The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, traffic stopped abruptly, and the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard; however, the vehicle continued to accelerate while the Forward Collision Avoidance warning feature activated with a red warning light on the instrument panel. The contact attempted to steer off the road to avoid a collision; however, the vehicle crashed into the vehicle ahead, resulting in a three-vehicle collision. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. Another driver involved claimed unknown injuries, and the contact sustained whiplash but did not seek medical attention. Police were called, but a police report was not filed at the scene. The vehicle was towed to an independent tow yard. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 64,000.
2021 GMC Acadia driver assistance problems
18 complaints (12% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 25,000. 2 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 18
- of this car's complaints
- 12%
- typical mileage
- 25,000
- crashes
- 2
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Automatic emergency braking6
- Warnings4
- Rearview system braking4
- Warning2
- Sensing system: camera1
- Assist1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
GMC Acadia driver assistance problems in other years
Related recalls
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
- What is wrong
- General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Cadillac XT5, XT6, and GMC Acadia vehicles equipped with the optional Surround Vision feature. The rearview camera coaxial cable connectors may have been crimped improperly, causing the rearview camera to fail or function intermittently.
- Risk
- An inoperative rearview camera can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the coaxial cables, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 18, 2023. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1‑800‑458‑8006 or GMC customer service at 1‑800‑462‑8782. GM's number for this recall is N222378380.
Recall number 22V709000 · Recall details
Related investigations
Rear-View Camera Failure
On July 22, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE22-006) to assess alleged failures of the rear-view camera (RVC) in Model Year (MY) 2020-2021 Cadillac XT5, XT6, and GMC Acadia vehicles. The complaints report that the screen for the RVC is black, sometimes with a red triangle and a circle with a line through it. To date, ODI has received a total of 18 complaints and several EWR Field Reports with allegations of the RVC image failing to display when the vehicle is in reverse. The reports have been received over the past 28 months with most occurring with low vehicle mileage.During the investigation, ODI learned incorrect crimping specifications were utilized in the production of the coaxial cable connector. Improper crimping leads to loss of connection between the RVC and dashboard screen that results in failure of the RVC image to display. Failure or malfunction of the RVC image to display results in reduced visibility of the area behind the vehicle. This limited view may lead to an increased risk of incidents resulting in injury and/or property damage while the vehicle is in reverse.The improperly crimped connectors were only present on subject vehicles equipped with the optional RVC surround vision feature (UV2). Vehicles not equipped with the optional RVC surround vision feature were not affected by this failure. On September 28, 2022, General Motors (GM) filed a defect information report (the federal safety agency number 22V‑709) recalling certain MY2020-2021 Cadillac XT5, XT6, and GMC Acadia vehicles equipped with the optional RVC surround vision feature (UV2). GM will replace the coaxial cables with properly crimped connectors.In view of the recall action being taken by GM, ODI is closing this preliminary evaluation. the federal safety agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. The ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at The ODI identification numbers for the complaints cited above can be found below: 11343838, 11390254, 11406709, 11415261, 11415501, 11425365, 11429267, 11431846, 11446363, 11463278, 11463901, 11471702, 11475437, 11476809, 11477176, 11481806, 11484360, and 11484360.
PE22006
What 2021 GMC Acadia owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
My thermostat failed in my car, my temp goes out and reads at 0° then my steering assist says it’s reduced. There are many forums online regarding this issue.
On March 27, 2026, I experienced a complete brake failure while driving a 2021 GMC Acadia in a school zone at approximately 3:00 PM. When I pressed the brake pedal, the vehicle did not respond. I attempted multiple times, including using the emergency brake, which did not activate immediately. The vehicle remained in motion for several minutes in an area with children and parents present. The emergency brake only engaged after approximately 30–45 seconds of repeated attempts. I was forced to steer off the road to avoid a collision. The vehicle had been inspected at a GM dealership on March 16, 2026, just eleven days prior, where the brake system was evaluated and no issues were identified. After the incident, the dealership diagnosed a leaking vacuum pump, which is a component that supports the brake booster system. This failure occurred without warning and created a dangerous situation. I am concerned this may indicate a broader safety defect.
Cars is not keeping track of temperature showing engine is cold after 30 minutes of driving, fan runs for extended periods of time after shutting off, check engine light comes on, steering assist alert comes in screen. All of this happens in a cycle. To stop it the battery has to be unplugged and reconnected resetting the car and everything goes back to being fine for a short period of time.
Instrument cluster malfunction. Entire instrument cluster blacking out every 60 seconds, then rebooting nonstop while driving. While this was occurring, none of the advanced driver assistance systems functioned, nor did the speedometer or other gauges. This occurred while on a trip, and meant having to travel a long distance without having emergency braking, collision warnings or the ability to monitor speed. The car was taken to local dealer and they replaced the entire instrument cluster.
Vehicle gives, “Driver assist reduced Drive with care” warning randomly. Lane change will no longer work and engine light will come on. Problem is sporadic and does not stay active. Engine light will shut off after a day. Once vehicle is shut off cooling fan runs extremely loud and for a long period of time draining battery.
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated while attempting to park the vehicle, the contact became aware that the front and rear-view cameras were inoperable. The camera failure message was displayed. The contact stated that the cameras failed to function properly, and an image was not displayed. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
The rear view camera was supposed to have been fixed during the safety recall in 2022, but two years later and over seven visits to dealership service repair shop, it still has not been fixed. GMC says they don't know how to fix it because they have tried everything and that because my warranty has been "out" one month - there is nothing they can do for me. My back up camera has not worked since the recall repair. What can I do? The car has been in the shop, who says they are contacting GMC Service Expert - but they are not communicating with me anymore. I have no car and no fix.
My vehicle stops working while in traffic when the auto stop is engaged. The abs, parking brake, and dash flashes prior to the engine stopping. I have been to the dealership multiple times and they are never able to recreate the issue. The check engine light codes produced are P0014 and c0800-03.
The contact owns a 2021 GMC Acadia. The contact stated that while reversing, the back-over prevention camera failed to display an image. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the back-over prevention camera was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 22V709000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 25,000.
Questions about the 2021 GMC Acadia driver assistance
Does the 2021 GMC Acadia have driver assistance problems?
Owners have filed 18 complaints about the driver assistance of the 2021 GMC Acadia, 12% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2021 GMC Acadia driver assistance problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 25,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2021 GMC Acadia driver assistance?
Yes, 1 recall: 22V709000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the GMC Acadia have the most driver assistance problems?
The GMC Acadia model years with the most driver assistance complaints are 2008 (59 complaints), 2017 (46 complaints) and 2018 (26 complaints).
Other 2021 GMC Acadia problems
Electrical 40Engine 32Fuel system 30Brakes 19Steering 18Transmission 17Airbags 10Acceleration 7Suspension 3Body 2Seat belts 2Visibility 2Lights 1Locks 1Tires 1
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