2013 GMC Acadia recalls and problems

The 2013 GMC Acadia has 3 safety recalls and 135 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at any GMC dealer.

Recalls
3
Complaints
135
Crashes / fires
5 / 8
Injuries / deaths
4 / 0

Recalls may cover only some 2013 GMC Acadia vehicles. Check your VIN at NHTSA ↗ to see open recalls for your exact car.

2013 GMC Acadia recalls

Recall 21V-246: Air Bags

Reported Apr 8, 2021 · 108 vehicles affected · General Motors, LLC

Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2015, 2017 Buick Enclave, 2010-2019 Chevrolet Traverse, and 2011-2016 GMC Acadia vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not be properly attached.

Risk: Unsecured side curtain air bags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, realign or replace the weld nuts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2021. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N202321200.

Recall 14V-266: Seat Belts

Reported May 20, 2014 · 1,339,355 vehicles affected · General Motors LLC

Problem: 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 manufactured April 14, 2008, through March 18, 2010. In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cable that connects the seatbelt to the front outboard seating positions may fatigue and separate over time.

Risk: If the steel cable becomes fatigued and separates, the seatbelt may not properly restrain the seat occupant increasing the risk of an injury in a crash.

Fix: 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. An interim notice will be mailed to owners in July 2014. A second notice will be mailed to owners once parts become available. The recall for the 2009-2010 model years began on July 11, 2014. The interim letter for the 2011-2014 model years were distributed on July 11, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-462-8782 (GMC), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). General Motors recall number for this campaign is 14187.

Recall 14V-118: Air Bags

Reported Mar 17, 2014 · 1,176,407 vehicles affected · General Motors LLC

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia and 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse and 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the driver and passenger seat mounted side impact air bag (SIAB) wiring harnesses may result in the SIAB and seat belt pretensioners not deploying in the event of a crash.

Risk: Failure of the side impact air bags and seat belt pretensioners to deploy in a crash increase the risk of injury to the driver and front seat occupant.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected harness connections with soldered connections, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2014. Buick owners may contact the owner center at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet owners at 1-866-694-6546, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and GMC owners at 1-866-996-9463. GM's number for this recall is 14030. Note: Vehicles repaired as part of Customer Satisfaction Campaign 10085 and special coverage 10335 have already had the subject condition repaired and therefore are not included in the safety recall.

2013 GMC Acadia problems reported by owners

Problem areaReports
Electrical System38
Air Bags29
Power Train27
Unknown or Other21
Engine21
Exterior Lighting10
Steering8
Vehicle Speed Control6
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)6
Structure5
Fuel/Propulsion System5
Seat Belts4

Most reported parts

  • Structure › Body — 5
  • Lane Departure › Blind Spot Detection — 3
  • Exterior Lighting › Headlights — 1
  • Equipment › Electrical — 1
  • Suspension › Front — 1
  • Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator Pedal — 1
  • Visibility › Sun/Moon Roof Assembly — 1
  • Back Over Prevention › Rearview System Braking — 1

Typical mileage at the time of the problem: 83,000 miles (median of owner reports).

Problems that are not covered by a recall are paid repairs; labor rates follow local mechanic pay — see what auto mechanics earn in each state.

Recent 2013 GMC Acadia complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA, as written (personal details removed). Complaints are not verified by NHTSA.

Unknown or Other · reported Aug 16, 2026
Sunroof shattered driving on the interstate. Never saw a rock or anything. I think it shattered due to pressure and temperature changes.
Air Bags · reported Jul 30, 2026
I think my vehicle is apart of this recall: March 17, 2014 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V118000 Side Impact Air Bags Wiring Connections Failure of the side impact air bags and seat belt pretensioners to deploy in a crash increase the risk of injury to the driver and front seat occupant.
Electrical System · reported Jul 12, 2026
Transmission causes problems in can be on interstate and be switching lanes and it loses power and wont go takes forever to shift out. It will cut out and you can barely get pulled off side of rd in time. Electrical the battery voltage goes crazy up and down causing vehicle to power surge bad or at night time lights will go out for no reason while driving every now and then you can smell something melting or burning also the engine gets so hot but it's right temperature cooling fan runs constantly even when car is cool.since all the problem with Transmission the suspension is off some how. Its…
Unknown or Other · reported Apr 21, 2026
The windows stopped working. Only the driver’s window still goes down and if it does go down, it often won’t go back up. If there was an accident and windows were the only escape option, you would probably be trapped in the vehicle. It has not been looked at, because I cannot afford to fix it. I do know other acadia owners that have the exact same problem.
Air Bags · reported Apr 13, 2026
The contact owns a 2013 GMC Acadia. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V118000 (Air Bags); and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer was contacted but the manufacturer was not contacted.

Other GMC Acadia years

Compare all GMC Acadia years · All GMC models

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2013 GMC Acadia have any recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2013 GMC Acadia: 21V-246 (air bags), 14V-266 (seat belts), 14V-118 (air bags). Not every vehicle is affected, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What is the most common problem with the 2013 GMC Acadia?

Owners report electrical system problems most often (38 reports), followed by air bags (29). The typical mileage when problems were reported is about 83,000 miles.

Are GMC recall repairs free?

Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at authorized GMC dealers, whether you are the first owner or bought the car used.