2017 GMC Acadia Problems, Recalls & Reliability
954 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2017 GMC Acadia, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 63/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 36,064 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2017 GMC Acadia sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2013, 2016, 2020–2022.
Avoid
Where 2017 sits among all Acadia years
What owners report
“When you put the car in park, the car acts as if it is not in park, and tells you to put the car in park. At this point, it will not shut off”— owner report to NHTSA, 2017 Acadia
“Shift to park message. Car will not shut off even when in park. It says it needs to shift to park, even when it is in park.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2017 Acadia
“Vehicle has shift to park message, and will not allow the vehicle to shut down even though the vehicle is in park.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2017 Acadia
“The contact owns a 2017 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 local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2017 Acadia
“When the vehicle is shifted into park to turn off the engine the sensor shows it is not in park and will not let you turn the engine off.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2017 Acadia
“Parking brake failed to engage--was told by dealer the modular for the parking brake system failed.vehicle was stationary at the time”— owner report to NHTSA, 2017 Acadia
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 479 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 35,596 miles. Half of those reports fall between 21,000 and 49,000 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 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The high pressure fuel…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump, and high pressure fuel pipe, free of charge. The recall began July 2, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at…
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles and 2017-2018 GMC Acadia vehicles. The right front intermediate driveshaft may fracture and separate while driving.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the right front intermediate drive shaft assembly, free of charge. The recall began August 25, 2017. Owners may contact GMC customer service at…
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2017 Cadillac XT5 vehicles manufactured April 16, 2016, to May 9, 2016, and 2017 GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured April 19, 2016, to April 22, 2016. The front brake calipers may have a torn or…
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front brake calipers, replacing the brake caliper assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 12, 2016. Owners may…
Technical service bulletins
1,379 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2017 GMC Acadia. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2017 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 2017 GMC Acadia reliable?
The 2017 GMC Acadia drew 954 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 63/100, scored against the model's worst year (2008).
What are the most common 2017 GMC Acadia problems?
The top reported problems for the 2017 GMC Acadia are transmission & drivetrain (235 complaints), electrical (219), and other (183).
At what mileage do 2017 GMC Acadia problems show up?
Owners most often report 2017 GMC Acadia problems around 35,596 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 21,000 and 49,000 miles.
Does the 2017 GMC Acadia have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2017 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.