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2019 GMC Acadia Problems and Most Reported Complaints!

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2019 GMC Acadia problems are related to faulty electrical systems, defective lightning, unreliable powertrain, and other major structural issues, according to reported complaints to the NHTSA website.     

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Since introduced in 2006, the GMC Acadia became one of the most popular crossover SUVs in the United States.

The automaker attracts tons of customers every year as it produces very reliable vehicles with very limited mechanical problems.

Unfortunately, after customers drove the 2019 GMC Acadia for a couple of years only, they discovered major mechanical problems related to the electrical system, lighting, powertrain, and other major issues in the vehicle structure.

This article summarizes our in-depth review of most reported complaints to larger platforms like edmunds.com, repairpal.com, carscomplaints.com, etc.


We highlighted the top reported complaints along with the automaker's response to each complaint, if any. We also indicated any recalls to help you understand what to expect when owning at 2019 GMC Acadia. 

With that in mind, if you are a current owner of a 2019 GMC Acadia, it might be worth evaluating the situation and thinking whether it's worth selling this vehicle to Cash Cars Buyer or fixing it.

On the other hand, if you plan to purchase a used 2019 GMC Acadia, you must keep in mind what to expect, which helps you determine what type of inspection to perform before purchasing this vehicle. 

2019 GMC Acadia Overview 

The 2019 GMC Acadia is considered a good midsize SUV. It provides many great features, including a user-friendly infotainment system, excellent car handling, and great fuel economy. 

According to experts, the 2019 model year of this vehicle did not receive any major change, and it's almost very similar to the 2018 model year. Although the company had a major full redesign in 2017, they didn't add anything substantial in the 2019 model year. 

It was featured in many larger platforms and received a rank of 18 in the 2019 affordable midsize SUVs, according to cars.usnews.com

The vehicle seats up to seven passengers and comes with either a 4-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. The 2019 GMC Acadia has horsepower ranging from 193 and 310. 

The 2019 GMC Acadia comes with four-cylinder or 3.6-liter V6 engines. It is equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission. The towing capacity for this vehicle is ranging between 1000 and 4000 pounds. With this combination, you can achieve about 21 miles per gallon on city roads and 26 miles per gallon on highways. The curb weight for this vehicle is about 3956 pounds, and the tire pressure is 35PSI. 

2019 GMC Acadia problems 

While it's only been a couple of years since the 2019 GMC Acadia was released, customers immediately discovered major mechanical problems and reported them to larger platforms like edmunds.com commarepairpal.com, carscomplaints.com, and more.

Let's take a closer look at some of the top reported complaints about this vehicle: 

  • 2019 GMC Acadia Electrical system problems: lots of power and no start! 

 

When you buy an expensive vehicle like the 2019 GMC Acadia, you would never expect to deal with major mechanical problems, especially those related to the electrical system.

Unfortunately, many customers indicated dealing with issues like loss of power and, in some scenarios, vehicle not starting at all. Others mentioned that the door lock does not operate, and several customers got trapped in the vehicles.

Unfortunately, the automaker did not release any recalls focusing on electrical system problems. It might be too early to draw any conclusions because the vehicle hasn't been on the road for a long time. Still, we can see an increase in the number of reported complaints about electrical system problems in the 2019 GMC Acadia. 

Customer complaints #1

My mother has become trapped two times due to the locks on the vehicle not working. The issue only happens when it rains. I took the vehicle to the dealership and they said they replaced some kind of mechanism and that everything was good to go. It rained again yesterday and my mother was trapped in the vehicle again. This happens anytime you try to engage the locks, i.e. in Park, putting it in Park, putting it in Drive, using OnStar to lock or unlock, using the GMC app to lock or unlock, using either key fob to lock or unlock, trying to lock or unlock it manually.”

  • 2019 GMC Acadia Lightning problems: dim headlights 

The headlights are very important, especially if you're driving during a rainy day or at night. Unfortunately, several customers complained that the 2019 GMC Acadia does not have the best headlights and the drivers complained about issues with visibility which could affect their safety.

While the automaker did not release any recalls focusing on the lightning issues, they have a service bulletin focusing on the exterior lamps. They indicated that some of the exterior lamps might reduce their visibility at some point. 

Customer complaints #1 

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. While driving at night, the contact stated that the headlights were barely visible because they were blacked out. The vehicle was taken to [dealership] where it was determined that the headlights would not project too far. The contact attempted to the call the manufacturer, but the call dropped. The vehicle was not repaired.”

  • 2019 GMC Acadia powertrain problems: Major transmission failure 

Many people indicated that their 2019 GMC Acadia has issues in the powertrain that could cause the transmission to fail.

Unfortunately, most of these people had to pay repair costs out of pocket because it was not involved in the warranty.

While the automaker did not release any recalls focusing on transmission issues, they have a service bulletin focusing on weird noises coming from the driveline clunk. The automaker did not add any details about what type of inspection or repair should be done to eliminate this noise. 

Customer complaints #1 

My family has been a loyal GM customer for many years. So, without reservation and excited that we purchased a new 2019 GMC Acadia SLT1. Our feelings quickly changed. With only 645 miles, it suffered a transmission failure that left us stranded 350 miles from home.  When we were able to get it in for repairs the next day, they determined the problem was so severe that we needed to leave the car for a number of days before it was fixed. Needing to get home, we had no choice but to arrange for transportation and then come back later to pick up the car. While GM made the repairs under warranty, they have not done much to alleviate our concern that our new Acadia is unreliable and therefore unsafe. They also refused to reimburse us for the over $400 of out of pocket expenses we incurred as a result of the breakdown and return trip to pick up the car. Reimbursement would have been a fair thing to do if GM truly cared about supporting their products and customers. If we had it to do over again, we would never have purchased an Acadia.”

Are there any recalls on the 2019 GMC Acadia? 

Although the 2019 GMC Acadia hasn't been on the road for a long time, there are already two recalls addressing a couple of problems as reported by several customers.

While many problems were reported regarding other issues, the automaker only focused on the two problems related to the transmission and the tires. Surprisingly, none of the reported complaints indicated problems with tires. Still, it seems like the automaker knows their stuff, and they quickly released this recall to take care of the problem before it causes any major issues to the driver's safety. 

Let's take a closer look at these recalls:

  • 2019 GMC Acadia transmission recalls 

On October 29th, 2020, the automaker decided to recall several vehicles from the 2019 GMC Acadia and other vehicles from different model years due to a problem with the transmission. The automaker indicated that there might be some missing bolts in the transition, resulting in an oil leak. Excessive oil leaks can cause higher risks of crashes.

In some scenarios, if the oil leak continues, it also introduces fires, especially during the presence of an ignition source. 

All affected vehicles were asked to visit the nearest automaker dealership beginning of December 15th, 2020. The automaker suggested that dealerships need to inspect and replace the start and stop transmission accumulator. The entire job should be done for free for all customers. 

  • 2019 GMC Acadia tires recall 

On February 25th, 2021, the automaker also recalled several vehicles from a model years list due to a problem with the tires.

The automaker indicated that some of the tires might be over-cured, which could cause some breakage in the sidewall. 

Any sidewall breakage can result in too much air loss, leading to high risks of accidents.

Affected vehicles were asked to visit the nearest GM dealership beginning March 22nd, 2021, to get the problem resolved free of charge. The automaker recommended that technicians should inspect the tires and replace them if needed without charging the customers. 

Is the 2019 GMC Acadia reliable? 

According to the JD Power dependability study, the 2019 GMC Acadia did not receive a very high-reliability ranking. It only achieved 2.5 out of five in their scoring criteria, which is way lower than other competitors in the same class.

Although the reliability ranking is not very high for this vehicle, it did great in several crash tests done by larger agencies. For example, the vehicle received five out of five stars according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration crash tests. It also did good in the six crash tests done by the Insurance Institute for Hwy safety.

Although these rankings and the large-scale tests are great and provide great ideas about this vehicle, one should consider reading through customers' reviews.

The vehicle hasn't been on the road for a long time, and therefore, there's a lot of data to come and analyze.

Based on some of the mentioned data already, all want experts to have initial results and conclusions that the 2019 GMC Acadia suffers from several mechanical problems that one should be aware of before buying a used one. It is also crucial for current owners of the 2019 GMC Acadia to be aware of what they will face during their vehicles' lifetime. 

If you're not comfortable performing the required prepurchase inspection, automotive experts suggest that you bring in a professional mechanic who has a better idea about what to look for when test driving the vehicle. 

How to avoid purchasing a 2019 GMC Acadia with mechanical problems?

Buying a 2019 GMC Acadia is a huge investment! Therefore, the last thing you want to get involved in is buying a GMC with mechanical problems.

These mechanical problems can be extremely measured, resulting in huge repair costs and disappointing you after this huge investment.

Therefore, you must perform the necessary prepurchase inspections to ensure no major issues in the vehicle you're planning to purchase.

To do so, you can either bring in a professional mechanic to inspect the vehicle or do your own thorough pre-purchase test drive.

The mechanic will have a better idea about what to look for in terms of major mechanical problems. However, it will cost you some money but, if you think about it and compare it to the total investment you're putting towards your 2019 GMC Acadia, it is nothing.

Some customers are comfortable enough doing their pre purchase this drive. Most larger dealerships do not mind testing driving your vehicle, and therefore, this shouldn't be a problem.

If you decided to go this route, you need to keep an eye and ear for any symptoms indicating major problems. For example, you can look for symptoms of a bad transmission, symptoms of a bad engine, symptoms of a bad steering system, etc.

Automotive experts also recommend that you spend some time adjusting the minor components like the air conditioning or the heated seats. These minor components can give you a headache down the road, especially if you're planning to use them daily.

Those, consider testing them by turning on and off the air conditioning, the heated seats, the radio, etc. 

The bottom line

GMC Acadia is one of the most popular vehicles on the United states roads. Tons of customers enjoy riding it and buying the most modern models every year.

Unfortunately, even if the 2019 GMC Acadia hasn't been on the road for a long time, several customers discovered major problems and reported them to larger platforms and forums.

Some of these problems had to do with faulty electrical systems, defective lightning, unreliable powertrain, and other major structural issues. 

All shoppers for used 2019 GMC Acadia are advised to review the currently reported complaints, and all recalls to prevent buying vehicles with major problems. This way, they can know what to look for when inspecting the vehicle before purchase. 

If you are a current owner of a 2019 GMC Acadia, it is never too early to think about whether it's worth keeping this vehicle or selling it.

Did you know that Cash Cars Buyer grants you to buy your 2019 Acadia even if it has major mechanical problems? Yes! We will pay the top dollars for this vehicle along with free towing service.

The best thing about Cash Cars Buyer is that we are a 24-hour car removal company which means that we are willing to remove your 2019 Acadia evenings, weekends, and even the same day if that works for you!

Our process is very straightforward and relatively fast and is considered one of the nation's fastest services. 

Let us know if you're interested, and get in touch with our team today! 

If you would like more details about our process and our company, you can always give us a call at 866-924-4608 or visit our home page click on the free instant online offer.

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