The gmac dealer is telling us the our 2009 acadia has a damaged wave plate and will cost us about $2500 00 -- $3,000.00 to fix this problem. Our 5 year 100,000 mileage just expired last month. The car was just at the shop for three recalls and oil change. When the problem first happened I informed the dealer and told the problem.
2009 GMC Acadia transmission complaints
Page 3 of 4: complaints 41 to 70 of 72, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Most common at slower rates of speed, the power steering goes out & the vehicle becomes extremely hard to steer. However, this has also happened to me on the highway while traveling at 65+ MPH. That was extremely scary. More than once, I have been forced to turn into an oncoming lane b/c the steering is too stiff to turn properly. The issue was intermittent, but is now constant. Have flushed/replaced power steering fluid, replaced power steering pump & reservoir. The vehicle is at my local dealer now (as of 8/22/14) & they are telling me the new pump is bad & that the steering gear is leaking...although there is no evidence of it leaking externally on the ground & the dip stick consistently shows the reservoir as full. Approximate repair cost is $1500 as of now... This is a highly dangerous & apparently common situation that gmc should be rectifying with a recall of the acadia.
At 72000 miles we had the acadia serviced because of shifting problems, looked at again several times between them an 108000 when my wife had a near catastrophic failure as the transmission failed re engage while in drive in the middle of a busy intersection and called 911 because of the danger to my daughter, herself and those motorists on the road who couldn't see the hazard lights in the setting sun driving westbound - she narrowly avoided being rear ended and left the vehicle and sat on the embankment until police arrived.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 gmc acadia. While driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle jerked without warning. The contact also stated that shifting was difficult. On one occasion, the vehicle was shifted into reverse and the contact depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle failed to reverse. The failure occurred on multiple occasions. The dealer stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 69,000.
While turning left from a stop sign, my 2009 gmc slt had an RPM increase and failed to change into a higher gear. I was almost struck by an oncoming vehicle because my vehicle failed to accelerate. I parked at the post office and when I returned to my vehicle and tried to back out of the parking space my vehicle would not go into reverse. I had to get the vehicle towed to carmax and have it repaired. It is still at carmax and has to have the entire transmission rebuilt. Luckily I have an extended maintenance plan so I only have to pay a deductible instead of the entire amount. I feel that based on the number of same complaints and safety issues that gmc should have to issue a recall to have all the transmissions replaced versus the individual vehicle owners having to pay. If researched it is evident that this is an engineering flaw which started with this transmission in 2007.
I have a 2009 acadia slt2. I was entering the highway and accelerating when the car would not increase in speed as I was merging onto the highway. I was nearly hit by a semi-tractor trailer truck. The same problem has occurred multiple times after this. I have taken the car in for service and was told by a gm authorized dealer that they could not replicate the issue and they replace a coil. The car still does the same thing intermittently. This car has had other safety issues, like water leaking into the cabin and nearly shocking me while trying to drive.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 gmc acadia. The contact stated that the vehicle would jerk violently intermittently. The contact noticed that there was water leaking from underneath the vehicle. Additionally, the power steering assist would sporadically seize accompanied by an abnormal noise when completing a turn. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was advised that the water pump and ignition coil needed to be replaced. An unknown repair was made to the steering component to rectify the failure. On a separate occasion, the vehicle was taken to the dealer for routine service where the dealer advised that the tie rods failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
While driving out of town this weekend we noticed quite a few problems with the vehicle shaking/vibrating a lot while on the interstate and when driving up inclines it would start to surge back and forth. After some doing some research online it seems as if the transmission is starting to show signs of the common wave plate problem in this vehicle. This needs to be addressed, as well as all the other common issues that this platform has, by gm.
My 2009 gmc acadia was purchased in aug 2009. Aside from routine maintenance, I have already had to replace the water pump, the radiator, & the timing belt (none of which were covered under my warranty) but on september 9, 2013 , my transmission let go. The dealership kept my vehicle for 20 days. Claim they couldn't rebuild it and had to get a new one. (which I have since been told that was a lie, that they have to use factory rebuilt transmissions). Got my vehicle back on sept. 28. On march 22, 2014, I brought it back to dealership because it was showing signs of slipping transmission again. Dealer told me it was fine sent me home. Less than 2 weeks later on april 8, the transmission let go again. No reverse & truck would not move in drive just rev the engine. Back to dealership for "another transmission" this time they had my vehicle for 18 days. I just picked it up 2 days ago. This morning while driving my kids to school, transmission went again! This is unsafe! I am scared to death to drive my kids around in this vehicle! I almost got into an accident this morning because of it! 3 transmissions in 6 months?! This is a red flag don't you think.. How much longer will gmc not value my life or my families?? Something needs to be done about this!
Vehicle was travelling at 60mph when engine rpms revved excessively high yet vehicle lost power to the wheels. With no acceleration yet engine red lined, attempted to maintain control while braking and pulling to the side of the road. Unable to maintain full control. Vehicle entered non travelled portion of the road (ditch). Issue was later determined to be the reverse wave plate (aka - drive/reverse clutch) requiring complete transmission rebuild.
Broke down, car felt like it would not shift into second gear then just died. Dealer found a cracked wave plate, cracked clutch housing (clutches worn), cylinder excessively worn, torque converter full of metal. No sign of any computer alerts or check engine signals until break-down. Repaired all for $2820.15. Said it would have been covered if under 100,000 miles. Sounds like planned obsolescence, or just poor manufacturing. No more american cars for me.
My wife was driving home from work when she experienced erratic operation of her vehicle. When taking off at first the vehicle lacked power then suddenly the engine RPM raced and the vehicle lurched forward. The engine speed was uncontrollable with the throttle. At a stop light the vehicle would barely take off and suddenly engine RPM's would race and the vehicle would surge when throttle was applied. The vehicle was driven directly to the gmc dealership on the way home and at that point it was determined the reverse gear was completely inoperative. The transmission failed due to a broken reverse wave plate. Vehicle was delivered new 7/10/09 (less than 5 years). The transmission replacement final billing was $3,906.54.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 gmc acadia. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled and the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the transmission failed and need to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 81,453 and the current mileage was 81,456. Updated 05/29/14 ma updated 06/03/2014
Driving on the highway through the mountains the vehicle would shift into neutral and lose all power. After doing this several times we exited. The check engine light came on and we did not have reverse and the transmission would only remain in 1st gear. After taking to dealer he new exactly what it was before even looking at the vehicle... The shift wave plate for reverse, 1st and 5th gear. If this is such a "known" common problem for this vehicle between 60,000 and 70,000 miles why was there not a recall? Losing power on the highway (with my family) 100's of miles from home while driving through the mountains of tn (we live in mi) was very dangerous. Finding out this is a common thing for this vehicle is inexcusable for a manufacturer in this day and age to let go without fixing on affected vehicles before it happens.
I took my 2009 acadia into the gmc dealer with around 65,000 miles on it after buying it used (1 previous owner) with around 42,000 miles. They told me I had a power steering leak in the rack and pinion and it would cost around $2000 to replace a seal because they have to pull the whole rack off. He told me it would be okay for a while, but eventually it would cause the power steering to go out. After researching, I've seen multiple other acadia owners who have had the exact same problem. I have refused to pay for the repairs because I think this is a safety issue that has effected enough of this model vehicle to warrant a general safety recall. I know of 3 other people in my hometown who have experienced power steering problems with their acadia's, and the gmc dealership acknowledged to me that it is a significant problem with gmc acadia model years 2008-2012. If that's not enough, then I'm not sure what is, but if my power steering goes out while I'm driving, well, let this serve as notice to gmc.
My transmission (wave plate clutch) went out while I was driving. I am registering this because I have come across a forum on edmonds.com consisting of over 38 pages of customer complaints regarding the 2008 - 2010 acadia having transmission problems around 75k miles, just outside of warranty. The cost to repair ranges from $2200 to $4500. Someone recently suggested that owners start officially registering our complaints. Gm is aware that faulty transmissions are putting their owners at risk of loss of control of vehicle functions while driving, yet they will not take ownership of the issue.
Current issue is a transmission failure, apparently the "3-5-r waveplate." five months prior, my wife and children were traveling out of state. They experienced a sudden loss of power and were stranded on a rural highway not once, but twice. The vehicle was towed in to a gm dealership, "repairs" were performed under warranty, and we were told we could pick up our car. My wife (again with children in the car) made it less than 10 miles from the dealership before the engine failed again. This time on the bridge of a major highway....no where to even exit the vehicle. After the second incident the engine was replaced (after 3+ weeks of diagnostic work). We were told the dealership was not able to identify the problem that caused the engine failure. Engine was replaced under warranty. Transmission had been shifting erratically for several months. At time of engine failure/replacement, gm dealership that performed the engine replacement advised us that the transmission shifts/slips were "normal" for this particular transmission. They advised a transmission fluid flush, which we authorized. Shifting remained abrupt, slipping continued, but as we were advised this was "normal", we continued driving the vehicle and did not seek further repair. Two weeks ago, (now at 82000 miles, but six weeks out of 5 yr warranty), the slippage became distinctly more evident, vehicle at one point wound not continue forward motion through an intersection and had to be idled to roadside. After multiple calls, we were advised to take the vehicle to a local gm dealership. Diagnosis of 3-5-r waveplate failure was given. This transmission waveplate failure is a well documented issue that can cause driver and/or passengers to be put at serious risk for injury. Our hope is that an investigation will take place to require gm to recall/repair this issue before someone is needlessly harmed.
Current issue is a transmission failure, apparently the "3-5-r waveplate." five months prior, my wife and children were traveling out of state. They experienced a sudden loss of power and were stranded on a rural highway not once, but twice. The vehicle was towed in to a gm dealership, "repairs" were performed under warranty, and we were told we could pick up our car. My wife (again with children in the car) made it less than 10 miles from the dealership before the engine failed again. This time on the bridge of a major highway....no where to even exit the vehicle. After the second incident the engine was replaced (after 3+ weeks of diagnostic work). We were told the dealership was not able to identify the problem that caused the engine failure. Engine was replaced under warranty. Transmission had been shifting erratically for several months. At time of engine failure/replacement, gm dealership that performed the engine replacement advised us that the transmission shifts/slips were "normal" for this particular transmission. They advised a transmission fluid flush, which we authorized. Shifting remained abrupt, slipping continued, but as we were advised this was "normal", we continued driving the vehicle and did not seek further repair. Two weeks ago, (now six weeks out of warranty), the slippage became distinctly more evident, vehicle at one point wound not continue forward motion through an intersection and had to be idled to roadside. After multiple calls, we were advised to take the vehicle to a local gm dealership. Diagnosis of 3-5-r waveplate failure was given. This transmission waveplate failure is a well documented issue that can cause driver and/or passengers to be put at serious risk for injury. Our hope is that an investigation will take place to require gm to recall/repair this issue before someone is needlessly harmed.
I was at a stop light and upon pulling off noticed the vehicle was very slow to accelerate, despite the rpms being very high. Vehicle was towed to the dealer two days later due to a snow storm. They replaced a sensor, and returned the vehicle to me. 3 hours later while driving down i280, the vehicle completely lost acceleration. This was very unsafe, the diagnosis was broken wave plate.
In 2 years of ownership I have replaced 4 ignition coils and the vehicle now needs yet another. At roughly 85000 miles (and year 5) the transmission wave plate failed. Gm would only authorize a rebuild (last week).
While driving thru an intersection with a yield my vehicle suddenly stopped and the engine RPM climbed to around 3500 RPM. The transmission slipped between gears causing a sudden and unexpected slow down.luckily another driver was alert and had to slow down quickly to keep from hitting us as we were merging with traffic.this never happened before and came on without warning.as soon as it happened once it has been happening more often, I brought the vehicle in and the diagnosis was the "wave plates" in the transmission. The mechanic informed me that this transmission had an issue with a part that was not properly heat treated and caused it to fail.I called the gm dealer and they would not warranty because we were just outside the 100,000 mile warranty period. They also stated that they knew there have been many issues with this vehicle but gm has not issued any type of recall.now I need a new transmission at a cost of around 4,000 dollars. I have owned several gm vehicles in the past and gotten well over 250,000 miles with no issues at all. This could have been very serious and caused injuries if the circumstances were different and someone who panicked was involved. I feel that this should warrant a recall and force gm into looking into this further. Thank you for your time.
Initially noticed when shifting from park to another gear shifting was hard. About a week later noticed hesitation in shifting gears while driving at various rates of speed then the engine would rev once it shifted into gear. Eventually parked the car in drive then went to back out to take to dealership and it would not go into reverse. Vehicle towed to dealership where they replaced the wave plate and other parts that were contaminated. Since this incident the vehicle has not drove smoothly or shifted gears smoothly. It also gets less than 15 miles to the gallon during my daily commute now where prior to the transmission fix I would get 19-20. Vehicle hesitates and revs continually while driving and accelerating. When I returned the vehicle to the dealership stating there was still an issue I received "we could not replicate the issue" and sent on my way. After research on this site and other and reading the systemic issues others have had just like it I am concerned for my family and those around me safety if the transmission decides to stop while traveling high speed in traffic or when crossing traffic.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 gmc acadia. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH the transmission stalled with the illumination of the warning indicator. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnosis. The technician stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Transmission wave plate issue...car started "hard-shifting" from 2nd-3rd gear...once this started, in a matter of a couple of days, had trouble even shifting into gear...barely was able to drive it to dealership where they diagnosed the issue...my issue is that I have to pay $4500 for something that is a known dangerous problem with gmc acadias across almost all model years based upon my research on the internet. This should be a recall situation. There is obviously a fault somewhere with the assembly process to be this huge of a problem. This could lead to a major accident. On 9/27, I was turning left off a main road into my subdivision. Car would not engage into gear, so was just coasting across the lane where oncoming traffic would be until it engaged maybe 3 to 4 seconds later. Had there been traffic coming, the oncoming vehicle would have slammed into me before I could have gotten across.
My wife was driving her 09 acadia and all of a sudden it quit shifting and the engine revved up if she went over 25 MPH. She limped it to a local service station where they informed us that the reverse clutch pressure plate was broken and needed a new transmission. Even though it was within gm's 5yr 100k "powertrain warranty", they "conveniently" excluded that problem from being covered. I have seen many, many complaints regarding this issue and it is[xxx] that gm isn't owning up to it and correcting the problem on current vehicles. So, now we are out $3500 for a new transmission on a car with only 75k miles! Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr *updated 1/15/2014
Transmission began slipping when I was accelerating out of turns. Dealer replaced broken motor mount and reprogrammed computer and said transmission was fine. 17 days later, 3-5 reverse clutch went out and dealer had to rebuild 3-5 reverse and 4,5,6 clutch and replace torque converter because of contamination. The car still isn't driving right but dealer states they can't find anything wrong with the vehicle. This is a very common problem with '08 and '09 acadia's and gmc is aware of the problem but isn't don't anything to prevent failure with other owners.
* transmission was slipping and revving up between gears. Delayed response and clunking sound when it is in reverse. "check engine light" also came on. Barely drove the car to the dealership for repairs. Dealership service advisor scheduled a transmission rebuild. After doing internet search, I saw countless complaints in blogs, sns, etc. There are so many people having this transmission problem. Not acceptable. Gmc has powertrain warranty 5 year /100k miles. My warranty expires in four months and gm should provide extended powertrain warranty beyond 5 years based unreliable transmission design/quality. * power steering problem. Power steering is making moaning under low speed driving (in the parking lot, driving around subdivision, etc.). Noise is coming from the inside steering column area. Also steering is very tight and hard. Complained to dealership multiple times. Dealership replaced the seal twice, but the problem is still there. Dealership told me that gm does not have a fix for this problem.
2009 gmc acadia slt1 - 67,000 miles currently. Power steering failing at lower speeds. When purchasing the vehicle used with only 25,000m+- approx. 2 years ago, I questioned the dealership about the whining noise coming from the steering components and was told that this is normal for all acaidias and not a concern. Now the steering is failing at low speed turns. Gmc service dept recommending: steering gear housing $42.14 - 2 bolts $11.00 - 2 - bolts $7.59 - 6 - p/s fluid $23.10 and flush and bleed system, labor to replace steering gear housing $640.50 power steering pump $155.69 realign after steering gear repair $69.95 labor for pump $315.00 injectors and coils failing. In dec 2011, I had to replace coils #2 & #3. I just replaced #6 injector on july 17, 2013 (= $685) and on july 24, 2013 (one week later) check engine light reappeared. Gmc service dept recommending: 4 - ignition coils $373.30, 6 - spark plugs $42.25, labor for coils, and plugs $241.50. ........................................................... Total parts $655.07 total labor $1197.00 tax $54.04 align $69.95 total: $1976.06 offering 40% customer portion pay $790.42 why is there no recall on defective steering components & coils/injectors? In the later 2012 models gm did change the power steering & fluid, so gm is aware that there is a problem with the design. The fuel delivery system is also defective and faulty coils/injectors could and have caused fires. Gmc acadia, buick enclave & chevrolet traverse vehicles up to early 2012 models share these above mentioned components are plagued by these two problems along with transmission (wave plate) problems. Gm needs to take full responsibility for defective components and not offer discounted repairs.
My vehicle began to "jump" when you press on the gas petal. Then it had trouble finding a gear. I took it in to the dealership and they said that they could not replicate the problem. I was then coming home from work at 5pm in traffic, going 65 miles an hour in the fast lane and the transmission failed. The car would not move forward or backwards. I was left in the middle of the road in heavy traffic where people could easily hit my car. I was able to guide the car to the side and a tow truck came and towed me into the dealership. They returned the car a week later saying that it was working as designed. I was then driving up to eureka ca and the transmission began to slip. The car would not go past 35 miles per hour. I was on a busy freeway at the time. I took it to repair and they tested it and said that transmission sensors where faulty. There was no dealership there so I drove it back to the san francisco bay area with my hazard lights on at 35 miles per hour with the transmission wining the whole time. The car was returned to me a week later saying that the transmission had been repaired. A couple of weeks later I was driving and felt the transmission slip again. I took it in to the dealership and they said that they could not replicate the problem. I told them that I was sure I was going to be back as this was the pattern of the car. The car is now in the shop after the transmission failed again on a busy street while I was driving. This issue is well documented for this car at around 60,000 but there has been no recall. Does someone need to get hurt for a recall to happen?
First problem was the timing chains needing to be replaced at 18000 miles. After that repair was made the gas mileage was averaging 11 mpg. It was a one year old car! After that, it was a multitude of problems. Steering rack/power steering replaced and 'fixed', electric stabilitrak lights going on and off, dvd player not playing properly. All things the dealer had said they fixed (after they whispered that I should not have bought an american car.) now the transmission is acting up. Rolling down an incline when I was trying to back out of a parking spot. The dealer told me it was fine and they could not duplicate the issues I was having. I've written two letters to gm corporate to complain about the sub-standard vehicle. They were helpless and will not assist in any replacement of the car. They even told me that this would be a difficult car to trade in considering the problems I have had with it. Who is kidding who? I would never recommend this car and hate to continually put my family in it .it is unsafe. Period.
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