Seat Belt complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2023 | 2 | 4% | 35,000 miles |
| 2022 | 4 | 8% | 43,000 miles |
| 2021 | 2 | 1% | — |
| 2020 | 3 | 3% | 35,000 miles |
| 2019 | 3 | 1% | 26,000 miles |
| 2018 | 4 | 1% | 45,000 miles |
| 2017 | 13 | 2% | 30,000 miles |
| 2016 | 5 | 2% | 96,000 miles |
| 2015 | 9 | 4% | 50,000 miles |
| 2014 | 7 | 2% | 56,000 miles |
| 2013 | 4 | 3% | 97,000 miles |
| 2012 | 8 | 3% | 48,000 miles |
| 2011 | 7 | 3% | 29,000 miles |
| 2010 | 6 | 2% | 85,000 miles |
| 2009 | 10 | 3% | 100,000 miles |
| 2008 | 14 | 2% | 83,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (buckles, retractors, anchors and pretensioners).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the rear passenger side seat belt and driver's side rear seat belt failed to fully extend smoothly while passengers were attempting to buckle the seat belt, or while attempting to secure a car seat inside the vehicle. The contact stated that while pulling the seat belt from the retracted position, the seat belt locked up. The contact had to release the seat belt and then attempt again to securely buckle the seat belt. The contact stated that the rear passenger's seat belt retractor failed to lock in place while securing the car seat. The contact stated that the belt was very loose. The contact stated that the driver's side rear seat belt was also difficult to secure the car seat. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that both seat belt units needed to be replaced. …
Since we purchased our 2022 Acadia 6/24/2022 we have had the warning "Service Safety Restraint System" pop up randomly. We have mentioned it numerous times over the years when the vehicle has been in for routine service at our local dealership. They have never been able to determine the cause as no service code ever shows up for them. Today in addition to the warning the red air bag warning light also lit up briefly. The warning has popped up 2x in the last 2 weeks again with today being the only time we noticed the red light as well. We are now more concerned about the safety of our vehicle. (We will be on vacation now through 8/25 & would be available after that date for any contact)
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the front driver's side and front passenger's side seat belt locking mechanism failed to remain latched. The contact stated that while driving, the seat belts would erroneously become unlatched. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the seat belts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 35,000.
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Acadia. The contact stated the center rear seat belt failed to extend as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure or repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 72,456.
I have experienced issues with the shifter of the vehicle twice now and it has resulted in replacing the shifter at least once. 6 months later and after an initial replacement the shifter has gone out again. The shifter refuses to move out of the park function. Prior to the shifter going out the car would say shift to park even though the car was already placed in park. I believe the issue to be an electrical problem. The middle seat belt in the second row of the vehicle has also stopped working.
Tl* the contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the front passenger seat belt buckle did not lock. The vehicle was taken to freehold Buick GMC (4404 U.S. 9, freehold, nj 07728, [phone]) where the contact was informed that the part was on backorder and a loaner vehicle was not available. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000.
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that the middle passenger's seat belt failed to retract. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and was diagnosed that the seat belt mechanism needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
The middle row passenger side bucket seat seems to have a seat buckle failure. We have had a booster seat professionally installed for over a year. I check daily before my son gets in the seat that the seat is properly secured, but this morning it was loose. The shoulder belt that you have to pull all the way out to ratchet. It in place was completely un ratcheted and free to move. The buckle was still buckled completely, and the only way the shoulder belt should have been able to be loose like that would've been completely unbuckling and letting it retract all the way. The seat buckle was never unbuckled whatsoever. It seems like that ratcheting mechanism somehow failed and released the lock on the shoulder belt which was supposed to be holding the car seat in place. …
Related recalls (3)
Seat belts
General Motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through May 14, 2014, Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured June 6, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured April 9, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles…
Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair and replace the lap pretensioner, free of charge. Parts are not currently available.
Seat belts
General motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Chevrolet traverse, Buick enclave, GMC acadia, and Saturn outlook vehicles. The second row seat side trim shield restricts the upward rotation of the safety belt buckle when the seat back is returned to a seating position after being folded flat.
Remedy: Dealers will modify the second row seat side trim shields. If a safety belt buckle is damaged, dealers will replace it free of charge. The safety recall began on August 18, 2010.
Seat belts › Rear/other › Buckle assembly
GM is recalling 16,667 my 2009 Buick enclave, Chevrolet traverse, GMC acadia, and Saturn outlook vehicles for failing to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the safety belt buckles in the second and third rows, and replace them if necessary. The recall began on November 26, 2008.
NHTSA investigations
Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
On May 19, 2014, General Motors LLC (GM) notified the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) that it would conduct Safety Recall 14V266 to address fatigue and separation of the flexible steel cable that connects the front outboard seat belts to the seat-mounted belt pre-tensioner in 1.4 million model year (MY) 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook, 2009-2014 Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse (Lambda Platform)…
Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
On August 31, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Engineering Analysis (EA) EA20002, as an upgrade of Recall Query (RQ) RQ19003. This investigation, related to recall 14V-266, was opened to investigate instances of detachment of the flexible steel seat belt anchor cable attached to the outboard side of the front seats in vehicles manufactured by General Motors (GM).
Frequently asked questions
Which GMC Acadia years have seat belt problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2008 (14), 2017 (13), 2009 (10), 2015 (9) and 2012 (8) model years. Seat Belt complaints make up 2% of all complaints for the 2008.
Is there a recall for GMC Acadia seat belt problems?
Yes — 3 recalls, including 14V-266 (seat belts, May 20, 2014); 10V-375 (seat belts, Aug 12, 2010); 08V-615 (buckle assembly, Nov 24, 2008). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do GMC Acadia seat belt problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 64,000 miles; 46% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the rear/other (2 mentions), followed by the rear/other › buckle assembly (1).
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.