2020 Gmc Acadia
The Verdict
The 2020 Gmc Acadia has 96 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are engine (33 complaints) and body (25 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 74/100, it earns a "Solid Pick" rating. If you're shopping for a Gmc Acadia, consider the 2023 model year which has 60% fewer complaints.
Safe Bet
The 2023 has 60% fewer complaints
View the 2023 Gmc Acadia dashboard →
Klunk Score: Solid Pick
Fewer complaints than most vehicles. Generally dependable, but check the top problems below.
How is this calculated?
The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.
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Under the Hood
Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.
| Year | Body | Brakes | Electrical | Engine | Transmission |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 111 | 4 | 100 | 65 | 151 |
| 2008 | 199 | 21 | 249 | 152 | 235 |
| 2009 | 128 | 2 | 65 | 83 | 54 |
| 2010 | 159 | 4 | 62 | 86 | 37 |
| 2011 | 108 | 7 | 82 | 64 | 19 |
| 2012 | 132 | 5 | 71 | 58 | 34 |
| 2013 | 29 | 1 | 61 | 25 | 21 |
| 2014 | 65 | 6 | 238 | 71 | 29 |
| 2015 | 71 | 4 | 119 | 24 | 19 |
| 2016 | 50 | 4 | 110 | 13 | 17 |
| 2017 | 166 | 31 | 201 | 71 | 212 |
| 2018 | 119 | 15 | 68 | 38 | 147 |
| 2019 | 88 | 11 | 75 | 56 | 140 |
| 2020 | 25 | 5 | 22 | 33 | 11 |
| 2021 | 30 | 18 | 30 | 53 | 13 |
| 2022 | 14 | 1 | 9 | 18 | 3 |
| 2023 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 7 |
| 2024 | 13 | 21 | 7 | 9 | 4 |
| 2025 | 11 | 35 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
By Category
By Severity
Worst Problems
Complaints
"Steering Assist Is Reduced – Drive With Care" warning appeared while the vehicle is in motion. This may require increased steering effort and could affect a driver's ability to respond to changing traffic conditions. Any steering-related warning that appears unexpectedly while driving deserves serious attention. P0128 code was shown. The cause was a faulty thermostat housing assembly and needed to be repaired. This is an extremely common issue in this vehicle across many years and needs to be investigated.
Steering assist reduced is the warning. The AC will no longer work and the fan runs constantly. From what I’ve read, it is a popular problem for Acadia owners and the thermostat and sensor has to be replaced. We have not been able to replace ours yet because of the cost.
I believe my car should be included in this recall. I've had the dealer check and they say it's nothing wrong with my car. 2020 GMC Acadia Fuel Pump Recall GMC has announced that 2781 vehicles have been affected by a Fuel Pump recall. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5, Cadillac XT6, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles. The fuel pump's jet nozzle may have a plastic burr remaining from the manufacturing process, possibly causing a blocked nozzle and an insufficient fuel supply to the engine. Insufficient fuel supply can result in an engine stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash. 2020 GMC Acadia Recall Fuel Pump GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump module. The recall began November 16, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202314760.
Thermostat and cooling sensor went out on my car. GMC issued a special coverage bulletin for 2021 Acadia since it's a widespread issue but not the 2020 (mine) which is also a widespread issue looking online. The repair is over $1000 and should be covered!
Thermostat issue causing check engine light as well as steering assist to be turned off. Fan constantly runs. Reset code and immediately is fine again for anywhere from a day to weeks but then happens again. Car is just out of warranty but seems to be common occurrence as there is a service bulletin for the 2021 model
Back up camera randomly stops working (black screen-completely gone, or blue screen). Dash will randomly dim on its own and does not go back to normal unless car is shut off and turned back on. adaptive cruise control will disengage for no apparent reason. stabilitrak will flash on screen but no other indicators or reasons; nothing happens with car. Occasionally the blind spot mirror lights will not light up when vehicle is present.
Coolant temperature sensor failed - it is still in the engine. the fan stays on high all the time. And the AC does not want to turn on. The car is extremely hot to drive in during the summer months. I have to transport persons who are seniors and in their mid 80s. It is not safe to drive this car in the summer. I can't tell if its over heating or what is happening. The coolant temperature gauge does not work. The dealer said my car is out of warranty and that the AC will not start until the sensor is replaced. I said that it has less than 50,000 miles. They will not help me. The vehicle has not been inspected anyone other than the service mechanic. The engine light start coming on about a month ago. I drove first to an autoparts store to see if they could help. this is the first time I learned that it could be a bad sensor.
A common issue in GMC vehicles (particularly 2017–2020 Acadias) is a "Steering Assist Reduced" warning message triggered by a failed engine coolant thermostat that gets stuck open. This causes the engine to run too cold (P0128 code), causing the computer to reduce steering assist (which is dangerous) and run fans on high, also the air conditioner fails. I have seen many complaints about this and it seems to be a manufacturers problem. GMC put out a repair bulletin for the 2021 models with this issue. It's time to address these other years.
My backup camera does not work when engaged in reverse, causes the radio to turn off and on.
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle, it stalled after initially adding fuel. Even though the reading indicated there was 1/8 of a tank of fuel. The fuel gauge failed to move. The thermostat was stuck open. The electric steering was not working properly. The engine light was illuminated. The traction control was turned off. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V639000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact stated that he was a master mechanic. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact called two other local dealers, Tadd Jenkins Chevy 409 Farnsworth Way, Rigby, ID 83442, and Smith Chevrolet. Address: 3477 Pioneer Dr Suite 200, Idaho Falls, ID 83402. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 61,699.
My infotainment screen just has lines on it. I am the second owner of this vehicle. It just stopped working on day and has not come back. I cannot use my back up camera system now either. I have read where this has been an issue with the 2020 model and a possible crimping in the wiring system. I am wondering if this is the issue here. The car has been in no accidents under my ownership.
I bought the car at the end of October 2025, so it was always cold till last month. Last month the first day it’s warm I get a warning saying my steering assist has been limited with a code saying the thermostat needs replacing as well as the sensor. This is a known issue with these vehicles and now I have to pay 1500 out of pocket to have fixed because my limited warranty expired 2 weeks before it was warm enough to trip the codes. This is ridiculous especially seeing as I am disabled and can’t afford an extra 1500 after spending 7000 for the down payment!
While idling, my vehicle has a strong exhaust smell inside the cabin. Per the GM Dealer, this is due to faulty flex hose.
Thermostat
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the AC was inoperable. The message “Driving Assist Reduced - Drive with Care” was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the battery. While driving, the message "Driving Assist Reduced" was displayed. The contact was concerned about driving the vehicle due to the failure of the steering wheel. The contact stated that the failure was related to GM Special Coverage: N252508350. There were four attempts to contact the manufacturer, but there was no response. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.
On multiple occasions the car will suddenly brake or like throw on the parking brake and stop suddenly no warning
My 2020 GMC Acadia slt has a a warning message that pops up on the dash display which reads power steering operating at reduced assistance. Please proceed with extreme caution. At high speeds the wheel kinda pulls and is loose for handling. It also atfff conley buick out by the conley buick sericexx2020 acadias. I don't not54⁴ lower rates of speed becomes extremely hard to maneuver . Almost zero ability to turn the steering wheel. I'm disabled and really can't afford the costly repair. It seems to be a very dangerous problem and well known to compromise ones ability to control the 2020 Acadia danalis. I had my suv ckd out at conley buick the results were power steering module needs to be replaced. When driving down the road the steering becomes dangerously loose especially
Check engine light codes: P01F0; P0128 Engine coolant thermostat opening at a lower temperature than intended. Replace thermostat.
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the doors failed to open from outside the vehicle while using the key fob or while attempting to open the doors manually. The contact entered the vehicle from the rear hatch door and discovered that the door lock and unlock buttons were inoperable. The contact pulled the door handle to manually open the door from the inside. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 68,140.
The torque converter in the transmission has been vibrating for over a year now. I can imagine it is causing more damage to the rest of the transmission. Now I can feel the shifting starting to get rough, loss of power, and dark transmission fluid. I had the problem confirmed with an independent service center. There have been no warning lamps as of yet. But it's only a matter of time that I will need a torque converter replacement and/or full transmission replacement.
96 total