2016 GMC Acadia Problems, Recalls & Reliability
280 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2016 GMC Acadia, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 20/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Airbags leads the reports.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2016 GMC Acadia has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2016 sits among all Acadia years
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2016 GMC Acadia. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V334000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Acadia
“My 2016 gmc all wheel drive both front wheel bearing went out at 26,000 miles there should be a recall on these . There are really bad”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Acadia
“Recently the "Service Side Detection System" light came on. Now the blind side monitoring doesn't work. While driving all of lights on the dash, radio, and headlights turned off. I was unable to see the road, my speed, or anything within the vehicle. I did some research and this is a vary common…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Acadia
“My powering steering pump stopped functioning while driving, making it very hard to turn the wheel at low speeds, as if there is no power steering at all. Took it to the dealership and was told it's a wear and tear problem and after investigating it i noticed they have recalled over 1 million cars…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2016 Acadia
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 79 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 50,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 33,000 and 77,911 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2017 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
Fix: 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…
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 2016 Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured November 6, 2015, to November 12, 2015. The affected vehicles have a the third row left lower seat frame that may have welds…
Fix: 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…
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured August 18, 2015 to September 24, 2015. Due to a manufacturing defect, the windshield wiper motor may overheat when used.
Fix: 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…
Technical service bulletins
1,173 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2016 GMC Acadia. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2016 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 2016 GMC Acadia reliable?
The 2016 GMC Acadia drew 280 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 20/100, scored against the model's worst year (2008).
What are the most common 2016 GMC Acadia problems?
The top reported problems for the 2016 GMC Acadia are airbags (130 complaints), other (28), and electrical (28).
At what mileage do 2016 GMC Acadia problems show up?
Owners most often report 2016 GMC Acadia problems around 50,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 33,000 and 77,911 miles.
Does the 2016 GMC Acadia have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2016 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.