How the 2020 compares
One of the better Acadia years
Owners filed about 61% fewer complaints than a typical Acadia year. The area owners reported most is the engine and cooling.
Based on owner complaints to NHTSA, compared with other Acadia years from 2012 to 2024. A good year can still be a bad car, so check the one you are looking at.
Owners have filed 106 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 GMC Acadia. The most reported problem area is the engine and cooling (30, 28% of complaints), followed by the electrical system and the transmission and drivetrain. That ranks 10th of 13 Acadia years from 2012 to 2024 for complaints. It has 6 recalls.
Complaints106filed with NHTSA
Recalls6for this model year
Crashes42 injuries reported
Fires0reported in complaints
1 of these complaints came from Utah owners.
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Start my car searchMost reported problems
Problem areas ranked by how many complaints mention them. One complaint can name more than one area. Open an area to see what to check on a 2020 GMC Acadia before you buy.
Engine and cooling
30 complaintsStalling, misfires, oil consumption, leaks, overheating and engine failure.What to check before you buy
What to check before you buy
- Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
- Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
- Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
- Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.
Tools that help
What owners said
Engine thermostat not functioning properly, opening too early and not allowing engine to operate at proper engine temperature. Check engine light comes on, reduce power steering assist error message comes on, engine temperature gauge reads cold when vehicle has been running for an extended period of time. This is a known problem by GM…Owner complaint, filed 2026
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…Owner complaint, filed 2026
Electrical system
28 complaintsDead batteries, warning lights, failed screens and cameras, and electrical shorts.What to check before you buy
What to check before you buy
- Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
- Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
- Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.
Tools that help
What owners said
Receive error message about Power steering that shuts off AC and Temperature gauges. Happens constantly when vehicle is driven on freeway. Requires the battery to be disconnected and it resets until the next time.Owner complaint, filed 2026
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.…Owner complaint, filed 2026
Transmission and drivetrain
22 complaintsHarsh or delayed shifts, slipping, shuddering, CVT whine, and drivetrain clunks.What to check before you buy
What to check before you buy
- Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
- Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
- Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
- If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.
Tools that help
What owners said
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…Owner complaint, filed 2026
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while stopped at a traffic light and depressing the accelerator pedal after the light had changed, the vehicle hesitated and then lurched forward. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 80,000 miles
Steering
20 complaintsLoss of power steering assist, wandering, play in the wheel and noises when turning.What to check before you buy
What to check before you buy
- Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
- On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
- A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.
Tools that help
What owners said
Thermostat housing failed. Got the message of "Steering Assist Is Reduced, Drive With Care". Have seen this numerous times in message boards. Has been reproduced. Safety is put at risk with the steering assist reduced. Mine happened on an highway.Owner complaint, filed 2026
"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…Owner complaint, filed 2026
Driver assist systems
14 complaintsPhantom braking, false collision warnings, and lane keeping or backup sensors that act up.What to check before you buy
Parts named most: Automatic emergency braking (6).
What to check before you buy
- Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
- Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
- Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.
Tools that help
What owners said
My front camera that detects the front collision and helps with adaptive cruise control just went dark. I thought maybe it would reset after turning engine off and restarting it, but it didn’t help. Not sure what happened.Owner complaint, filed 2025
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Acadia. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V709000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue…Owner complaint, filed 2023
Fuel system
11 complaintsHesitation, stalling, fuel smell, fuel pump and injector failures.What to check before you buy
What to check before you buy
- Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
- On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
- Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.
Tools that help
What owners said
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed at an intersection, the failure recurred, and the vehicle stopped in the middle of the intersection. The…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 104,000 miles
Once again (for the second time in a few months) the vehicle put me and my passenger in an extremely dangerous situation. We were driving down a 55mph country highway catching speed, somewhere around 45-50 mph and the car jerked so violently that it shook us even though we had our seat belts on. It then made a weird noise and felt like…Owner complaint, filed 2024
Brakes and stability control
8 complaintsBrakes that feel soft or grab, grinding, ABS and stability control faults.What to check before you buy
What to check before you buy
- The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
- The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
- Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.
Tools that help
What owners said
While driving my 2020 GMC Acadia SLT AWD Turbo with my young daughters in the vehicle, the brake pedal suddenly and sporadically lost all hydraulic pressure and sank nearly all the way to the floorboard. The vehicle would only gradually roll to a slow stop. Simultaneously, the dashboard illuminated with ABS and Service ESC notifications.…Owner complaint, filed 2026
The contact owns a 2020 gmc acadia. The contact stated that while driving at 15 MPH, without warning the parking brake engaged independently. The contact manually released the parking brake and the vehicle operated as intended. Dealer rusty wallace kia located at (300 king ave, morristown, tn 37814, (800) 458-0302) was contacted and…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 6,276 miles
Cruise control and acceleration
4 complaintsHesitation, loss of power, sudden acceleration and cruise control problems.What to check before you buy
What to check before you buy
- On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
- Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.
Tools that help
What owners said
The vehicle was purchased brand new from Serra GMC in Washington Michigan in April 2020. It has been back to the dealer 5 times for the same issue, with another 4 times that it was not taken into dealer! Reoccurring issue involves the instrument cluster, All gages and visual indicators go to zero (speed, tach, fuel, temp, etc...) as well…Owner complaint, filed 2021
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the brake was applied independently. The contact mentioned that the brake was operating when there was nothing in front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the cause of the failure was undetermined. The failure recurred…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 16,000 miles
Seats and seat belts
4 complaintsBelts that will not latch or retract, seat adjusters and passenger occupancy sensors.What to check before you buy
What to check before you buy
- Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
- Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.
Tools that help
What owners said
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the front driver's side and front passenger’s side seat belt locking mechanism failed to remain latched. The contact stated that while driving, the seat belts would erroneously become unlatched. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the seat belts needed…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 35,000 miles
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that she was rear-ended by another vehicle at a high rate of speed while attempting to make a left turn. As a result, the front passenger seat fractured. The air bags failed to deploy upon impact; the contact hit her head and was knocked unconscious during the incident. The contact…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 10,000 miles
Lights, wipers and visibility
4 complaintsHeadlights that dim or fail, wiper and washer failures, and windshield cracks.What to check before you buy
What to check before you buy
- Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
- Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.
Tools that help
What owners said
The backup and surround view cameras repeatedly fail. I took it in once and they replaced the head unit. The problem reappeared within days after this repair. The design of this truck makes visibility without the cameras difficult at best and dangerous at worst.Owner complaint, filed 2021
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…Owner complaint, filed 2026
Air bags
3 complaintsAir bag warning lights, air bags that did not deploy, and inflator recalls.What to check before you buy
What to check before you buy
- The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
- Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.
Tools that help
What owners said
The car has parking brake on unable to disable.Have to put in drive force the system to move. Same with reversing the car. Air bags not working. Seat belt restraint on when we are wearing them. Left turn signal failure. Steering limited caution sign on. ESC sign on. Engine light on. Transmission unable to shift soon light on. Traction…Owner complaint, filed 2024
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that she was rear-ended by another vehicle at a high rate of speed while attempting to make a left turn. As a result, the front passenger seat fractured. The air bags failed to deploy upon impact; the contact hit her head and was knocked unconscious during the incident. The contact…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 10,000 miles
Body, doors and structure
3 complaintsRust, doors and liftgates that will not latch, leaks, and frame or structure concerns.What to check before you buy
What to check before you buy
- Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
- Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
- Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.
Tools that help
What owners said
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…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 68,140 miles
The ACADIA 2020 while in slow motion approaching my private condominium parking spot, accelerated autonomously and then slammed into the cement wall. Airbags deployed, no warning of collision, seriously damaged both car and cement wall. No bodily injuries. I researched the possible cause coded P2138 which involves the drive by wire…Owner complaint, filed 2021
Wheels and tires
1 complaintTire failures, wheels and lug nuts, and tire pressure sensor faults.What to check before you buy
What to check before you buy
- Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
- Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
- The tire pressure light should go out after startup.
Tools that help
What owners said
Traveling at highway speed and had a catastrophic loss of air suddenly and went from 40psi to 0 psi in about 15 seconds. Occurred on passenger side rear. Upon inspection of tire nothing was found in evidence to have caused this failure. Two different agency's examined tire and said it was irreparable. In doing some research on this found…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 14,058 miles
GMC Acadia complaints by year
Compare the 2020 with other years before you choose one. Tap a year to see its problems.
Compare with similar 2020 midsize SUVs
Each car is rated against its own other years, since popular models always get more complaints than rare ones.
| Car | Vs. its other years | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 GMC Acadia | One of the better years | 6 |
| 2020 Toyota Highlander | Worse than most years | 4 |
| 2020 Honda Pilot | About average | 11 |
| 2020 Kia Telluride | Among the worst years | 7 |
2020 GMC Acadia recalls
This is every recall issued for the 2020 GMC Acadia, not what is still open on one car. A recall that was fixed does not show up any differently here. Check a VIN at NHTSA to see what is still open on the car you are looking at, and ask the seller for proof any recall work was done.
Backup camera
- Risk
- An inoperative rearview camera can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Fix
- Dealers will replace the coaxial cables, free of charge.
Full recall summary
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Cadillac XT5, XT6, and GMC Acadia vehicles equipped with the optional Surround Vision feature. The rearview camera coaxial cable connectors may have been crimped improperly, causing the rearview camera to fail or function intermittently.
Tires
- Risk
- Over cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall resulting in sudden air loss or a belt edge separation which could lead to a tread/belt loss.
- Fix
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, replacing them as necessary, free of charge.
Full recall summary
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, XT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, 2018-2021 Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana, 2019-2020 Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, GMC Acadia, Sierra 1500, and certain Continental tires sold to the aftermarket for various model year 2018-2021 vehicles. The affected tires were cured for too long during production.
Tires
- Risk
- Overcured tires may experience a carcass break in the sidewall resulting in a sudden air loss or could develop a belt edge separation which could lead to partial or full tread/belt loss.
- Fix
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect vehicles and replace tires that have DOT number and production mold number combinations identified by Continental, free of charge.
Full recall summary
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse vehicles and 2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. The vehicles may have been manufactured with Continental tires that were overcured.
Transmission and drivetrain
- Risk
- Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Fix
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge.
Full recall summary
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
Fuel system Fuel pump
- Risk
- Insufficient fuel supply can result in an engine stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Fix
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump module.
Full recall summary
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.
Air bags Inflator
- Risk
- If the diffuser separates from the inflator during deployment, RRAB performance may be degraded, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
- Fix
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect RRAB modules, free of charge.
Full recall summary
General Motors, LLC. (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5 and XT6, Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500 and Traverse and GMC Acadia and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500 vehicles. The diffuser component of the Roof-Rail Air Bag (RRAB) inflator may not have been properly crimped to the inflator and could separate from the inflator during air bag deployment.
2020 GMC Acadia questions
What are the most common problems with the 2020 GMC Acadia?
The most reported problem areas on the 2020 GMC Acadia are the engine and cooling (30 complaints), the electrical system (28 complaints) and the transmission and drivetrain (22 complaints).
Is the 2020 GMC Acadia a good year to buy?
One of the better Acadia years. Owners filed about 61% fewer complaints than a typical Acadia year. The area owners reported most is the engine and cooling. Based on owner complaints to NHTSA, compared with other Acadia years from 2012 to 2024. A good year can still be a bad car, so check the one you are looking at.
How many recalls does the 2020 GMC Acadia have?
NHTSA lists 6 recalls for the 2020 GMC Acadia. The most recent, from Sep 2022, covers the backup camera. Recalls cover the whole model year, so check the VIN of the car you are looking at to see which are still open.
Which GMC Acadia years should I avoid?
The Acadia years with the most complaints compared with the rest are 2017. Years with clearly fewer complaints are 2013, 2020 and 2021. Years from 2022 on are too new to rate fairly yet.
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Where these numbers come from. Complaints are reports that owners filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), counted from NHTSA’s complaint database as of November 5, 2026. Owners do not have to prove a problem to file one, so a complaint is a report, not a confirmed defect. Models that sell in big numbers get more complaints, and newer model years have had less time on the road, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Recalls come from NHTSA’s recall database and cover every vehicle of that model year, not one particular car. Quotes are trimmed, and anything that looks like a VIN is hidden.
- Check a specific car for open recalls at NHTSA
- Decode a VIN to see recalls, safety ratings and complaints for that exact year, make and model