The relay for the fan at the top of the fuse/relay box on the right side when facing the front of the vehicle. (under the hood) Gets hot and blows the relay and melts the spot where the relay prongs plug in. Causing the need for a new fuse box and circuit problems within the fuse box connectors. The fans, specifically the a/c fan does not kick on when turning on the a/c and the low speed fan does not kick on at all until the secondary temp fan kicks on after the temperature raises past the normal operating range. Which an overheating engine is bad for all parts of the engine which can and sooner or later will lead to a catastrophic failure putting the operator and other motorists life's at risk.This time it created a small fire that was extinguished only because the fuse box cover was off and I was looking at it as it happened, putting the cover back on extinguished the fire. This is the third time it has happened with the exact same problem. You tube is full of videos with the exact same problem.
The worst 2011 GMC Acadia problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Steering64
- Engine56
- Electrical47
- Lights38
- Transmission33
- Airbags19
- Driver assistance18
- Acceleration13
- Brakes10
- Fuel system10
- Visibility10
- Body9
- Seat belts7
- Suspension7
- Seats6
- Wheels3
- Locks2
- Tires2
Specific symptoms reported on the 2011 GMC Acadia
Headlights 31Power steering loss 21Check engine light 17Loss of power 17Stalling 12Fire or smoke 10Overheating 10Whining noise 10Won't start 9Airbag light 6Grinding brakes 6Engine failure 6
Trouble codes owners of the 2011 GMC Acadia mention
P0017 2
Recalls 5
Air bags: critical fasteners
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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 number 21V246000 · Recall details
Structure: body: hatchback/liftgate
- What is wrong
- General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured January 3, 2007, to February 29, 2012, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured July 6, 2008, to March 9, 2012, 2007-2012 GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured September 15, 2006, to February 29, 2012, and 2007-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured August 17, 2006, to March 18, 2010. The affected vehicles, equipped with the power liftgate option, have gas struts that hold the power liftgate up when open. These struts may prematurely wear and the open liftgate may suddenly fall.
- Risk
- If the open liftgate unexpectedly falls, it may strike a person, increasing their risk of injury.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit so that the motor will prevent the rapid closing of the lift gate, free of charge. The recall began on November 15, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1‑800‑521‑7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑222‑1020, GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782, and Saturn customer service at 1‑800‑553‑6000. GM's number for this recall is 15240.
Recall number 15V415000 · Recall details
Seat belts
- What is wrong
- 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.
- 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. 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 number 14V266000 · Recall details
Air bags: side/window
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 14V118000 · Recall details
Visibility: windshield wiper/washer: linkages
- What is wrong
- General motors (gm) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 chevrolet traverse, buick enclave, and gmc acadia vehicles currently registered in alaska, colorado, connecticut, delaware, idaho, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, montana, nebraska, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, north dakota, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, south dakota, utah, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, wyoming and the district of columbia. Snow or ice buildup on the windshield or on the wiper may restrict the movement of the wiper arm, causing the wiper arm to loosen and cause the wiper to become inoperative.
- Risk
- If this occurs, driver visibility could be reduced, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Gm will notify owners, and dealers will tighten the wiper arm nuts, free of charge. The safety recall began on april 20, 2012.
Recall number 12V151000 · Recall details
See all 5 recalls for the 2011 GMC Acadia
Defect investigations
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). The subject vehicles included model year (MY) 2009 through 2014 GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, and Chevrolet Traverse SUVs as well as MY 2009 through 2010 Saturn Outlook SUVs. These vehicles were previously repaired for this defect under recall 14V‑266. The subject vehicle population is approximately 1.3 million vehicles. Special Coverage N192219480, issued in June 2019, addressed the subject defect in vehicles that previously received the recall remedy repair for subject recall 14V‑266. The Special Coverage allows for component replacement for 12 years or 180,000 miles from the initial sale date, whichever comes first. Special Coverage N192219480 instructed service technicians to inspect the driverâs seat belt anchor cable for any damage to the protective sleeve and if damage was observed, the cable was replaced with a new sleeve as well as a new closeout piece that relocated the cable to mitigate the subject condition. In view of the Special Coverage conducted by General Motors, the high detectability of the subject failure, and the low rate of occurrence, this Engineering Analysis is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to Please see the attached document âEA20-002 Detailed Closing Summaryâ for more a detailed closing resume summary.
EA20002
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) vehicles.The remedy was to inspect for signs of damage and replace pre-tensioner anchor cables as needed. Re-work was conducted to relocate the pre-tensioner anchor cable out of the occupant entry path. ODI has subsequently received four (4) Vehicle Owners Questionnaires (VOQ) reporting anchor cable separations with no apparent warning in covered vehicles after the Recall 14V266 remedy had been applied.ODI opened RQ19-003 to assess the effectiveness of the actions GM took in Recall 14V266 and review the full warranty and complaint data related to seat belt anchor cable separations and replacements. ODI continues to receive occasional cable failure complaints both for the subject vehicles and other GM models and model years that have also been previously recalled addressing this condition.Although the cable separation complaint rate is very low, over the past three years ODI has received two (2) additional VOQ?s citing belt cable separations for Lambda platform vehicles outside the scope of recall 14V266, (11217092, 11118075) and complaints for other GM models covered in a number of similar Safety Recalls:* 15V269, 2011-12 Chevrolet Malibu (11181115, 11288168); * 16V209, 2014-15 Silverado 1500, Sierra 1500 (11254364, 10935183, 10953851, 11025376, 11282043, 11288701, 11309884); and * 16V518 2014-16 Caprice Police Pursuit, SS (10905644, 10990669, 11340893).ODI's review of GM's data confirms the low potential failure rate for the vehicles covered by recall 14V266. However, ODI believes that complainants may not recognize accumulating cable fatigue damage from the visual cues available in routine vehicle use.ODI is upgrading RQ19-003 to an Engineering Analysis to more closely assess seat belt conditions and strength levels in the field. This work will include the collection of seat belt samples from a wider range of recalled and peer vehicles for detailed analysis and testing.The ODI reports (VOQs) associated with this RQ19-003 can be viewed at under the following reference numbers: 11144704, 11076704, 11185619, 11151922, 11164011, 10967518, 11113486, 11115648
RQ19003
Technical service bulletins for the 2011 GMC Acadia 1,497
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
- This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size...
- This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a...
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have...
- New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have...
- This service bulletin provides information on Tire Sidewall Irregularities.
- This service bulletin provides information on replacing the intake manifold when the engine is replaced...
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of...
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have...
2011 GMC Acadia fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.6L 6‑cyl | FWD | 17 | 24 | 19 |
| 3.6L 6‑cyl | AWD | 16 | 23 | 19 |
What 2011 GMC Acadia owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
We purchased the vehicle on August 20, 2025. At which time we paid over $4,800 for the vehicle. I will be trying to submit all files pertaining to the vehicle. We are both disabled and on the fixed income from ssi. However, a week after purchasing the vehicle all issues began to rise up. There was no transmission fluid, the oil need changed, catalytic converter showed up on AutoZone print out, wheels to make a sound when turning, brakes needs fixed, electrical seems to have an issue. The reason I am submitting this is in prayer asking for any remedy with this situation through the recalls, bulletins, and whatever else maybe available for the vehicle. I thank you for your time, effort, and consideration in this matter.
Unknown
My air bag light keeps coming on saying to service it. I saw the recalled issues before with the other Acadias and was thinking maybe my year model would need to be looked into as well. I haven't ever had a wreck for them to come out but the light comes on frequently.
Transmission shudder from torque converter
Tailgate system has failed causing tailgate to force closed after opening halfway. Risk of being pinned between the car and tailgate. Similar to previous recall POWER LIFTGATE PROP ROD RECOVERY, gate is not being controlled or caught.
System failed from wear on the rear ac hose from the power steering hose rubbing on it. Creating a leak in my ac system
I had issue with the timing chain an have check engine light is on I have heard other people having problems with there timing chain. It starts hard. I've had it looked at multiple times. I feel like this is a safety concern. It has low miles on it
Not sure but the ex owner of the vehicle told me the it had a recall on the drivers seatbelt (wasn’t due to a car accident)
The engine light came on. Had a mobile mechanic look at it, he ran a diagnostics, it showed a P0017 code. He advised to get another opinion on how to repair, as he said it may need a new engine. Took it to a local repair shop, was told the same thing. The Acadia runs fine, and only has 116K miles. The problem is that it will not pass the required emission test for annual registration and tag. The cost of a new engine was estimated at about $10K, which is more than the Acadia is worth. Was told that these vehicles have had a history of this same issue.
Compare the 2011 GMC Acadia
Acadia vs Ford ExplorerAcadia vs Dodge DurangoAcadia vs Kia SorentoAcadia vs Honda PilotAcadia vs Nissan PathfinderAcadia vs Toyota HighlanderAcadia vs Chevrolet TraverseAcadia vs Buick Enclave
Other model years
20072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Questions about the 2011 GMC Acadia
Is the 2011 GMC Acadia reliable?
Owners have filed 269 complaints about the 2011 GMC Acadia, close to a typical Acadia model year.
What is the 2011 GMC Acadia year score?
The 2011 GMC Acadia scores 72 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the GMC Acadia: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2011 GMC Acadia?
Steering, with 64 complaints, typically around 63,910 miles. Next is engine (56).
How many recalls does the 2011 GMC Acadia have?
5 recalls, covering air bags, structure and seat belts.
What gas mileage does the 2011 GMC Acadia get?
Official estimates for the 2011 GMC Acadia range from 19 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.6L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 17 city and 24 highway.
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