Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 GMC Acadia owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owned a 2013 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while driving at 25 MPH, the contact was struck by another vehicle that ran a red light at 60 MPH and struck the passenger side of the vehicle. No air bags deploy. The contact suffered a concussion and was taken to the hospital. The vehicle was towed to a collision center. The vehicle was deemed totally lost. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 135,000.
I was tboned January 9, 2023 the side impact airbags didn't deploy nor does it seem the seatbelts engaged. There were 2 side impacts to the passengers side ZERO airbags deployed. It WAS part of a recall AND recall work had been completed almost immediately in 2014 (GM website screenshots attached for your easy reference for the 2 recalls showing completed). YET, they STILL failed! NO indication they had an issue nor would fail when needed as they did. The driver of the other vehicle was seemingly going a high rate of speed when she failed to stop for the red light her direction and tboned me as I was traveling through an intersection for a green light my travel path. My vehicle was totaled, part of the total report attached indicated "Diagnose Airbags" as they didn't deploy. …
I brought the car to the dealer due to an AIRBAG warning light on my dash. My VIN, regardless of identical issues to those noted in the dealer recalls, was not included in them. The items below were noted by the dealer as requiring immediate attention and estimated to cost $2,400. Current Mileage: 95,635 - AIRBAGS LR and RS Side Impact Sensor faulty. If not replaced the airbag system will not function correctly at the time of impact, preventing the airbags from deploying, and putting the passengers of the vehicle in harm's way. Warning light on dash alerts to sensor's invalid data from the sensor. - TAIL LIGHT casings fill with water causing an electrical short and the bulbs to burn out. This also causes a double-time ticking when you try the turn signal, alerting you to the issues.
The Airbag error message has been displaying on my dash board for awhile now. On November, 2021, I took it to the nearest GMC dealer and repairs to the connector were charged to the extended warranty. One month later the error message reappeared and disappeared after one day. It kept on like that for awhile until July 2022 when I took it to the dealers and they said they fixed it, next day the same error message. Now the dealers are lying that what they worked on was drivers seat side bag and that this time around, the issue is with the bottom part of driver's seat..... My wife and small kids use this car for commute to and from school and this poses a huge risk and danger to my young family everyday.
Battery saver mode activated dinged then car talked to me. I've replaced the alternator and brand new battery.....car battery draining FAST n only pulling 11.03 volts when it's supposed hit 14.5-15.5volts. Also air bag lite is on saying service airbag. I've only had the car 3 months....bought it from a dealer march 13th n till 2-3 days ago been working fine. Now saying service air bag n battery saver mode activated. I have no clue to this .....I'm lost after replacing the battery n alternator.
I think my vehicle is apart of this recall: March 17, 2014 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V118000 Side Impact Air Bags Wiring Connections Failure of the side impact air bags and seat belt pretensioners to deploy in a crash increase the risk of injury to the driver and front seat occupant.
My service air bag light is on. The dealership says it's a sensor for which I will be responsible for replacing out of pocket. They stated my air bags will not deploy properly. As the faulty sensor is a manufacturing flaw why is GMC not responsible for the replacement?
The contact owns a 2013 GMC Acadia. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V118000 (Air Bags); and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer was contacted but the manufacturer was not contacted.
I was coming off a red light and was hit by another vehicle on the drivers side / front drivers side of the car. The other vehicle was driving at least 55 MPH as that is the posted speed. I had two children in the back. One in a rear facing car seat. The seat belts did not engage. The car seat flipped to the side . No side or front air bags went off.
Massive air bag failure, notice that all air bags are not functioning. Two friends that have same vehicle have same failure. Told that passenger weight sensor or wiring failure will cause massive failure of air bags. This seams to be a safety problem and needs to be addressed., 2 out of 3 having the same failure seems excessive and of national concern. Please address this and let me know I don't want my daughter driving without proper air bags, told cost May be in excess of $1100.00 and the car has approximately 74,000 miles. 2nd item: rear electric hatch on closing has a loud clunk just before closing, last 2 inches like something is binding or about to break. This is a lower priority unless it is possible for the hatch to open going down the highway . …
Related recalls
Air bags › Critical fasteners
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2015, 2017 Buick Enclave, 2010-2019 Chevrolet Traverse, and 2011-2016 GMC Acadia vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not be properly attached.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, realign or replace the weld nuts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2021.
Air bags › Side/window
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia and 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse and 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the driver and passenger seat mounted side impact air bag (SIAB) wiring harnesses may result in the SIAB and…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected harness connections with soldered connections, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2014.
Airbag complaints in other Acadia years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2013 GMC Acadia?
NHTSA has 29 complaints about the air bags of the 2013 GMC Acadia, 21% of the model year's 135 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2013 GMC Acadia airbag problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 21V-246 (critical fasteners, Apr 8, 2021); NHTSA recall 14V-118 (side/window, Mar 17, 2014). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2013 GMC Acadia airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 95,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 3 injuries to air bags 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.