There are 21 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2012 GMC Acadiain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The contact owns a 2012 GMC Acadia. The contact’s wife stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 172,000.
Transmission issues
The timing chains went on the engine at 148,000 miles. Which is known for 3.6l engines. Gm needs to own up to their faulty manufacturing on these engines. I need this vehicle for my children. This is the second time I have to put another engine in this truck. Thankfully when I purchased this vehicle it had a warranty but it only cover so much so I had to put a jasper motor in it instead of a brand new one from GM itself and now this jasper motor died after only driving it 22,000 miles and getting my oil changed every 3,000 miles. Single mom of soon to be 3 children i can't afford another 3 row seating Vehicle.
The contact owns a 2012 GMC Acadia. The contacts stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost velocity while depressing the accelerator pedal. The message "Engine power reduced and service traction control" was displayed temporarily. The contact managed to pull over the shoulder of the road and had the vehicle towed to a local independent service lot where it was diagnosed with metal debris in the engine which required an engine replacement. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.
While driving the vehicle it just shut off for no reason which created a safety hazard! We were then forced to have it towed to a nearby repair shop, because we did not want to take the chance to start the vehicle and have the same thing happen again. The repair shop did their diagnosis and informed us it was a broken timing chain but couldn’t tell us if any other damage was done to the motor, without completely tearing it down. The decision was made to wait and it remains sitting at the repair shop.
142,000 miles and timing chain is bad. A very known issue and a very common issue in the GMC Acadia Denali which I think should be repaired by GM! I only owe $4,000 on the car and it's going to cost me 3,000 to get it fixed that is ridiculous so I think you should stand behind your workmanship and your quality of vehicles that you build GM and fix it take care of your customers as we keep buying this type of junk
The contact owns a 2012 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the RPM would rise to 4,000 however, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and inspected the vehicle and became aware of smoke coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine block, camshaft, reverse gear, and transmission housing needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 158,000.
I was driving 40 mph, when warnings appeared on my dash. "Service Stabalizor control", "Traction control turned off", "power is reduced", and the check engine light came on. I lost power as if engine quit, no acceration, but then came back intermittent. If I had been on a highway going 65 mph, in heavy traffic, there may have been an accident. Power steering remained on. I took to an auto service business, and they were unable to find the problem. Code indicated a fuel pressure problem.
A P0306 CODE APPEARED. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AND HE EXPRESSED THAT MY ENGINE WAS 'POROUS'. WHEN I START MY ENGINE THERE'S A ROUGH START. WHEN IT'S IDLE THE CAR SHAKES.
BOUGHT THIS GMC USED WITH 32000 MILES. PERFORMED REGULAR SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE. THE CAR JUST HIT 102,000 MILES AND THE ENGINE SEIZED UP. I WAS DRIVING IT HOME AND STOPPED AT A LIGHT AND THE CAR JUST DIED. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE BATTERY. THERE WAS NO WARNING AS I HEARD NO NOISE, DID NOT SEE ANY BUILD-UP OR SMOKE COMING FROM THE CAR. THE DEALERSHIP AND A 2ND MECHANIC BOTH VERIFIED THE ENGINE ISSUE. IT JUST BLOWS MY MIND THAT A VEHICLE THAT JUST HIT 100,000 MILES WOULD HAVE AN ENGINE DO THIS. THE COST TO REPLACE THE ENGINE IS ABOUT $8,000-$9,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 GMC ACADIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AT START-UP, THE ENGINE MISFIRE WITH THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN UNKNOWN DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. A SECONDARY INDEPENDENT MECHANIC CONFIRMED THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD MADE MY VEHICLE MADE A WEIRD NOISE AND LOST ALL POWER. TOOK IT TO A DEALERSHIP THEY SAID IT WAS THE TIMING CHAIN. I SPENT 10K ON A NEWER VEHICLE AND THIS HAPPENS. DEALERSHIP IT GONNA BE ANYWHERE FROM $5,500-7,000 TO FIX IT. I CAM'T AFFORD TO FIX THAT. HOW IS GM STILL MAKING THIS MOTOR WITH A TIMING CHAIN ISSUE AND HOW IS THIS YEAR NOT ON RECALL FOR THIS THE YEARS BEFORE WERE ON RECALL FOR IT. MY VEHICLE JUSTS SITS ON TRAILER. JAS BEEN THERE FOR 2 MONTHES. NOTHING LIKE PAYIN ON A DEAD HORSE
CAR STARTED RUNNING ROUGHLY. IT WAS LOUD UPON STARTING. THE CAR WOULD MAKE ESPECIALLY LOUD NOISES WHEN ON CURVES. THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. HAD IT CHECKED BY A MECHANIC. WAS TOLD THE TIMING CHAIN IS BAD AND NEEDS REPLACED. THIS MECHANIC TOLD ME HE SEES THIS PROBLEM A LOT & IT HAS TO BE REPAIRED BY A DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP'S COST FOR THIS REPAIR IS $4400. I CAN'T AFFORD THAT. UPON CALLING MECHANICS ALL OVER TOWN, THEY ALL SAY IT'S A COMMON PROBLEM WITH GM'S TIMING CHAINS.
TAMARA RECALL I HAVE REPLACED TWO HARD FUEL LINES IN THE LAST MONTH FROM THEM CRACKING OR THE WELD FAILURE AND NOW I HAVE TO REPLACE ONE OF THEM AGAIN. WHEN THESE LINES FAIL THEY SPRAY FUEL ON THE HOT ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION THAT COULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO START ON FIRE
TOOK MY CAR INTO GARAGE BECAUSE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I ALMOST STALLED OUT MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE I MADE IT TO THE GARAGE. MY CAR WAS TRAILING SMOKE. THE CODE SAID THE TIMING BELT WAS AFFECTED. HE SAID THAT USUALLY MEANS THE WHOLE ENGINE NEEDS REPLACED. MY CAR JUST TURNED 80,000 MILES. HE SAID CAR ENGINES LAST MUCH LONGER THAN THAT, IT SHOULD NOT HAVE ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. HE TOLD ME THAT MANY GM MOTORS ARE RECALLED, THIS MODEL AND AGE SHOULD'VE BEEN RECALLED WITH AS MANY CUSTOMERS HE'S SEEN IN HIS SHOP WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I BOUGHT MY CAR BRAND NEW IN 2012, I KNOW HOW IT WAS TAKEN CARE OF. THE ENGINE SHOULD NOT BE BREAKING DOWN JUST AS THE PAYMENTS CAME TO AN END. DO THE RIGHT THING AND RECALL THE ENGINES.
AT 70,000 MILES, THE VALVE SPRING BROKE, AND ALLOWED THE KEEPERS OF THE VALVE TO COME OUT AND THEN THE VALVE DROPPED INTO THE CYLINDER. THE MECHANIC HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE, AND CALLED IT A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. THE COST TO PUT IN A NEW ENGINE WAS $8922.38, AND THEN A COUPLE DAYS LATER, WE HAD TO REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR, WHICH WAS MOST LIKELY CAUSED BY THE ENGINE FAILURE. THE ENGINE FAILED WHILE PULLING OUT OF A STORE PARKING LOT - IT JUST STOPPED. WHEN WE TRIED RESTARTING THE ENGINE, THERE WAS A TERRIBLE NOISE (METAL PARTS WERE GRINDING INSIDE THE ENGINE)
2012 GMC ACADIA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO FAILED TIMING CHAIN. *LD THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 GMC ACADIA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A WARNING INDICATOR FOR THE ENGINE THAT RANDOMLY FLASHED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TWO DIFFERENT INDEPENDENT MECHANICS AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY A DEALER. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE INDEPENDENT MECHANICS REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,185.
TIMING GEAR COVER ON FRONT OF ENGINE LEAKS OIL. IT HAPPENS AFTER EVERY USE AND APPEARS TO BE A WIDESPREAD ISSUE WITH THE 3.6L V6 ENGINES ON THE GMC ACADIA, CHEVERY TRAVERSE AND BUICK ENCLAVE. THE SEAL ON THE FRONT ENGINE FAILS AND LETS THE OIL OUT OF THE ENGINE. IF NOT CAUGHT, OIL POURS INTO THE ENGINE POSING A FIRE AND CONTROL HAZARD.
WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY NOTICED THE ENGINE LIGHT START TO BLINK FOR THE THIRD TIME. ALSO NOTICE THE TRACTION CONTROL COME ON BY ITSELF AT THE SAME TIME. WHILE PUSHING ON THE GAS PEDAL THE CARS RPM WENT UP BUT THE SPEED WAS DECREASED. I PULLED THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND TURNED OFF THE TRACTION CONTROL MANUALLY. I SET FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES UNTIL THE LIGHT WENT AWAY. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER SO THAT THEY COULD READ THE CODE HISTORY. THE RESULT WAS THAT THE CAR MISFIRED ON CYLINDER 1, 3 & 4. THE TECH TOLD ME THAT THEY COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT THE EXACT CAUSE WAS UNLESS THE LIGHT WAS ON WHILE AT THE SHOP. BUT IF IT WAS TO HAPPEN AGAIN TO TAKE IT BACK IN FOR FURTHER REVIEW OF THE ISSUE. *TR
Showing 1–20 of 21 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026