The Best and Worst Model Years for the GMC Acadia

Hannah DeWitt
· 3 min read
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There are plenty of great crossover SUV options on the market, and finding the right one for you can be overwhelming. The
GMC
Acadia is one crossover that shouldn’t be overlooked. However, even if you have decided that you definitely want a GMC Acadia, it can be hard to determine which model year to buy.
Thankfully, there are helpful guides available to help make the process of shopping for an Acadia easier. According to
Four Wheel Trends
, these are the top model years of the GMC Acadia—and some of the worst ones.
The GMC Acadia has had some dependable model years, but beware of the bad ones.

What should you look out for in the GMC Acadia?

According to
Car Buying and Selling
, there are currently two generations of Acadias. The first generation was made from 2007 to 2016, and the second generation began production in 2017 and is still going today. The biggest difference between the two generations is that the first generation was a full-size crossover, whereas the current one is a mid-size crossover.
Car Buying and Selling noted a consistent issue with model years from the first generation. These Acadia SUVs often have their
check engine warning lights
on. Most of the time, this can be easily repaired, but it’s still a problem that you might have to deal with if you purchase a used Acadia.
Another issue to look for involves transmission breakdowns. If your Acadia encounters this problem, the repair could require a full rebuild, which could cost up to $4,000. This is less common with second-gen models.
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Best GMC Acadia model years

MORE: GM Halts Production of Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra in Indiana
Four Wheel Trends recommends the 2015 Acadia, one of the last model years of the first-generation, as the best Acadia model. The 2015 Acadia has a projected five-year cost of $27,100. This is higher than some competitors, but the Acadia makes up for it with comfort and cargo space.
The Acadia drives comfortably on the highway and on back roads, which makes it a great vehicle to take on outdoor adventures. The 2015 model also gives you a towing capacity of 5,200 pounds, which is substantial for a crossover.
Outside of the 2015 model, the models from the second generation are considered fairly strong overall. Since they’re newer vehicles, they’re more expensive, but don’t have the same risk of transmission issues as first-gen Acadias.

Worst GMC Acadia model years

According to
CoPilot
, the worst GMC Acadia model year came in 2008. This year saw the worst of the transmission problems mentioned above. The result is a vehicle that can really stack on repair costs.
Other years to avoid are 2012 and 2013, which both saw some of the Acadia's worst issues come back after being seemingly fixed. The 2012 Acadia had four different recalls, and while the issues are likely repaired by now, this model still gives owners trouble. The 2013 Acadia is infamous for a number of engine problems, which can lead to repairs costing upwards of $7,000.
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