Total Complaints
1293 filings
GMC ACADIA · model year
2008 GMC ACADIA
1293 NHTSA complaints, 41 crash reports, and 5 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2008GMCACADIA carries 1293 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 41 crashes, 19 fires, 72 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2008 ACADIA is power train with 266 filings, followed by electrical system (148) and air bags (141). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 5 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 2 investigation files overlapping the 2008 ACADIA. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
1293
Complaints
41
Crashes
19
Fires
72
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
41 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 266 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 148 |
| AIR BAGS | 141 |
| STEERING | 127 |
| ENGINE | 123 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 62 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 57 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 44 |
| STRUCTURE | 41 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 36 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 35 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 25 |
| SUSPENSION | 15 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 14 |
| VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY | 14 |
Recalls (5)
15V41500030/06/2015
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
08V44100028/08/2008
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
14V11800017/03/2014
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
08V41000014/08/2008
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, NE
10V24000004/06/2010
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
Recent Complaints
20250529AIR BAGS
Lift gate closes by itself I have to put a pole to hold it up and it wonât hit me, it says the air bags needs to be serviced, stabilitrak keeps going off, ball bearing needs work. Radio wonât turn on no sound on air signals, the body chasis something popped while driving, the tracking control keeps turning off, the seats move while driving, catalytic converter are moving car only go 12 mpg.
20250529ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Lift gate closes by itself I have to put a pole to hold it up and it wonât hit me, it says the air bags needs to be serviced, stabilitrak keeps going off, ball bearing needs work. Radio wonât turn on no sound on air signals, the body chasis something popped while driving, the tracking control keeps turning off, the seats move while driving, catalytic converter are moving car only go 12 mpg.
20250529WHEELS
Lift gate closes by itself I have to put a pole to hold it up and it wonât hit me, it says the air bags needs to be serviced, stabilitrak keeps going off, ball bearing needs work. Radio wonât turn on no sound on air signals, the body chasis something popped while driving, the tracking control keeps turning off, the seats move while driving, catalytic converter are moving car only go 12 mpg.
20241008ENGINE
The traction control turns on and then the shifts donât work and I canât drive since there is no speed also the rpm and the gas the speed and the battery gages start flickering up and down then I turn off the truck and it continues to work fine but after 40 miles or so it does it all again
20241008UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The traction control turns on and then the shifts donât work and I canât drive since there is no speed also the rpm and the gas the speed and the battery gages start flickering up and down then I turn off the truck and it continues to work fine but after 40 miles or so it does it all again
20241008VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The traction control turns on and then the shifts donât work and I canât drive since there is no speed also the rpm and the gas the speed and the battery gages start flickering up and down then I turn off the truck and it continues to work fine but after 40 miles or so it does it all again
20240430POWER TRAIN
Transmissions will not shift out of 1st gear. And puts out a 752 code. This can happen at anytime. Vehicle will suddenly lose power at any time.
20240430FireFIRERELATED
The contact owns a 2008 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while her daughter-in-law was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made a popping sound, and then the fuse box near the passenger's side headlight caught fire. No warning light was illuminated. The contact's daughter-in-law was able to exit the vehicle. There were no injuries, and medical attention was not received. Bystanders called the police and fire departments. The fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. Police and fire department reports were filed. The fire chief informed the contact that the fire was caused by an electrical malfunction. The vehicle was towed to the residence and had not yet been deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
Mileage: 150,000
20240430FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2008 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while her daughter-in-law was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made a popping sound, and then the fuse box near the passenger's side headlight caught fire. No warning light was illuminated. The contact's daughter-in-law was able to exit the vehicle. There were no injuries, and medical attention was not received. Bystanders called the police and fire departments. The fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. Police and fire department reports were filed. The fire chief informed the contact that the fire was caused by an electrical malfunction. The vehicle was towed to the residence and had not yet been deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
Mileage: 150,000
20240207VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
The contact owns a 2008 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the battery had previously been replaced; however, the battery failed to retain a charge. The contact had to recharge the battery every day to start the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that water had leaked from the windshield and cowl to behind the glovebox, causing the battery to fail; however, no repair was recommended. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
Mileage: 160,000
20240207ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2008 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the battery had previously been replaced; however, the battery failed to retain a charge. The contact had to recharge the battery every day to start the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that water had leaked from the windshield and cowl to behind the glovebox, causing the battery to fail; however, no repair was recommended. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
Mileage: 160,000
20240111CrashAIR BAGS
Deer hit me on the highway at 2am on December 26th. No air bags deployed.
20240111CrashENGINE
Deer hit me on the highway at 2am on December 26th. No air bags deployed.
20240111CrashFUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Deer hit me on the highway at 2am on December 26th. No air bags deployed.
20231201UNKNOWN OR OTHER
UNKNOWN 2008 GMC ACADIA back lift starts to open and then shuts right back down. try to raise it manually and it falls right back down. It can really hurt someone. would like to know what causes it to do that and if there is a recall.
20230730POWER TRAIN
Check engine light came on for the TCM. Car has had issues shifting (very rough shifting) and the manual shift option does not work. Was told the TCM had to be replaced. Attempt was made to replace it with a refurbished TCM but that couldn't be programmed to the car. Was then told I would have to buy a brand new one, which is very expensive, and that there was no guarantee that would fix the problem. Car can not be driven over 20mph without risking burning up the transmission. Car also jerks forward very hard when trying to gently accelerate.
20230730FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Check engine light came on for the TCM. Car has had issues shifting (very rough shifting) and the manual shift option does not work. Was told the TCM had to be replaced. Attempt was made to replace it with a refurbished TCM but that couldn't be programmed to the car. Was then told I would have to buy a brand new one, which is very expensive, and that there was no guarantee that would fix the problem. Car can not be driven over 20mph without risking burning up the transmission. Car also jerks forward very hard when trying to gently accelerate.
20230704UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Airbag light on 24/7, ABS malfunction traction control system turns off randomly, wiper blade fluid not spraying (front, rear) engine misfire on idle, clear/white smoke from hood and burning smell.
20230616FireENGINE
The contact owned a 2008 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, a grayish-colored smoke as well as an abnormal sound emit from the engine without warning. The contact pulled over and exited the vehicle as the vehicle was quickly engulfed in flames. The contact called the fire department and they extinguished the fire. A fire report was filed(#23-046145) and no injuries were reported. The contact stated that the highway barrier was damaged as a result of the fire. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic where it remained in their possession. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle was deemed a total loss. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
Mileage: 200,000
20230607ENGINE
Started losing power and had problems cranking. Now won't cranking at all. P0123 error code.
Compare 2008GMCACADIA to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2008 GMC ACADIA have?▼
The 2008 GMC ACADIA has 1293 NHTSA complaints, 41 crashes, 19 fires, 72 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2008 GMC ACADIA?▼
Yes, the 2008 GMC ACADIA has 5 recall(s). The most common affected component is STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2008 GMC ACADIA?▼
The most-complained component for the 2008 GMC ACADIA is POWER TRAIN with 266 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and AIR BAGS.
Is the 2008 GMC ACADIA safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.