2013 GMC Acadia: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
140 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
The Acadia is the Traverse's sibling, and its record has the same first-generation timing-chain and steering complaints, with the 2014 year the worst. The second generation launched for 2017 on a smaller platform with a new transmission, and that year has 1,340 complaints, most of them the shift-to-park fault in which the vehicle cannot recognise that the shifter is in Park; General Motors extended the warranty on the shifter after a class action. Read the full note on the model page. 2013 specifically: a year the record favours — 140 complaints, score 84/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave: the years to avoid, including 2013 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 140 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 10.77
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Sunroof shattered driving on the interstate. Never saw a rock or anything. I think it shattered due to pressure and temperature changes.
I think my vehicle is apart of this recall: March 17, 2014 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V118000 Side Impact Air Bags Wiring Connections 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.
Transmission causes problems in can be on interstate and be switching lanes and it loses power and wont go takes forever to shift out. It will cut out and you can barely get pulled off side of rd in time. Electrical the battery voltage goes crazy up and down causing vehicle to power surge bad or at night time lights will go out for no reason while driving every now and then you can smell something melting or burnin…
Recalls: 3 campaigns (3 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 21V246000 | Air Bags:Critical Fasteners | 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. |
| 14V118000 | Air Bags:Side/Window | 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… |
| 14V266000 | Seat Belts | 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… |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 18 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,400
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Electrical System39 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Air Bags32 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Power Train27 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Unknown Or Other24 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Engine21 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Exterior Lighting10 complaints · typical job: Headlamp assembly or lighting-module replacement (1.5 h labour + parts)$360–$1,380
Other GMC Acadia years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2013 GMC Acadia?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Electrical System (39 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2013 GMC Acadia a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 84/100, computed from 140 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2013 GMC Acadia's most common problem?
39 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2013 GMC Acadia sit in the Electrical System group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $540–$1,310 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2013 GMC Acadia cost to run per year?
About $5,954 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $29,772 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2013 GMC Acadia have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for the 2013 GMC Acadia, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 08/04/2021. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsize suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2013 GMC Acadia really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 140 complaints, 3 recalls on record
- 140 NHTSA complaints on record (10.8/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (23.7/yr)
- 3 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems