Car Issues Tracker
Vehicle complaints, recalls & safety data — sourced from NHTSA

2008 GMC Acadia: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 858 safety complaints about the 2008 GMC Acadia with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · Retrieved September 7, 2026 · Counts change as new reports are filed

858
Complaints
5
Recalls
2
Investigations

Complaints for this vehicle report 22 crashes, 13 fires, 38 injuries. No deaths have been reported.

Key findings
  1. Power train / transmission leads the complaint list, cited in 279 of 858 complaints, followed by Airbags & restraints.
  2. Stalling is a recurring theme. 44 of the 858 reports describe the engine stalling — many while driving.
  3. Complaints peaked 6 years after the model year (169 filed in 2014) — a pattern consistent with wear-out failures rather than assembly defects.
  4. 2 NHTSA defect investigations are associated with this vehicle.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2008 GMC Acadia, here is how reports break down by system.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 858 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Power train / transmission
279
Airbags & restraints
162
Electrical
154
Engine & cooling
144
Steering
133
Body & structure
98
Brakes & stability
82
Visibility & lighting
80

"I'VE COME TO FIND OUT MY CAR IS THROWING A CODE FOR THE TCM BEING STUCK TURNS OUT THIS IS AN EXTREMELY COMMON ISSUE AS WELL AS THE WAVE PLATE FOR THIS MODEL GMC SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE BEING THIS IS THEIR DESIGN FLAW AND SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE ACROSS THE BOARD FOR ALMOST ALL ACADIAS OF THESE YEARS."

Owner complaint filed August 2020 · Power Train · NHTSA ODI 11351689

"THIS IS THE WORST VIECHLE WE HAVE EVERY BOUGHT. YOU NAME IT AN IT HAS GONE WRONG. TRANSMISSION TWICE, TIMING, POWER STEERING, TAILGATE, WE HAVE NEVER PULLED ANYTHING WITH OUR CAR. WHEN IT RAINS THE STEERING LOCKS UP.. ONE MINUTE WE ARE GOING 70 AND BAM THE CAR TURNS OFF. I CAN KEEP GOING. GMC PRETTY MUCH JUST SAID OH WELL. THIS HAVE HAPPENED SO MANY TIMES I LOST TRACK."

Owner complaint filed August 2018 · Power Train,Electrical System,Electronic Stability Control (Esc) · NHTSA ODI 11123474

When complaints were filed

For most vehicles, complaint volume spikes early and tapers off. The 2008 GMC Acadia peaked later than usual, in 2014.

Complaints filed per year — 2008 GMC Acadia
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
3
25
21
27
30
47
156
169
101
71
56
40
51
27
9
11
5
5
1
3
0708091011121314151617181920212223242526
2026 is a partial year (through September 7, 2026). A late peak is the signature of wear-out failures: parts that don't fail until the vehicle has years and miles on it.

How the 2008 compares with other model years

Across the GMC Acadia model years we track, the 2008 has the most complaints on file.

Total complaints by model year — GMC Acadia
All complaints on file per model year, as of September 7, 2026
2008
858
466
702
392
Older model years have had more time on the road to accumulate complaints — compare adjacent years, not endpoints.

Recall history: 5 recalls

5 recalls apply to some or all 2008 GMC Acadia vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.

Aug 200808V-410
Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer:Linkages

GM IS RECALLING 88,809 MY 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE, AND MY 2007-2008 GMC ACADIA AND SATURN OUTLOOK VEHICLES CURRENTLY OR PREVIOUSLY REGISTERED IN THE FOLLOWING STATES: ALASKA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MONTANA, NEB…

Aug 200808V-441
Electrical System

GM IS RECALLING 857,735 MY 2006-2008 BUICK LUCERNE; CADILLAC DTS; HUMMER H2; MY 2007-2008 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; GMC ACADIA, SIERRA, YUKON, YUKON XL, SATURN OUTLOOK; AND MY 2008 BUICK ENCLAVE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A HEATED WIP…

Jun 201010V-240
Electrical System

GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2009 BUICK, LUCERNE; CADILLAC DTS; HUMMER H2; MODEL YEAR 2008-2009 BUICK ENCLAVE; CADILLAC CTS; MODEL YEAR 2007-2009 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; GMC ACADIA, SIERRA, YUKON, YUKON XL; SATURN OUT…

Mar 201414V-118
Air Bags:Side/Window

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia and 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse and 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the driver and passenger seat mounted side impact air bag (SIAB) wiring harnesses m…

Jun 201515V-415
Structure:Body:Hatchback/Liftgate

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured January 3, 2007, to February 29, 2012, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured July 6, 2008, to March 9, 2012, 2007-2012 GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured September 15, 2006, to February 2…

Does your car have an open recall?

Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints does the 2008 GMC Acadia have?

As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 858 complaints about the 2008 GMC Acadia with NHTSA. The most-reported system is power train / transmission.

How many recalls does the 2008 GMC Acadia have?

The 2008 GMC Acadia has 5 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Methodology & source

All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved September 7, 2026.

Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.

This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.