2008 GMC Acadia: engine overheating

Filed Aug 2, 2020 · Driver assistance, Electrical · 189,000 miles · CA

This vehicle will all of a sudden start swaying from side to side and the stabilitrak light will come on. In addition, the transmission will suddenly seize up, losing acceleration and nearly causing a crash. The engine will also state that it is overheating, all of a sudden and the vehicle will shut itself off and smoke will start coming from the engine. This has happened while going between 35 and 65 MPH. On the streets and highways. My children in the bucket seats in the back were sleep and their heads hit the window. They sustained injury. That was on a regular street and the speed limit was 35 MPH. I was within or slightly under the speed limit when the vehicle started swaying unexpectedly. When the road is wet, it will sway from side to side on simple curves in the road. I have had the transmission replaced twice. Due to the safety concerns and fear of my family being fatally injured, it was around christmas time. I have had to park the vehicle. I have contacted gmc by phone several times with no response in return. I spoke with someone and was informed to report it to the federal safety agency. Maybe something can be done about this before a death occurs.

Filed Dec 6, 2016 · Engine · 145,000 miles · AE

Takata recall. I purchased the car in 2012 and in 2014 I noticed the antifreeze was low. I filled it with dexcool and watched it. Over the past few years the car has been in close to 20 times because the coolant is low. Recently I noticed the car had a class iii leak of dexcool coming from the front right wheel area, I took it and they said it was the pressure release and I had overfilled it. Yesterday while driving on the autobahn in speeds of 90+ MPH the battery level dropped all the lights came on and the right front engine area was steaming. I have taken to another mechanic and I am still waiting to hear what is wrong. The car has been to many gmc dealers each saying that they have seen the problem but aren't able to find the problem. None of the lights were on and the car has never overheated even yesterday the temp was still normal. There is now a puddle of dexcool where the car is parked at the shop and because I am stationed in germany now and can't take it to another dealership.

Filed Jun 21, 2016 · Driver assistance, Engine · 86,000 miles · IL

My 2008 acadia is now on it's 4th thermostat. I'm about to send it in to have it replaced. My SUV keeps overheating. So far I have replaced the radiator, thermostat, and stability track. Is there any one else who has this problem?

Filed Sep 11, 2014 · Body, Electrical · MO

There is a potential fire hazard with the daylight running lights overheating before they burn out on both driver and passenger side. The bulb gets so hot that they melt the bulb socket causing an electrical fire hazard. The heat also has made the headlight housing brittle and cracked to where the socket wont stay in place inside the headlight housing thus causing the bulb to lay on the plastic causing a fire hazard. General motors knows about this fire hazard because I have called it to there attention and because they have a customer satisfaction program #13135. They have also recalled some 2007 and 2009 to 2011 vehicles but not 2008 with the same problem.

Filed Mar 11, 2014 · Lights · 87,000 miles · VA

Right headlight gasket around daytime running light overheated and melted headlight casing causing entire headlight assembly to need to be replaced. Did not discover until realizing daytime light was not coming on. Unsure of how long the issue had been going on.

Filed Jan 9, 2014 · Electrical, Steering · 108,000 miles · GA

Transmission started failing and finally went out at 108,000 miles, sitting in our driveway and we had to have it towed to dealer. Gm dealer replaced it under warranty but the labor cost us several thousand dollars. Now at 170,000 miles, this remanufactured transmission is now going out. It sticks in low speed and then overheats driving 65mph in 40deg weather. The dealer claims that a stretched timing chain has to be fixed first, before the transmission, at a cost of $1944. They also said the on board computer didn't store the numerous overheated transmission events that began occurring immediately after the remanufactured transmission was installed at 108,000 miles. The gm dealer is trying to tell me that the transmission is probably ok and that the overheating is due to some other reason, but he then couldn't even guess at what the other reasons might be! The fluid level is good, and the vehicle has a tow package with a cooler for the transmission fluid. Gm dealer said the transmission will be covered by warranty, which will likely mean another several thousand dollar labor charge on top of the so called stretched timing chain cost of $1,900. The power steering pump has been whining for about a year and is getting loud. The navigation and dvd player system failed twice. Might be time to trade the vehicle for something more reliable. My wife is getting scared to drive it too far and end up being broken down in atlanta traffic...very dangerous.

Filed Jul 29, 2013 · Transmission · 109,750 miles · CA

We live in camarillo ca. We left to go to sacramento for my daughters college orientation. About two hours into the first leg of our trip the dic informed us the transmission was overheating and the car should be idled for it to cool off. We did just that. After it cooled off we began driving again. It did this once more before we arrived in san luis obispo. We left the next day to sacramento. Again about two hours into the drive the same thing occurred. We idled the car, trans cooled off and we got under way again. It did this once more before we arrived in sacramento.. While in sacramento it drove fine. On our return trip it did this twice on the way home. After looking back it seemed to do this when we were going up an incline. We were not towing anything either. We were lucky that while on the freeway when we received the overheat notice that the car did not lose power and slow down while on the freeway in traffic. This is the third transmission for this vehicle since we purchased it in 2008.

Filed Jul 17, 2013 · Electrical, Engine · 33,000 miles · CA

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 gmc acadia. The contact stated that the air bag, the stability control, and traction control warning lights failed along with the daytime running lights failed. The contact also stated that the engine overheated and the power steering also failed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the light bulb was replaced but the failure recurred. The dealer was also unable to diagnose the other failures. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 33,000 and the current mileage was 112,000.

Filed Jul 1, 2013 · Electrical, Lights · 25,415 miles · GA

I have had multiple problems with the daytime driving lights over heating and causing the entire headlight assembly to melt. Incidences on 8-1-09 8-15-09 4-8-10 and 11-15-12. And again in 2013. The fact that there is enough heat to melt the assembly to the housing tells me there is possibility of a fire. This is obviously a design and mechanical flaw of the vehicle. The consumer end of this is that along with the chance of fire, the vehicle's design requires the entire front grill to be removed in order to replace the headlight wiring harness and housing. This labor intensive method means that replacing this part can cost upward of $900. And it still does not address the initial problem of the overheating that caused the wiring harness to melt into the housing. So you are just waiting for it to happen again and hope that it is within the 30 days warranty for repairs. And wondering if my car is going to catch fire.

Filed Dec 1, 2012 · Electrical, Lights · 99,000 miles · MO

Daylight running lights overheat both driver and passenger sides. There is evidence that both bulb sockets have overheated and the light housing has cracked from the overheating. With the bulb and socket overheating this has the possibility of causing a fire, with evidence being the cracked lamp housing form the heat. I have replaced the bulbs on both sides always using dielectric grease. I have owned this car since 2010 and replaced the right side bulb 3 times and now on the left side 4 times. There is a factory recall on other year models but not on the 2008 gmc acadia slt-2 having every bell and whistle. It was monday, nov. 19, 2012 when this electrical system failure happened again.

Filed Aug 13, 2012 · Electrical, Lights · 68,500 miles · TX

I replaced the driver side daytime running lamp and 8 days later replaced passenger side daytime running lamp. The last bulb replaced was on the passenger side and now is burned out again less than three weeks later. There is evidence on both bulb connectors of overheating. Dielectric grease has been used everytime bulbs have been changed through out the life of the vehicle. To the best of my knowledge, any time there is overheating on an electrical circuit further problems could arise. There is a factory recall on other year models but not on the 2008 gmc acadia slt-2 having every bell & whistle along with higher price tag than lesser trim packages.

Filed May 27, 2011 · Engine · 35,687 miles · KS

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 gmc acadia. The contact stated that after replacing the evaporated core, coolant leaked onto the ventilation system and as a result, fumes were emitted into the vehicle causing the passengers to become ill. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who verified that coolant had leaked onto the carpet pad and they could smell the fumes entering the vehicle. The dealer decided to detail the vehicle and used foam cleaner to clean out the engine. The remedy failed to repair the problem. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure and current mileage was 35,687. Updated 07/08/11 *bf updated 07/20/11