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is 21930.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. 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 →

  4. Recall campaign 23V334000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will replace the driver's air bag module, free of charge. GM began mailing final owner letters February 23, 2024 and will continue mailing through December 2025. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N232404980.
    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 233 complaints · page 1 of 10
2026-08-28Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11760423
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Technician told me the engine "grenaded itself". "Cylinder #4 melted into the side walls of the cylinder wall caused by air to fuel mix ratio controlled by the ECU failure to mix appropriately." My family and I were traveling for Easter and were stranded on the side of the highway. I had a private repair shop (Greenville Auto Clinic LLC) confirm as well as the local dealership Greenville Chevy. The vehicle required an engine replacement. I did contact GMC's Zone Manager out of Atlanta, GA for assistance, he reduced the bill from over $10,000 down to $6098. There was no error messaging, only an engine that would not respond to the accelerator pedal. The engine would try to accelerate, but struggled to the point it would die when I applied too much pressure on the gas pedal.
2026-07-14Seat belts (SEAT BELTS)
NHTSA ODI 11750306
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The cable that attaches the front driver seatbelt to the base of the seat (left side), suddenly broke when simply buckling the belt.
2026-06-27Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11746913
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TRANSMISSION BEGAN HESITATING AROUND 1800RPM WITH ONLY 92,000 MILES SHOWING ON THE ODOMETER. IT FEELS LIKE A FLUTTER AS THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS INTO THE NEXT GEAR. I HAVE HEARD THE 2016 YEAR GROUP HAS HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. BELIEVE A RECALL IS JUSTIFIED.
2026-06-06Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11742435
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Without warning transmission overheated, blew out fluid and caught the front end of the vehicle on fire
2026-05-01Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11735163
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The torque converter has been going since before I bought this vehicle. When the RPMs are between one and two, the entire vehicle starts shaking and there is no acceleration. This is a huge safety concern, especially with traffic.
2026-04-13Lane keeping (LANE DEPARTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11730950
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Hello. I got a recall and fixed in July 2021 for Blind Spot Sensors/Modules on my 2016 GMC Acadia SLT. Now 3.5 years later Im having the same issue with these sensors that are located in the rear bumper of the car, they get water damage, corrosion, and then fail. A very poor design. And seems like the recall didn't fixed the issue either. This must to be a common issue for this car, lots of complaints online even after the recall. And the car dealership wont cover it because it was already fixed at that time and my warranty on my car expired not to long ago. They said it would be about $2000 to fix. I feel like this prematurely failed and it was recalled once for the same issue but now failed again is crazy after 3.5 years. This shouldn't be a on going thing especially after a recall. I shouldn't have to pay for this outta my own pocket for a flawed design and would like my repairs for this to be covered again. Please help. Attached is a invoice from July of 2021 recall that was repaired. I only got a verbal estimate from the dealership (text messages) which I do have. saying that it would be a $2000 fix this time. I didn't go through with it because I feel like it should be covered. Attached pictures of sensor/module in rear bumper that is corroded. Lights on both side mirrors will come on and stay on. Won't shut off. Messages on dash saying "Service Side Dectection System". Blind zone setting won't shut off.
2026-04-12Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11730634
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Safety recall that has not been addressed by the dealership in over 4 months
2026-04-07Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11729643
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The shift to park. It does not want to stay in park. I feel that if it does not stay in park, the vehicle could roll forward or backwards. Yes, it was looked at by an independent service center, and they thought it was on a recall. This is a 2016 GMC Arcadia and the 2017 model and newer have this problem and were on recall. No one else has looked at it. I do not drive the vehicle that often, so it does not have many miles on it. I took it out a few weeks ago and I noticed it.
2026-03-23Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11726367
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2016 GMC Acadia on February 28, 2026. After purchasing the vehicle, the contact obtained a Carfax report and discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. The contact called the dealer and was informed that the vehicle was purchased at an auction. The dealer agreed to refund a portion of the cost of the vehicle. The contact attempted several times to contact the dealer afterwards but was unsuccessful. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 92,400, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 192,000.
2026-02-17Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11718488
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I have a recall on this vehicle that GMC has failed to provide me parts/repair and this recall will be 3 years old in June. I have emailed the local dealer, the manager of the local dealer, GM corporate, and no one has followed through. The best I came to getting the repair was that Corporate made sure I had an appointment and dealer had my part, I went to that appt at my local dealer in Jan 2025 (Premiere GMC of Carlsbad, CA) and waited 2 hours with cars ahead of me (even thought I had an appt) only to be told the part was not there, they would order it and get back to me. Happy to [provide proof of emailing local dealer, GM Corporate etc. with no resolution. I cannot sell my vehicle without this repair done. And I continue to drive daily in an unsafe car.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2016 GMC Acadia?

Owners named Airbags most often — 128 of 233 reports (55%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2016 GMC Acadia?

NHTSA lists 4 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Glass / wipers / cameras and Airbags. 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 2016 GMC Acadia?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed. 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