GMC Acadia Best and Worst Years

Counting owner complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2017 GMC Acadia drew the most (229; most described: shifter errors or getting stuck in gear) and the 2016 the fewest (17).

Data: US EPA and NHTSAUpdated Sep 28, 2026

Every model year since 2016 in one place: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash test ratings. The best fuel economy rating, 25 mpg combined, arrived in 2021. Includes the 2017 Acadia Limited, which EPA lists alongside the Acadia for that year.

Best and worst years, by owner complaints

Model years ranked by owner complaints filed with NHTSA in their first three years (model year Y: filed by the end of Y+2), so every year is measured over the same time on the road. Years without three full years of data, and launch or final years with very few sold, are left out. Counts are not adjusted for how many were sold.

Model year	First 3 years	All complaints	Recalls
2017 Acadia Most described: shifter errors or getting stuck in gear	229	703	4
2018 Acadia Most described: shifter errors or getting stuck in gear	154	395	2
2021 Acadia Most described: stalling or shutting off while driving	52	149	2
2019 Acadia Most described: shifter errors or getting stuck in gear	51	386	2
2020 Acadia Most described: backup camera problems	28	104	6
2023 Acadia Most reported: engine	28	43	4
2022 Acadia Most described: the check engine light coming on, then backup camera problems	21	49	3
2016 Acadia Most described: power steering problems or locked steering	17	236	4

Year by year

Model year	Best rating	Recalls	Complaints	Crash test
2026 MPG · Recalls and problems	22 mpg Gas	1	7
2025 MPG · Recalls and problems	23 mpg Gas	0	65
2024 MPG · Recalls and problems	23 mpg Gas	0	60
2023 MPG · Recalls and problems	25 mpg Gas	4	43
2022 MPG · Recalls and problems	25 mpg Gas	3	49
2021 MPG · Recalls and problems	25 mpg Gas	2	149
2020 MPG · Recalls and problems	24 mpg Gas	6	104
2019 MPG · Recalls and problems	23 mpg Gas	2	386	4 to 5 stars
2018 MPG · Recalls and problems	23 mpg Gas	2	395	4 to 5 stars
2017 MPG · Recalls and problems	23 mpg Gas	4	703	4 to 5 stars
2016 MPG · Recalls and problems	18 mpg Gas	4	236

Owner complaints by model year

All complaints filed so far. Counts rise with sales volume and with time on the road, so recent years look better than they may turn out. The highlighted bar is the model year with the most complaints in its first three years.

2017: 703 complaints

Show as a table

Owner complaints by model year, GMC Acadia
Model year	Complaints
2016	236
2017	703
2018	395
2019	386
2020	104
2021	149
2022	49
2023	43
2024	60
2025	65
2026	7

Best combined rating by model year

The best-rated version in each model year. Gas: 18 to 25 mpg (every year from 2016 to 2026); highest in 2021.

2026: gas 22 mpg

Show as a table

GMC Acadia best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version
2016	18
2017	23
2018	23
2019	23
2020	24
2021	25
2022	25
2023	25
2024	23
2025	23
2026	22

Questions

Which GMC Acadia years have the most problems?

Counting owner complaints filed with NHTSA in each model year's first three years, the 2017 (229) drew the most, then the 2018 (154). Owners of the 2017 most often describe shifter errors or getting stuck in gear.

Which GMC Acadia years have the fewest problems?

The 2016 (17) drew the fewest complaints in its first three years. The 2024, 2025, and 2026 are not ranked yet: they have had fewer than three full years on the road.

Which GMC Acadia years should you avoid?

Complaint counts can't tell you whether a particular car is sound, but they show where owners reported the most trouble: the 2017, against 40 complaints in a typical GMC Acadia year. Whatever the year, check the car's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy. Safety recall repairs are free at GMC dealers.

Which GMC Acadia years have the most recalls?

The 2020 has the most safety recalls in NHTSA's file (6), then the 2023 (4). A recall can cover a problem that affects only a few cars, so open a year's page to see what each one covers. No recall for 2016 to 2026 models tells owners not to drive the car or to park it outside.

What are the most common GMC Acadia problems?

In the 2,197 owner complaints NHTSA lists for 2016 to 2026 models, owners most often describe shifter errors or getting stuck in gear (759 complaints, most of them for the 2017 and 2018); stalling or shutting off while driving (91 complaints, most of them for the 2017, 2018, and 2021); and shaking, shuddering or vibration (73 complaints, most of them for the 2017, 2020, and 2021). One complaint can describe several problems. Each year's recalls and problems page lists what owners describe for that year.

Which GMC Acadia year has the best MPG?

The best EPA fuel economy is 25 mpg combined, first reached by the 2021 gas version.

Sources and method

US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026.
NHTSA recall file dated Sep 29, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 28, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.