What are the common problems with the 2016 GMC Acadia?

Owners filed 236 complaints with NHTSA. The air bags group leads with 130 complaints, then steering and the electrical system.

Does the 2016 GMC Acadia have recalls?

Yes. The by-year facts show 4 recalls. See the Recalls section on this page for the list.

What is the gas mileage of the 2016 GMC Acadia?

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

Is the 2016 GMC Acadia reliable?

Complaints are unverified and not adjusted for sales. The biggest group is air bags with 130 complaints. See the safety and recall sections for more.

Is 2016 a good year for the GMC Acadia?

See the by-year comparison on this page. It shows complaints and recalls for each year, including 4 recalls for 2016.

2016 GMC Acadia Problems, Recalls and MPG

NHTSA has 236 owner complaints on file for the 2016 GMC Acadia^[1]. The air bags group is the biggest, with 130 complaints^[2].

236owner complaints^[1]

4recalls^[3]

17–18MPG combined (EPA)^[4]

5★NHTSA overall rating^[5]

Problems
Recalls
Fuel economy
Safety
By year
Verdict
FAQ

Most reported problems

Here are the complaint groups in the stories we read, biggest first.

Air Bags. 130 complaints^[2]. Owners describe warnings about the passenger sensing system, bags that went off on their own, and waiting on dealers for parts to finish a recall repair.
Steering. 26 complaints^[6]. Owners describe a wheel that turns stiffly or stops helping at low speed, and one story of power steering fluid leaking.
Electrical System. 25 complaints^[7]. Owners describe the vehicle shutting off while stopped, blind spot warnings stuck on, and a gear display that does not show the gear clearly.
Power Train. 21 complaints^[8]. Owners describe hard or slipping shifts, a transmission that needed replacing, and a vehicle that rolled away while in park.
Unknown or Other. 20 complaints^[9]. These reports do not fit a clear component group.
Engine. 13 complaints^[10].
Lane Departure. 9 complaints^[11].
Electronic Stability Control. 5 complaints^[12].

Recalls

Newest first. Each recall covers only certain vehicles, so not every 2016 Acadia is necessarily included.

Air Bags › Frontal › Driver Side › Inflator Module (23V334), May 2023. About 995,085 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: explosion, injury, death. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[13]
Air Bags › Critical Fasteners (21V246), April 2021. About 108 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: injury, an air bag that may not work as intended. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[14]
Seats (15V833), December 2015. About 2,633 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.^[15]
Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer › Motor (15V609), September 2015. About 29,295 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: fire. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[16]

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]	15 / 22 / 18	$3,700
Acadia AWD, 3.6L 6-cyl, Automatic 6-spd, Regular, All-Wheel Drive^[17]	15 / 22 / 17	$3,950

Safety ratings

Version	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
SUV AWD^[5]	5	5	5	4	15.5%
SUV FWD^[18]	5	5	5	4	16.9%

How 2016 compares with other years

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for each Acadia model year. The 2016 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 236 complaints and 4 recalls for 2016^[3]. Among the 21 model years listed, 9 have fewer complaints than 2016 and 11 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 2016 Acadia?

The 2016 Acadia has a clear pattern in the complaints, and it centers on the air bags group with 130 complaints^[2]. Steering and electrical reports follow at 26 and 25 complaints^[6]^[7]. These are unverified owner reports, and they are not adjusted for sales^[1]. The page lists 4 recalls for this year, so check that any open recall work is done before you buy^[3]. A careful inspection and a test drive of the steering and driver aids are a sensible step.

Frequently asked questions

What are the common problems with the 2016 GMC Acadia?: Owners filed 236 complaints with NHTSA^[1]. The air bags group leads with 130 complaints, then steering and the electrical system^[2]^[6]^[7].
Does the 2016 GMC Acadia have recalls?: Yes. The by-year facts show 4 recalls^[3]. See the Recalls section on this page for the list.
What is the gas mileage of the 2016 GMC Acadia?: See the fuel economy section on this page for the EPA figures.
Is the 2016 GMC Acadia reliable?: Complaints are unverified and not adjusted for sales^[1]. The biggest group is air bags with 130 complaints^[2]. See the safety and recall sections for more.
Is 2016 a good year for the GMC Acadia?: See the by-year comparison on this page. It shows complaints and recalls for each year, including 4 recalls for 2016^[3].

Keep exploring

Other model years of the GMC Acadia

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 this page
2017 705 complaints, 4 recalls
2018 396 complaints, 2 recalls
2019 387 complaints, 2 recalls
2023 47 complaints, 4 recalls
2026 10 complaints, 1 recall

Compare all model years of the GMC Acadia

Other GMC models from 2016

2016 GMC Canyon 271 complaints, 4 recalls
2016 GMC Terrain 153 complaints, 2 recalls

All GMC models

Similar cars from 2016: suvs

2016 Ford Expedition 217 complaints, 3 recalls
2016 Ford Explorer 2,483 complaints, 14 recalls
2016 Porsche Cayenne 40 complaints, 2 recalls
2016 Tesla Model X 450 complaints, 12 recalls
2016 Toyota Land Cruiser 4 complaints, 3 recalls
2016 Volvo XC90 198 complaints, 8 recalls

All suvs we cover

Facts and sources

NHTSA has 236 owner complaints on file for the 2016 GMC Acadia (8 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 16 injuries, 0 deaths reported). NHTSA vehicle records
130 complaints name the air bags component group (3 crashes, 0 fires, 5 injuries, median mileage at failure 130,000). 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: 15 city / 22 highway / 18 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,700. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, SUV AWD: overall 5 stars, frontal 5 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 15.5%. NHTSA vehicle records
26 complaints name the steering component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 53,600). NHTSA vehicle records
25 complaints name the electrical system component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 47,783). NHTSA vehicle records
21 complaints name the power train component group (2 crashes, 2 fires, 2 injuries, median mileage at failure 77,911). NHTSA vehicle records
20 complaints name the unknown or other component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, median mileage at failure 39,704). NHTSA vehicle records
13 complaints name the engine component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 31,300). NHTSA vehicle records
9 complaints name the lane departure component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
5 complaints name the electronic stability control (esc) component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
Recall 23V334, filed May 10, 2023: Air Bags › Frontal › Driver Side › Inflator Module. NHTSA recall database
Recall 21V246, filed April 8, 2021: Air Bags › Critical Fasteners. NHTSA recall database
Recall 15V833, filed December 11, 2015: Seats. NHTSA recall database
Recall 15V609, filed September 29, 2015: Visibility › Windshield Wiper / Washer › Motor. NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for Acadia AWD, 3.6L 6-cyl, Automatic 6-spd, Regular, All-Wheel Drive: 15 city / 22 highway / 17 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,950. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, SUV FWD: overall 5 stars, frontal 5 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 16.9%. NHTSA vehicle records

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.

2016 GMC Acadia: problems, recalls and fuel economy