Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 GMC Acadia owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2008 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while her daughter-in-law was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made a popping sound, and then the fuse box near the passenger's side headlight caught fire. No warning light was illuminated. The contact's daughter-in-law was able to exit the vehicle. There were no injuries, and medical attention was not received. Bystanders called the police and fire departments. The fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. Police and fire department reports were filed. The fire chief informed the contact that the fire was caused by an electrical malfunction. The vehicle was towed to the residence and had not yet been deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
The contact owns a 2008 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the battery had previously been replaced; however, the battery failed to retain a charge. The contact had to recharge the battery every day to start the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that water had leaked from the windshield and cowl to behind the glovebox, causing the battery to fail; however, no repair was recommended. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
Vehicle has a sunroof drainage issue. Water leaks in through the corners of the sunroof and spills into the dashboard and under the carpeting. The vehicle has suffered electrical damage, corrosion, and mold because of the sunroof drainage issue. I have seen forums with hundreds of other owners who have suffered the same exact sunroof drainage problem with their 2007-2008 GMC Acadias. GMC says my vehicle is not listed in the recall, but I find that laughable. There are way too many Acadia owners that have this exact issue for it not to be a problem with all Acadias.
Lift gate closes by itself I have to put a pole to hold it up and it won't hit me, it says the air bags needs to be serviced, stabilitrak keeps going off, ball bearing needs work. Radio won't turn on no sound on air signals, the body chasis something popped while driving, the tracking control keeps turning off, the seats move while driving, catalytic converter are moving car only go 12 mpg.
The headlights don't work even after replacing. It rains in the vehicle from the sunroof. The gas tank isn't registering even after fixing it. So the engine doesn't know how much to put out etc etc and it makes the car jerk horribly. This vehicle is a fire hazard due to raining inside on everything upfront. I have kids I pray nothing happens!!
Well my back trunk doesnt worrk well i open it but it closes half way it almost closed on me and its done that more then 3 times and im not sure why its scary cause my child almost got hit with it not opening right.
The air bags light came on with no reason truck never being in a crash, the abs and the off road light is on too, the break lights are on while you don't step on the pedal and they go off when you step on it...
I own a 2008 GMC Acadia I have had it used since jan 2015 I have had it in dealership almost every 3 months since I bought it. I was recently driving and had a fire in the passenger heated seat where my daughter was sitting and it burned a small hole in her jeans so far GMC is checking to see if its a defective equipment failure or not? In the mean time my sunroof has quit working and now my roof is leaking and my car smells like mold. The whole electrical system is going crazy with flashes of interior lights. I also had the vehicle stop on me in the middle of parking and found out the power steering pump needed to be replaced. They need to have a recall on these vehicles because our children ride with us and they are unsafe especially now that her jeans are burned and she has a small pink spot from the heated seat. …
We have a 2008 GMC Acadia that now has approximately 164,000 miles. It was recently found out that a water leak has caused the airbag system to be come completely disabled. Water leaks in these model vehicles are a known issue and GM has put out technical service bulletins about these leaks and how to fix them. Because our vehicle is over the mileage limit the local dealership is saying GM will not warranty the leak repair or the damage to the airbag system from the leak. We are now faced with a bill of $1600 to repair the airbag system and unknown amount to repair the water leak and any other damage caused by it to the vehicle. What I do not understand is why a leaking sunroof with admitted factory defect issues from the manufacture has a mileage limit for warranty repairs. I can understand a time limit. …
The rpms skyrocketed while driving and as the car was pulled over it caught fire. The fire dept said it took place in the electrical part of the motor and burned through the fuel line. Igniting the fuel
Related recalls
Electrical system
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…
Remedy: 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…
Electrical system
GM is recalling 857,735 my 2006-2008 Buick lucerne; Cadillac dts; Hummer h2; my 2007-2008 Cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; Chevrolet avalanche, silverado, suburban, tahoe; GMC acadia, sierra, yukon, yukon xl, Saturn outlook; and my 2008 Buick enclave vehicles equipped with a heated wiper washer fluid system.
Remedy: Dealers will install a wire harness with an in-line fuse free of charge. The recall began on September 12, 2008. Owners May contact Buick at 1-866-608-8080; Cadillac at 1-800-982-2339 or http://www.Cadillac.com;…
NHTSA investigations
Non-crash engine compartment fires
In a letter dated August 27, 2008, general motors corp. (GM) notified NHTSA that it will conduct a safety recall (NHTSA recall number 08v-441) to address a safety relateddefect that can result in engine compartment fire in approximately 850,000 vehicles equipped with a heated windshield washer fluid option.the subject vehicles of this investigation comprise over three-quarters of the recall population.
Electrical complaints in other Acadia years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2008 GMC Acadia?
NHTSA has 153 complaints about the electrical system of the 2008 GMC Acadia, 18% of the model year's 854 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 GMC Acadia electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 10V-240 (electrical system, Jun 4, 2010); NHTSA recall 08V-441 (electrical system, Aug 28, 2008). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2008 GMC Acadia electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 86,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 3 fires and 8 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.