Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 GMC Acadia owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the day time running lights failed on several occasions. The contact indicated that the sockets and housing failed to support the power for the lighting wattage, causing the components to prematurely melt. The bulbs were replaced more than twice. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who recommended that the housing be replaced for the day time running light assemblies. The failure recurred with both lights shorting. The dealer, per the contact's request, disconnected the day time running lights to prevent the failure from recurring. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failures and provided no remedy. In addition, the contact experienced the rear liftgate closing with force, which bruised his head. …
My son was driving down a residential street which has a right turn/merge over a canal. Upon reaching the right turn the power steering failed and he was unable to navigate the turn. The Acadia drove forward into a large pipe which crosses over the canal. The front of the Acadia was crashed including the front bumper, radiator, head lamps, engine, driver side front panel, passenger side panel, and the frame. None of the air bags deployed during this crash. There is a recall on the side airbags at this time but not the front airbags. There is no recall on the power steering on this GM model. I have had experienced the power steering intermittently fail when turning both left and right. My daughter also experienced power steering failure one week prior to my son's accident. I was in the vehicle with her. This power steering failure is not exclusive to my GMC Acadia 2009. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while in park, the liftgate inadvertently closed while the contact was behind the vehicle. As a result, the contact became wedged in between the liftgate and the bottom of the vehicle. The contact did not sustain any injuries. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who diagnosed that the gas struts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 15V415000 (structure); however, the part needed to repair the vehicle was unavailable. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 85,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the liftgate failed to remain open. In addition, the contact received a notification for NHTSA campaign number: 15V415000 (structure) however, the parts were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time to provide the parts. The dealer was contacted and was unable to provide a time frame for when the parts would become available for repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the delay. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 60,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the power liftgate was enagged and placed in an upward position when it abruptly closed onto the contact's head. The contact sustained a bump on the head that resulted in minor headaches. There was no medical attention required. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 15V415000 (structure) however, the part needed to perform the repair was unavailable. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 142,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the prop rod recovery system failed causing the liftgate to close unexpectedly. The contact received a notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15V415000 (structure) however, the recall part was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the vehicle's liftgate independently descended. The failure occurred without warning. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referrred the contact to NHTSA. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 15V415000 (structure); however, the VIN was not inlcuded. The VIN was invalid. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.
Driving down the road and notice a deer. Speed limit was 55, so we had slowed down to about 45. Deer crossing in front of us, and we almost come to a complete stop (about 10-15mph). We hit the deer on the passenger front. Get out of the car to assess the damage, and notice a fire under the grill and headlights. Air bags had deployed. Everyone evacuated the vehicle, and it was a total loss.
My car completely died while driving it a few months back. Just got it back after about 3 months, partial sucky dealership, partial back order issue. Turns out the sunroof leaked into the dash. Had to replace the body harness and something with the dash. $5100. I estimated on the date it happened because it's been awhile.
I opened my tailgage today, 12/13/09, to put some items into my trunk. I leaned in to get them situated & secure when suddenly the liftgate slammed down on my lower back, trapping me against the inside of my trunk. I was unable to lift the gate and had to slither out onto the ground, at which point the liftgate completely closed. I reopened the liftgate, unsure of what had happened, and woosh! It slammed shut again. The liftgate will not stay up, and clearly the sensors that are supposed to detect objects impeding it's closure are not working. I have two small children who often get items out of the trunk - such as jackets or umbrellas - and if this had happened to them, it would have been their head or neck that got caught. I brought the car into lehmer's GMC in concord ca this morning after visiting the doctor who looked at my swollen lower back. …
Related recalls
Structure › Body › Hatchback/liftgate
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured January 3, 2007, to February 29, 2012, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured July 6, 2008, to March 9, 2012, 2007-2012 GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured September 15, 2006, to February 29, 2012, and 2007-2010 Saturn…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit so that the motor will prevent the rapid closing of the lift gate, free of charge.
Body complaints in other Acadia years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2009 GMC Acadia?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the body & structure of the 2009 GMC Acadia, 8% of the model year's 331 complaints. The component named most often is body › hatchback/liftgate (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 GMC Acadia body problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 15V-415 (hatchback/liftgate, Jun 30, 2015). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2009 GMC Acadia body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 61,000 miles, and 9% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 2 fires and 13 injuries to body & structure 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.