2018 GMC Acadia transmission & drivetrain problems

Related recalls

• Recall 17V516000Aug 22, 20172,905 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

  General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles and 2017-2018 GMC Acadia vehicles. The right front intermediate driveshaft may fracture and separate while driving.

  Risk: If the front right intermediate drive shaft assembly separates while driving, the vehicle will lose propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. If the assembly separates while parked on a grade, without the park brake engaged, the vehicle may move unintentionally, increasing the risk of a vehicle roll-away.

  Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the right front intermediate drive shaft assembly, free of charge. The recall began August 25, 2017. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 17329.

What owners say

1. Filed Aug 10, 202610,000 miTNTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the gear shifter was shifted into park(P); however, the message “Shift to Park” was displayed. The gear shifter was moved back and forth, then shifted into park (P) before the proper gear was recognized. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the gear shifter was replaced, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, and the gear shifter, switch, and harness were…

   NHTSA complaint #11755898 · source
2. Filed Jul 21, 202680,000 miTXTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that after parking and then attempting to turn off the vehicle, the message " Shift to Park" was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to be parked and turned off successfully after various attempts, which included restarting the vehicle and engaging the parking brake. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or a dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and…

   NHTSA complaint #11751749 · source
3. Filed Jul 3, 2026PATransmission & Drivetrain

   Gear shifter is not registering that the vehicle is in park. Because of this issue I have to sit in the vehicle for up to 15 mins trying to get it to register that it is in fact in park and can turn off. If I didn't take the time to do this, it would kill my battery. Unfortunately with the heat index, the vehicle gets hot very quickly and im now worried about getting hot stroke trying to get it to register it is park. This is a known issue with the vehicle that has an active…

   NHTSA complaint #11748238 · source
4. Filed May 19, 2026ARFuel, Hybrid & EV PropulsionTransmission & Drivetrain

   the transmission kept slipping. the car continued to lose power until it just wouldn't go anymore. The mechanic said it is definitely the transmission and drive shaft but my particular VIN is not included. I am looking at $7,000 in repairs on a car I owe $13,000.00

   NHTSA complaint #11738766 · source
5. Filed May 2, 2026TNTransmission & Drivetrain

   I have a 2018 GMC Acadia SLT with the thermometer and temperature sensor that throws the steering assist error message, engine fan turns on and AC shuts off.

   NHTSA complaint #11735300 · source
6. Filed Apr 27, 2026AKElectrical SystemTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and turned off, the “Shift-to-Park” warning light illuminated with a continuous audible alert. The vehicle was unable to recognize that the transmission was in park(P). Several attempts were needed to shift to park. The battery was disconnected to turn off the audible alert. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under an associated recall. During the recall repair,…

   NHTSA complaint #11734045 · source
7. Filed Apr 13, 2026149,000 miKSTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that upon parking the vehicle and attempting to turn off the vehicle, the message "Shift to Park" was displayed while the gear shifter was in park(P). The contact parked the vehicle and turned off the vehicle after several attempts. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The…

   NHTSA complaint #11730784 · source
8. Filed Mar 11, 202621,000 miOHTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while shifting into park(P), the gear shift indicator failed to display that the vehicle was in park(P) on the instrument panel, even though the vehicle was in park(P). The gear shifter was shifted continuously until the gear shift indicator recognized that the vehicle was in park(P) on the instrument panel. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired.…

   NHTSA complaint #11723531 · source
9. Filed Mar 7, 2026VAOther / UnknownTransmission & Drivetrain

   Dear General Motors Customer Assistance Center, I am writing to formally file a complaint and request assistance regarding a serious mechanical failure with my 2018 GMC Acadia SLT. I purchased this vehicle when it had approximately 7,000 miles on it after it was transported from Florida. Since owning the vehicle, I have properly maintained it and had it serviced through Suttle Motors dealership in Newport News, Virginia. Recently, while driving on the highway to have tires…

   NHTSA complaint #11722741 · source
10. Filed Feb 2, 2026CATransmission & Drivetrain

    2018 GMC Acadia comes up with an error message "shift to park" and does not allow me to fully engage my car into the parked position when stopped and parking.

    NHTSA complaint #11714992 · source
11. Filed Jan 20, 2026120,000 miOHTransmission & Drivetrain

    The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle and attempting to shift into park, the vehicle failed to recognize that the transmission was in park(P). There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that several attempts were required to shift the vehicle into park(P) to turn off the vehicle. The contact further stated that on other occasions, the vehicle remained stuck in park(P) and failed to shift into drive(D). The…

    NHTSA complaint #11712102 · source
12. Filed Jan 12, 2026ARTransmission & Drivetrain

    Car will not shift into park therefore I cannot turn the car off without disconnecting the battery. Dangerous bc you don’t know if the car is in park or not when you have to get out and stand in front of car to life hood and disconnect battery.

    NHTSA complaint #11710440 · source

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology