Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
The 2018 GMC Acadia has 396 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, most often for transmission and drivetrain (163). Its combined EPA rating is 20 to 23 mpg, with a 5-year fuel cost of $14,120 to $16,240 at U.S. average prices. NHTSA gives it an overall rating of 4 stars. There are 2 recall campaigns that may apply to it, covering fuel system and transmission and drivetrain.
Written by AI from public EPA and NHTSA data. Not a review.
Fuel economy
20–23 mpgcombined; city 17–21, highway 25–26; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$14,120–$16,240U.S. average; Ohio $12,620–$14,510 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
Owners have filed 396 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Acadia. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Power train
163
4
0
4
Unknown or other
118
0
0
0
Electrical system
109
3
1
3
Engine
34
4
0
5
Steering
24
2
0
5
Service brakes
21
4
0
8
Electronic stability control (ESC)
12
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
7
0
1
2
Lane departure
6
0
0
0
Back over prevention
5
0
0
0
Seats
5
0
0
0
Suspension
5
1
0
1
11 more parts
Vehicle speed control
5
1
0
4
Seat belts
4
0
0
0
Wheels
4
0
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
3
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
3
0
0
0
Exterior lighting
2
0
0
0
Air bags
1
0
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
1
0
0
0
Parking brake
1
0
0
0
Structure
1
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2018 Acadia over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure fuel line.
Risk: A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump, and high pressure fuel pipe, free of charge. The recall began July 2, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18188.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles and 2017-2018 GMC Acadia vehicles. The right front intermediate driveshaft may fracture and separate while driving.
Risk: If the front right intermediate drive shaft assembly separates while driving, the vehicle will lose propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. If the assembly separates while parked on a grade, without the park brake engaged, the vehicle may move unintentionally, increasing the risk of a vehicle roll-away.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the right front intermediate drive shaft assembly, free of charge. The recall began August 25, 2017. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 17329.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 1,071 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2018 Acadia, the latest on Sep 26, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (368), electrical system (223), engine and engine cooling (132), engine (107), power train (99).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2018 Acadia.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: standard sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 4–5 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Acadia Front-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
21 / 26 / 23
Acadia All-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
21 / 25 / 23
Acadia Front-Wheel Drive
3.6 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
18 / 25 / 21
Acadia All-Wheel Drive
3.6 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline
17 / 25 / 20
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data