2020 GMC Acadia Problems & Complaints

Better than average51% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Acadia at the same age

Owners have filed 106 complaints about the 2020 GMC Acadia with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That is 51% fewer than a typical Acadia model year at the same age, making the 2020 one of the better Acadia years. The most reported problem area is the engine & cooling (30 complaints, typically around 62,000 miles). 6 recalls cover this model year.

106complaints
6recalls
4crashes
0fires
2injuries
0deaths

Most common 2020 GMC Acadia problems

  • Engine & cooling~62,000 miles
    3028%
  • Electrical system~3,000 miles
    2826%
  • 2221%
  • Steering~62,000 miles
    2019%
  • Other / not specified~2,000 miles
    1514%
  • Driver assistance~0 miles
    1413%
  • Fuel & propulsion system~62,000 miles
    1110%
  • Brakes~6,000 miles
    88%
  • Speed control & acceleration~16,000 miles
    44%
  • Seat belts~35,000 miles
    33%
  • Air bags~10,000 miles
    33%
  • Windows, wipers & sunroof
    33%
  • Body & structure
    22%
  • Wheels & tires~14,000 miles
    11%
  • Seats~10,000 miles
    11%
  • Locks & latches~68,000 miles
    11%
  • Lights
    11%

Share of the 106 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.

GMC Acadia complaints by model year

’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25’264288543313432692961354632432367053963871061544947616710
Owner complaints per model year, GMC Acadia. Colour = our verdict for that year (red: avoid, orange: caution, green: better than average, blue: too new).

Best Acadia years: 2013, 2022, 2020. Years to avoid: 2025, 2017, 2024, 2019, 2018. Compare all years →

2020 GMC Acadia recalls (6)

Back over prevention › Sensing system › Camera

NHTSA recall 22V-709 · Sep 22, 2022 · 95,231 vehicles

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Cadillac XT5, XT6, and GMC Acadia vehicles equipped with the optional Surround Vision feature. The rearview camera coaxial cable connectors may have been crimped improperly, causing the rearview camera to fail or function intermittently.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the coaxial cables, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 18, 2023. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782.

Tires

NHTSA recall 21V-115 · Feb 25, 2021 · 33,838 vehicles

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, XT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, Traverse, GMC Yukon, Yukon XL, 2018-2021 Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana, 2019-2020 Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, GMC Acadia, Sierra 1500, and certain Continental tires sold to the aftermarket…

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the tires, replacing them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 22, 2021.

Tires

NHTSA recall 20V-684 · Nov 5, 2020 · 7,516 vehicles

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse vehicles and 2020-2021 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500 vehicles. The vehicles may have been manufactured with Continental tires that were overcured.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect vehicles and replace tires that have DOT number and production mold number combinations identified by Continental, free of charge. The recall began December 17, 2020.

Power train › Automatic transmission

NHTSA recall 20V-668 · Oct 29, 2020 · 194,105 vehicles

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.

Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump

NHTSA recall 20V-639 · Oct 15, 2020 · 2,781 vehicles

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5, Cadillac XT6, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles. The fuel pump's jet nozzle may have a plastic burr remaining from the manufacturing process, possibly causing a blocked nozzle and an insufficient fuel supply to the engine.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump module. The recall began November 16, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet…

Air bags › Side/window › Curtain › Inflator

NHTSA recall 20V-446 · Jul 30, 2020 · 769 vehicles

General Motors, LLC. (GM) is recalling certain 2020 Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT5 and XT6, Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado 1500, 2500 and 3500 and Traverse and GMC Acadia and Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500 vehicles.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the suspect RRAB modules, free of charge. The recall began September 3, 2020.

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2020 GMC Acadia:

Rear-View Camera Failure

NHTSA investigation PE22006 · opened Jul 22, 2022 · closed Nov 21, 2022 · led to recall 22V-709

On July 22, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE22-006) to assess alleged failures of the rear-view camera (RVC) in Model Year (MY) 2020-2021 Cadillac XT5, XT6, and GMC Acadia vehicles. The complaints report that the screen for the RVC is black, sometimes with a red triangle and a circle with a line through it.

What 2020 GMC Acadia owners say

Engine & cooling all 30 →

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was shuddering. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, and while driving at various speeds, a buzzing noise was heard coming from the engine compartment. The contact also stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with the anti-theft system warning light was illuminated and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was able to be restarted; however, the contact stated that unknown alarm chimes were heard. Additionally, the liftgate opened independently and various other unknown warning lights illuminated, and messages were displayed. …

2,000 miles · Nov 2021

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle, it stalled after initially adding fuel. Even though the reading indicated there was 1/8 of a tank of fuel. The fuel gauge failed to move. The thermostat was stuck open. The electric steering was not working properly. The engine light was illuminated. The traction control was turned off. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V639000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact stated that he was a master mechanic. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact called two other local dealers, Tadd Jenkins Chevy 409 Farnsworth Way, Rigby, ID 83442, and Smith Chevrolet. Address: 3477 Pioneer Dr Suite 200, Idaho Falls, ID 83402. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. …

62,000 miles · Apr 2026

Electrical system all 28 →

I bought my car [redacted] it had 7 miles. I loved my car. Then in January 2021 things just went crazy. It started with park light on. My forward brake assist warning didn't work, my back up camera in and out . My braking and stability were on and off. Then weird codes like. Engine at half power, unable to shift soon and speed control out. Then if I hit a bump message went away and speed control back on. I've taken care into another GMC dealer because dealer I bought my car at , closed up and took off!! Took it to closet dealer. Not long after repairs same issues started! So many different problems all at once! I have been treated horribly during these issues by dealership and extended warranty company. Dealer had my car for 3 weeks ! They couldn't figure out the problem. I sat there for 4 hrs sent me home told to come back for 9 mile test! Why in 4 hrs that wasn't done. …

Apr 2023 · crash

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the AC was inoperable. The message "Driving Assist Reduced - Drive with Care" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the battery. While driving, the message "Driving Assist Reduced" was displayed. The contact was concerned about driving the vehicle due to the failure of the steering wheel. The contact stated that the failure was related to GM Special Coverage: N252508350. There were four attempts to contact the manufacturer, but there was no response. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.

47,000 miles · Mar 2026

Transmission & drivetrain all 22 →

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was shuddering. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, and while driving at various speeds, a buzzing noise was heard coming from the engine compartment. The contact also stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with the anti-theft system warning light was illuminated and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was able to be restarted; however, the contact stated that unknown alarm chimes were heard. Additionally, the liftgate opened independently and various other unknown warning lights illuminated, and messages were displayed. …

2,000 miles · Nov 2021

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while driving from a complete stop and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond. The contact stated that the failure also occurred while driving at various speeds. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle experienced unintended downshifts while driving. The contact stated that the engine revved significantly without the accelerator pedal being depressed. The messages "Unable to Shift Gears" and "Service Vehicle" were displayed. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V668000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. …

80,000 miles · Jun 2024

2020 GMC Acadia engines & fuel economy

EngineTransmissionDriveMPG city / hwy / combined
2.0L 4-cyl turbo9-speed automaticFWD21 / 28 / 24
2.5L 4-cyl9-speed automaticFWD21 / 27 / 23
2.0L 4-cyl turbo9-speed automaticAWD21 / 27 / 23
3.6L 6-cyl9-speed automaticFWD19 / 27 / 22
3.6L 6-cyl9-speed automaticAWD18 / 25 / 21

EPA ratings. Class: SUV.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2020 GMC Acadia a good car?

Based on 106 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2020 Acadia rates better than average: 51% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Acadia at the same age. It is one of the best Acadia years by this measure. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.

What is the most common problem with the 2020 GMC Acadia?

The engine & cooling — 30 complaints, 28% of all complaints for this model year, most often about cooling system › radiator assembly. Next are the electrical system (28) and transmission & drivetrain (22).

How many recalls does the 2020 GMC Acadia have?

There are 6 recalls for the 2020 GMC Acadia, the most recent from September 22, 2022 (camera). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.

What are the best and worst years of the GMC Acadia?

The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2013, 2022 and 2020. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2025, 2017, 2024, 2019 and 2018. See the full GMC Acadia years comparison.

At what mileage do 2020 GMC Acadia problems happen?

The median mileage reported in complaints is about 10,000 miles; 73% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.

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.