Used 2014 GMC Acadia SUV Consumer Reviews

Great vehicle with a few minor shortcomings

Overall a very nice vehicle which meets my needs. Great interior space, and comfortable ride. I prefer a truck-based 4-wheel drive SUV, but couldn't find one that provided as much versatility and space in the mid-sized category, so I opted for the Acadia.

Acadia, Durango, or just go with the Sienna?

With our 3rd boy on the way we had to move on from our 2 row Endeavor. Having studied Consumer Reports extensively and done some somewhat recreational test drives of numerous other vehicles I narrowed our search to the Durango, Acadia, and Sienna. Our priorities that ruled out others such as the Highlander, CX-9, and Explorer were: we had to have captain chairs in the back, good reliability, regular fuel, enough space in the back for kid stuff, MPG better than 18, power lift gate, black/dark intirrior, and good safety features.

Nicest Car I've Ever Had!

I picked up my 2014 Acadia Denali a little over a month ago and have put approximately 800 miles on it so far. It is the quietest car I've ever driven as well as the most comfortable and luxurious. It has some great safety features that most newer cars have available now like blind spot monitoring and a back-up camera. My last car was eight years old, so this is all new to me. When it was less than a week old, I took a 280-mile round-trip and got about 22 mpg on regular gas. My last SUV barely squeezed-out 16 on premium fuel on a trip.

Good looking car but maintenance headache

The GMC Acadia Denali is a good looking vehicle with a better than average ride. However I have had numerous problems with this car. First the air conditioners broke and required a new compressor. Then the Infotainment center display had to be replaced. The AC broke again a couple years later. Now the front drivers seat plastic around the bottom of the seat cracked and fell apart leaving the seat controls on the floor. I don’t think I will be buying another GMC.

Nice but buggy

First off I like everything about this car. Ok, well not everything. I have owned it for 10 days and on day 3 it was back to the dealer to get a massive oil leak fixed. Cheap Chinese oil filter housing cracked and allowed oil to leak past the filter seal. The remote start works maybe 50% of the time. The gas gauge wanders from 1/8 tank to just under 1/2 full which causes the distance to empty to wander from 50 to 120 miles. The driver's seat moves back for easy exit even though I turned that feature off. Now, my main gripe is I am only getting 13.8 mpg in town. I have been driving this car like an old lady and I can not improve on that number after two tanks of gas.

NOT RELIABLE

I am very disappointed in the service department and quality of the GMC. I traded in my car because I thought it was a smart idea to purchase a new GMC vehicle, since GMC is supposed to be a reliable car manufacturer, but I was sadly mistaken. I bought my current car a 2014 GMC Acadia SLT on 12/05/2015 while still under manufacturer's warranty. On 01/15/2016 I had to take it in to service - my major complaints were buzzing sound from dashboard (wiper cowl was deformed causing noise); A/C blowing smoke, noisy and causing a hissing sound - to this they stated nothing was wrong, when I expressed my concerns I was reassured that even if out of warranty it was recorded in the system and would still be covered; transmission shifting hard - did not find what was wrong and was again reassured I had a good warranty. On 01/29/2016 I brought car back in - I was concerned about knocking transmission; hard vibrations when accelerating (flex pipe was replaced); and mentioned about A/C issues once more, but was assured everything was fine with it and they mentioned once more that since it was in the system even if it was out of warranty it would be taken care of. On 02/12/2016 I was still not satisfied and brought car into service - again because of knocking/clanking engine/transmission (front engine mount was broken and replaced); A/C noisy (compressor replaced), the A/C hissing (Evaporator core leaking and was replaced) On 02/23/2016 I brought car in because of hard transmission shifts - I was assured this is normal Since temperatures had been cool I had not used the A/C until this day, when I got home I noticed the A/C leaking onto the driver's side carpet inside vehicle, I called to schedule service 02/23/2016 @ 12:44pm left a message and never got a call back (at this point we are close to the 36,000mi warranty) I called again 02/24/2016 @ 9:41am left message, still no call back. I had a pretty busy week afterwards with my kids getting sick with the flu, I called again on 3/1/2016 @9:41am, @10:24am, @10:29am, @12:57pm, @12:59pm no one called me back. Finally was able to reach and brought car in on 3/2/2016 they found A/C drain clogged and they unclogged I still noticed the leak which was worse and called on 03/03/2016 left message, no one returned my call I finally got a hold of someone on 03/07/2016, brought the car in and was told, sorry you are out of warranty you will have to pay for the repairs. I was shocked and very angry, especially since I have been bringing the car in with all these issues I was assured would be covered even if out of warranty since there is a record. I pay $569 per month for what is supposed to be a good, reliable car that would not give me trouble, and this car has been in the shop and had more problems in the 3 months I have owned it than my old Ford Expedition which I've had for years. I regret having traded in my old vehicle which was far more reliable than this new and shiny garbage truck. I really hope that my horrible experience will at least help someone not make the mistake of investing in this vehicle.

Bad car, Worse Customer Service

Purchased it new in February 2017. A few weeks ago the check engine light came on w/ only 5K miles on the car. The dealership tried three fixes and on the third fix I emailed GMC customer service. I was told someone would contact me w/in 1-2 business days - a week later someone finally reached out! By that time the third fix did not take care of the check engine light and I asked the customer service agent about getting my money back. The agent said her department did not deal with those issues, but she would route the request up. Last night I received a call from the agent saying that GMC would not reimburse my money. I asked why and she said her department did not make those decisions. I asked if I could speak with the person that made the decision and she said no. Apparently, a ghost runs that department.... Just picked got the car back today after GMC replaced a sensor, a wiring harness, some computer, and now a water pump, hopefully the light stays off???? Play it safe - STAY AWAY from GMC!!!!

Lots of little problems during first 40K miles

Ride is quite firm, but not overly harsh. It's smoother on new Michelin Premier LTX tires than on original Goodyears. Handling is great, brakes just OK. AWD works well in rain snow. Vehicle feels very secure in all kinds of weather on all types of roads. NAV system was a waste of $750. Even my 7 year old TomTom works better. Had some creaks and squeaks in passenger side doors and windows. Our dealer fixed most of them. Drivers seat creaked and groaned when hitting bumps. Dealer replaced seat base. Rear windshield washer stopped working due to a hose that had pulled loose. Middle row bucket seats are very hard to pull forward for access to third row. No resolution here. Latest problem is camshaft position sensor and camshaft actuator. Position sensor is covered under 100K mile power train warranty. Actuator was not, even though it's an integral part of the engine. Go figure. Dealer service writer tells me power steering hose is showing signs of a minor leak. In my experience, these are usually good 100K miles or more. I'd suggest a potential owner buy an extended warranty or be ready to write checks after 36K miles. This vehicle is obviously not designed to be reliable any longer than that. I'm pretty much done with GM vehicles. Based on positive experiences I've had with 2011 and 2016 Fords, our next SUV will probably be a Ford.

Dealer has had our car longer than we have

We bought our car and we decided to take ownership even though the ground effects were installed wrong and the blind spot and FCA system were not working. Big mistake - the car is still not working right. Also I would have expected a bit more giddy up and go.... it's kind of a dog when it comes to off the line performance.

Literally the worst vehicle I've ever owned

Where do I start brought a 2014 Gmc Acadia Denali, because let's face it its a beautiful looking truck. However around the 50k mile marker we starting having transmission issues. Took it to the local gmc shop and they said it was nothing. Then back again around 53k, now I'm no mechanic but I know when a transmission is messed up. They basically found every which way to blame another part rather then the trans. Fast forward to 68k and low and behold the transmission goes. And as fate would have it its out of the manufacturer warranty. So the transmission was replaced took over a month with the vehicle in the shop and I get it back pull in the driveway and to my surprise the next morning my driveway is stained with transmission fluid. Get towed back to dealer for the 2nd transmission replacement. Get the car back 22 days later. And everything seems fine until I get stranded on the highway. Gas gage says full take empty. Now the radio has a mind of its own turns on and off at its own leisure. Now guess where vehicle is today back in shop with the transmission gasket in need of replacement. Along with motor mounts and the control arms. Mind you I have yet to kit 100k on this vehicle. I urge buys to stay away from this at all costs. If I can give it negative stars I would oh and p.s all the calipers had to be replaced also at around 36 thousand miles

Great premium SUV

After three years on a lease, we are keeping this truck. It's got everything, been reliable, and maintenance costs are low.

Extremely Unsatisfied!

We leased a 2014 GMC Acadia Denali and have had nothing but problems since 6 months after leasing it. It has been in for service 14+ times. Ten of those times was for the service airbag light, they told us it was because of the passenger seat belt. The other 4 were because I needed new brakes and rotors, but they would never listen to use. I had to drive it in unannounced one day with it making a loud banging noise and shaking the whole vehicle. I now no longer have air conditioning. The last time I had it in for the airbag light I mentioned it and they said that there is nothing wrong with it and that the freon level is where it should be. It started with just the front not blowing. After I took my daughter out of the car yesterday after a short, maybe 15 minute ride, I quickly learned that the back is no longer bowing as she was completely soaking wet with sweat and looked like she didn't feel well. There is something wrong with my gas tank, maybe it's the float, I don't know. But one minute I could have a full tank, then next I am down to 3/4 tank, that is too much of a jump to happen that fast. I contacted GMC, got as high as the district manger, waited a month, only to get the call today that there is nothing that they can do to help me and that it is not their problem. What makes it worse is that my husband's grandfather worked for GM for decades until he retired. We have been buying GM vehicles for years, I dont think we will ever buy from them after this experience!

Great SUV alternative to a minivan

If you crossed a minivan and a luxury full-size SUV you would get the Acadia Denali. It doesn't replace either vehicle completely but comes very close in every category from driveability, utility, seating, economy, comfort, luxury, hauling, and year round traction.

Nightmare

Purchased this vehicle with 10,000 miles from the dealership, in 2014. It had been driven by the wife of the dealership owner. With only 50,000 miles the power steering pump and steering rack needed to be replaced. Out of warranty at 36,000 miles so that cost was not covered. This is a known problem with earlier model years, with the same construction, and is the subject of a class action lawsuit. Had to replace the accelerator module. Problems with the ECM. Replaced struts, and shocks. Poor gas mileage and noisy to drive. Leather interior and other features are okay but do not offset the many mechanical problems.

She walked away!

This was my wife’s favorite car. It was the perfect size and had everything she wanted in an SUV. On her way to work, she rear ended a truck that was stopped half on/half off the road while she was traveling at 55mph. The impact was a partial front collision, one of the worst possible types. The front of the car folded completely absorbing the impact and all airbags deployed. The engine and transmission stayed perfectly in place. The passenger compartment was completely intact. All of the doors still open. While the car was a total loss, my wife and my children’s mother was unharmed. We will replace this car with an identical one.

GM forgot to include transmission

What the hell is wrong with this "SUV"? Cheap and did I say cheap plastic interior! Looks pretty but feels like cheap plastic crap, with a shiny coat over top. I drove this vehicle as a rental for two days and was sorely disappointed. In fact this was a vehicle I was considering as my next purchase, not any longer. The transmission's response is seriously concerning. I'm not sure whether they skipped a step in assembling the vehicle's engine or if the ridiculous lazy lag is intended. I'm not surprised that so many consumers are forced to replace the transmission, as well as in the Acadia model. The transmission feels like it's going to break every time you accelerate past 40 MPH. Toyota here I come....

Most Favorite Car Ever

I love this car - I was hesitant to get rid of my family Mini-van but have had NO regrets since driving the Acadia. My only hesitation is that the fuel economy is more like 13 per gallon - NOT 16 - 18 which is how it's advertised. Size is great - drives great - materials inside could be nicer considering the cost - but overall i LOVE driving this car and my kids and their friends love driving in this car with me.

Update #2.

I bought this 2014 Acadia in June 2014. In less then 12 months the oil filter mount cracked and leaked a lot of oil on my garage floor, the rear evaporator leaked and both were replaced under warranty. Then the right engine mount broke in 2015 and the rear evaporator leaked again out of warranty. They charged me $1000 and admitted their vendor was shipping faulty units. I argued this with GMC customer service and they gave me a gift certificate for $500 to only be spent in their accessories catalog. There was nothing on the Acadia page that anybody would want or I needed. Junk. Gas gauge has never read correctly and transmission has a lag that causes it to clunk laud enough to startle. Update: October 2019 the evaporator failed again. Now I just add R134A coolant myself and it’s good for 5 months. Suspension has a clunk on the right side. Dealer said it was a motor mount again and gave up and left. It sounds like a coil over unloading and snapping back into place in right rear. Forward collision warning sensor died. This is usually caused by a computer malfunction that is very expensive to repair. 9/3/2020: forward collision Warning repaired its self! While turning left the transmission goes slack then re-engages with a clank when I get back on the gas. The rear (aux) evaporator problem finally has a cause. It’s not poor workmanship. The failures are now known as bi metallic corrosion caused by micro level copper dust from the fan being blown into the evap. The fix is to replace the evaporator with an OEM part but the fan motor with a “sealed” after market motor. That means you can’t get it fixed at the dealer. Update 3/3/2022. No failures, however the suspension is very noisy. Inspection can find no problems. Aux evaporator is still faulty and I add 12 oz of 134A coolant every 6 months and it runs like new. Otherwise it’s a $1500 fix.

Good for what it is....

First, good luck at actually finding anything but a base SLE1 model if you actually need an 8 passenger AWD vehicle. The dealer searched and there were no SLE2, SLT's, or Denali AWD 8 passengers (or Buick Enclave's) within 500 miles on dealer lots and nothing in the production queue without having to wait for a special order (at much less of a discount). But after driving a 7 passenger Denali, we are glad we just took a base SLE as there really isn't that much to justify the 14k difference in price and huge difference in residual value. The problem is with the premium trims like Denali, there's really not that much 'Luxury' to justify the price difference.

Perfect Family Vehicle!

We purchased a 2014 GMC Acadia Denali with 37k mile for my wife about a month ago. We haven’t had time to see overall reliability, but so far so good. We will be taking it on a trip this weekend that’s about a 7 hour drive and we are looking forward to it! It has plenty of space, great entertainment, great comfortablity, great handling, great interior and over all we love it! Perfect for a family of four!

AC

I bought my GMC Acadia Denali brand new and within the year the AC went out. Both the front the the rear evaporaters. They supposedly fixed it under warranty. It worked for a year and then went out again. They said they fixed it again, but I think they just added Freon because it went out again. I’m on the 5th time taking it in, but it’s not under warranty. They told me they couldn’t find anything wrong with it. I would not recommend the Acadia or traverse. I have friends who have the same issues with both cars.

Pleasure Ride

Only have had my new Acadia for less than a month but have thoroughly enjoyed the ride! Smooth ride but wish it would come in rear wheel drive instead of front wheel drive. The jury is still out on the mileage however I only have less that 1,000 miles on it but for city driving I am averaging about 16-17 mpg. Exterior design is better than the ugly Terrain. Why can't whitewall tires be an option? It really adds some style. Black wall tires tend to make vehicle look bland and cheap. The same is true about pin striping. I added pin striping and WOW what a difference. I remember when cars came with pin striping and whitewalls.

A CAR FOR ALL SEASONS

Love this car!! That is why I am purchasing another one this week!! I especially like the mirrors showing vehicles in the blind spot, the speed you are going and other information on the windshield in front of the driver.

Traded from Ford Explorer

Bought the car 1/2017 with 14,000 miles and I love this car. The ride is great and the car looks great. It has plenty of power and control is great. I have the Bose sound system and sounds great. It now has 18,000 miles and going in for service. Gas mileage could be a little better but a 3 hour trip upstate on a little over a quarter of a tank isn't bad. Would buy new when I need.

Love my Acadia

I love my 2014 Acadia. I am getting 21-22 mpg in town. Haven't had it on the road yet. Ride is great and so roomy. I have 8 grandkids and room for most. It is beautiful inside and out. Handles beautifully. No complaints so far😀

Disappointing SUV

Heavy vehicle. Decent mileage for what you get. AWD performance is the only saving grace for this vehicle. Much of everything else has been a disappointment.Not coming up to the "Professional Grade" benchmark. 27,000 miles and there is a significant "roar" from the rear axle area independent of engine speed. Anything over 50 mph on the freeway. Sounds like a wheel bearing. Pretty sad for a low mileage vehicle. A/C takes about 2 minutes to blow cold air after engaging- low charge? Again, not meeting or exceeding my expectation. Rear gate groans when opening. Rear bumper chrome trim bubbles in spots. Rear taillights have moisture condensation inside the assemble- both sides were replaced at least once and condition continues.

2014 GMC Acadia Denali

I have had this car for 7 years & 150K miles (I bought it with 24K miles on it). It was a great price and has loads of features. Perfect for our family. Great on trips. However, once it hits 150,000 miles mark, plan on maintenance issues. We take good care of our cars and change the oil regularly. At 130,000 the Traction Control bug started happening (still does, just annoying). Most of the modules failed. They are easy to fix as a DIY, but frustrating. The plugs and coils were replaced around 140K miles. 135k replace purge valve (DIY). The A/C has had to be recharged every summer after 150k miles. At 170,000 we had to get a new transmission! $$$$ I recommend an extended warranty or sell it after 150K. We are too invested to sell now. But I still like the car. It needs new struts/shocks. I still feel like its fair for the money I paid. But, they are not made like cars of old. Our mechanic said a lot of the American cars have plastic, computer modules and cheap metal that just don't hold up well after 130,000+ miles.

Great car for it's segment

I needed 3 rows and AWD and this fit the bill without needing to buy a minivan or a suburban.

Almost minivan.

A good family car.

Ideal size for passenger comfort and cargo.

2014 GMC Denali

Purchased in November 2014 and added steps. So far I am very happy with the vehicle with a few minor exceptions listed below. Update 2016: Still enjoy vehicle. Fuel efficiency poor. Need a light in dash glove box and some way to light up garage door openers. Update Jan. 2018: Shifter became very hard to take out of park. Dealership replaced, which did not correct issue. Cost $400. Problem resolved after hearing a loud snap. Believed to be cable hanging up at the transmission link. Working fine for about year. Dealer showed little interest. Fuel mileage very poor. UPDATE: The price to update navigation maps is ridiculously high. Oil change indicator wants me to change oil about every 1500 miles. All else the same.

Disappointing Purchase!

I traded my 2007 GMC Envoy for a 2014 Acadia. I am disappointed that the vehicle does not drive nearly as well as the Envoy.It is jerky in response. Also, there is no memory seat function for the power seats, which, in my case, is a major aggravation since more than one person drives my car. And, there is no light in the glove box. You would think that a car that cost this much would have these features. I think I want my Envoy back!

The Ride

Vehicle is sleek, very well equipped

Great suv

Has all the bells and whistles!

owned it 4 days

I purchased a 2014 low mileage FWD Acadia. It handles nice but a little jumpy. On the 4th day the "service air bag" light came on and will not go off. I took it to my dealer by where I live (not the one I bought it from as they are a ways away) and was told something is malfunctioning and I am taking it back tonight for further diagnostics. Very very inconvenient. This is very worrisome considering the length of time I have had the vehicle. If this kind of thing continues to happen the selling dealer will have it back on their lot.

Nicest car/suv we've ever owned

We were lucky enough to find what we were looking for in august of 2015 and it only had 8000 miles on it. It is by far the nicest vehicle we have owned. It replaced a 2002 Ford Explorer Limited with just about 100,000 miles on it. Loved the ford but it ate gas like a starved pig. The Acadia gets 19 plus around town and 23 on the road.and it's never been back at the dealer except for oil changes and to get it washed which was free. Currently have 24000 miles on the vehicle and nothing has changed, Love the car/suv.

Highly Recommend

Acadia Denali is the best SUV with all the technology you could possibly want and some you didn't even know a vehicle could have!