2009 GMC Acadia Problems, Recalls & Reliability
486 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2009 GMC Acadia, alongside 7 recall campaigns and 4 defect investigations. It scores 41/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Steering leads the reports, typically around 70,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2009 sits among all Acadia years
What owners report
“At low speeds, the power steering intermittently cuts out. The steering wheel almost seems to lock up.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Acadia
“My vehicle turned off while driving on a side highway, and was unable to be jump started. Took it to a mechanic and found the ecm was bad. Mechanic called different dealerships to price an ecm, and was told by each dealership that this is a common problem. He was informed that even with a new ecm…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Acadia
“There was a recall for gmc premature timing chain engine recall. This recall was complete in 2011 but it did not fix the problem. The timing chain keeps breaking off the cam shaft sensor and needs to be replaced.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Acadia
“Transmission failure at 105,000 miles car is being repaired bobs transmission, grand rapids, michigan”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Acadia
“I was driving home when my gmc acadia started to smoke so i pulled over and it caught on fire. The whole thing burnt.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Acadia
“Liftgate opens on is own while driving, door unlock and cannot be locked this has been happening for a month. I will happen several time a day.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2009 Acadia
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 390 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 77,656 miles. Half of those reports fall between 55,000 and 105,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (7)
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured January 3, 2007, to February 29, 2012, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured July 6, 2008, to March 9, 2012, 2007-2012 GMC Acadia vehicles…
Fix: 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…
General Motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through May 14, 2014, Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured June 6, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured April 9, 2008,…
Fix: 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…
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia and 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse and 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the driver and passenger seat mounted…
Fix: 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…
GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009-2010 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE, BUICK ENCLAVE, GMC ACADIA, AND SATURN OUTLOOK VEHICLES. THE SECOND ROW SEAT SIDE TRIM SHIELD RESTRICTS THE UPWARD ROTATION OF THE SAFETY BELT BUCKLE WHEN THE SEAT BACK IS RETURNED…
Fix: 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…
GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2009 BUICK, LUCERNE; CADILLAC DTS; HUMMER H2; MODEL YEAR 2008-2009 BUICK ENCLAVE; CADILLAC CTS; MODEL YEAR 2007-2009 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; GMC…
Fix: 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…
GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING 276,729 MY 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE, CHEVROLET COBALT, HHR, MALIBU, TRAVERSE, GMC ACADIA, PONTIAC G5, G6 AND SATURN AURA AND OUTLOOK PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLES SAFETY STANDARD 102,…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND ENSURE THAT THE SHIFT CABLE ADJUSTMENT CLIP IS FULLY ENGAGED. IN THE EVENT THAT THE CLIP DOES NOT ENGAGE, THE SHIFT CABLE WILL BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS…
GM IS RECALLING 16,667 MY 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE, CHEVROLET TRAVERSE, GMC ACADIA, AND SATURN OUTLOOK VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 209, 'SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES.' THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE SAFETY BELT BUCKLES IN THE SECOND AND THIRD ROWS, AND REPLACE THEM IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 26, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080;…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 21V245.
Technical service bulletins
1,247 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2009 GMC Acadia. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2009 Acadia TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2009 GMC Acadia reliable?
The 2009 GMC Acadia drew 486 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 41/100, scored against the model's worst year (2008).
What are the most common 2009 GMC Acadia problems?
The top reported problems for the 2009 GMC Acadia are steering (114 complaints), electrical (85), and engine (75).
At what mileage do 2009 GMC Acadia problems show up?
Owners most often report 2009 GMC Acadia problems around 77,656 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 55,000 and 105,000 miles.
Does the 2009 GMC Acadia have recalls?
7 recall campaigns apply to the 2009 GMC Acadia. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.