The 2008 GMC Acadia not only had to navigate through both the collapse of the auto industry and the Great Recession, but also five recalls by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Plus, it has the most complaints for any model year of the first-generation full-size crossover.
Key Points
- Based on the General Motors Lambda platform, the 2008 GMC Acadia offers seating for up to eight occupants.
- The 2008 Acadia is the worst year for complaints made to the NHTSA, with nearly 840 logged with the agency so far.
- Consumer complaints include 277 about the powertrain and nearly 150 each about the airbags and electrical system.
- Other reported issues include loose or worn-out gas caps clicking on the check engine light, broken clutch wave plates in the six-speed automatic, and excess camshaft end play in the cylinder heads.
2008 GMC Acadia Arrives in Time to Traverse Rough Economic Seas
The GMC Acadia debuted with the 2007 model and shared its architecture — the General Motors Lambda platform — with stablemate Saturn Outlook.
The first-generation Acadia (2007-2012) offered room for up to eight occupants, and would receive a more “professional-grade” luxury upgrade for the 2011 model year with the Denali trim, followed by a facelift in 2013.
In its second model year of 2008, however, the Acadia found itself traversing rough economic seas as the one-two punch of the auto industry collapse and the Great Recession landed in mid-2008. Such a fate may have helped to contribute to the crossover’s worst year.
Falling Tailgates and Poor Airbag Wiring are Among Major Recalls for the 2008 GMC Acadia
As far as recalls by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration go, the 2008 GMC Acadia has only five. (However, the 2009 Acadia has the most of any model year in the first generation, with seven.)
One of the notable recalls has to do with a failing liftgate. The tailgate lift’s struts may fail without warning, potentially allowing the tailgate to fall on the unsuspecting operator’s head just as they’re loading groceries into the rear cargo area. A free software update to the control unit corrected the issue.
Another recall covers the side-impact airbags and their wiring harnesses. Increased resistance in the harnesses were found to prevent deployment of the airbags and activation of the seat belt pretensioners during a crash. The harnesses were replaced at the dealership free of charge.
2008 GMC Acadia Owners Complained of Malfunctioning Airbag Service Lights, Electrical Damage, and Shifting Problems
While recalls were but a handful for the 2008 GMC Acadia, the vehicle a whopping 831 complaints made to the NHTSA by owners affected by various issues. The top three complaints cover the powertrain, airbags, and the electrical system.
One of the issues affecting the powertrain, per Repair Pal, involves the six-speed automatic. The 35R clutch wave plate may break, causing shifting issues such as loss of reverse gear and slips in third and fifth gear. Per a thread on Acadia Forum, another cause of poor shifting is a potentially defective transmission control module.
Other problems reported include the check engine light coming on due to, according to Repair Pal, a loose or worn-out gas cap, as well as certain V6 engines throwing codes due to a defective powertrain control module and/or excess camshaft end play.
Then, there are complaints regarding the airbag service light coming on randomly, water pouring out of the glove box while the crossover is in motion, and the power steering assist dropping out due to faulty parts.
Best to Move Past the 2008 Model for a Better Experience with the GMC Acadia
It’s safe to say the last couple of years of the 2000s were rough for everyone as far as the economic environment was concerned. GM faced a few decisions in order to ensure its survival, including the shuttering of Pontiac, Saturn, Saab, and Hummer (though the last brand would later become a GMC EV sub-brand).
In the meantime, quality control suffered on the line, affecting models like the 2008 GMC Acadia. Thus, it is best to move past this dark time for a newer first-generation Acadia, either a 2011 model (the first year for the Acadia Denali) or a facelifted model from 2013 through the end of the first-generation crossover in 2017.
Photos: GMC
