2013 GMC Acadia Problems, Recalls & Reliability
196 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2013 GMC Acadia, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 17/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 70,000 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2013 GMC Acadia has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2013 sits among all Acadia years
What owners report
“First it started with the daytime running lights staying on hours after vehicle is shut off then it went to parking lights staying on as well and now the driver side lights are out including liscence plate lights nothing works but the headlight”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Acadia
“Bought the car and the ac doesn't work seems to be a common problem and should be a recall”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Acadia
“Airbag wiring short repaired under nhtsa recall 14v118 on sept 30, 2014. Then sept 13, 2019 airbag light goes on again and dealer had to repair same airbag wiring. Dealer and gmc refused to honor original recall and stated that the recall was only for one repair of this wiring and not for second…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Acadia
“Have vibration when taking off from a stop due to defective torque converter with only 95500 miles on vehicle had to replace and rebuild transmission”— owner report to NHTSA, 2013 Acadia
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 125 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 83,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 50,000 and 103,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
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 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…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 21V245.
Technical service bulletins
1,691 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2013 GMC Acadia. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2013 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 2013 GMC Acadia reliable?
The 2013 GMC Acadia drew 196 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 17/100, scored against the model's worst year (2008).
What are the most common 2013 GMC Acadia problems?
The top reported problems for the 2013 GMC Acadia are electrical (48 complaints), other (29), and airbags (29).
At what mileage do 2013 GMC Acadia problems show up?
Owners most often report 2013 GMC Acadia problems around 83,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 50,000 and 103,000 miles.
Does the 2013 GMC Acadia have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2013 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.