Model year 2016 · Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD, Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD

2016 GMC Acadia: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2016 GMC Acadia at 17–18 mpg combined across 2 versions. NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 236 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Safety recalls

EPA combined mpg

17–18

NHTSA overall rating

5/5

Recall file dated Oct 28, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 28, 2026, 7:36 AM EDT

Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a GMC dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.

2016 GMC Acadia recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 4 safety recalls for the 2016 GMC Acadia, newest first.

Air bags: Frontal: Driver side: Inflator module

NHTSA 23V334000 Reported May 10, 2023

Filed by: General Motors, LLC (manufacturer recall no. N232404980)
Units affected: 995,085 (estimate)
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2017 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles. The driver's air bag inflator may explode during deployment, due to a manufacturing defect.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver's air bag module, free of charge. GM began mailing final owner letters February 23, 2024 and will continue mailing through December 2025. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N232404980.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Air bags: Critical fasteners

NHTSA 21V246000 Reported Apr 8, 2021

Filed by: General Motors, LLC (manufacturer recall no. N202321200)
Units affected: 108 (estimate)
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2015, 2017 Buick Enclave, 2010-2019 Chevrolet Traverse, and 2011-2016 GMC Acadia vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not be properly attached.
Risk: Unsecured side curtain air bags may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, realign or replace the weld nuts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2021. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N202321200.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Seats

NHTSA 15V833000 Reported Dec 11, 2015

Filed by: General Motors, LLC (manufacturer recall no. 21930)
Units affected: 2,633 (estimate)
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured November 6, 2015, to November 12, 2015. The affected vehicles have a the third row left lower seat frame that may have welds that are not in the correction location.
Risk: If the seat frame is not welded in the correct places, the seat may not perform as intended, and in the event of a crash, the seat occupant could be at an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the third row left side lower seat frame, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 29, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's number for this recall is 21930.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Visibility: Windshield wiper/washer: Motor

NHTSA 15V609000 Reported Sep 29, 2015

Filed by: General Motors, LLC (manufacturer recall no. 15780/15789)
Units affected: 29,295 (estimate)
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured August 18, 2015 to September 24, 2015. Due to a manufacturing defect, the windshield wiper motor may overheat when used.
Risk: A wiper motor that overheats increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: GM has notified owners, and dealers will replace the windshield wiper motor cover assembly, free of charge. Owners are advised not to use their front windshield wipers until the wiper cover has been replaced. If weather conditions prevent operation of the vehicle without using the windshield wipers, GM will make arrangements to pick up the vehicle for servicing. The recall began on September 30, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 15780.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.

2016 GMC Acadia fuel economy by version

EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.

2016 GMC Acadia EPA fuel economy
Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	Fuel	City/Hwy/Comb	Fuel cost/yr	CO2 g/mi
Acadia AWD	3.6L 6-cyl	Automatic 6-spd	All-Wheel Drive	Regular	15/22/17 mpg	$3,950	518
Acadia FWD	3.6L 6-cyl	Automatic 6-spd	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	15/22/18 mpg	$3,700	507

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.

EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.

2016 GMC Acadia crash-test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2016 GMC Acadia NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk	Forward collision warning
2016 GMC Acadia Denali SUV AWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars	15.5%	Standard
2016 GMC Acadia Denali SUV FWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars	16.9%	Standard
2016 GMC Acadia SUV AWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars	15.5%	Optional
2016 GMC Acadia SUV FWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars	16.9%	Optional

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.

Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.

2016 GMC Acadia owner complaints

Owners have filed 236 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 GMC Acadia, most recently on Sep 5, 2026. 8 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 16 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.

Most-cited components in 2016 GMC Acadia complaints
Component named in complaints	Mentions
Air bags	129
Steering	24
Electrical system	23
Power train	21
Unknown or other	20
Engine	13
Lane departure: Blind spot detection	9
Electronic stability control (ESC)	5
Seat belts	5
Service brakes	4

Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.

Had a safety problem with your vehicle? You can report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem.

Other GMC Acadia model years

GMC Acadia by model year
Year	Combined	Recalls	Complaints	Overall rating
2027 Acadia	21–22 mpg	—	—	—
2026 Acadia	21–22 mpg	1	10	5/5
2025 Acadia	21–23 mpg	0	69	5/5
2024 Acadia	21–23 mpg	0	61	5/5
2023 Acadia	21–25 mpg	4	49	5/5
2022 Acadia	21–25 mpg	3	52	5/5
2021 Acadia	21–25 mpg	2	155	5/5
2020 Acadia	21–24 mpg	6	106	5/5
2019 Acadia	20–23 mpg	2	388	5/5
2018 Acadia	20–23 mpg	2	398	5/5
2017 Acadia	17–23 mpg	4	706	5/5
2015 Acadia	19 mpg	4	243	5/5

All GMC Acadia years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2016 GMC models

2016 GMC Canyon 2016 GMC Savana Passenger 2016 GMC Sierra 2016 GMC Terrain 2016 GMC Yukon

Sources

Recalls: NHTSA recall flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010), dated Oct 28, 2026, plus a live check of api.nhtsa.gov in your browser.
Complaints: NHTSA consumer complaint flat files (COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED), counts only — we do not republish complaint text.
Crash tests: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API.
Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov vehicles file (U.S. DOE and EPA), dated Sep 29, 2026.
NHTSA, EPA and DOE do not endorse OpenVIN. Vehicle names identify vehicles only; OpenVIN is not affiliated with GMC.