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2012 GMC Acadia

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2012 GMC Acadia do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 256.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

220 reports with mileage · 76 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Steering. Review the 46 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Structure. Review the 42 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

8 crash reports2 fire reports15 injury reports

What owners actually said

296 reports
87,110 miles · Feb 28, 2020
Air BagsElectrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)

ON 2/6/20 AFTER GETTING INTO MY VEHICLE AND TURNING ON THE IGNITION VEHICLE WOULDN'T START SO THE SAME DAY I HAD MY VEHICLE TOWED TO A CERTIFIED DEALER IN UNION. AT THE DEALER THEY FIRST STATED THE GROUND WIRE TO STARTER WAS CHEWED UP SO THEY REPLACED THE STARTER AND THEN A FEW HOURS LATER THEY STATED NO COMUNICATION WITH ECM …

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ON 2/6/20 AFTER GETTING INTO MY VEHICLE AND TURNING ON THE IGNITION VEHICLE WOULDN'T START SO THE SAME DAY I HAD MY VEHICLE TOWED TO A CERTIFIED DEALER IN UNION. AT THE DEALER THEY FIRST STATED THE GROUND WIRE TO STARTER WAS CHEWED UP SO THEY REPLACED THE STARTER AND THEN A FEW HOURS LATER THEY STATED NO COMUNICATION WITH ECM & BCM. THEY THEN STATED THEYFOUND WATER INTRUSION ON PASSAGE SIDE FUSE BLOCK THAT SHORTED OUT THE ECM AND BCM. AT DEALER THEY REPLACED FUSE BLOCK, ECM AND BCM. WELL AFTER $2027.05 LATER THEY WAS ABLE TO GET MY VEHICLE RUNNING AGAIN BUT NOW THE CAR RADIO AND MY ONSTAR IN VEHICLE DON'T WORK, ALSO TRACTION CONTROL,,STABILITRAK , ABS & AIRBAG SERVICE LIGHTS ARE ON. TWO WEEKS LATER MY CAR BATTERY DIED SO I REPLACED DEAD BATTERY WITH A NEW ONE. MY THING IS THIS IF ALL THESE ARE ISSUES THAT PEOPLE ALL OVER ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT I TRULY THINK ALL THESE ISSUES SHOULD BE ADDRESSED AND FIXED A.S.A.P. BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR KILLED. BY THE WAY I JUST BROUGHT 2012 GMC ARCADIA ON NOV.27,2019 AND I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BE GOING OUT OF MY POCKET TRYING TO GET ALL THESE ISSUES FIXED.

NHTSA ODI #11312016

7 miles · Feb 26, 2020
Suspension

REPLACED HEADLIGHTS - DROVE DOWN THE ROAD MY VEHICLE STARTED BOUNCING MECHANIC TOOK IT BACK IN THE STRUTS FAILED WHEN THE TIRES WERE REMOVED AND THE VEHICLE WAS UP

NHTSA ODI #11311558

113,000 miles · Feb 6, 2020
Unknown Or Other

I'VE STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLES LAST YEAR. THE VEHICLE WILL SHUDDER WHILE GOING UP HILL OR DRIVING ON FLAT SURFACE. I HAD THE PCV REPLACED SPARK PLUGS. NO CODES, FLUID IS GOOD.

NHTSA ODI #11307602

Mileage unknown · Jan 11, 2020
Structure

OUR 2012 ACADIA LIFTGATE SPONTANEOUSLY FAILED WHEN MY HUSBAND LIFTED THE LIFTGATE, COMING DOWN TOWARDS HIS HEAD WITH SPEED AND FORCE. LUCKILY HE WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY GET HIS HANDS UP BEFORE IT CRASHED DOWN ON HIS HEAD. HAD THIS BEEN A CHILD, SOMEONE WITH SLOWER REFLEXES, OR HAD HIS REFLEXES FAILED HIM HE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY…

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OUR 2012 ACADIA LIFTGATE SPONTANEOUSLY FAILED WHEN MY HUSBAND LIFTED THE LIFTGATE, COMING DOWN TOWARDS HIS HEAD WITH SPEED AND FORCE. LUCKILY HE WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY GET HIS HANDS UP BEFORE IT CRASHED DOWN ON HIS HEAD. HAD THIS BEEN A CHILD, SOMEONE WITH SLOWER REFLEXES, OR HAD HIS REFLEXES FAILED HIM HE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. I HAVE BEEN AN RN FOR 15 YEARS, 6 OF WHICH I SPENT ON A TRAUMA UNIT CARING FOR PROBLEM WITH CLOSED HEAD INJURIES AND SO I UNDERSTAND THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS FIRST HAND. THE PHYSICS TO THIS SAFETY ISSUE ARE ELEMENTARY. I HAVE REACHED OUT TO DEALERSHIP THE DAY WE TOOK IN FOR REPAIR AND WAS TOLD BASIC WEAR AND TEAR. NO NOT A SPONTANEOUS ISSUE LIKE THIS THAT CAN CAUSE SERIOUS HARM OR DEATH. I OPENED A CASE WITH GMC AND THROUGH GMC FACEBOOK MESSENGER ONLY TO BE CONTINUOUSLY CORRALLED BACK TO THE DEALER. GMC MUST DO BETTER FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS WHO ARE HUMAN BEINGS WITH FAMILIES AND LOVED ONES. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY PARKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY. DATE OF ISSUE WAS FALL OF 2019. I HAVE BEEN GOING BACK WITH GMC TO NO AVAIL AND NOW BELIEVE I MUST TAKE THIS ISSUE FURTHER AS I DO NOT WANT ANYONE ELSE'S INJURY ON MY CONSCIOUS AND GMC CLEARLY HAS NO CONCERN FOR THIS.

NHTSA ODI #11298605

100,000 miles · Dec 25, 2019
Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)

WHILE DRIVING MY GMC ACADIA THE CAR STARTED LOOSING POWER, IT THEN GAVE A MESSAGE THAT SAID TRACTION CONTROL OFF/ON IT ALSO HAD STABILITY TRACK MESSAGE.

NHTSA ODI #11291202

118,000 miles · Dec 23, 2019
Power Train

WELL GM STRIKES AGAIN. I JUST SUBMITTED A TRANSMISSON WITH MY 2014 SILVERADO BUT IT LOOKS LIKE MY 12 ACADIA HAS THE SAME TRANSMISSION ISSUE. WE BOUGHT THIS ACADIA USED AND WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF OWNING THE TRANSMISSION FAILED DUE TO A KNOWN ISSUE BY GM. I ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED TODAY BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION SHUTTERED SIGNIFICA…

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WELL GM STRIKES AGAIN. I JUST SUBMITTED A TRANSMISSON WITH MY 2014 SILVERADO BUT IT LOOKS LIKE MY 12 ACADIA HAS THE SAME TRANSMISSION ISSUE. WE BOUGHT THIS ACADIA USED AND WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF OWNING THE TRANSMISSION FAILED DUE TO A KNOWN ISSUE BY GM. I ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED TODAY BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION SHUTTERED SIGNIFICANTLY ENOUGH THAT THE CAR WOULDNT GO. I AM EXTREMELY ANNOYED. I THINK ITS TIME WE GO TO ANOTHER MANUFACTURER...THE 35R CLUTCH WAVE PLATE IS JUNK AND SENDS METAL THROUGHOUT TRANS AND DESTROYS IT.

NHTSA ODI #11290988

113,000 miles · Dec 18, 2019
Electrical System

WATER COLLECTS INSIDE THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE DOORS AND BODY. EVENTUALLY CAUSES NO SOUND FROM ALL SPEAKERS EXCEPT THE SMALL TWEETERS ON THE A PILLARS. THEN THE WARNING BEEPING FROM BACKUP SENSOR CANNOT BE HEARD. THIS PUTS PEDESTRIANS IN DANGER ESPECIALLY WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENS AND DRIVERS ARE NOT AWARE OF THE PROBL…

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WATER COLLECTS INSIDE THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE DOORS AND BODY. EVENTUALLY CAUSES NO SOUND FROM ALL SPEAKERS EXCEPT THE SMALL TWEETERS ON THE A PILLARS. THEN THE WARNING BEEPING FROM BACKUP SENSOR CANNOT BE HEARD. THIS PUTS PEDESTRIANS IN DANGER ESPECIALLY WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENS AND DRIVERS ARE NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM YET. THEY ARE EXPECTING IT TO BEEP IF SOMEONE LIKE A CHILD SUDDENLY CROSSES BEHIND THE VECHILE. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON ALL GM LAMBDA MODELS SINCE 2008. HERE ARE LINKS TO FORUM DISCUSSIONS FROM MANY OTHER OWNERS. HTTPS://WWW.ACADIAFORUM.NET/THREADS/2008-ACADIA-BACK-UP-SENSORS-NOT-WORKING.10541/#POST-191925 HTTPS://WWW.TRAVERSEFORUM.COM/THREADS/2009-TRAVERSE-NO-SOUND-FROM-SPEAKERS.3662/ HTTPS://WWW.TRAVERSEFORUM.COM/THREADS/MULTIPLE-ELECTRICAL-ISSUES-WITH-2009-TRAVERSE.5015/ HTTPS://WWW.ACADIAFORUM.NET/THREADS/WATER-IN-THE-DOOR-HARNESS-CONNECTORS.13448/HTTPS://WWW.ACADIAFORUM.NET/THREADS/LEFT-SIDE-SPEAKERS-NOT-WORKING.8902/#POST-163142

NHTSA ODI #11289961

71,000 miles · Dec 4, 2019
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS CONSTANTLY NEED REPLACED, MELTING/SHATTERING/CRACKING ON HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES (BOTH) MOST LIKELY ELECTRICAL ISSUE CAUSING IT TO HEAT UP

NHTSA ODI #11286874

140,000 miles · Dec 1, 2019
Engine

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD MADE MY VEHICLE MADE A WEIRD NOISE AND LOST ALL POWER. TOOK IT TO A DEALERSHIP THEY SAID IT WAS THE TIMING CHAIN. I SPENT 10K ON A NEWER VEHICLE AND THIS HAPPENS. DEALERSHIP IT GONNA BE ANYWHERE FROM $5,500-7,000 TO FIX IT. I CAM'T AFFORD TO FIX THAT. HOW IS GM STILL MAKING THIS MOTOR WITH A TIMING CHA…

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DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD MADE MY VEHICLE MADE A WEIRD NOISE AND LOST ALL POWER. TOOK IT TO A DEALERSHIP THEY SAID IT WAS THE TIMING CHAIN. I SPENT 10K ON A NEWER VEHICLE AND THIS HAPPENS. DEALERSHIP IT GONNA BE ANYWHERE FROM $5,500-7,000 TO FIX IT. I CAM'T AFFORD TO FIX THAT. HOW IS GM STILL MAKING THIS MOTOR WITH A TIMING CHAIN ISSUE AND HOW IS THIS YEAR NOT ON RECALL FOR THIS THE YEARS BEFORE WERE ON RECALL FOR IT. MY VEHICLE JUSTS SITS ON TRAILER. JAS BEEN THERE FOR 2 MONTHES. NOTHING LIKE PAYIN ON A DEAD HORSE

NHTSA ODI #11283148

109,000 miles · Nov 14, 2019
Unknown Or Other

REAR LIFT GATE SLAMS DOWN WHEN YOU TRY TO OPEN IT. STARTED ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO 11/01/2019. MY PREGNANT GRAND DAUGHTER COULD HAVE BEEN INJURED. WE HAD JUST RETURNED HOME FROM SHOPPING WHEN WE OPENED THE LIFT GATE TO REMOVE PACKAGES WHEN THIS HAPPENED.

NHTSA ODI #11279971

Official recalls

5

21V246000 · Air Bags:critical Fasteners

Apr 8, 2021

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

15V415000 · Structure:body:hatchback/liftgate

Jun 30, 2015

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured January 3, 2007, to February 29, 2012, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured July 6, 2008, to March 9, 2012, 2007-2012 GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured September 15, 2006, to February 29, 2012, and 2007-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured August 17, 2006, to March 18, 2010. The affected vehicles, equipped with the power liftgate option, have gas struts that hold the power liftgate up when open. These struts may prematurely wear and the open liftgate may suddenly fall.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the open liftgate unexpectedly falls, it may strike a person, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit so that the motor will prevent the rapid closing of the lift gate, free of charge. The recall began on November 15, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 15240.

14V266000 · Seat Belts

May 20, 2014

General Motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through May 14, 2014, Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured June 6, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured April 9, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through March 18, 2010. In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cable that connects the seatbelt to the front outboard seating positions may fatigue and separate over time.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the steel cable becomes fatigued and separates, the seatbelt may not properly restrain the seat occupant increasing the risk of an injury in a crash.

Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair and replace the lap pretensioner, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. An interim notice will be mailed to owners in July 2014. A second notice will be mailed to owners once parts become available. The recall for the 2009-2010 model years began on July 11, 2014. The interim letter for the 2011-2014 model years were distributed on July 11, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-462-8782 (GMC), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). General Motors recall number for this campaign is 14187.

14V118000 · Air Bags:side/window

Mar 17, 2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia and 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse and 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the driver and passenger seat mounted side impact air bag (SIAB) wiring harnesses may result in the SIAB and seat belt pretensioners not deploying in the event of a crash.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Failure of the side impact air bags and seat belt pretensioners to deploy in a crash increase the risk of injury to the driver and front seat occupant.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected harness connections with soldered connections, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2014. Buick owners may contact the owner center at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet owners at 1-866-694-6546, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and GMC owners at 1-866-996-9463. GM's number for this recall is 14030. Note: Vehicles repaired as part of Customer Satisfaction Campaign 10085 and special coverage 10335 have already had the subject condition repaired and therefore are not included in the safety recall.

12V151000 · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:linkages

Apr 9, 2012

GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE, BUICK ENCLAVE, AND GMC ACADIA VEHICLES CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN ALASKA, COLORADO, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, IDAHO, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, IOWA, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, MONTANA, NEBRASKA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, NORTH DAKOTA, OHIO, PENNSYLVANIA, RHODE ISLAND, SOUTH DAKOTA, UTAH, VERMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN, WYOMING AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. SNOW OR ICE BUILDUP ON THE WINDSHIELD OR ON THE WIPER MAY RESTRICT THE MOVEMENT OF THE WIPER ARM, CAUSING THE WIPER ARM TO LOOSEN AND CAUSE THE WIPER TO BECOME INOPERATIVE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF THIS OCCURS, DRIVER VISIBILITY COULD BE REDUCED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: GM WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE WIPER ARM NUTS, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 20, 2012.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

2

EA20002 · Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure

Opened Aug 31, 2020 · Closed Aug 30, 2024

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts; Seat Belts:front; Seat Belts:front:anchorage

On August 31, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Engineering Analysis (EA) EA20002, as an upgrade of Recall Query (RQ) RQ19003. This investigation, related to recall 14V-266, was opened to investigate instances of detachment of the flexible steel seat belt anchor cable attached to the outboard side of the front seats in vehicles manufactured by General Motors (GM). The subject vehicles included model year (MY) 2009 through 2014 GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, and Chevrolet Traverse SUVs as well as MY 2009 through 2010 Saturn Outlook SUVs. These vehicles were previously repaired for this defect under recall 14V-266. The subject vehicle population is approximately 1.3 million vehicles. Special Coverage N192219480, issued in June 2019, addressed the subject defect in vehicles that previously received the recall remedy repair for subject recall 14V-266. The Special Coverage allows for component replacement for 12 years or 180,000 miles from the initial sale date, whichever comes first. Special Coverage N192219480 instructed service technicians to inspect the driver’s seat belt anchor cable for any damage to the protective sleeve and if damage was observed, the cable was replaced with a new sleeve as well as a new closeout piece that relocated the cable to mitigate the subject condition. In view of the Special Coverage conducted by General Motors, the high detectability of the subject failure, and the low rate of occurrence, this Engineering Analysis is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov. Please see the attached document “EA20-002 Detailed Closing Summary” for more a detailed closing resume summary.

Additional source detail variants (3)

Seat Belts:front:anchorage

On August 31, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Engineering Analysis (EA) EA20002, as an upgrade of Recall Query (RQ) RQ19003. This investigation, related to recall 14V-266, was opened to investigate instances of detachment of the flexible steel seat belt anchor cable attached to the outboard side of the front seats in vehicles manufactured by General Motors (GM). The subject vehicles included model year (MY) 2009 through 2014 GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, and Chevrolet Traverse SUVs as well as MY 2009 through 2010 Saturn Outlook SUVs. These vehicles were previously repaired for this defect under recall 14V-266. The subject vehicle population is approximately 1.3 million vehicles. Special Coverage N192219480, issued in June 2019, addressed the subject defect in vehicles that previously received the recall remedy repair for subject recall 14V-266. The Special Coverage allows for component replacement for 12 years or 180,000 miles from the initial sale date, whichever comes first. Special Coverage N192219480 instructed service technicians to inspect the driver’s seat belt anchor cable for any damage to the protective sleeve and if damage was observed, the cable was replaced with a new sleeve as well as a new closeout piece that relocated the cable to mitigate the subject condition. In view of the Special Coverage conducted by General Motors, the high detectability of the subject failure, and the low rate of occurrence, this Engineering Analysis is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov. Please see the attached document “EA20-002 Detailed Closing Summary” for more a detailed closing resume summary.

Seat Belts:front

On August 31, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Engineering Analysis (EA) EA20002, as an upgrade of Recall Query (RQ) RQ19003. This investigation, related to recall 14V-266, was opened to investigate instances of detachment of the flexible steel seat belt anchor cable attached to the outboard side of the front seats in vehicles manufactured by General Motors (GM). The subject vehicles included model year (MY) 2009 through 2014 GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, and Chevrolet Traverse SUVs as well as MY 2009 through 2010 Saturn Outlook SUVs. These vehicles were previously repaired for this defect under recall 14V-266. The subject vehicle population is approximately 1.3 million vehicles. Special Coverage N192219480, issued in June 2019, addressed the subject defect in vehicles that previously received the recall remedy repair for subject recall 14V-266. The Special Coverage allows for component replacement for 12 years or 180,000 miles from the initial sale date, whichever comes first. Special Coverage N192219480 instructed service technicians to inspect the driver’s seat belt anchor cable for any damage to the protective sleeve and if damage was observed, the cable was replaced with a new sleeve as well as a new closeout piece that relocated the cable to mitigate the subject condition. In view of the Special Coverage conducted by General Motors, the high detectability of the subject failure, and the low rate of occurrence, this Engineering Analysis is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov. Please see the attached document “EA20-002 Detailed Closing Summary” for more a detailed closing resume summary.

Seat Belts

On August 31, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Engineering Analysis (EA) EA20002, as an upgrade of Recall Query (RQ) RQ19003. This investigation, related to recall 14V-266, was opened to investigate instances of detachment of the flexible steel seat belt anchor cable attached to the outboard side of the front seats in vehicles manufactured by General Motors (GM). The subject vehicles included model year (MY) 2009 through 2014 GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, and Chevrolet Traverse SUVs as well as MY 2009 through 2010 Saturn Outlook SUVs. These vehicles were previously repaired for this defect under recall 14V-266. The subject vehicle population is approximately 1.3 million vehicles. Special Coverage N192219480, issued in June 2019, addressed the subject defect in vehicles that previously received the recall remedy repair for subject recall 14V-266. The Special Coverage allows for component replacement for 12 years or 180,000 miles from the initial sale date, whichever comes first. Special Coverage N192219480 instructed service technicians to inspect the driver’s seat belt anchor cable for any damage to the protective sleeve and if damage was observed, the cable was replaced with a new sleeve as well as a new closeout piece that relocated the cable to mitigate the subject condition. In view of the Special Coverage conducted by General Motors, the high detectability of the subject failure, and the low rate of occurrence, this Engineering Analysis is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov. Please see the attached document “EA20-002 Detailed Closing Summary” for more a detailed closing resume summary.

RQ19003 · Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure

Opened May 28, 2019 · Closed Aug 31, 2020

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts:front; Seat Belts:front:anchorage; Seat Belts:pretensioner

On May 19, 2014, General Motors LLC (GM) notified the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) that it would conduct Safety Recall 14V266 to address fatigue and separation of the flexible steel cable that connects the front outboard seat belts to the seat-mounted belt pre-tensioner in 1.4 million model year (MY) 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook, 2009-2014 Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse (Lambda Platform) vehicles.The remedy was to inspect for signs of damage and replace pre-tensioner anchor cables as needed. Re-work was conducted to relocate the pre-tensioner anchor cable out of the occupant entry path. ODI has subsequently received four (4) Vehicle Owners Questionnaires (VOQ) reporting anchor cable separations with no apparent warning in covered vehicles after the Recall 14V266 remedy had been applied.ODI opened RQ19-003 to assess the effectiveness of the actions GM took in Recall 14V266 and review the full warranty and complaint data related to seat belt anchor cable separations and replacements. ODI continues to receive occasional cable failure complaints both for the subject vehicles and other GM models and model years that have also been previously recalled addressing this condition.Although the cable separation complaint rate is very low, over the past three years ODI has received two (2) additional VOQ?s citing belt cable separations for Lambda platform vehicles outside the scope of recall 14V266, (11217092, 11118075) and complaints for other GM models covered in a number of similar Safety Recalls:* 15V269, 2011-12 Chevrolet Malibu (11181115, 11288168); * 16V209, 2014-15 Silverado 1500, Sierra 1500 (11254364, 10935183, 10953851, 11025376, 11282043, 11288701, 11309884); and * 16V518 2014-16 Caprice Police Pursuit, SS (10905644, 10990669, 11340893).ODI's review of GM's data confirms the low potential failure rate for the vehicles covered by recall 14V266. However, ODI believes that complainants may not recognize accumulating cable fatigue damage from the visual cues available in routine vehicle use.ODI is upgrading RQ19-003 to an Engineering Analysis to more closely assess seat belt conditions and strength levels in the field. This work will include the collection of seat belt samples from a wider range of recalled and peer vehicles for detailed analysis and testing.The ODI reports (VOQs) associated with this RQ19-003 can be viewed at NHTSA.gov under the following reference numbers: 11144704, 11076704, 11185619, 11151922, 11164011, 10967518, 11113486, 11115648

Additional source detail variants (3)

Seat Belts:front:anchorage

On May 19, 2014, General Motors LLC (GM) notified the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) that it would conduct Safety Recall 14V266 to address fatigue and separation of the flexible steel cable that connects the front outboard seat belts to the seat-mounted belt pre-tensioner in 1.4 million model year (MY) 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook, 2009-2014 Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse (Lambda Platform) vehicles.The remedy was to inspect for signs of damage and replace pre-tensioner anchor cables as needed. Re-work was conducted to relocate the pre-tensioner anchor cable out of the occupant entry path. ODI has subsequently received four (4) Vehicle Owners Questionnaires (VOQ) reporting anchor cable separations with no apparent warning in covered vehicles after the Recall 14V266 remedy had been applied.ODI opened RQ19-003 to assess the effectiveness of the actions GM took in Recall 14V266 and review the full warranty and complaint data related to seat belt anchor cable separations and replacements. ODI continues to receive occasional cable failure complaints both for the subject vehicles and other GM models and model years that have also been previously recalled addressing this condition.Although the cable separation complaint rate is very low, over the past three years ODI has received two (2) additional VOQ?s citing belt cable separations for Lambda platform vehicles outside the scope of recall 14V266, (11217092, 11118075) and complaints for other GM models covered in a number of similar Safety Recalls:* 15V269, 2011-12 Chevrolet Malibu (11181115, 11288168); * 16V209, 2014-15 Silverado 1500, Sierra 1500 (11254364, 10935183, 10953851, 11025376, 11282043, 11288701, 11309884); and * 16V518 2014-16 Caprice Police Pursuit, SS (10905644, 10990669, 11340893).ODI's review of GM's data confirms the low potential failure rate for the vehicles covered by recall 14V266. However, ODI believes that complainants may not recognize accumulating cable fatigue damage from the visual cues available in routine vehicle use.ODI is upgrading RQ19-003 to an Engineering Analysis to more closely assess seat belt conditions and strength levels in the field. This work will include the collection of seat belt samples from a wider range of recalled and peer vehicles for detailed analysis and testing.The ODI reports (VOQs) associated with this RQ19-003 can be viewed at NHTSA.gov under the following reference numbers: 11144704, 11076704, 11185619, 11151922, 11164011, 10967518, 11113486, 11115648

Seat Belts:front

On May 19, 2014, General Motors LLC (GM) notified the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) that it would conduct Safety Recall 14V266 to address fatigue and separation of the flexible steel cable that connects the front outboard seat belts to the seat-mounted belt pre-tensioner in 1.4 million model year (MY) 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook, 2009-2014 Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse (Lambda Platform) vehicles.The remedy was to inspect for signs of damage and replace pre-tensioner anchor cables as needed. Re-work was conducted to relocate the pre-tensioner anchor cable out of the occupant entry path. ODI has subsequently received four (4) Vehicle Owners Questionnaires (VOQ) reporting anchor cable separations with no apparent warning in covered vehicles after the Recall 14V266 remedy had been applied.ODI opened RQ19-003 to assess the effectiveness of the actions GM took in Recall 14V266 and review the full warranty and complaint data related to seat belt anchor cable separations and replacements. ODI continues to receive occasional cable failure complaints both for the subject vehicles and other GM models and model years that have also been previously recalled addressing this condition.Although the cable separation complaint rate is very low, over the past three years ODI has received two (2) additional VOQ?s citing belt cable separations for Lambda platform vehicles outside the scope of recall 14V266, (11217092, 11118075) and complaints for other GM models covered in a number of similar Safety Recalls:* 15V269, 2011-12 Chevrolet Malibu (11181115, 11288168); * 16V209, 2014-15 Silverado 1500, Sierra 1500 (11254364, 10935183, 10953851, 11025376, 11282043, 11288701, 11309884); and * 16V518 2014-16 Caprice Police Pursuit, SS (10905644, 10990669, 11340893).ODI's review of GM's data confirms the low potential failure rate for the vehicles covered by recall 14V266. However, ODI believes that complainants may not recognize accumulating cable fatigue damage from the visual cues available in routine vehicle use.ODI is upgrading RQ19-003 to an Engineering Analysis to more closely assess seat belt conditions and strength levels in the field. This work will include the collection of seat belt samples from a wider range of recalled and peer vehicles for detailed analysis and testing.The ODI reports (VOQs) associated with this RQ19-003 can be viewed at NHTSA.gov under the following reference numbers: 11144704, 11076704, 11185619, 11151922, 11164011, 10967518, 11113486, 11115648

Seat Belts:pretensioner

On May 19, 2014, General Motors LLC (GM) notified the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) that it would conduct Safety Recall 14V266 to address fatigue and separation of the flexible steel cable that connects the front outboard seat belts to the seat-mounted belt pre-tensioner in 1.4 million model year (MY) 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook, 2009-2014 Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse (Lambda Platform) vehicles.The remedy was to inspect for signs of damage and replace pre-tensioner anchor cables as needed. Re-work was conducted to relocate the pre-tensioner anchor cable out of the occupant entry path. ODI has subsequently received four (4) Vehicle Owners Questionnaires (VOQ) reporting anchor cable separations with no apparent warning in covered vehicles after the Recall 14V266 remedy had been applied.ODI opened RQ19-003 to assess the effectiveness of the actions GM took in Recall 14V266 and review the full warranty and complaint data related to seat belt anchor cable separations and replacements. ODI continues to receive occasional cable failure complaints both for the subject vehicles and other GM models and model years that have also been previously recalled addressing this condition.Although the cable separation complaint rate is very low, over the past three years ODI has received two (2) additional VOQ?s citing belt cable separations for Lambda platform vehicles outside the scope of recall 14V266, (11217092, 11118075) and complaints for other GM models covered in a number of similar Safety Recalls:* 15V269, 2011-12 Chevrolet Malibu (11181115, 11288168); * 16V209, 2014-15 Silverado 1500, Sierra 1500 (11254364, 10935183, 10953851, 11025376, 11282043, 11288701, 11309884); and * 16V518 2014-16 Caprice Police Pursuit, SS (10905644, 10990669, 11340893).ODI's review of GM's data confirms the low potential failure rate for the vehicles covered by recall 14V266. However, ODI believes that complainants may not recognize accumulating cable fatigue damage from the visual cues available in routine vehicle use.ODI is upgrading RQ19-003 to an Engineering Analysis to more closely assess seat belt conditions and strength levels in the field. This work will include the collection of seat belt samples from a wider range of recalled and peer vehicles for detailed analysis and testing.The ODI reports (VOQs) associated with this RQ19-003 can be viewed at NHTSA.gov under the following reference numbers: 11144704, 11076704, 11185619, 11151922, 11164011, 10967518, 11113486, 11115648