Dear General Motors Customer Assistance Center, I am writing to formally file a complaint and request assistance regarding a serious mechanical failure with my 2018 GMC Acadia SLT. I purchased this vehicle when it had approximately 7,000 miles on it after it was transported from Florida. Since owning the vehicle, I have properly maintained it and had it serviced through Suttle Motors dealership in Newport News, Virginia. Recently, while driving on the highway to have tires installed, the vehicle suddenly stalled while I was in traffic. This caused a very dangerous situation, as traffic behind me was forced to abruptly slow down and I was nearly rear-ended due to the sudden loss of power. Because the vehicle was no longer drivable, I had it towed to Suttle Motors for inspection. After examining the vehicle, the service department informed me of the following issue: “The transmission solenoid valve is stuck and it has burnt the transmission fluid. The vehicle will require a full transmission replacement. The estimated cost is $7,769 with a 3-year/100,000-mile warranty.” I was extremely shocked and disappointed to receive this news. My vehicle currently has only 67,000 miles, and I have taken care to maintain it properly through the dealership. Experiencing a complete transmission failure at such relatively low mileage is very concerning, especially considering the dangerous situation it created on the highway. Given the circumstances, I am requesting that General Motors review this matter and advise whether any goodwill assistance, repair support, or coverage options may be available to help resolve this issue. I would greatly appreciate your prompt attention to this matter. I can provide service records and documentation from Suttle Motors if needed. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your response.
2018 GMC Acadia transmission complaints
Page 2 of 7: complaints 11 to 40 of 164, newest first, as owners wrote them.
2018 GMC Acadia comes up with an error message "shift to park" and does not allow me to fully engage my car into the parked position when stopped and parking.
Gear shifter will not go into park.
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle and attempting to shift into park, the vehicle failed to recognize that the transmission was in park(P). There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that several attempts were required to shift the vehicle into park(P) to turn off the vehicle. The contact further stated that on other occasions, the vehicle remained stuck in park(P) and failed to shift into drive(D). The contact related the failure to TSB: 19-NA-205. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
Car will not shift into park therefore I cannot turn the car off without disconnecting the battery. Dangerous bc you don’t know if the car is in park or not when you have to get out and stand in front of car to life hood and disconnect battery.
Shift to park message has appeared again and the engine will not cut off. First happened in Feb 2020, mileage was 31,143. Took to Dealer and new wiring harness was installed. Had to take back to dealer April 2020 for same problem; shifter assembly was replaced at that time. Shift to park message came back on August 2023. Took back to Dealer and shifter harness replaced again and jumper harness was installed. Mileage was 52,993. Shift to park message has once again appeared, December 2025. Having to put car in park and push engine on/off button numerous times before engine will finally shut off.....sometimes having to unhook battery in order to kill the engine. This will be the fourth time we have had the same recurring issue repaired. My husband read through over half the 352 registered complaints and at least three fourths of them were all about the SHIFT TO PARK problem! As a female, I don't feel safe driving my Acadia not knowing if the engine will cut off or if it's actually in park or if the car will roll. Why can't GM fix this issue!!!!!! They should definitely be held accountable instead of ignoring the complaints!
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that after shifting to the park(P), there was an audible warning alarm activated, and the message "Shift to Park" was displayed, and the vehicle failed to immediately turn off. After restarting the vehicle and jiggling the gear shifter, the failure was corrected. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the gear shifter assembly was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but while picking up her daughter from school, the gear shifter was shifted into park(P), and moments later, the vehicle started rolling backwards. The contact had to activate the parking brake to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was later towed back to the dealer. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was not notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 120,000.
URGENT SAFETY DEFECT — RECURRING “SHIFT TO PARK” — ROLLAWAY RISK Vehicle: GMC Acadia | ~99,684miles Same defect repaired FREE under GM goodwill in 2021 (shifter replacement, TSB 19-NA-206) after 4 failed attempts. Now FAILED AGAIN in 2025 — vehicle will not shut off, drains battery, risks unintended rollaway. GM dealer refuses repeat coverage despite prior admission of defect. This is a KNOWN DESIGN FLAW — thousands of complaints — NO RECALL. DEMAND IMMEDIATE SAFETY RECALL — this is a fire/rollaway hazard. Attached: 2019- 2021 repair order ($0), TSB 19-NA-206, prior the federal safety agency complaint, previous TAC CASE: 9-6623251184.
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and occupied, the shift to park message was displayed while the vehicle was in park. Neither an independent mechanic nor the dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number:17V516000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 113,000.
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate while attempting to shift gears. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked and made an abnormal sound, with the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated there was black and white smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission, cooling system, and fuel system failures. The dealer also determined that the engine was leaking oil. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle required several repairs. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 126,000.
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that on several occasions while shifted to park(P), the message "Shift to Park" was displayed with an audible chime. The vehicle was turned off and after the contact depressed a release button under the shifter knob, the vehicle recognized the gear selected and was able to turn off the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.
Shifting to park and vehicle stating the vehicle is not in park, won't let me turn the vehicle off. Transmission going out, brought to many shops letting me know that the transmission is not working properly but won't give an engine light if anything is wrong with vehicle, Wont show on readers what is wrong with vehicle. Electrical, Doors will automatically lock and unlock most times lock and locks me in the vehicle having me have to climb through the windows and having to leave my windows open or locks me out the vehicle and can only get in by climbing in the trunk. Testing has been done and brought to GM to figure out the issue, and they replace the computer in it but still has the problem. I have had shops tell me these are all huge issues that needs to have a recall because my vehicle is not the only GMC Acadia that does all this. How is any of this safe for me and my kids.
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while attempting to turn off the vehicle, the "Shift to Park" message was displayed, preventing the vehicle from turning off. After researching the failure, the contact linked the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V172000 (Power Train). The local dealer was contacted and informed the contact that a diagnostic test was needed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while shifted into park(P), the vehicle was unable to be turned off. The message "Shift to Park" was displayed on the instrument panel even though the gear shifter was in park(P). The gear shifter was shifted to park(P) and wiggled several times before the transmission was properly shifted into park and the vehicle was turned off. The contact stated that the failure had occurred once before, and the battery cables were disconnected to turn off the vehicle. The contact became aware of an undisclosed recall online; however, the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 51,800.
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the gear shifter was shifted into park(P); however, the “Shift to Park” message was displayed. The contact shifted the gear shifter back and forth and then shifted into park(P) before the proper gear was recognized. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Shift to park warning. Vehicle will not power down.
After shifting car to “P” park, it still says shift to park and drains the battery.
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that upon shifting to park(P), the message "Shift to Park(P)" was displayed intermittently, and the vehicle failed to turn off. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer, where it was diagnosed that the shifter module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 129,573.
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the gear shifter was shifted into park(P), but the “Shift to Park” message was displayed. The vehicle made an audible chime. The contact shifted the gear shifter back and forth, then shifted into park(P) before the proper gear was recognized. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.
When placing the gearshift in park a warning on the dashboard says the vehicle is not in park and I get warning bells when shutting the engine off. This has been happening for almost a month.
"Shift to park" warning error when vehicle is in park. Although I have heard there was a recall, I am not seeing any when I've entered my vin #. The issue has happened multiple times over the last 6 months
For the past two weeks, when the Acadia is put into park and the engine is turned off, the warning bell chimes nonstop and a dashboard message appears to put the vehicle into park even though it is already in park. The vehicle needs to be restarted and then put into drive or reverse and then back into park. With irregularity it may or may not work. Sometimes the car must be turned on and off 5 or 6 times before it recognizes that the transmission is truly in park.
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the "Shift to Park" message was displayed on the instrument panel. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission control harness needed to be replaced. The contact researched and was made aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 42,187.
All of this has been going on for a while but it's gotten to the point of dangerous. The Shift to Park keeps coming on preventing me from shutting the vehicle off even though it's, in fact, in Park. Then, "Steering Assist Reduced Drive With Care" keeps coming on. This will come on and off. Preventing the engine from heating up like it needs to be. Then the transmission keeps slipping. Was nearly rear-ended on the highway with my child in the car when it decided to start driving really rough and wouldn't allow me to shift to the next gear. This is also an ongoing issue. Another time I was almost hit in the side when this randomly happened on crossing the highway. This is absolutely absurd! I have had MUCH older vehicles without all these issues with many many more miles! I can't count the amount of times this has caused us serious hazards not to mention almost costing me my JOB! Interestingly enough, the same year/make/model has been recalled for the exact same issues yet for whatever reason GMC says MY model "was not affected by the recall". Funny how it's having the EXACT same issues as the ones on the recall list! GMC needs to fix this before they cause people to die! I'm a healthcare worker and this is disgusting!
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that upon arriving to his destination, the message "Please Shift to Park" was displayed. There was no warning light illuminated. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 19-NA-206. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000.
The car no longer recognizes when shifted into Park. It will not allow things like door locks and so on.
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle and shifting to park, the vehicle failed to turn off. During the failure the message "Shift to Park" was displayed even though the gear shifter was in park(P). After several attempts, the vehicle was able to be turned off. The contact also stated that during the failure, the vehicle would roll backwards. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 70,000.
While I was driving the vehicle started jerking and not changing gears. Several times it almost caused an accident with me and my son in the car. I turned the car on/off and restarted it at the red light, the exact same thing happens. Lucky a GMC dealer ship was near by. I was able to get there still jerking and not changing gears. No warning signs appear during this whole time. No prior issues with the transmission. Once I made it to the dealship then engine like came on. Really now! The dealer checked vehicle and stated the transmission is gone out. I was flabbergasted, almost $10,000 had to be replaced.
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while shifting the gear shifter into park(P), the "Shift to Park” message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact was forced to shift from drive(D) to Park(P) repeatedly before the failure was corrected. In addition, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel would become sticky with the "Steering Assist Reduced - Drive with Care," message displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the infotainment system glitched and performed independent functions, causing the driver to be distracted. The contact stated that the infotainment system was replaced when the vehicle was purchased due to the failure; however, the failure recently recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of several failures and informed the contact that there were no recalls on the VIN. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that upon arriving at her destination, the contact shifted into reverse to park the vehicle; however, after parking and shifting to drive(D), the vehicle failed to respond. The contact became aware after several attempts that the transmission was stuck in park(P). The blank warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the inline shifter wiring harness. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 19-NA-206. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 111,000.
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