What are the most common problems with the 2018 GMC Acadia?

The power train group has the most complaints on file, with 163. The electrical system follows with 109. The problems section above explains what owners describe.

Does the 2018 GMC Acadia have recalls?

Yes. The year has 2 recalls on file. The Recalls section on this page lists them.

How reliable is the 2018 GMC Acadia?

NHTSA has 396 owner complaints for this year. They are unverified and not adjusted for sales, so read them as a guide and not a score.

What is the gas mileage of the 2018 GMC Acadia?

See the fuel economy section on this page.

Is 2018 the best year for the GMC Acadia?

See the by year comparison on this page, which shows complaints and recalls for each year side by side.

2018 GMC Acadia Problems, Recalls and MPG

NHTSA has 396 owner complaints on file for the 2018 GMC Acadia^[1]. The power train group has the most, with 163 complaints^[2].

396owner complaints^[1]

2recalls^[3]

20–23MPG combined (EPA)^[4]

4–5★NHTSA overall rating^[5]

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

Most reported problems

Owners file complaints with NHTSA, and these are the groups they name most, biggest first.

Power Train. 163 complaints^[2]. In the stories we read, owners describe a car that does not register that it is in park. A warning message and a chime keep going after the engine is off, and some owners say a dead battery followed.
Unknown Or Other. 118 complaints^[6]. This group does not point to one part of the car.
Electrical System. 109 complaints^[7]. Owners describe dash warnings that come and go, a stability system notice, a wireless phone charger that would not work, and door locks that failed to engage.
Engine. 35 complaints^[8]. Owners describe loud noises when they speed up, shuddering, and a sudden loss of power.
Steering. 24 complaints^[9]. Owners describe a power steering warning and a car that was harder to turn.
Brakes. 22 complaints^[10].
Electronic Stability Control (Esc). 12 complaints^[11].
Fuel/Propulsion System. 7 complaints^[12]. This is the smallest group on the list.

Recalls

Newest first. Each recall covers only certain vehicles, so not every 2018 Acadia is necessarily included.

Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Fuel Pump (18V358), May 2018. About 895 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.^[13]
Power Train › Driveline › Driveshaft (17V516), August 2017. About 2,905 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, reduced braking, parts separating. 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, 2.5L 4-cyl, Automatic 6-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[4]	21 / 26 / 23	$2,900
Acadia FWD, 3.6L 6-cyl, Automatic 6-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[15]	18 / 25 / 21	$3,200
Acadia AWD, 2.5L 4-cyl, Automatic 6-spd, Regular, All-Wheel Drive^[16]	21 / 25 / 23	$2,900
Acadia AWD, 3.6L 6-cyl, Automatic 6-spd, Regular, All-Wheel Drive^[17]	17 / 25 / 20	$3,350

Safety ratings

Version	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
SUV AWD^[5]	5	5	5	4	15.0%
SUV FWD^[18]	4	5	5	4	16.4%

Engine and size

Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles.

Engine	Horsepower
2018 GMC Acadia with 2.5L 4-cylinder^[19]	193 hp
2018 GMC Acadia with 3.6L 6-cylinder^[20]	310 hp

How 2018 compares with other years

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for each Acadia model year. The 2018 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 396 complaints and 2 recalls for 2018^[3]. Among the 21 model years listed, 16 have fewer complaints than 2018 and 4 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 2018 Acadia?

The 2018 Acadia has a sizable file of owner complaints, 396 in all^[1]. The largest group, with 163 complaints, is the power train^[2]. Most of the other groups are far smaller, and the engine group has 35^[8]. These are unverified reports sent in by owners, and the counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold. Check the recalls section on this page and the year comparison before you decide.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2018 GMC Acadia?: The power train group has the most complaints on file, with 163^[2]. The electrical system follows with 109^[7]. The problems section above explains what owners describe.
Does the 2018 GMC Acadia have recalls?: Yes. The year has 2 recalls on file^[3]. The Recalls section on this page lists them.
How reliable is the 2018 GMC Acadia?: NHTSA has 396 owner complaints for this year^[1]. They are unverified and not adjusted for sales, so read them as a guide and not a score.
What is the gas mileage of the 2018 GMC Acadia?: See the fuel economy section on this page.
Is 2018 the best year for the GMC Acadia?: See the by year comparison on this page, which shows complaints and recalls for each year side by side.

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 236 complaints, 4 recalls
2017 705 complaints, 4 recalls
2018 this page
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 2018

2018 GMC Terrain 225 complaints, 5 recalls
2018 GMC Yukon 129 complaints, 5 recalls

All GMC models

Similar cars from 2018: suvs

2018 Nissan Armada 75 complaints, 1 recall
2018 Tesla Model X 193 complaints, 9 recalls
2018 Toyota Land Cruiser 4 complaints, 2 recalls
2018 Volvo XC90 51 complaints, 3 recalls
2018 Audi Q7 144 complaints, 3 recalls
2018 Chevrolet Tahoe 105 complaints, 3 recalls

All suvs we cover

Facts and sources

NHTSA has 396 owner complaints on file for the 2018 GMC Acadia (8 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 12 injuries, 0 deaths reported). NHTSA vehicle records
163 complaints name the power train component group (4 crashes, 0 fires, 4 injuries, median mileage at failure 37,000). NHTSA vehicle records
Owner complaints and recalls for every GMC Acadia model year (chart above). NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for Acadia FWD, 2.5L 4-cyl, Automatic 6-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 21 city / 26 highway / 23 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,900. 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 15.0%. NHTSA vehicle records
118 complaints name the unknown or other component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 28,000). NHTSA vehicle records
109 complaints name the electrical system component group (3 crashes, 1 fires, 3 injuries, median mileage at failure 32,000). NHTSA vehicle records
35 complaints name the engine component group (4 crashes, 0 fires, 5 injuries, median mileage at failure 26,282). NHTSA vehicle records
24 complaints name the steering component group (2 crashes, 0 fires, 5 injuries, median mileage at failure 49,300). NHTSA vehicle records
22 complaints name the brakes component group (4 crashes, 0 fires, 8 injuries, median mileage at failure 41,000). NHTSA vehicle records
12 complaints name the electronic stability control (esc) component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 30,283). NHTSA vehicle records
7 complaints name the fuel/propulsion system component group (0 crashes, 1 fires, 2 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
Recall 18V358, filed May 31, 2018: Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery › Fuel Pump. NHTSA recall database
Recall 17V516, filed August 22, 2017: Power Train › Driveline › Driveshaft. NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for Acadia FWD, 3.6L 6-cyl, Automatic 6-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 18 city / 25 highway / 21 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,200. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Acadia AWD, 2.5L 4-cyl, Automatic 6-spd, Regular, All-Wheel Drive: 21 city / 25 highway / 23 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,900. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Acadia AWD, 3.6L 6-cyl, Automatic 6-spd, Regular, All-Wheel Drive: 17 city / 25 highway / 20 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,350. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, SUV FWD: overall 4 stars, frontal 5 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 16.4%. NHTSA vehicle records
EPA Test Car List, 2018 GMC Acadia with 2.5L 4-cylinder: rated 193 hp. www.epa.gov
EPA Test Car List, 2018 GMC Acadia with 3.6L 6-cylinder: rated 310 hp. www.epa.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.

2018 GMC Acadia: problems, recalls and fuel economy