Problems with 2008 GMC Acadia STEERING

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 gmc acadia. the contact stated that while driving approximately 15 mph, the steering wheel seized. the vehicle regained its steering function on its own a few moments later. the failure recurred on an intermittent basis. also, the front passenger side window would not close when the button on the driver's side door panel was depressed. the passenger side window would only close if the button on the passenger side door panel was used. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 72,000.

My wife was driving in the walmart parking lot and went through a puddle of water causing the power steering to stop working. i told her to stay there until i could get there to meet her. when i arrived, i drove the vehicle through about an inch of standing water in the same parking lot and the power steering stopped working again. this has happened one more time since then while driving about 25 mph on a road near our home. *tr

8/26/2011 - 71,309 miles - water pump went out and had to be replaced. 5/07/2012 - 86,885 miles - transmission shuttered when coming to a stop in traffic. would not start and had to be towed to mechanic. transmission assembly replaced with gm reman transmission due to broken reverse wave plate that damaged the carrier, sun shell and metal throughout. also detected an oil leak in the engine front cover that needed to be repaired and heard power steering noise so bled power steering system. 12/31/2012- 100,947 miles - headlight switch fell inside dash panel. 7/26/2013 - 112,506 miles - power steering has never worked properly. it has always made noises and has been stiff. had it bled several times with no improvement. power steering went out while making a left hand turn into a busy intersection. at shop now to determine if it needs a new power steering pump, rack, and/or serpentine belt. i have read many complaints with the same issues as those that i have experienced. i am disappointed that gm isn't more concerned about the safety of their consumers and the reliability and quality of their vehicles. i have never owned such a lemon! i personally will never own another gm product. going back to lexus. *tr

My power steering groans and moans when turning at low speeds. turning the wheel is very difficult even for me being a male. the noise is very annoying and may affect the steering. the car is for my family of three kids and wife --- not sure they should be driving this anymore. i called the a gmc service dealer and they said they have heard of "very similar issues" waiting back to hear if they will repair this. i've had too many repairs lately for a car with only 58k miles -- one sway bar, another sway bar, transmission issue, headlamp issue, faulty thermostat, limited life brake pads, now power steering issues! ugh! *tr

At approx. 62,000 power steering started making a whining noise that kept getting louder and louder. took to the dealer and they repaired/replaced the rack that they said was starting to go bad. it was covered under the gm certified used warranty and they told me that it was a known issue with these and should be all set. now, about a year later (warranty expired-power steering is not considered powertrain...) the same noise and high effort to turn steering wheel is happening again. they now say that the power steering pump is going and there is a blown gasket in the steering column causing a leak of steering fluid which is causing the whine. they say that the repair is going to cost me over $750. gmc needs to announce a recall for this issue, or at least issue a notice for dealers to repair this issue when it arises. i'm one of the lucky ones that did not have the system fail when driving. i could probably recover if it did, i'm just glad my wife wasn't driving it with my children when it decided to fail!! i know of at least two other owners that had this same issue, when will gm step up and take care of this issue?!?! *js

I took my 2008 gmc acadia to the gm dealership to find out why my power steering is stiff when i turn left or right. it just started to happen 2 weeks ago. i have approximately 44,000 miles on it and bought it brand new. the warranty is now up and the dealer said it needs the steering rack replaced for $800. this car is fairly new and i can't believe i already need to pay for this to be fixed. i found that many gmc acadia owners have had similar problems, but no recall has been set by gm. *tr

I have had the rack & pinion steering rack replaced 2 times since i've owned the vehicle (bought new in july 2008) dealership replaced both after getting ugly with them, now at 75,000 miles transmission went out,replaced it. got it back from dealer and now the steering locks up when turning, usually happens when taking off from a stop and then it finally unlocks as your trying to turn with excessive force. feels like the power steering just goes out for a few seconds and then comes back. have just dealt with it last few weeks, but now after not able to turn and hit a curb while turning, there is obviously something defective. doing research on this there is numerous complaints about the steering locking up, this is very dangerous if its defective. paying 45k for a vehicle you shouldn't have to argue with the dealer on replacing this part. is there something being done to fix this issue. i have almost come to a decision that gm doesn't stand behind their product and have about given up on them. *js

Tl* the contact owns 2008 gmc arcadia. the contact stated that while driving 65 mph, a noise was heard coming from the steering column. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, who inspected the steering and informed the contact that the gear bushings were extremely worn out and the steering gear box was leaking excessively. the dealer replaced the gear bushings and steering gears at the manufacturers expense. the failure recurred approximately four months later. the dealer was notified and informed the contact that she would have to replace the entire steering column at her expense. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 42,406 and the current mileage was 46,000. updated 09/27/11*lj

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 gmc acadia. the contact stated when he turned the steering wheel, he heard a clicking noise. the dealer diagnosed that a ribbet in the steering column was loose. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was being repaired. the failure mileage was 37,000 and the current mileage was 42,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 gmc acadia. when attempting a turn at any speed, the contact could hear a grinding noise coming from the steering column. during the failure the contact also noticed that the steering wheel would not operate as smoothly as it normally would. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed and was not repaired. the failure mileage was 37,000 and the current mileage was 42,000.

I own a 2008 gmc acadia and on jan 10. 2011 the power steering fluid had completely spilled out from the front of the vehicle. the repair mechanic said it was the power steering cooler that had been defective. after researching online for common issue with this model i am wondering why gmc is doing nothing about a known problem with the power steering system with this model and year. luckily i was not driving or we could have been in a bad accident. a car that is less than 3 years old and only 46,000 should not have powers steering issues. this problem needs to be addressed as consumers are paying alot of money for repairs that are a common issue with this vehicle. is it going to take someone dyeing before anything is done. unfortunately for us we are stationed in germany and it is difficult to find someone to repair our vehicle as well. *tr

My husband and i purchased a new 2008 gmc acadia in august 2009. within the first year or so i noticed that the headlights were dim and the plastic over the lights started to peel. i contacted the dealership and they said there was nothing they could do, that wasn't covered under the warranty. i called gm direct and they also said there wasn't a recall and that it was probably a chemical that we used to wash our car, that caused the peeling. they quoted me $800 for a new set of headlights... ugh... a year or so later, i began having trouble with the struts. they began to leak. i thought it was my brake line and i took it into the shop and they told me that the struts were bad and needed replacing. at that time there was around 36,000 miles on the vehicle. i had them changed out and the mechanic told me they were the worst he had ever seen. after the repair, the vehicle has never been the same. it's not near as smooth as it was and it makes noise. i had it checked to be sure they were installed properly and they were. the whole process cost me about $900.00 the next issue i have had is more sever. this just happened a few months ago. i was taking my children to school and the vehicle stalled. all the lights came on and said stable track went off and the engine lost pressure and the vehicle stalled. after it cooled down i could drive a little further and the same thing would happen again. i took it back to the shop and they said it was the throttle and it would probably need to be replaced. they cleaned it for now, but i am scared to drive it anywhere! now the power steering is making noise when you turn the wheel, sounds like the power steering pump might be going out now as well. the vehicle only has 65,000 miles on it.. *tr

Gmc 2008 acadia, vin [xxx] mileage 33,893 power steering failure during highway driving, almost causing potentially fatal/injury incident. had it "repaired" at dealer on june 21, 2010. dealer indicated that there are frequent problems with power steering failure on the acadia. re-occurred with nearly head-on accident at high way speeds on june 27, 2010. nhtsa should investigate this based upon dealer's comment that this is occurring with some frequency. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 gmc acadia. the contact stated that the power steering locked up twice while she was driving at 40 mph. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed that the power steering belt failed. the contact planned to have the vehicle repaired. the contact called the manufacturer and filed a complaint; the manufacturer also stated that she would receive a call back. the current and failure mileages were approximately 32,000.

Whining while driving and clanking noise while going over bumps-was told the whining was the power steering, and needed the power steering pump to be changed. i was told the clanking noise was due to a problem with the rack and pinion. both are directly related. i was told that many people are having problems with the rack and pinion, but gmc would not fix the problem right now, it was a problem that's "on hold." *tr

I wish to inform you of a critical steering defect in the 2008 gmc acadia. at 42,000 miles i notices a decline in power steering fluid. when questioned gmc inform me that is was low due to air pockets in the fluid system releasing over time thus causing volume loss. at 50,000 all the power steering fluid ran out on my driveway. if this would have happened on the highway it could have resulted in steering loss and potential harm to myself , passengers, or other vehicles on the roadway. when notify gmc requested me to keep driving the vehicle over a weekend (even though it purge itself of fluid as fast as it was refilled) and bring it in for repair on monday. gmc of course charged me $420 for the said repair. when contacted again (following the repair) gmc dismissed the problem and offered me an oil change for my troubles. they did not take the problem seriously nor intimated that they would even look into the cause. normally i would have concluded "bad product" / "bad customer service" and be appreciative that i did not lose my life. then i saw toyota being grilled on capital hill and simply could not understand why gmc who has a critical steering problem did not have to step up to protecting its consumers. why no recall notice, why are they allow to minimize/hide complaints, where is congress calling them to the hill? if in fact toyota is being call to task then it is time for us consumer to be protected from our own intra-country providers. please look into gmc steering problems before someone dies. do not allow gmc to play a numbers game on peoples life's before you finally act. thank you for your time. kenneth m. graham

Steering locks up. when you take off from a stop sign or traffic light and want to make a right or left turn the steering will lock up to a point where you can't turn. there had been several occasions that i was almost in an accident. replaced rack and pinion 3 times and power steering. water pumps are defective, replaced 2 before 100,000 miles transmission went out at 73,000 miles. every issue that is stated above the dealer didn't want to replace under warranty,even after contacting gm. it took a lot of fighting with gm to replace the transmission when there was known problems with these transmissions being faulty. *tr

Since purchase of car new it would make a loud clunking noise, which could be felt on driver side floor. could never duplicate for tech. everytime it in shop they checked the problem. finally at 20,000 miles they decided to change entire rack, thought this would fix problem. it didn't. clunk got louder and louder, but of course still could not duplicate for tech. at 45,000 they changed rack again. i guess this car has a disposable rack. lucky for me i had a claim number with general motors and it was covered. on approx 12/22 put car in park on a flat surface. car moved approx 4ft, had to put brake on to stop. then a few days later it happened again. was told by tech 1st time i it's a characteristic of acadia. when i contacted gm they say they have never heard this and the tech could not duplicate. this car is not safe. gm offered me 2,000 for me to buy a new car buy a new car. *tr

Power steering fails on my 2008 gmc acadia. 12/9/09- power steering fails as i get off the highway in greenwich, ct. almost crash. 12/10/09 - drop car at local service station since my thought is that it just need steering fluid. 12/10/09- service station manager calls and tells me power steering pump shot, and rack and pinion leaking. 12/10/09- car towed to minchin gmc in stamford ct. they provide rental car from enterprise. 12/10/09- call late afternoon looking for an update. told 'tech is looking at it now.' i ask for a call back. no call 12/12/09- call dealer. leave detailed message. ask for a call back. no call. 12/14/09- call dealer. speak to service. i am told tech is looking at it. which i thought was done. ask for a call back. no call. 12/15/09 call dealer. speak to service. am told waiting for a part. ask for a call back on part availability. no call back. left another message with main v- mail, detailing how no one has called me back. no call back. 12/16/09- call dealer. speak to service. told tech is out to lunch but the part that has to come from california or canada. finally they call back. i am told that the part that i need is on 'national back order'. asked for a call back for a better idea when the part will be available. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 gmc acadia. the contact was driving 20 mph when the steering wheel made a grinding noise and became difficult to turn. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the steering wheel pump was replaced but the defect was not remedied. the contact took the vehicle to a second dealer and was informed that the steering column needed to be replaced. no repairs was performed. the manufacturer was contacted in reference to the defect. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 15,000.

Power and power steering failure- when it rains or i drive through puddles of water the car looses power and slows. also when i am driving the power steering stops working and there is a loud squealing noise. i had the dealer look at my acadia and they said they could readjust the belt guard. this did not work and they said just be cautious while driving. also the cruise control doesn't coast and the speed increases as you go down hill. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 gmc acadia. the contact stated that the air bag, the stability control, and traction control warning lights failed along with the daytime running lights failed. the contact also stated that the engine overheated and the power steering also failed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the light bulb was replaced but the failure recurred. the dealer was also unable to diagnose the other failures. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 33,000 and the current mileage was 112,000.

Multiple problems with this vehicle. it has been in the shop more than 10 times in the past 4 years that i have owned it, frustrating. list of repairs: timing belt, head lights, steering, camshaft, oil leak, struts, brakes and this is what i can recall mostly.this vehicle has had multiple services especially for service stability track that never gets repaired, they can't find the problem. also service air bag keeps coming on but dealership cannot do anything while the light is not on. very frustrated with this vehicle. i have never experienced so many repairs and services with any other vehicle as i have the acadia. i owned a galant car before the acadia for 5 years and only had to do one repair in those 5 years i owned it. i regret purchasing this vehicle! i am a single mother of two and i need a dependable vehicle not one that is malfunctioned! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 gmc acadia. the contact stated that there was a popping noise whenever the vehicle was turned. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where several times where the bearing plate and steering column were replaced. however the failure continued. the contact then noticed that the spring on the strut was stick up and they could hear a spring pop. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer who stated that there was no record of similar failures. the failure mileage was approximately 22,000 and the current mileage was approximately 52,000.

In light of the all the safety recalls by gm for ignition switch failures, i believe that my wife's crash in our 2008 gmc acadia was the direct cause of the ignition switch failing. driving north bound on az route 89 in the area of prescott, az called the granite dells, the car proceeded straight where the road turns slightly to the right. the cat proceeded into and partially up a granite stone out cropping on the opposite side of the road. the car then went air borne landing up side down on its roof in the middle of route 89. i believe that this accident happened due to ignition switch failure which in turn shut off the engine, power steering, and the entire air bag system which in this accident fail to deploy. my wife was air lifted to northern arizona medical center in flagstaff, az for sever head injure from which she has recovered. it is my belief that the ignition failures that have shown up on other gm cars is also a problem for the 2008 gmc acadia and possibly other like models of gm vehicles. in my opinion it has to be ignition switch failure that shut down the engine, power steering and air bag system causing this accident. *js

i was taking my daughter to florida for cheer leading competition; i was just outside of illinois when the check airbag light and message screen came on thankfully the light went off but came back on on our way back to chicago and kept coming on and off. took it to dealer but they only said that the harness was tight they only wiggled it and light went off but came back a couple of days later. then the power steering started making noise dealer said they didn't hear anything and didn't do anything and noise is getting louder. then suspension stared it making noise. took it to dealer and had tie rods replaced. then the service airbag problem came back and this time didn't go away. took it to the dealer and they said that the harness was to tight and they rerouted it so it wasn't tight anymore. worked for a couple of days and its on again but i didn't take it back and now is past its warranty.then head lamp went out. had to pay dealer $180 (rip off) next the other head light went out. my nephew replaced it in less than 10 min. now there is a recall for that head light problem. then wipers arm came loose from motor i had my cousin fix it for me. now i have had the check engine light on for a couple of weeks took it to autozone came back with the code to replace the canister purge solenoid now i have the transmission problem, it started to act funny shifting pretty hard some times and then a few days ago i was driving on the freeway coming home when i notice the rpms at about 45000 and it wouldn't change gears and the fuel gauge started going nuts i don't know why and had to drive it home on the same gear. took it to autozone and came back with the same code for the solenoid plus p0700/p0716/p0717 for the transmission. now my acadia is just sitting on my driveway no money to fix it and driving my 15 year old truck hoping gmc does something about this nightmare

Recently i have noticed a clicking sound whenever i turn the steering wheel. upon doing some research i have found that several vehicles of this model type are suffering from failed power steering pumps. some have failed while driving and have extreme difficulty turning. *tr

2008 gmc acadia has several problems with safety recalls and dealership response. *nj water entered through the passenger side roof. the tire pressure monitoring light illuminated. the driver seat made a noise while being adjusted and there was a noise coming from the steering column when it was cold.*jb the radio and navigation screen went out and the drivers seat did not move. updated 01/23/09. *jb

2008 gmc acadia caught on fire while driving down the road and burnt to nothing but the frame. luckily we all got out ok. prior to this our car was in the shop due to the power steering hose coming apart. we feel this is what happened this time as well because by the time we pulled off the road we had no power steering to the car. gmc as well as the dealership we bought it from are doing nothing and i still have no car. i am out my down payment as well as 2 almost 700.00 payments and i lost my trade in car on top of that. *tr

Gmc acadia, catastrophic engine failure, and steering system. 23 sept 2013, while driving my gmc acadia, and the vehicle shut off after a loud nose came from the engine, tuesday 24, 2013, suv towed to private repair shop. after attempting to start the vehicle and checking the suv out, i was told that they would not go further because they believe the vehicle needs a new engine, i call gmc and talked with [xxx] a problem specialist, arrangements for vehicle to be check out at ?hennessey gmc. poc, [xxx], i have met with before in regards to a recall, and told him on multiple occasions that i heard some sounds coming from the engine, i was told they did not hear anything. 25 sept 2013 suv left at shop, [xxx]would call me that day. i didn't hear from him, 1 oct 2013 i stop by hennessey, on the suv's problem, spoke to [xxx], i stated that i been waiting for his call, they were still checking it out, but gmc only paying for one hour, to open up the engine, it may cost $500 to $ 600 dollars. i can not afford to purchase another vehicle. army motor sergeant/ master mechanic, responsible for (aoap), army oil analysts program, this uses labs that analyze the oil pull from ?engines, transmissions, of vehicles such as gmc, ford, chrysler, and other manufactures. 3,000 miles or bi-annually vehicles i.e. hummve. the military learn decades ago that vehicle manufactures will delivery vehicles with defected parts, such as engines, transmissions, that can be out of tolerance. the army started pulling oil samples, and sending them to the labs for test, for water, metal, and any other foreign matter, this help to identify issues in the engine before the ?warranties expired. so the suggested failure that manufactures placed on vehicles that covered their bottom line. $2,000 credit to purchase a new vehicle from them is a insult, i have this in writing. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr