Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2015 GMC Acadia owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2015 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while making a turn and parking, the steering wheel was hard to maneuver. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the power pump steering needed to be replaced as there were metal shavings found in the fluid. The vehicle was at the independent mechanic awaiting a power steering pump. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 43,000.
My steering rack and pinion as well as my power steering pump have gone out completely potentially put me in harms way By impairing my ability to drive defensively. by greatly reducing the vehicles reaction time . A worn steering rack can cause you to lose partial or complete control over your car steering wheel, which can lead to fatal accident. That goes without saying that steering rack is a major car maintenance procedure and is expensive. When they perform defectively, it can spell trouble and make your steering faulty and unreliable-this is what happens when the rack and pinion goes out. And I believe it goes without saying that the power steering pump is just as an intricate part of your design as is the rack and pinion they go hand-in-hand, and the potentially damage each other. In this case, they both went out.. …
Airbags - I received a service notification that the airbags needed to be serviced. I was told by the dealership there weren't any outstanding recalls on this vehicle. When I researched myself, I saw that in fact, there is an outstanding recall for the airbags. The dealership is trying to charge me for the repairs on an outstanding recall on this car. If I had not researched on my own, I would be out of pocket hundreds of dollars. I transport myself and children I. This vehicle that I thought was safe. This is concerning. Struts - According to the car fax provided at the time of sale, the struts were replaced at the dealership 3 months before purchasing the car. 2 months later the struts have failed and the dealership will not cover the cost of the repair. There was only a 1,000 mile difference from when the struts were repaired until the time I purchased the car.
While driving my car I have noticed that my steering wheel shakes when I apply the brakes. Also when I turn the wheel the power steering makes a loud noise which is the steering rack box. Steering has gotten worse over time and noise has gotten louder. Praying me and my children do not get in an accident as I have no other vehicle to drive. Also the passenger airbag will randomly turn on and off.
Complete loss of steering at low speeds. This has been an issue with GM for years, and is still not corrected on my 2015 GMC Acadia. At a stop light or when turning a corner, I could barely turn the steering wheel. GM needs to pay to have this fixed on all vehicles still affected. There is no way I could maneuver this vehicle to avoid a person or vehicle.
Not inspected by anyone else because they have no idea where to look because the light and actions happen on and off. Warning light and message appears. Service Traction Control and service Stabilink Light yes I will bring it in. It will turn on randomly at this point for about 4 months and the brakes are locking up the wheels while driving.
On September 4, 2018 I was getting on the highway when my steering wheel locked up and I hit a concrete barrier. The officer could not turn my steering wheel and the repair estimate guy said that when operating the vehicle to test the steering the power would come and go. The steering would be soft and when trying to turn, the steering would become difficult to operate. Most of the reviews that I read have the same issue but their models are older than mine. My Acadia is a 2015 when is this safety hazard going to be corrected? It has been 8 years (2007) since this steering malfunction was discovered and my vehicle was put into production and GMC is still putting people at risk with their continued use of the same steering design, materials, assembly or whatever it is that causes this malfunction. Something needs to change in order to keep everyone safe.
At just under 1 year old the rack and pinnon went out. Replaced under warranty. Then at just over 3 years old it went out again on top of that for the last 9-12 months the engine will rev up and accelerate on it's own after it will chug for a bit then the sensor stabilitrak warning comes on then it will say traction control off then it will say its back on. I have also had it where it will looses engine power and you can barely get it to go when pushing the gas pedal. It's done this series of events about 10 times. It happens when driving, when in park, and while sitting at a red light. No rhyme or reason to it. But it is pretty unsafe when a vehicle will accelerate on its own driving anywhere! Not to mention that a rack and pinnon should not go out 2xs in less than 3 years let alone on a vehicle that cost 45,000+ that was purchased to order brand new! …
Left vehicle parked on incline with parking brake set. Returned to vehicle, started engine, released parking brake , put vehicle in drive. The gear indicator on the dash showed the car was in drive. The gear selector in center console indicated it was in drive. Stepping on gas responded with only increased RPM. Vehicle began to roll rapidly in reverse. The power steering and power brakes were not working (almost like it was in park). The vehicle was nearly uncontrollable and almost resulted in severe injury as a couple and their dog were walking behind vehicle on sidewalk at time of incident. After exerting a significant amount of force on the brak pedal the vehicle stopped. I applied the parking brake and shifted to park. Shifted back to drive with the same result rolling back further nearly hitting a brick mailbox. …
Found leaks on driveways. Took it get an oil change and asked them to take a look they said they couldnt see anything leaking. Jump forward 2 months leak is larger on my driveway from a dime to size of a baseball. And my steering was difficult while driving I had no control causing me to stop dead in road with my 8 year old in back seat ...scary , my husband checked fluids and put in some power steering fluid and in morning fresh power steering fluid was found on cardboard took it to a body shop for minor body repair and asked if they would look into it to find the problem. The seal power steering pump to pulley is leaking. Not covered under any warranty I have or power train. Cost is about 1,300.00 to fix I bought this GMC in February 2019 from carmax I havent even had it for 4 months before it started leaking. Carfax on this has no major problems of any accidents. …
Steering complaints in other Acadia years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2015 GMC Acadia?
NHTSA has 31 complaints about the steering of the 2015 GMC Acadia, 13% of the model year's 243 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2015 GMC Acadia steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2015 GMC Acadia, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2015 GMC Acadia steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to steering 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.