What are the most common problems with the 2010 GMC Acadia?

Steering has the most complaints with 148, then the engine with 84 and the electrical system with 45.

Has the 2010 GMC Acadia been recalled?

Yes. The by-year facts show recalls for this model year. See the Recalls section on this page for the list.

What is the gas mileage of the 2010 GMC Acadia?

See the fuel economy section on this page for the EPA figures.

Is the 2010 GMC Acadia reliable?

Owners filed 343 complaints with NHTSA. Steering is the biggest group. Read the problem groups above and check the recalls section before you decide.

Is 2010 the best year for the GMC Acadia?

See the by-year comparison section on this page to compare model years.

2010 GMC Acadia Problems, Recalls and MPG

NHTSA has 343 owner complaints on file for the 2010 GMC Acadia^[1]. Steering leads the list with 148 complaints^[2].

343owner complaints^[1]

4recalls^[3]

19MPG combined (EPA)^[4]

Problems
Recalls
Fuel economy
Safety
Engine and size
By year
Verdict
FAQ

Most reported problems

Owners filed complaints across several parts of the vehicle. Here are the biggest groups.

Steering. 148 complaints^[2]. Owners describe a wheel that gets hard to turn, noises when turning, and moments where the vehicle felt hard to control at speed.
Engine. 84 complaints^[5]. In the stories we read, owners describe stalling on the road, smoke at start up, and weak pickup when merging.
Electrical System. 45 complaints^[6]. Owners describe a key that would not come out of the ignition, dead batteries, and warning lights that came on with no clear cause.
Power Train. 43 complaints^[7]. Owners describe the vehicle rolling back on a hill while in gear, and transmission trouble while driving.
Exterior Lighting. 24 complaints^[8].
Air Bags. 16 complaints^[9].
Suspension. 10 complaints^[10].

Recalls

Newest first. Each recall covers only certain vehicles, so not every 2010 Acadia is necessarily included.

Structure › Body › Hatchback/Liftgate (15V415), June 2015. About 691,144 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: injury. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[11]
Seat Belts (14V266), May 2014. About 1,339,355 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, injury, parts separating. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[12]
Air Bags › Side/Window (14V118), March 2014. About 1,176,407 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, injury, an air bag that may not work as intended. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[13]
Seat Belts (10V375), August 2010. About 207,210 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, injury. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[14]

Fuel economy

EPA ratings depend on the engine and drive. Annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not prices when the car was new.

Version	City / highway / combined MPG	Annual fuel cost
Acadia FWD, 3.6L 6-cyl, Automatic 6-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[4]	17 / 24 / 19	$3,550
Acadia AWD, 3.6L 6-cyl, Automatic 6-spd, Regular, All-Wheel Drive^[15]	16 / 23 / 19	$3,550

Safety ratings

Version	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
4 DR FWD/AWD^[16]	n/a	n/a	n/a	4	15.5%

Engine and size

These are Canadian-market specifications from Transport Canada, so US models can differ slightly.

Version	Length	Width	Height	Wheelbase	Curb weight
ACADIA 4DR SUV AWD SLE/SLT^[17]	201 in	79 in	73 in	119 in	4,925 lb
ACADIA 4DR SUV FWD SLE/SLT^[18]	201 in	79 in	73 in	119 in	4,722 lb

How 2010 compares with other years

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for each Acadia model year. The 2010 is highlighted^[3].

Show the numbers

Model year	Complaints	Recalls
2007	428	5
2008	854	5
2009	331	7
2010	343	4
2011	269	5
2012	296	5
2013	135	3
2014	463	6
2015	243	4
2016	236	4
2017	705	4
2018	396	2
2019	387	2
2020	106	6
2021	154	2
2022	49	3
2023	47	4
2024	61	0
2025	67	0
2026	10	1

NHTSA's counts for the Acadia show 343 complaints and 4 recalls for 2010^[3]. Among the 21 model years listed, 14 have fewer complaints than 2010 and 6 have more^[3]. The fewest complaints are for 2027 (0) and the most are for 2008 (854)^[3]. These counts are not adjusted for sales, so treat them as a rough guide. The chart above shows every year.

Should you buy a used 2010 Acadia?

Steering is the largest group by a wide margin^[2], followed by the engine^[5]. Some reports mention crashes, fires or injuries^[1], so take the safety side seriously. These are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for how many were sold. Check the recalls section on this page, since the by-year facts list recalls for this model year^[3]. A careful test drive is sensible before buying.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2010 GMC Acadia?: Steering has the most complaints with 148^[2], then the engine with 84^[5] and the electrical system with 45^[6].
Has the 2010 GMC Acadia been recalled?: Yes. The by-year facts show recalls for this model year^[3]. See the Recalls section on this page for the list.
What is the gas mileage of the 2010 GMC Acadia?: See the fuel economy section on this page for the EPA figures.
Is the 2010 GMC Acadia reliable?: Owners filed 343 complaints with NHTSA^[1]. Steering is the biggest group^[2]. Read the problem groups above and check the recalls section before you decide.
Is 2010 the best year for the GMC Acadia?: See the by-year comparison section on this page to compare model years.

Keep exploring

Other model years of the GMC Acadia

2008 854 complaints, 5 recalls
2010 this page
2011 269 complaints, 5 recalls
2012 296 complaints, 5 recalls
2013 135 complaints, 3 recalls
2014 463 complaints, 6 recalls
2015 243 complaints, 4 recalls
2016 236 complaints, 4 recalls
2017 705 complaints, 4 recalls
2018 396 complaints, 2 recalls
2019 387 complaints, 2 recalls
2020 106 complaints, 6 recalls
2021 154 complaints, 2 recalls
2022 49 complaints, 3 recalls
2023 47 complaints, 4 recalls
2026 10 complaints, 1 recall

Compare all model years of the GMC Acadia

Other GMC models from 2010

2010 GMC Terrain 290 complaints, 3 recalls

All GMC models

Similar cars from 2010: suvs

2010 Honda Element 30 complaints, 10 recalls
2010 Jeep Commander 45 complaints, 4 recalls
2010 Jeep Liberty 197 complaints, 2 recalls
2010 Lincoln MKX 111 complaints, 6 recalls
2010 Mazda CX-9 195 complaints, 6 recalls
2010 Nissan Armada 48 complaints, 4 recalls

All suvs we cover

Facts and sources

NHTSA has 343 owner complaints on file for the 2010 GMC Acadia (5 mention a crash, 8 a fire, 11 injuries, 1 deaths reported). NHTSA vehicle records
148 complaints name the steering component group (3 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, median mileage at failure 70,000). NHTSA vehicle records
Owner complaints and recalls for every GMC Acadia model year (chart above). NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for Acadia FWD, 3.6L 6-cyl, Automatic 6-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 17 city / 24 highway / 19 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,550. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
84 complaints name the engine component group (0 crashes, 4 fires, 5 injuries, median mileage at failure 96,850). NHTSA vehicle records
45 complaints name the electrical system component group (0 crashes, 3 fires, 2 injuries, median mileage at failure 67,639). NHTSA vehicle records
43 complaints name the power train component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 76,000). NHTSA vehicle records
24 complaints name the exterior lighting component group (0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 60,000). NHTSA vehicle records
16 complaints name the air bags component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 62,370). NHTSA vehicle records
10 complaints name the suspension component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, median mileage at failure 57,411). NHTSA vehicle records
Recall 15V415, filed June 30, 2015: Structure › Body › Hatchback / Liftgate. NHTSA recall database
Recall 14V266, filed May 20, 2014: Seat Belts. NHTSA recall database
Recall 14V118, filed March 17, 2014: Air Bags › Side / Window. NHTSA recall database
Recall 10V375, filed August 12, 2010: Seat Belts. NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for Acadia AWD, 3.6L 6-cyl, Automatic 6-spd, Regular, All-Wheel Drive: 16 city / 23 highway / 19 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,550. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, 4 DR FWD/AWD: rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 15.5%. NHTSA vehicle records
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, ACADIA 4DR SUV AWD SLE/SLT: length 201 in, width 79 in, height 73 in, wheelbase 119 in, curb weight 4,925 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, ACADIA 4DR SUV FWD SLE/SLT: length 201 in, width 79 in, height 73 in, wheelbase 119 in, curb weight 4,722 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov

Complaints submitted to NHTSA by owners; unverified reports, one complaint can name several components. Complaint counts are not normalized by sales; compare years of the same model, not different models. EPA annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not the price when the car was new. Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles. Dimensions are Canadian-market specifications and can differ slightly from US models.

2010 GMC Acadia: problems, recalls and fuel economy