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 2019 GMC Acadia owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, she noticed that the engine caught on fire with no warning light illuminated. The fire was put out by the Chicago Fire Department and after the vehicle was inspected the cause of the fire was determined as a failure with the electrical system. A police report was filed with the Chicago Police Department and a report was provided. No injuries occurred and no medical attention was needed. The vehicle was not towed. The dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the battery, the steering, and the brake warning lights were illuminated. The contact contacted Triple A, who tested the battery, the starter, and the alternator and jumpstarted the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was determined that the battery had discharged and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that diagnostic testing could be performed after the battery replacement. The contact stated that the battery was replaced four times; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a "Steering Assist is Reduced " warning message unexpectedly displayed. The contact also stated that the thermostat became inoperable. Additionally, the thermostat information was no longer displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the thermostat had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for further assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 48,500.
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that upon shifting to park(P), the vehicle made an abnormal beeping sound that persisted after turning off the vehicle. The message "Shift to Park" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an unknown harness and switch were replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a related recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 39,886.
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle would not start. After several attempts, the contact was able to restart the vehicle however, the vehicle inadvertently stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and the battery was replaced. On another occasion while the contact shifted the vehicle into park, the contact heard a beeping sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 28,000.
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the entertainment center changed and moved through all channels without touching the screen. While in park, the vehicle failed to turn off as desired. The shift-to-park message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the entertainment center needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 21,000.
Last week I parked in a large public parking lot and attempted to turn my car off. I received a notification in my dash to "shift to park" even though my car was already in park. I was unable to turn the car off or lock the doors. I ended up having to leave. I have now gotten this message six times in the past week. It can take up to twenty minutes to get the car to turn off so I can exit. Yesterday upon returning to the car I showed an error message as soon as I started it that the parking brake needed service, stabilitrak is disabled and steering assist is disabled- drive with care. As I tried to exit the parking lot, I found it almost impossible to turn the steering week. I pulled over and restarted the car, releasing the steering wheel so I could get home. This morning, all of the service lights were on and periodic warnings flashed on my dash throughout my drive to work. …
Yes, my vehicle is available for inspection upon request. When I go to put my 2019 GMC Acadia in "park" the shifter states it is in park & the dashboard shows it in "P." However, when I turn the vehicle off, an error message comes up reading "shift to park" and my car wont fully shut off. You can feel the car move forward or backwards a tiny bit (depending where vehicle is parked). This makes me have to turn the vehicle back on, shift into "drive," back into "park," and then shut the engine off and pray the "shift to park" display doesn't come up. This process was repeated this morning when I arrived at Walmart 3x before it finally shut off, then when I got home it happened at least 8x before I could safely leave my car in my garage without the worry of it not truly being in park. …
My 2019 GMC Acadia is now undergoing the same repair for at least the second time. This is the common issue known as the Shift-To-Park issue. You can read about it here - [redacted] Below are the commonly affected years: 2017 - Acadia 2018 - Acadia 2019 - several models (I own a 2019 GMC Acadia) 2020 - several models 2021 - Acadia and Traverse Despite falling into the year, make, model and issue - When I look up my VIN - No recall or warranty information is available, saying that my vehicle is NOT affected by this issue. However, this is now the 2nd (maybe 3rd) time I am having to come out of pocket to have this issue repaired. It originally happened in July of 2022 with around 40-44k miles on the vehicle. It is now happening again May of 2025 with around 72k miles on the vehicle. If I search further back, I imagine the first owner may have had the same work done too. …
Component: Shifter Assembly & jumper harness Safety concern: Can't turn off vehicle - Carbon Monoxide poisoning, physical safety when parking not at home, as I would have to leave vehicle running... Message in dash was present when I brought vehicle to dealer. Dealer also replicated No inspection other than dealer. Part returned to me. Warning message has been coming on for past 60 days or so, progressively getting more frequent I receive a 'shift to park' message in telltale after I have shifted to park. At times, vehicle will not shut off until shifter is manipulated for several minutes. I have concerns that I cannot park vehicle in garage, if I cannot shut it off. GM is well aware of issue, but has yet to recall them. Dealer actually had replacement shifter in stock for a same day repair.. …
Electrical complaints in other Acadia years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2019 GMC Acadia?
NHTSA has 105 complaints about the electrical system of the 2019 GMC Acadia, 27% of the model year's 387 complaints. The component named most often is 12v/24v/48v battery (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2019 GMC Acadia electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2019 GMC Acadia, though it has 2 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 2019 GMC Acadia electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 26,000 miles, and 47% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 2 fires and 1 injury 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.