KnownCarProblems2009 GMC Acadia Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 331 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 GMC Acadia, most often about the steering (34% of complaints, typically around 70,500 miles). It is 8th of 20 Acadia model years by number of complaints and has 7 recalls.
Most common 2009 GMC Acadia problems
Steering
112 complaints · 34%Half of these problems showed up before 70,500 miles. Parts named most often: hydraulic power assist, gear box (other than rack and pinion), linkages, rack and pinion.
The contact owns a 2009 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that a knocking and creaking noise was present when turning the steering wheel. The contact also indicated that the steering wheel became more difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who diagnosed that the steering gears were faulty and needed to be…
Tl * the contact owns a 2009 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and when making a turn, the power steering malfunctioned making it extremely difficult for her to maneuver the steering wheel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that there was a leak in the…
Engine
75 complaints · 23%Half of these problems showed up before 90,000 miles.
At approximately 90,000 my engine began misfiring. I took it to a local shop where they performed a full tune-up and replaced all of the plugs. However, there were also coils that were bad and had to be replaced. A week later, my check engine light came back on and the Acadia was missing again. I took it to another…
Takata recall: I'm having idle/stalling issues with my 2009 GMC Acadia. Car cuts off while driving causing a safety hazard. First, I had my car inspected by local licensed mechanic who diagnosed a timing chain issue and cat converter issue. I followed by call a GMC dealer and informing them of my car problems. They…
Transmission
72 complaints · 22%Half of these problems showed up before 81,500 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission.
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…
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…
Electrical
47 complaints · 14%Half of these problems showed up before 70,000 miles. Parts named most often: ignition.
Car stalls as I am turning into parking spots, turning or going around significant curves in the road, while im in a round about etc. Luckily I have been able to put the car in neutral and it starts back up and off I go. I am the second owner of this car and I bought it from a non gm dealer. My mechanic is at a loss…
Every time it rains water enters in to the electrical system of the vehicle from an unknown location and causes problems. It drains the battery, shorts out the radio and directional signals and sounds. It causes the vehicle to continuously run even when the key is removed. My mechanic cleans out the sunroof drains…
Lights
38 complaints · 12%Half of these problems showed up before 66,000 miles.
I just lost both drl/low beams. First the driver's side then a day later the passenger side. These are the second set of headlights. This replacement would be number 5 and 6 bulbs. Doesn't seem that they should go out this many times with only 66,000 miles
The contact owns a 2009 GMC Acadia. While driving at approximately 65 MPH, the headlights completely shut off and failed to work. The failure recurred on multiple occasions. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer and was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure…
Body and structure
25 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 60,500 miles. Parts named most often: body.
Power liftgate strut broke or malfunctioned while I was removing items from the trunk. The heavy trunk lid dropped about 18 inches, hit my back and then started to automatically close on my back and head. When the trunk lid hit my body, it still tried close with the power function even though there as an obstruction.…
The contact owns a 2009 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the liftgate failed to remain open. In addition, the contact received a notification for NHTSA campaign number: 15v415000 (structure) however, the parts were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time to…
Other or unspecified
17 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 105,000 miles.
I was driving my car at about 70 mphs on the interstate and the car began to slow down and check engine light starting flashing. I almost got hit by the drivers beside and behind me. While honking my horn and putting on the emergency lights I was able to get over to the side of the highway. Towed my car into the…
Vehicle had a slight misfiring when climbing incline. We replaced two spark plugs. Misfiring calmed down. A couple days later misfiring resumed. Husband was driving daughter to daycare when car had multiple dts codes appeared (stability track, check engine, reduced power) with car suddenly stalling while on a highway…
Fuel system
15 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 49,500 miles. Parts named most often: delivery.
Driving on sr at approx. 65mph when check engine light comes on and "engine power reduced" is displayed. Car slows dramatically and eventually comes to a stop. Power steering is also lost concurrently. After swerving into opposite lane, I managed to get car off to the side of road. Car was towed to dealership…
Bought used 2009 Acadia in 2011 with 55000 miles and nothing but headache 1) 60k miles: liftgate came crashing down my wife's back while getting the groceries. They should have some safety measures to stop the gate from crashing. 2) 70k miles: truck wont start in drive way. Towed truck to dealer and they changed fuel…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2009 GMC Acadia recalls
Body and structure: hatchback/liftgate
Risk: If the open liftgate unexpectedly falls, it may strike a person, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit so that the motor will prevent the rapid closing of the lift gate, free of charge. The recall began on november 15, 2016. Owners may contact buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, gmc customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. Gm's number for this recall is 15240.
Full defect summary
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 29, 2012, and 2007-2010 saturn outlook vehicles manufactured august 17, 2006, to march 18, 2010. The affected vehicles, equipped with the power liftgate option, have gas struts that hold the power liftgate up when open. These struts may prematurely wear and the open liftgate may suddenly fall.
Seat belts
Risk: If the steel cable becomes fatigued and separates, the seatbelt may not properly restrain the seat occupant increasing the risk of an injury in a crash.
Fix: General motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair and replace the lap pretensioner, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. An interim notice will be mailed to owners in july 2014. A second notice will be mailed to owners once parts become available. The recall for the 2009-2010 model years began on july 11, 2014. The interim letter for the 2011-2014 model years were distributed on july 11, 2014. Owners may contact general motors at 1-800-222-1020 (chevrolet), 1-800-521-7300 (buick), 1-800-462-8782 (gmc), 1-800-553-6000 (saturn). General motors re
Full defect summary
General motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 buick enclave vehicles manufactured april 14, 2008, through may 14, 2014, chevrolet traverse vehicles manufactured june 6, 2008, through may 14, 2014, and gmc acadia vehicles manufactured april 9, 2008, through may 14, 2014, and 2009-2010 saturn outlook vehicles manufactured april 14, 2008, through march 18, 2010. In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cable that connects the seatbelt to the front outboard seating positions may fatigue and separate over time.
Air bags: side/window
Risk: Failure of the side impact air bags and seat belt pretensioners to deploy in a crash increase the risk of injury to the driver and front seat occupant.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected harness connections with soldered connections, free of charge. The recall began on june 16, 2014. Buick owners may contact the owner center at 1-800-521-7300, chevrolet owners at 1-866-694-6546, saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and gmc owners at 1-866-996-9463. Gm's number for this recall is 14030. Note: vehicles repaired as part of customer satisfaction campaign 10085 and special coverage 10335 have already had the subject condition repaired and therefore are not included in the safety recall.
Full defect summary
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 may result in the siab and seat belt pretensioners not deploying in the event of a crash.
Seat belts
Risk: The safety belt may not restrain the occupant as intended during a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant.
Fix: Dealers will modify the second row seat side trim shields. If a safety belt buckle is damaged, dealers will replace it free of charge. The safety recall began on august 18, 2010. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, buick at 1-866-608-8080, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, and saturn at 1-800-972-8876, or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.
Full defect summary
General motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 chevrolet traverse, buick enclave, gmc acadia, and saturn outlook vehicles. The second row seat side trim shield restricts the upward rotation of the safety belt buckle when the seat back is returned to a seating position after being folded flat. If the buckle contacts the seat frame, additional effort is required to return the seat to a seating position. If sufficient force is applied, the buckle cover could be pushed down the strap, exposing and partially depressing the red release button.
Electrical: electrical system
Risk: It is possible for the heated washer module to ignite and a fire may occur.
Fix: Dealers will permanently disable and remove the heated washer fluid module. An updated page for the owner manual will be provided and inserted in the owner manual to document that the feature has been permanently disabled and removed from the vehicle. The safety recall began on june 11, 2010. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, saturn at 1-800-972-8876, gmc at 1-866-996-9463 and hummer at 1-800-732-5493 or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.
Full defect summary
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 outlook; and model year 2009 chevrolet traverse vehicles equipped with a heated washer fluid system (hwfs). A recall was implemented in 2008 to add a fuse to the control circuit harness to address the potential consequences of a printed circuit board (pcb) electrical short. However, there have been new reports of thermal incidents on hwfs modules after this improvement was installed. These incidents resulted from a new failure mode attributed to the device's thermal protection feature. The significance varies from minor distortion to considerable melting of the plastic around the hwfs fluid chamb
Transmission: column shift
Risk: The driver may not be able to restart the vehicle and the vehicle could roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible crash without prior warning.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and ensure that the shift cable adjustment clip is fully engaged. In the event that the clip does not engage, the shift cable will be replaced free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on or before march 24, 2009. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, pontiac at 1-800-620-7668 and saturn at 1-800-972-8876 or at www.gmownercenter.com.
Full defect summary
General motors is recalling 276,729 my 2009 buick enclave, chevrolet cobalt, hhr, malibu, traverse, gmc acadia, pontiac g5, g6 and saturn aura and outlook passenger vehicles. These vehicles fail to comply with federal motor vehicles safety standard 102, "transmission shift position sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking effect", and fmvss 114, "theft protection and rollaway prevention". On some of these vehicles, the transmission shift cable adjustment clip may not be fully engaged. If the clip is not fully engaged, the shift lever and the actual position of the transmission gear may not match. With this condition, the drive could move the shifter to "park" and remove the ignition key, but the transmission gear may not be in "park".
Seat belts: buckle assembly
Risk: In a vehicle crash, if the rivet is missing, the buckle may separate from the mounting strap, increasing the risk of injury to the passenger.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the safety belt buckles in the second and third rows, and replace them if necessary. The recall began on november 26, 2008. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080; chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; gmc at 1-866-996-9463; saturn at 1-800-972-8876; or through their website at <a href=http://www.gmownercenter.com>http://www.gmownercenter.com</a> .
Full defect summary
Gm is recalling 16,667 my 2009 buick enclave, chevrolet traverse, gmc acadia, and saturn outlook vehicles for failing to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 209, 'seat belt assemblies.' these vehicles may have been built with a safety belt buckle in the second or third row that is missing a rivet.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Outboard front seat belt anchor cable failure
Summary
On august 31, 2020, the office of defects investigations (odi) opened engineering analysis (ea) ea20002, as an upgrade of recall query (rq) rq19003. This investigation, related to recall 14v-266, was opened to investigate instances of detachment of the flexible steel seat belt anchor cable attached to the outboard side of the front seats in vehicles manufactured by general motors (gm). The subject vehicles included model year (my) 2009 through 2014 gmc acadia, buick enclave, and chevrolet traverse suvs as well as my 2009 through 2010 saturn outlook suvs. These vehicles were previously repaired for this defect under recall 14v-266. The subject vehicle population is approximately 1.3 million v
Seat belt anchor cable failure
Summary
On may 19, 2014, general motors llc (gm) notified the office of defects investigation (odi) that it would conduct safety recall 14v266 to address fatigue and separation of the flexible steel cable that connects the front outboard seat belts to the seat-mounted belt pre-tensioner in 1.4 million model year (my) 2009-2010 saturn outlook, 2009-2014 buick enclave, gmc acadia and chevrolet traverse (lambda platform) vehicles.the remedy was to inspect for signs of damage and replace pre-tensioner anchor cables as needed. Re-work was conducted to relocate the pre-tensioner anchor cable out of the occupant entry path. Odi has subsequently received four (4) vehicle owners questionnaires (voq) reportin
Loss of headlamp illumination
Summary
As of july 16, 2014, out of a population of 248,453 subject vehicles, NHTSA received 473 consumer complaints of inoperative head lamp. Many of these complaints indicated that the head lamp harness suffered damage from overheating. After reviewing the complaints, odi found: -69% (328) alleged that a single head lamp was inoperative. -18% (86) alleged that both head lamps were inoperative but not at the same time. -9% (41) alleged that both head lamps were inoperative but the complaints did not indicate whether the failures had occurred at the same time. -4% (17) alleged that both head lamps were inoperative at the same time. -one additional complaint cited wire harness damage to both sides bu
Fleet vehicle recall completion audit
Summary
On november 18, 2010, NHTSA's recall management division (rmd) opened an audit query (aq10-001) to investigate recall remedy completion by rental car companies on safety recall campaigns.it was expected to provide the agency an indication of how completely and how quickly rental car fleets perform necessary recall-related remedies on the vehicles owned and then rented/leased for use on the roadways.rmd queried three (3) major motor vehicle manufacturers (ford, chrysler, and general motors) and requested data regarding completion figures for fifteen (15) discreet safety recalls.analysis of this data demonstrated that rental car recalls completion was neither complete nor consistent.the rental
Questions about the 2009 GMC Acadia
- What are the most common problems with the 2009 GMC Acadia?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: steering (112 complaints, typically around 70,500 miles); engine (75 complaints, typically around 90,000 miles); transmission (72 complaints, typically around 81,500 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2009 GMC Acadia have?
- 7 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from June 30, 2015 (body and structure). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2009 a bad year for the GMC Acadia?
- It is 8th of 20 Acadia model years by number of complaints, with 331 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.