2009 GMC ACADIA Power Train Problems

BROKE DOWN, CAR FELT LIKE IT WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO SECOND GEAR THEN JUST DIED. DEALER FOUND A CRACKED WAVE PLATE, CRACKED CLUTCH HOUSING (CLUTCHES WORN), CYLINDER EXCESSIVELY WORN, TORQUE CONVERTER FULL OF METAL. NO SIGN OF ANY COMPUTER ALERTS OR CHECK ENGINE SIGNALS UNTIL BREAK-DOWN. REPAIRED ALL FOR $2820.15. SAID IT WOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED IF UNDER 100,000 MILES. SOUNDS LIKE PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE, OR JUST POOR MANUFACTURING. NO MORE AMERICAN CARS FOR ME. *TR

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK WHEN SHE EXPERIENCED ERRATIC OPERATION OF HER VEHICLE. WHEN TAKING OFF AT FIRST THE VEHICLE LACKED POWER THEN SUDDENLY THE ENGINE RPM RACED AND THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD. THE ENGINE SPEED WAS UNCONTROLLABLE WITH THE THROTTLE. AT A STOP LIGHT THE VEHICLE WOULD BARELY TAKE OFF AND SUDDENLY ENGINE RPM'S WOULD RACE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD SURGE WHEN THROTTLE WAS APPLIED. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN DIRECTLY TO THE GMC DEALERSHIP ON THE WAY HOME AND AT THAT POINT IT WAS DETERMINED THE REVERSE GEAR WAS COMPLETELY INOPERATIVE. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED DUE TO A BROKEN REVERSE WAVE PLATE. VEHICLE WAS DELIVERED NEW 7/10/09 (LESS THAN 5 YEARS). THE TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT FINAL BILLING WAS $3,906.54.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 GMC ACADIA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,453 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 81,456. UPDATED 05/29/14 MA UPDATED 06/03/2014 *JS

DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS THE VEHICLE WOULD SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL AND LOSE ALL POWER. AFTER DOING THIS SEVERAL TIMES WE EXITED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WE DID NOT HAVE REVERSE AND THE TRANSMISSION WOULD ONLY REMAIN IN 1ST GEAR. AFTER TAKING TO DEALER HE NEW EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS BEFORE EVEN LOOKING AT THE VEHICLE... THE SHIFT WAVE PLATE FOR REVERSE, 1ST AND 5TH GEAR. IF THIS IS SUCH A "KNOWN" COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS VEHICLE BETWEEN 60,000 AND 70,000 MILES WHY WAS THERE NOT A RECALL? LOSING POWER ON THE HIGHWAY (WITH MY FAMILY) 100'S OF MILES FROM HOME WHILE DRIVING THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS OF TN (WE LIVE IN MI) WAS VERY DANGEROUS. FINDING OUT THIS IS A COMMON THING FOR THIS VEHICLE IS INEXCUSABLE FOR A MANUFACTURER IN THIS DAY AND AGE TO LET GO WITHOUT FIXING ON AFFECTED VEHICLES BEFORE IT...

I TOOK MY 2009 ACADIA INTO THE GMC DEALER WITH AROUND 65,000 MILES ON IT AFTER BUYING IT USED (1 PREVIOUS OWNER) WITH AROUND 42,000 MILES. THEY TOLD ME I HAD A POWER STEERING LEAK IN THE RACK AND PINION AND IT WOULD COST AROUND $2000 TO REPLACE A SEAL BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO PULL THE WHOLE RACK OFF. HE TOLD ME IT WOULD BE OKAY FOR A WHILE, BUT EVENTUALLY IT WOULD CAUSE THE POWER STEERING TO GO OUT. AFTER RESEARCHING, I'VE SEEN MULTIPLE OTHER ACADIA OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT HAS EFFECTED ENOUGH OF THIS MODEL VEHICLE TO WARRANT A GENERAL SAFETY RECALL. I KNOW OF 3 OTHER PEOPLE IN MY HOMETOWN WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED POWER STEERING PROBLEMS WITH THEIR ACADIA'S, AND THE GMC DEALERSHIP ACKNOWLEDGED TO ME...

MY TRANSMISSION (WAVE PLATE CLUTCH) WENT OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I AM REGISTERING THIS BECAUSE I HAVE COME ACROSS A FORUM ON EDMONDS.COM CONSISTING OF OVER 38 PAGES OF CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE 2008 - 2010 ACADIA HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AROUND 75K MILES, JUST OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY. THE COST TO REPAIR RANGES FROM $2200 TO $4500. SOMEONE RECENTLY SUGGESTED THAT OWNERS START OFFICIALLY REGISTERING OUR COMPLAINTS. GM IS AWARE THAT FAULTY TRANSMISSIONS ARE PUTTING THEIR OWNERS AT RISK OF LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE FUNCTIONS WHILE DRIVING, YET THEY WILL NOT TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THE ISSUE. *TR

CURRENT ISSUE IS A TRANSMISSION FAILURE, APPARENTLY THE "3-5-R WAVEPLATE." FIVE MONTHS PRIOR, MY WIFE AND CHILDREN WERE TRAVELING OUT OF STATE. THEY EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AND WERE STRANDED ON A RURAL HIGHWAY NOT ONCE, BUT TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED IN TO A GM DEALERSHIP, "REPAIRS" WERE PERFORMED UNDER WARRANTY, AND WE WERE TOLD WE COULD PICK UP OUR CAR. MY WIFE (AGAIN WITH CHILDREN IN THE CAR) MADE IT LESS THAN 10 MILES FROM THE DEALERSHIP BEFORE THE ENGINE FAILED AGAIN. THIS TIME ON THE BRIDGE OF A MAJOR HIGHWAY....NO WHERE TO EVEN EXIT THE VEHICLE. AFTER THE SECOND INCIDENT THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED (AFTER 3+ WEEKS OF DIAGNOSTIC WORK). WE WERE TOLD THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOT ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM THAT CAUSED THE ENGINE FAILURE. ENGINE WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. TRANSMISSION HAD BEEN SHIFTING ERRATICALLY FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. AT TIME OF ENGINE FAILURE/REPLACEMENT,...

CURRENT ISSUE IS A TRANSMISSION FAILURE, APPARENTLY THE "3-5-R WAVEPLATE." FIVE MONTHS PRIOR, MY WIFE AND CHILDREN WERE TRAVELING OUT OF STATE. THEY EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AND WERE STRANDED ON A RURAL HIGHWAY NOT ONCE, BUT TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED IN TO A GM DEALERSHIP, "REPAIRS" WERE PERFORMED UNDER WARRANTY, AND WE WERE TOLD WE COULD PICK UP OUR CAR. MY WIFE (AGAIN WITH CHILDREN IN THE CAR) MADE IT LESS THAN 10 MILES FROM THE DEALERSHIP BEFORE THE ENGINE FAILED AGAIN. THIS TIME ON THE BRIDGE OF A MAJOR HIGHWAY....NO WHERE TO EVEN EXIT THE VEHICLE. AFTER THE SECOND INCIDENT THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED (AFTER 3+ WEEKS OF DIAGNOSTIC WORK). WE WERE TOLD THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOT ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM THAT CAUSED THE ENGINE FAILURE. ENGINE WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. TRANSMISSION HAD BEEN SHIFTING ERRATICALLY FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. AT TIME OF ENGINE FAILURE/REPLACEMENT,...

I WAS AT A STOP LIGHT AND UPON PULLING OFF NOTICED THE VEHICLE WAS VERY SLOW TO ACCELERATE, DESPITE THE RPMS BEING VERY HIGH. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER TWO DAYS LATER DUE TO A SNOW STORM. THEY REPLACED A SENSOR, AND RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO ME. 3 HOURS LATER WHILE DRIVING DOWN I280, THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY LOST ACCELERATION. THIS WAS VERY UNSAFE, THE DIAGNOSIS WAS BROKEN WAVE PLATE. *TR

IN 2 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP I HAVE REPLACED 4 IGNITION COILS AND THE VEHICLE NOW NEEDS YET ANOTHER. AT ROUGHLY 85000 MILES (AND YEAR 5) THE TRANSMISSION WAVE PLATE FAILED. GM WOULD ONLY AUTHORIZE A REBUILD (LAST WEEK). *TR

WHILE DRIVING THRU AN INTERSECTION WITH A YIELD MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED AND THE ENGINE RPM CLIMBED TO AROUND 3500 RPM. THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED BETWEEN GEARS CAUSING A SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED SLOW DOWN.LUCKILY ANOTHER DRIVER WAS ALERT AND HAD TO SLOW DOWN QUICKLY TO KEEP FROM HITTING US AS WE WERE MERGING WITH TRAFFIC.THIS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE AND CAME ON WITHOUT WARNING.AS SOON AS IT HAPPENED ONCE IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING MORE OFTEN, I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN AND THE DIAGNOSIS WAS THE "WAVE PLATES" IN THE TRANSMISSION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT THIS TRANSMISSION HAD AN ISSUE WITH A PART THAT WAS NOT PROPERLY HEAT TREATED AND CAUSED IT TO FAIL.I CALLED THE GM DEALER AND THEY WOULD NOT WARRANTY BECAUSE WE WERE JUST OUTSIDE THE 100,000 MILE WARRANTY PERIOD. THEY ALSO STATED THAT THEY KNEW THERE HAVE BEEN MANY ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE BUT GM HAS NOT ISSUED...

INITIALLY NOTICED WHEN SHIFTING FROM PARK TO ANOTHER GEAR SHIFTING WAS HARD. ABOUT A WEEK LATER NOTICED HESITATION IN SHIFTING GEARS WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS RATES OF SPEED THEN THE ENGINE WOULD REV ONCE IT SHIFTED INTO GEAR. EVENTUALLY PARKED THE CAR IN DRIVE THEN WENT TO BACK OUT TO TAKE TO DEALERSHIP AND IT WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE. VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY REPLACED THE WAVE PLATE AND OTHER PARTS THAT WERE CONTAMINATED. SINCE THIS INCIDENT THE VEHICLE HAS NOT DROVE SMOOTHLY OR SHIFTED GEARS SMOOTHLY. IT ALSO GETS LESS THAN 15 MILES TO THE GALLON DURING MY DAILY COMMUTE NOW WHERE PRIOR TO THE TRANSMISSION FIX I WOULD GET 19-20. VEHICLE HESITATES AND REVS CONTINUALLY WHILE DRIVING AND ACCELERATING. WHEN I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP STATING THERE WAS STILL AN ISSUE I RECEIVED "WE COULD NOT REPLICATE THE ISSUE" AND SENT ON MY WAY....

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 GMC ACADIA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH THE TRANSMISSION STALLED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE WARNING INDICATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TRANSMISSION WAVE PLATE ISSUE...CAR STARTED "HARD-SHIFTING" FROM 2ND-3RD GEAR...ONCE THIS STARTED, IN A MATTER OF A COUPLE OF DAYS, HAD TROUBLE EVEN SHIFTING INTO GEAR...BARELY WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT TO DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED THE ISSUE...MY ISSUE IS THAT I HAVE TO PAY $4500 FOR SOMETHING THAT IS A KNOWN DANGEROUS PROBLEM WITH GMC ACADIAS ACROSS ALMOST ALL MODEL YEARS BASED UPON MY RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL SITUATION. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A FAULT SOMEWHERE WITH THE ASSEMBLY PROCESS TO BE THIS HUGE OF A PROBLEM. THIS COULD LEAD TO A MAJOR ACCIDENT. ON 9/27, I WAS TURNING LEFT OFF A MAIN ROAD INTO MY SUBDIVISION. CAR WOULD NOT ENGAGE INTO GEAR, SO WAS JUST COASTING ACROSS THE LANE WHERE ONCOMING TRAFFIC WOULD BE UNTIL IT ENGAGED MAYBE 3 TO 4 SECONDS LATER. HAD THERE BEEN TRAFFIC COMING, THE ONCOMING VEHICLE WOULD HAVE SLAMMED INTO...

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HER 09 ACADIA AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT QUIT SHIFTING AND THE ENGINE REVVED UP IF SHE WENT OVER 25 MPH. SHE LIMPED IT TO A LOCAL SERVICE STATION WHERE THEY INFORMED US THAT THE REVERSE CLUTCH PRESSURE PLATE WAS BROKEN AND NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS WITHIN GM'S 5YR 100K "POWERTRAIN WARRANTY", THEY "CONVENIENTLY" EXCLUDED THAT PROBLEM FROM BEING COVERED. I HAVE SEEN MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS ISSUE AND IT IS[XXX] THAT GM ISN'T OWNING UP TO IT AND CORRECTING THE PROBLEM ON CURRENT VEHICLES. SO, NOW WE ARE OUT $3500 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION ON A CAR WITH ONLY 75K MILES! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR *UPDATED 1/15/2014 *JS

TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING WHEN I WAS ACCELERATING OUT OF TURNS. DEALER REPLACED BROKEN MOTOR MOUNT AND REPROGRAMMED COMPUTER AND SAID TRANSMISSION WAS FINE. 17 DAYS LATER, 3-5 REVERSE CLUTCH WENT OUT AND DEALER HAD TO REBUILD 3-5 REVERSE AND 4,5,6 CLUTCH AND REPLACE TORQUE CONVERTER BECAUSE OF CONTAMINATION. THE CAR STILL ISN'T DRIVING RIGHT BUT DEALER STATES THEY CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH '08 AND '09 ACADIA'S AND GMC IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT ISN'T DON'T ANYTHING TO PREVENT FAILURE WITH OTHER OWNERS. *TR

* TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING AND REVVING UP BETWEEN GEARS. DELAYED RESPONSE AND CLUNKING SOUND WHEN IT IS IN REVERSE. "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" ALSO CAME ON. BARELY DROVE THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS. DEALERSHIP SERVICE ADVISOR SCHEDULED A TRANSMISSION REBUILD. AFTER DOING INTERNET SEARCH, I SAW COUNTLESS COMPLAINTS IN BLOGS, SNS, ETC. THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE HAVING THIS TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. NOT ACCEPTABLE. GMC HAS POWERTRAIN WARRANTY 5 YEAR /100K MILES. MY WARRANTY EXPIRES IN FOUR MONTHS AND GM SHOULD PROVIDE EXTENDED POWERTRAIN WARRANTY BEYOND 5 YEARS BASED UNRELIABLE TRANSMISSION DESIGN/QUALITY. * POWER STEERING PROBLEM. POWER STEERING IS MAKING MOANING UNDER LOW SPEED DRIVING (IN THE PARKING LOT, DRIVING AROUND SUBDIVISION, ETC.). NOISE IS COMING FROM THE INSIDE STEERING COLUMN AREA. ALSO STEERING IS VERY TIGHT AND HARD. COMPLAINED TO DEALERSHIP MULTIPLE TIMES. DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE SEAL TWICE, BUT THE PROBLEM IS STILL THERE. DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT GM...

2009 GMC ACADIA SLT1 - 67,000 MILES CURRENTLY. POWER STEERING FAILING AT LOWER SPEEDS. WHEN PURCHASING THE VEHICLE USED WITH ONLY 25,000M+- APPROX. 2 YEARS AGO, I QUESTIONED THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE WHINING NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING COMPONENTS AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS NORMAL FOR ALL ACAIDIAS AND NOT A CONCERN. NOW THE STEERING IS FAILING AT LOW SPEED TURNS. GMC SERVICE DEPT RECOMMENDING: STEERING GEAR HOUSING $42.14 - 2 BOLTS $11.00 - 2 - BOLTS $7.59 - 6 - P/S FLUID $23.10 AND FLUSH AND BLEED SYSTEM, LABOR TO REPLACE STEERING GEAR HOUSING $640.50 POWER STEERING PUMP $155.69 REALIGN AFTER STEERING GEAR REPAIR $69.95 LABOR FOR PUMP $315.00 INJECTORS AND COILS FAILING. IN DEC 2011, I HAD TO REPLACE COILS #2 & #3. I JUST REPLACED #6 INJECTOR ON JULY 17, 2013 (= $685) AND ON JULY 24, 2013 (ONE WEEK LATER) CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REAPPEARED. GMC...

MY VEHICLE BEGAN TO "JUMP" WHEN YOU PRESS ON THE GAS PETAL. THEN IT HAD TROUBLE FINDING A GEAR. I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. I WAS THEN COMING HOME FROM WORK AT 5PM IN TRAFFIC, GOING 65 MILES AN HOUR IN THE FAST LANE AND THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARDS. I WAS LEFT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD IN HEAVY TRAFFIC WHERE PEOPLE COULD EASILY HIT MY CAR. I WAS ABLE TO GUIDE THE CAR TO THE SIDE AND A TOW TRUCK CAME AND TOWED ME INTO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY RETURNED THE CAR A WEEK LATER SAYING THAT IT WAS WORKING AS DESIGNED. I WAS THEN DRIVING UP TO EUREKA CA AND THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SLIP. THE CAR WOULD NOT GO PAST 35 MILES PER HOUR. I WAS ON A...

FIRST PROBLEM WAS THE TIMING CHAINS NEEDING TO BE REPLACED AT 18000 MILES. AFTER THAT REPAIR WAS MADE THE GAS MILEAGE WAS AVERAGING 11 MPG. IT WAS A ONE YEAR OLD CAR! AFTER THAT, IT WAS A MULTITUDE OF PROBLEMS. STEERING RACK/POWER STEERING REPLACED AND 'FIXED', ELECTRIC STABILITRAK LIGHTS GOING ON AND OFF, DVD PLAYER NOT PLAYING PROPERLY. ALL THINGS THE DEALER HAD SAID THEY FIXED (AFTER THEY WHISPERED THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE BOUGHT AN AMERICAN CAR.) NOW THE TRANSMISSION IS ACTING UP. ROLLING DOWN AN INCLINE WHEN I WAS TRYING TO BACK OUT OF A PARKING SPOT. THE DEALER TOLD ME IT WAS FINE AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE ISSUES I WAS HAVING. I'VE WRITTEN TWO LETTERS TO GM CORPORATE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE SUB-STANDARD VEHICLE. THEY WERE HELPLESS AND WILL NOT ASSIST IN ANY REPLACEMENT OF THE CAR. THEY EVEN TOLD ME THAT THIS WOULD BE...