2013 GMC Acadia: sudden loss of power

Filed Feb 11, 2026 · Transmission · CA

Dear Sir/Madam, For the 3rd time now, my transmission is being rebuilt. After purchasing it from the dealership and it was still under warranty GMC Bakersfield rebuilt the transmission, then again in 2020 at 119,000 miles it broke down again and All Automatic in Bakersfield rebuilt it for $3500 and now here it is 2026 and only 60.000 miles later again All Automatic is having to rebuilt the transmission again and asking now for another $4950. I was excited to finally hear there was a recall, only to find it was only for 2014 GMC Acadia's. The transmission have failed again and yes it is available for inspection at All Automation in Bakersfield, CA on Quantico. During the course of breaking down the my safety and the safety of my children was at risk. My vehicle was jumping, jerking the RPM's were all over the place and at one point in the course of driving on the freeway it felt like it lost power and nearly stopped. This has been an ongoing problem since the purchase of the vehicle. It has been inspected and diagnosed by All Automatic. There were no warnings, messages or symptoms that were constant. It was sporadically slipping up until the time it gave out. I have spoke to several 2013 GMC Acadia owners who have the exact same problem along with the back light covers falling off and All the plastic coverings on the inside falling off.

Filed Apr 18, 2023 · Engine, Transmission · TN

I dont know exactly what is wrong but from online videos i think power train or transmission. When driving the vehicle will struggle/delay shifting. When it does finally shift its so hard it throws u forward. When having to quickly get on the gas it will delay to where your not really moving. This almost caused accidents multiple times. ( not pulling out in front of people) entering interstate is a good exsample. It has also lost power when crossing intersection!

Filed Oct 2, 2019 · Electrical, Transmission · 109,000 miles · TN

This vehicle began having a shaking or jumping feeling at 1800 rpms around 85,000 miles. Unable to be diagnosed at outside mechanic. Continued to get worse and began happening at other rpms. Took to dealership after vehicle hit 109,000 miles and diagnosed at torque converter which they refuse to fix because outside warranty. Per my review of other sites, this has been a recurrent and obvious issue with these vehicles and can leave people stranded on the highway as the vehicle can lose power.

Filed Jan 8, 2019 · Electrical · 88,900 miles · MI

After the "service battery charging system" announcement, my husband went online to find I probably needed a new battery. I drove a few blocks and had the battery/alternator tested (they were fine). When driving home the vehicle entered low power mode. Many systems started turning off: radio, heater, stability, traction, ABS, speedometer, and the vehicle started chugging. By now I was on a portion of the highway that was rural and trying to make it to closest mechanic. However, the car lost power/turned off. With this was loss of power steering and I let it coast to the furthest/safest spot. I've read others lost power braking, but I let it coast so far that I wouldn't know. The car lost power to the point my 4-way flashers wouldn't work. I've paid a tow bill and have no idea what's going to happen. Very, very frustrated and disappointed. Please know one hour elapsed between my battery/alternator being tested and the car dying on the highway (I stopped quick for groceries).

Filed Oct 24, 2018 · Engine, Transmission · 103,000 miles · CO

These symptoms started over 2 years ago and is very intermittent. Driving on the highway, the vehicle suddenly loses power, unable to accelerate and the transmission will not shift out of high gear. The decrease in speed is significant enough that on now 3 occasions the vehicle has almost nearly been rear-ended. Additionally, on the instrument panel the following indicators and messages occur: - "check engine light" - "traction control off" - "engine power is reduced" - "service traction control" - "service stabilitrak" additional symptoms: - loss of power steering - loss of power brakes once vehicle is turned off and sits for a few minutes. The vehicle will start and all of the symptoms above will go away with the exception sometimes of the check engine light. This indicator goes off after vehicle has sat overnight. Note this occurs very infrequently...sometimes months in between. August 2018, dealership (chev automation north, denver, co) diagnosed as transmission problem. Paid $5800 for replacement. October 22, 2018, all of the symptoms described above occurred again while on highway nearly crashing the vehicle. Wife now refuses to drive the car again. This vehicle is totally unsafe. It is unfortunate that a fatal accident must occur before any real attention is made to fixing a problem of this magnitude with gm vehicles.

Filed Aug 29, 2018 · Electrical · MD

I put may 6th as I have video of the dashboard. I get traction control, stabilitrak and reduced engine power. I had it in the shop in april for this issue. They couldn't duplicate it so I took video. The only code they could get was replacement of the ECM. The dealership said we could replace two relays that control the voltages or the ECM. They didn't know what was wrong with and just wanted in their words throw parts at it. My husband bought those gm relay parts and replaced them. He cleaned the throttle body. These items did not fix it and problems continued. Car left him sit and wouldn't turn back on. Car was towed to dealer. The ECM was replaced on august 23rd for $530 plus an oil change. I picked the car up on the 24th. I drove to work fine. I left work and within 5 minutes of driving the car had the same error message. This was late friday so dealer was called monday morning. They couldn't see my car for a week because the original technician at training and vacation. However, car died on my husband on the 28th and car got towed. Now they want me to spend another $500+ dollars to replace the primary fuse box. Note a new technician is looking at the car with the previous technician on vacation. This technician remembered a similar incident and they replaced the primary fuse box. No error code diagnostic just a hunch. Do these technicians that work in the same dealership not talk to each other? My gmc service liaison says I authorized the ECM replacement so I won't get money back on that work. I trusted what they said. They felt this was going to fix the problem. How can I trust them on this. Extremely frustrated. There was a recall on other gm models but not this one for similar issues. Seems gm has a problem that hasn't been resolved.

Filed Jul 7, 2018 · Driver assistance, Electrical · 44,507 miles · FL

I purchased a 2013 gmc acadia from car max on february 16th of this year. After 3 weeks the battery was completely dead, but car max reimbursed the cost to replace. Fast forward to may 24th...as I try to leave from work the vehicle would not start. The dash displayed several messages: reduced engine power, stabilitrak off, and battery saver active. The vehicle was towed to tire kingdom and the diagnosis was a bad fuel pump/fuel pump module. The part was replaced and computer reset. All was well for 3 days and the same problem occurred including a dead battery! I drove the vehicle approximately three more days before the same issue happened again. This time, I had it towed to the gmc dealership. They had my vehicle from june 5th- june 12th and even though they received 6 error codes, they stated it was the battery (the same one replaced in february and was recharged a week prior). I was sure that wasn't the only problem, but they were confident it was. I had to pay $508 out of pocket for battery/ diagnostic because my warranty only covers the diagnostic with repairs. All seemed well for 3 days. This time after starting the vehicle and reaching my destination the truck would not shut off! I immediately called gmc (cel illuminated) and after 10 minutes the engine shut off. I took it to them the next day and they started it had a bad fues block. They repaired it, but 8 days later the vehicle wouldn't start again! On july 2nd it was taken to a shop for the 6th time! This time they are saying it is the ECM. I purchased this vehicle because my husband's 2003 gmc yukon has 286,000 miles and little things are starting to go. Ironically it has been more reliable than this 2013!! I have only had this vehicle for 4 months and have already paid out over $1000 in repairs/deductables. What a nightmare!

Filed Jun 15, 2017 · Electrical, Engine · 70,000 miles · OH

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 gmc acadia. While driving 70 MPH, the vehicle decelerated to 40 MPH and the traction control, stability control, and engine reduced power warning indicators illuminated after the failure occurred. The engine failed and the vehicle was towed to the dealer (jack maxton chevrolet east dublin road columbus, ohio, 43229, 614‑681‑0129) where it was diagnosed that the computer system failed due to the throttle body. The composition sensor was reprogrammed and the throttle body was replaced. The failure was not corrected and recurred after three months. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer for diagnostic testing and a failure code was produced at the fuse box. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

Filed Jun 9, 2017 · Engine, Transmission · 50,720 miles · WV

While driving the car it lost power, all the dash light went off, then the power steering shut down, while driving 45 miles an hr. Once able to pull over, the car shut down and could not start back up. The key would not come out of ignition. Had it towed to the local dealer the car was bought from. They reported it was the engine control module which they replaced but the car still will not turn on. Now the say it is an electrical short and can't find it.. This car is dangerous to drive as this is the second time this has happened and we feel that they are just giving us the run around. This car has been in the shop multiple times and never fixed properly

Filed Apr 3, 2016 · 36,000 miles · NY

I was driving 50 MPH on a very busy city highway when I heard what sounded like a truck putting on air brakes but no trucks around me, I felt shuddering under my foot. Suddenly "service charging system" or something like that flashed on my dash and I lost power steering, acceleration, everything. I was able to pull hard on the wheel to get into the right lane from the center lane, there was no shoulder to pull off on. Brake was hard to depress, it felt like it was all the way to the floor. I had power from the battery, it was sitting at 12 volts. I turned the vehicle off and restarted, I couldn't hear if the engine was running as the cars going past were so loud, but the radio was on and dash lit up like it had started but it would not move. Called my insurance and they sent a tow truck. While turned off on the tow truck, the outer rim of the head lights and the main headlights suddenly illuminated and about 5 minutes later they went off. Dealer was able to start it, but not move it. I dropped it on thursday, by friday they still didn't have an answer and I have to wait till monday. I had one of my children with me when this all happened. It was very scary. There are just over 36,000 miles on my acadia. My husband also noted that the day before when he tried to start it, it didn't start right away, it paused, he left off the key and about a second later it finally started.