Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
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 that while the vehicle was in park with the engine running, the vehicle suddenly rolled away. As a result of the failure, the vehicle crashed into another parked vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. No warning lights were illuminated. A police report was not filed. There were no injuries reported. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the vehicle was operating as intended. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 42,000.
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that upon attempting to turn off the vehicle, the vehicle failed to register that the transmission was in park(P) and the vehicle failed to turn off. The contact stated that the vehicle continued to beep. The "Shift to Park" message was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle required to be turned off and restarted several times, or to be driven to shift to park(P) successfully. Upon investigation the failure, the contact linked the failure to GM Technical Service Bulletins: 18-NA-297 and 19-NA-206. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a faulty shift control, and the dealer determined that the shift assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. …
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while attempting to park the vehicle, the warning message to "Shift to Park" was illuminated. The contact was not able to shift the vehicle into park as needed. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle however, the gear shifter failed to shift into park as needed. The contact manually turned the steering wheel from side to side while shifting the gear shifter until the vehicle responded and the vehicle was turned off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the contact was unaware of the result. The contact was concerned that the failure was due to the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that there was no recall for the failure. The contact was informed that the repair would not be covered. The failure mileage was 35,000.
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission failed to properly shift gears and the vehicle failed to exceed 40 MPH while driving. The contact stated that the transmission failed to shift above third gear. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who discovered that there was no transmission fluid inside the torque converter. The vehicle was scanned and displayed an issue with the transmission control module. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V668000 (Power Train). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 154,429.
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled unexpectedly. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The contact also stated that while coming to a stop and attempting to depress the brake pedal, the vehicle lost motive power but unexpectedly lunged forward. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted after the failure. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission 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 assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 85,695.
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle was shuddering. The failure occurred while depressing the accelerator pedal. No warning light illuminated. The contact inspected the vehicle, replaced the transmission fluid, and added a protective additive as a temporary repair for the shuddering. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to an unknown NHTSA Campaign related to the failure; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated after shifting to park(P) and attempting to turn off the vehicle, the message "Shift to Park" was displayed. The contact stated that upon shifting out of park(P) and shifting to park(P) several times, the vehicle responded as needed. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the "Shift to Park" switch had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer provided an estimate for the repair; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated upon attempting to turn off the vehicle, the instrument panel remained operable with the message "Shift to Park" displayed while the gear shifter was already in park(P). The contact shifted out of park(P) and shifted back to park(P) several times until the vehicle responded as needed. The contact stated that the failure recurred, and the vehicle failed to successfully turn off after several attempts, causing the battery to become drained. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the shift to park message was displayed. There was a constant abnormal dinging sound detected, and the vehicle failed to remain in park. While having a routine inspection, it was determined that the rear trailing arms bushings were worn out and the vehicle failed the inspection. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was like NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V516000 (Power Train). The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while parking and attempting to turn off the vehicle, the message "Shift to Park" was displayed, though the gear shift indicator had displayed that the vehicle was in park(P). The contact stated that she restarted the vehicle, shifted from park(P) to drive(D) continuously until the vehicle responded as needed. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.
Related recalls
Power train › Automatic transmission
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020.
Transmission complaints in other Acadia years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2019 GMC Acadia?
NHTSA has 154 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2019 GMC Acadia, 40% of the model year's 387 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission › lever and linkage › floor shift (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2019 GMC Acadia transmission problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 20V-668 (automatic transmission, Oct 29, 2020). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2019 GMC Acadia transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 23% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.