FaultScore

2017 GMC Acadia transmission problems

235 of the 954 complaints about the 2017 GMC Acadia are about the transmission — 25% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 36,000 miles.

C

235

Complaints

4

Crashes

0

Fires

1

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Power Train 227 96.6%
Floor Shift 5 2.1%
Gear Position Indication (Prndl) 1 0.4%
Driveshaft 1 0.4%
Differential Unit 1 0.4%

Transmission & Drivetrain across every GMC Acadia year

2007 185 13.6%
2008 280 20.6%
2009 72 5.3%
2010 43 3.2%
2011 33 2.4%
2012 43 3.2%
2013 27 2.0%
2014 34 2.5%
2015 18 1.3%
2016 20 1.5%
2017 235 17.3%
2018 163 12.0%
2019 153 11.3%
2020 21 1.5%
2021 17 1.3%
2023 12 0.9%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

at 99,968 miles Saint Peters, MO Crash

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked on an incline with the engine turned off, the contact's toddler was able to shift into drive(D), and the vehicle rolled backwards, hit a light pole and a basketball stand, causing damage to the front driver-side door. No police report was filed, and no injuries were reported. The contact was unable to shift back into park(P) and was forced to start the vehicle in neutral(N). The contact was then unable to shut off the vehicle as the gear shifter was no longer in park(P). Upon investigation, the contact learned that it was necessary to manually flip a switch underneath the gear console for the vehicle to register that it was in park(P). The contact initially took the vehicle to the independent mechanic but was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact submitted a claim with pictures and videos of the failure. The contact was then instructed to take the vehicle to a dealer for an inspection. The contact was later informed by the claim manager that the claim would be denied, and no further assistance was offered. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 99,968.

NHTSA complaint #11749319 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 30,000 miles Montgomery, NY

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that after shifting into park (P), the vehicle failed to shut off because it failed to recognize that the gear shifter was in park (P). The "Shift To Park" warning message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact jiggled the gear shifter button several times until the vehicle responded as intended and turned off. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently but became frequent. A dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that there were no recalls on the vehicle, and a diagnostic estimate was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

NHTSA complaint #11749380 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Wichita, KS

POWER TRAIN

Vehicle has experienced multiple electrical and mechanical failures at unusually low mileage. Purchased at 32,000 miles. At approximately 50,000 miles, the factory radio/infotainment system failed completely. Electrical systems were observed remaining active after the vehicle was powered off, suggesting an underlying electrical fault. At approximately 60,000 miles, the power steering rack and fuel pump both required full replacement and were confirmed and replaced by an authorized dealership. No warning lights appeared prior to these failures — components failed without any prior indication. At approximately 100,000 miles, the transmission began failing and exhibits the known torque converter shudder issue widely reported on this vehicle platform. The shudder was present prior to full transmission failure symptoms appearing. The pattern of premature failures across multiple unrelated systems — electrical, steering, fuel delivery, and transmission — suggests a broader manufacturing defect.

NHTSA complaint #11745036 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 138,000 miles Joelton, TN

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the transmission and torque converter were previously replaced twice; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.

NHTSA complaint #11744232 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 140,000 miles Huntsville, AL

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle briefly lost motive power before slamming into gear. Additionally, the vehicle vibrated abnormally while changing gear. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

NHTSA complaint #11724790 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Toms River, NJ

POWER TRAIN

The Car has over the last few years not turn off due to shift to park. This is concerning, due to we cannot turn the car off unless we strike the shifter few times assuming this is the remedy. It doesn't look like there is any type of recall but there should be.

NHTSA complaint #11711466 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 50,000 miles Campbellsville, KY

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that after the vehicle was parked and the gear shifter was shifted to park(P), the vehicle failed to turn off as intended. The message "Shift to Park" was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked, and the gear shifter was shifted to park(P), however the vehicle failed to recognize that the gear shifter was in park(P). The contact jiggled the gear shifter button several times and was able to turn off the vehicle. The failure was intermittent. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired, and the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA complaint #11702515 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Bakersfield, CA

POWER TRAIN

When I’m driving a warning comes on my DIC screen that says “ACTION REQUIRED STEERING ASSIST IS REDUCED DRIVE WITH CARE”. The AC does not work and the temp gauge goes to cold with the radiator fan blowing at full speed. My car has done this since I purchased it used in 2019 and when I call dealer they say there is no recall and $1200-1800 to replace a sensor and thermostate. I have not had the issue fixed yet.

NHTSA complaint #11701107 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Adamsville, TN

POWER TRAIN

There is a continuing issue with the shifter causing a "Shift to Park" message that is resulting in the vehicle electrical system not turning off. This is causing the vehicle to drain the battery and not able to lock the vehicle while the "Shift to Park" message is displayed on the instrument panel. Concerned not only what is mentioned above but mainly concerned in not knowing if the vehicle is truly in park that may cause the vehicle to roll.

NHTSA complaint #11695979 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 106,000 miles Westfield, MA

POWER TRAIN

The contact's boyfriend owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked abnormally while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure; however, the mechanic stated that the failure was related to the transmission. The contact called two local dealers about the failure, and both stated that the vehicle could not be serviced in the near future. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

NHTSA complaint #11695403 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cincinnati, OH

POWER TRAIN

Driving down the street and I heard a extremely loud drop. The transmission went out with no warning or even indication of trouble. The vehicle ran very smooth until that point.

NHTSA complaint #11693706 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Rose Hill, KS

POWER TRAIN

When I shift my car to park, it doesn't register that it is in park. It won't let me shut the car off. I can move the gear shift around a bit and it will eventually say it is in park. It can take sometimes up to 10 minutes for me to be able to shut off my car. I have read that this is a known issue and there was a recall, but my vin number was not included for some reason? The issue started about a month ago and has been continually getting worse.

NHTSA complaint #11692520 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 91,587 miles Corsicana, TX

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the vehicle had to be turned on and off approximately 2 - 3 times to place the gear shifter in park(P), for the transmission to remain in park(P). The message “Shift to Park” would be displayed on the instrument panel. The failure was intermittent at first, but since started occurring more frequently. The dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,587.

NHTSA complaint #11681663 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Greenwich, NY

POWER TRAIN

I have gotten a alert on my vehicles dashboard after parking saying "shift to park" my car won't turn off until I can wiggle the shifter just right or have to take it out of park, back to drive back to park. I didn't have my radio on once and I didn't notice it wasn't all the way off and my battery went dead.

NHTSA complaint #11678382 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Homewood, IL

POWER TRAIN

The transmission failed at 90k miles, causing shuddering and stalling on acceleration. This has occurred several times on major highways and is very dangerous.

NHTSA complaint #11676840 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 77,000 miles Pavilion, NY

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was slipping while attempting to change gears. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

NHTSA complaint #11675553 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 132,000 miles Chino Hills, CA

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10-15 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormally loud blower motor sound while accelerating, before the vehicle lost motive power. The transmission was shifted to neutral(N) and pushed to the side of the roadway. The TPMS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who determined that the transmission clutch had failed, and the transmission needed to be rebuilt or replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed there was no recall coverage or warranty coverage on the VIN for the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.

NHTSA complaint #11671086 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Homewood, IL

POWER TRAIN

Drive shaft has excessive play

NHTSA complaint #11669905 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

High Point, NC

POWER TRAIN

The vehicle would not recognize the truck was shifted to park. The gear shift was replaced in 2024 and the same problem occurred 9 months later. The first GMC repair location did not connect the shifter cable correctly, causing the problem to persist. I had to pay twice to resolve an issue seen in many of the 2017 GMC Acadia models. This problem should be considered a recall, and charges for repair should be covered by GMC.

NHTSA complaint #11664830 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 110,000 miles Saginaw, MI

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while attempting to shift into park, the message "Shift to Park" was displayed. There was no warning light illuminated. Due to the failure, the contact was unable to turn off the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced Technical Service Bulletin: PIT5616; as a possible cause for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.

NHTSA complaint #11662861 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

West Warwick, RI

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while attempting to shift into park(P), the vehicle failed to turn off, with the "Shift to Park" message displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that after several attempts, the vehicle eventually turned off. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V516000 (POWER TRAIN). The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA complaint #11657510 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 74,000 miles Fayetteville, AR

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while attempting to turn off the vehicle, the vehicle failed to turn off. The contact shifted from park (P) to drive(D) and was eventually able to turn off the vehicle. The contact stated that the letter P(park) was outlined in yellow and was illuminated on the instrument panel. Additionally, the contact stated that while attempting to close and lock the driver's side door, the door failed to lock securely. The contact stated that the failures occurred simultaneously. The contact stated that the failures were intermittent. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.

NHTSA complaint #11652105 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Milltown, NJ

POWER TRAIN

The vehicle keeps shaking specially at the first and second gear, up to 40miles/hr and at any up hills roads. I took it to the mechanic and he said that it’s an issue in the transmission and needs to be replaced. Also the engine fan randomly turns on automatically, and a warning message stating “Steering assist reduced. Drive with care”

NHTSA complaint #11651496 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 89,776 miles Port Hueneme, CA

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while attempting to shift to park(P) to turn off the vehicle, the message that the vehicle was not in park(P) was displayed. The contact stated that the gear shift indicator showed that the vehicle was in park(P). The contact shifted to drive(D) and then back to park(P) several times before being able to turn off the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but had become a recurring failure. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 89,776.

NHTSA complaint #11651373 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Brooksville, FL

POWER TRAIN

very bad shuttering when driving, took it to transmission shop and they said it needs to be replaced

NHTSA complaint #11649415 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 3,000 miles Newman, CA

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the shift to park message was displayed. The vehicle failed to recognize the gear that transmission was shifted into. The message “Steering Assist Reduced - Drive with Care” was displayed. There was an abnormal beeping sound when the door was closed. The contact had to move the gear shifter to shift into the selected gear. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the thermostat and the gear handle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired under the warranty, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted, and informed the contact to keep the receipt for a possible recall reimbursement and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.

NHTSA complaint #11649444 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 3,000 miles Newman, CA

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the shift to park message was displayed. The vehicle failed to recognize the gear that transmission was shifted into. The message “Steering Assist Reduced - Drive with Care” was displayed. There was an abnormal beeping sound when the door was closed. The contact had to move the gear shifter to shift into the selected gear. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the thermostat and the gear handle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired under the warranty, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted, and informed the contact to keep the receipt for a possible recall reimbursement and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.

NHTSA complaint #11649444 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Orrington, ME

POWER TRAIN

A couple of months ago, I tried to put my car in park and shut it off the same way I have for years. The car made a rapid alarm sound and displayed a SHIFT TO PARK message on my dashboard. In order to get the car to shut off correctly, I had to squeeze the button on the shifter and gently push forward and backwards until the car recognized that I was in park. This now happens approx. 1 in every 15 times I try to turn off my vehicle. When this happens, I do not know if my car is actually in park and this is just a sensor issue or if the car is in fact struggling to shift to park!? If that's the case, couldn't it roll into someone or some thing? I remember JEEP having this issue a few years back, where people were killed when their "parked" jeep rolled over them. I think a famous actor was one of those victims in his driveway. Has GMC ever released a statement as to why only some VIN #s are included in this recall, when MANY of us on here are experiencing the same issue??

NHTSA complaint #11648590 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 59,000 miles Greensboro, AL

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that after shifting to park, the vehicle could not immediately be turned off. The message "Shift to Park" was displayed. The contact stated that after several attempts, the vehicle was able to be turned off. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V516000 (POWER TRAIN). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 59,000.

NHTSA complaint #11648340 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Modesto, CA

POWER TRAIN

Twice the shift to park function of the vehicle has failed, once in 2020 and again in 2025, it appear that there is a recall for the year make and model vehicle, but for some reason my particular VIN in not included in this recall. The recall needs to be expanded to address this safety issue.

NHTSA complaint #11643986 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2017 GMC Acadia problems

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