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2011 GMC Acadia
The 2011 GMC Acadia appears in 5 NHTSA recall campaigns (air bags, structure and seat belts) and in 206 consumer complaints filed with the agency.
The component named most often is steering: 186 of every 1,000 component mentions for this year, above the 100.1 per 1,000 across all 2011 model-year vehicles and against 159.4 per 1,000 for the GMC Acadia line as a whole.
That is more than the average of 142.4 complaints per model year across the 18 GMC Acadia model years on this register; 7 complaints reported a crash and 7 a fire.
Complaints were received in the largest number in 2014 (47); the most recent in the file is dated 5 Apr 2019.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation has opened 2 investigations naming this model year.
Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA. Recall text is the manufacturer's Part 573 report as filed with NHTSA. Complaint file through 15 May 2019; recall file through 29 Sep 2026.
Recalls by model year:
Recall campaigns
Defect, as filed: 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.
Consequence: 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.
Filed by General Motors, LLC (manufacturer campaign N202321200).
Defect, as filed: 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.
Consequence: 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.
Filed by General Motors LLC (manufacturer campaign 15240).
Defect, as filed: 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.
Consequence: 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.
Filed by General Motors LLC (manufacturer campaign 14187).
Defect, as filed: 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.
Consequence: 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.
Filed by General Motors LLC (manufacturer campaign 14030).
Defect, as filed: 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.
Consequence: 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.
Filed by GENERAL MOTORS LLC (manufacturer campaign 12036).
Each entry links to the NHTSA record. NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are free of charge at an authorised dealer; check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Complaints by component
Component mentions per 1,000 for the 2011 GMC Acadia (black) against all 2011 model-year vehicles in the file (yellow). A complaint can name more than one component.
| Per 1,000 component mentions | 2011 | Acadia line | All 2011 vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 186 | 159.4 | 100.1 |
| Engine | 119.3 | 93.1 | 118.1 |
| Electrical System | 112.3 | 111.2 | 132.1 |
| Exterior Lighting | 112.3 | 54.8 | 31.1 |
| Power Train | 84.2 | 177.6 | 91.7 |
| Air Bags | 56.1 | 77.4 | 124.4 |
| Component | Mentions | Per 1,000 | Line | All 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 53 | 186 | 159.4 | 100.1 |
| Engine | 34 | 119.3 | 93.1 | 118.1 |
| Electrical System | 32 | 112.3 | 111.2 | 132.1 |
| Exterior Lighting | 32 | 112.3 | 54.8 | 31.1 |
| Power Train | 24 | 84.2 | 177.6 | 91.7 |
| Air Bags | 16 | 56.1 | 77.4 | 124.4 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 13 | 45.6 | 29.7 | 44.6 |
| Electronic Stability Control (ESC) | 11 | 38.6 | 36.3 | 26.3 |
| Structure | 8 | 28.1 | 58.6 | 42.2 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 7 | 24.6 | 14.6 | 44.2 |
| Service Brakes | 7 | 24.6 | 19.5 | 43.7 |
| Unknown or Other | 7 | 24.6 | 48.7 | 56.3 |
| Seats | 6 | 21.1 | 13.2 | 10.9 |
| Visibility/Wiper | 5 | 17.5 | 9.9 | 13.2 |
| Visibility | 4 | 14 | 15.4 | 10.3 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 14 | 15.1 | 16.1 |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 14 | 13.2 | 11.1 |
| Suspension | 3 | 10.5 | 13.8 | 24.1 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 10.5 | 8.3 | 9.9 |
| Wheels | 3 | 10.5 | 4.7 | 11.6 |
| Latches/Locks/Linkages | 2 | 7 | 2.8 | 5.6 |
| Tires | 2 | 7 | 6.3 | 11 |
| Equipment | 2 | 7 | 5.5 | 4 |
| Traction Control System | 2 | 7 | 4.4 | 2.5 |
| Equipment Adaptive/Mobility | 1 | 3.5 | 1.4 | 1.7 |
206 unique complaints, 285 component mentions; 10 injuries and 0 deaths reported by complainants. Complaint narratives are not republished.
Complaints by year received
Investigations
| Action | Type | Subject | Component | Opened | Closed | Recall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EA20002 | Engineering analysis | Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure | seat belts:front:anchorage | 31 Aug 2020 | 30 Aug 2024 | 21V245 |
| RQ19003 | Recall query | Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure | seat belts:front:anchorage | 28 May 2019 | 31 Aug 2020 | — |
Other GMC Acadia model years
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints | Units in campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 5 | 406 | 3,015,790 |
| 2008 | 5 | 763 | 4,179,165 |
| 2009 | 7 | 286 | 5,072,582 |
| 2010 | 4 | 296 | 3,414,116 |
| 2011 | 5 | 206 | 3,254,860 |
| 2012 | 5 | 188 | 3,254,860 |
| 2013 | 3 | 59 | 2,515,870 |
| 2014 | 6 | 140 | 2,492,850 |
| 2015 | 4 | 54 | 1,006,954 |
| 2016 | 4 | 24 | 1,027,121 |
| 2017 | 4 | 121 | 1,000,729 |
| 2018 | 2 | 17 | 3,800 |
| 2019 | 2 | 4 | 227,943 |
| 2020 | 6 | 0 | 334,240 |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | 95,803 |
| 2022 | 3 | 0 | 966 |
| 2023 | 4 | 0 | 8,820 |
| 2026 NHTSA | 1 | 0 | 5,861 |
Model years with a single campaign and fewer than 25 complaints have no page here; the NHTSA link opens the agency's record for that year.
All GMC Acadia model years · GMC: 129 model lines
Questions and answers
How many recalls does the 2011 GMC Acadia have?
5 NHTSA recall campaigns name this model year; the most recent, 21V246000, was reported to NHTSA on 8 Apr 2021 and concerns air bags:critical fasteners. Across all model years the GMC Acadia line has 38 campaigns.
Is there an open NHTSA investigation into the 2011 GMC Acadia?
NHTSA's investigation file lists 2 actions naming this model year; the table above shows each action's opening and closing dates. An action with no closing date was still open when the file was produced.
What component do owners of the 2011 GMC Acadia complain about most?
Steering: 53 of 285 component mentions (186 per 1,000). Next is engine with 34. Complaints are consumer reports and have not been verified by NHTSA.
How do I get a recall repaired?
NHTSA states that safety recall repairs are performed free of charge by the manufacturer's authorised dealers. Each campaign's remedy text above is the manufacturer's statement as filed with NHTSA. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
Where does this data come from?
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation recall, complaint and investigation flat files, public domain, downloaded 29 Sep 2026. Complaint counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; component figures count each component a complaint names. The NHTSA record linked from each campaign is authoritative.
Provenance
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Defects Investigation flat files (recalls, complaints, investigations), public domain, files dated 29 Sep 2026 (recalls) and 15 May 2019 (complaints). Complaints since 1 Jan 1995. Counts are unique complaint numbers per make, model and model year; per-1,000 rates divide a component's mentions by all mentions for the same group. Errors in processing are corrected at the next daily build; see corrections and the methodology.