2011 GMC Acadia Problems, Recalls & Reliability
373 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2011 GMC Acadia, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 28/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 70,300 miles.
Typical
Where 2011 sits among all Acadia years
What owners report
“Daytime running lights bulb melting, both left and right side, resulting in burning of headlight housing. Bulb can no longer be held in place because mounting fixture is melted away. The existing bulbs are made of plastic. I believe the filament is overheating the plastic bulb and causing a…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Acadia
“Whining noise in steering column, thumping at slow right turns, needed new rack and pinion, cv joints replaced”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Acadia
“I had issue with the timing chain an have check engine light is on I have heard other people having problems with there timing chain. It starts hard. I've had it looked at multiple times. I feel like this is a safety concern. It has low miles on it”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Acadia
“Stabilitrak always reports off and brake warning always displays on dashboard, while on or running. Had it looked at by 4 mechanics. Breaks are fine. Engine wont start after everytime i pump gas. I have to pump accelerator sevral times for engine to start. Had it looked at again. Problem is…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Acadia
“When i drive the vehicle for 2 hours or more the "transmission hot idle engine" come on the dash and i have to slow down or park the vehicle for it to cool off. I can not drive at 75 mph or 80 mph when on the highway without it coming on.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Acadia
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 282 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 71,078 miles. Half of those reports fall between 48,000 and 98,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2015, 2017 Buick Enclave, 2010-2019 Chevrolet Traverse, and 2011-2016 GMC Acadia vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not be properly attached.
Fix: 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…
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 (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE, BUICK ENCLAVE, AND GMC ACADIA VEHICLES CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN ALASKA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN,…
Fix: GM WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE WIPER ARM NUTS, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 20, 2012.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 21V245.
Technical service bulletins
1,495 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2011 GMC Acadia. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2011 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 2011 GMC Acadia reliable?
The 2011 GMC Acadia drew 373 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 28/100, scored against the model's worst year (2008).
What are the most common 2011 GMC Acadia problems?
The top reported problems for the 2011 GMC Acadia are electrical (85 complaints), steering (64), and engine (56).
At what mileage do 2011 GMC Acadia problems show up?
Owners most often report 2011 GMC Acadia problems around 71,078 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 48,000 and 98,000 miles.
Does the 2011 GMC Acadia have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2011 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.