Back in December, we reported that many GMC Acadia owners had experienced a problem with the crossover in which the vehicle would not properly shift into park and would display a message reading “shift to park” on the dashboard. Owners chimed in to share stories of similar problems they had experienced, with our article attracting hundreds of comments from agitated GMC Acadia owners.
Now, a new class-action lawsuit has been filed over the GMC Acadia shift to park issue. According to Car Complaints, the class-action suit was filed by Lemberg Law on behalf of Plaintiff Brandy Smith, who purchased a new 2017 GMC Acadia and began experiencing the shift to park issue shortly after in April of 2017.
Most owners who report experiencing the problem say the vehicle will not recognize when the vehicle has been put in park, even when the gear selector has been moved from the ‘D’ position to the ‘P’ position. The class action suit says owners have to “resort to all sort of gimmicks to get their vehicles to detect that the shift lever is in fact in ‘Park'” when they experience the problem, including wiggling the gear level around in place and taking it in and out of ‘Park’.
This problem can leave GMC Acadia owners stranded. There is little the driver can do when the vehicle will not shift into ‘Park’, as the vehicle will simply roll away when they get out of it. The vehicle also does not shut off fully when it is not in ‘Park’ as a safety measure. The plaintiff in the new Texas class-action suit said she has been left “stranded inside her vehicle at home, at work, at school, and at various other places away from home, unable to shut her vehicle off,” on multiple occasions.
GM has already posted Technical Service Bulletins relating to the issue online, suggesting it is aware of the problem. According to Car Complaints, GM has said the cause of the problem is “unknown” and its engineering department “is still investigating the root cause.”
One TSB posted in October of 2018 and dug up by Car Complaints says “some customers may comment on an intermittent Shift to Park message when in Park and turning off the vehicle,” and “the cause of the condition may be the park switch in the transmission control (shifter) assembly not pulling BCM signal low to electronically show Park condition.”
GM dealerships have been told to replace transmission control shifter assemblies, but these repairs do not work in all instances, previous owner complaints indicate.
Owners who have experienced this issue with their 2017 or 2018 model-year GMC Acadia can share their story in the comment section below.
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Comments
We had this. They have a new shifter and it fixes the issue.
Those not fixed were the early replacements that had the old shifter.
No need for lawyers the dealers will fix this and if you are out of warranty many have either so discounted or just taken care of it.
Good to know
There is much BS going on here. Many new names that have never posted before with symptoms that are not even this issue.
Some here appear to just have a bad dealer.
Here is a link to what the problem is and the updated fix that addresses the wire harness so no more $500 shifter replacement needed.
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10166630-9999.pdf
Refer to Bulletin #19-NA-206 for additional information and part numbers.
These are the full directions needed and the wire jumper needed.
Not all models are affected to there is not going to be a recall. The vehicle goes into park and the only effect may be a dead battery at worse. It has nothing to do with parking brakes, check engine lights or shifting of the transmission driving.
Take it to the dealer give them this notice and get it fixed. The class action here will only put money in the Lawyers pockets and get you a free oil change.
It is worse the web site can’t even post the latest info on the fix that could easily be Googles.
In the word of sheriff Buford T Justice “you sons of @#$& couldn’t’ close an umbrella.”
Does anyone teach critical thinking and problem solving anymore?
My wiring harness replaced 3 month ago as directed by manufacturer. Either they lied and didn’t replace or that isn’t the problem as it started again 2 weeks later. We find if we depress the shifter button multiple times it stops dinging and goes into park but something tells me the wiring harness recommendation is wrong!!!!!
Could just be a poor tech. Mine was fix a year and a half and no issue.
Now the latch for the sun shade is a different story.#4 going in next week.
You tech may have done the TSB but it may have another issue. They may need to check the entire harness to see what the resistance is.
They may need to replace the shifter too.
Repairs are not easy.if they were then everyone would be fixing them.
Electrical issues are a pain. Just wait till The Whole car is electric.
FYI Chris the button is mechanical to the park lock. It only has a wire for the manual shift. Shaking the shifter may stimulate the sensor or harness in the shifter itself.
Be informed before you speak out.
You are correct about the harness. I had the harness put on and next day it started all over again with shift to park and engine wouldn’t shut off, suv was rolling forward etc. crazy stuff. Someone mentioned the brake sensor I wonder if that is what we should try. Mine is still at the dealers maybe I should consult them on that idea keep it to myself and get sensor for my husband to change out.
Excuse me I own a 2017 GMC Acadia and in Feb 2019 I started having problems with the Shift to Park. I was stranded in the cold with my grandson several times. I also had to buy new battery because it didn’t shut off lights when shifter wouldn’t go into park. I put ebrake on and shut off vehicle. I got into dealer and they put new shifter in and of course my warranty was expired so had to pay $461. This should never happen and should be on a recall. I had too many miles. It ran ok till last week with the upgraded shifter. It started with the Shift to Park again. So I did the things everyone else does putting it into drive etc again. Took to dealer they said GM wants them to use an add on harness instead of changing the shifter. So another bill this time $110. If it is an add on because GM poor shifters GM should pay for it. So yesterday I headed home from Columbus a day after repair. I pulled into my garage put shifter into park took my foot off brake, the suv rolled quickly and i almost went through my garage wall! Luckily I thought quick and applied my brake. It did end up against my wall with it against a rubber boot there. I then couldn’t get the engine to shut off because it was actually in DRIVE even though the shifter was in PARK. This is getting dangerous and is a safety issue now. I ended up getting a tow truck to haul it to my local dealer. He had to get it into Neutral to get it towed not sure how he did it but at least its at the dealership. My husband was going to buy a GMC Sierra 2500 probably $75,000 price tag this fall but don’t think so. If you pay $53,000 for SUV and have problems and GM doesn’t care about the customers and take care of issues, then we wont be wasting our money on more junk. I also had a 2008 that had issues starting with paying for a new transmission, thought it was just that Acadia, wrong 2017 models not any better. The transmission doesn’t sound too good either in the 2017 so probably down the road that will go. I hope not to have it much longer. I may be going to an Attorney. After calling GM and getting nothing accomplished. I have 3 case# and yesterdays episode should have been #4 but said I don’t need one because its still caused by problem related 2 days ago. Oh they have those bulletin out PIT5616A but not my VIN# how convenient. It is doing the same thing that the other VINs are doing. Well have not heard from dealer yet as to what is going on with it now and its Friday not sure if it will be fixed by 6:00. I was told the harness may have pulled apart. hmmmm
I have had the same problem with my 2017 Acadia. Charged me $150 to put a new harness on. It lasted about a month, now the shift to park his back on again. They now want to charge me $400 for a new shifter, but after hearing other comments about how it didn’t fix the problem, my solution is going to be to get rid of the darn thing. Like others I will not be looking at GMC for the next vehicle
I had new shifter put in 17 months ago worked fine till last week. The dealer go my Acadia in 3 days ago and said it needed the harness so they added it . Yesterday I pulled into garage and stopped put foot on brake pushed shifter into park, then took foot off brake opened door to get out and suv started rolling forward into my garage wall. I was quick to put my rt foot on brake and put ebrake on. The car would not let me take shifter back and forth like it used to do and engine wouldn’t shut off. The shifter was in park position but the red light for D drive was on. Which that never happened before. Usually shifter was in park and no lights on the letters appeared. The tow truck driver did something and got engine to shut off and put suv into N neutral to get it towed. I’m sure there are lot more people with this issue. I have my grandson with me a lot and if this suv did this with him in the car and rolled after I got out and it was in public place someone could have got run over or hit another car with him inside. Soon as I put vehicle in park he gets his seat belt off. So I guess I have to reinforce to him wait till car shuts off completely. Children are quick.
My daughter recently had an issue with hers after parking in a friend’s driveway. She exited her Acadia and walked around the front of it, not realizing what was happening she was knocked down and the car drug her a few feet before one front tire actually rolled up on her hip and stopped the car. Fortunately she is alive, and nursing bruises, scrapes ,on her knees, back, hands, head and abdomen. Swollen hip, and a large hematoma to to her head! Praising God it could have easily been much worse. Sad to say she had it in to her local GMC dealer a few weeks before to address the shift to park issue. They could have told her that there was a probability of it not going into park. They didn’t even let her know that it was a serious issue!
You need to report this to the Transportation Safety For Recalls Office. (or whatever its called) . If they don’t know, they cannot launch an investigation because nobody officially reported it.
I have a 2018 GmC Acadia Denali. It has been in the shop more than it has been with me. I have had the shifter replaced twice. It still doesn’t’ work right. They replaced the cable. It still didnt fix it. This is really aggravating! I love this car. I had to have the back light replaced because it was leaking around it. The tail light went out. The panel on the side of the dash came off. IT seems like it is one thing after another. Is there any way to join in on this lawsuit?
On the flip side, I have had nothing but regular maintenance done on my 2018. Zero issues.
My 2017 (bought new) is doing this and GM won’t do anything to help me. They said I would have to pay for it myself. It would cost $339 dollars out of my pocket. My car has 24,215 miles on it. The dealer won’t give me a discount. GM is fixing to lose my business.
They quoted me over $500 to fix it . Car was 400 miles past the warranty
I HAVE A 18 GMC ACADIA PURCHASED 2019 SHIFT TO APRK STARTED THEY REPLACED SOMETHING IN 2/21 THEN REPLACED THE SHIFTER IN 10/21 AND NOW 2/7/22 I GOT THE SHIFT TO PARK AGAIN.. NOW HAVE TO TAKE IT BACK SEE IF THEY WILL FIX IT FOR THE 3RD TIME.. THEY NEED TO RECALL ALL OF THEM AND FIX THE PROBLEM
My 2018 GMC acadia does the shift to park all the time when you put it in park and tey to shut off the vehicle. Its not only annoying but it is also frustrating. Sometimes it takes a good amount of time turning the car back on and off and shifting out of park and back into park to get it to finally stop.
We have a 2017 that was purchased new and have not experienced this problem. It currently has 20,000 miles on it and is still in warranty since we added an extended warranty when we purchased the vehicle.
Had this problem last month, called Gmc ,Buick and I brought in the next day and was fixed
I had the same experience. The problem began occurring intermittently; I called the dealer; got an appointment the next day; and it was fixed quickly. The article is incorrect stating that the vehicle will roll away. It is actually in park and will not roll away. The computer just doesn’t recognize it.
My vehicle never rolled away before just annoying to have to play around with it to get into park. But this last time it did roll away and I am still anxious about that happening. I saw other people had same thing happen. I took pictures of it in park with the light on the letter D for drive. When I put it in park no light was on the gear shift. It came on when I took my foot off brake peddle. It felt like it was taking off as if the gas peddle was pushed on. But my lt foot was on edge of door with door opening and as I took rt foot off brake and car moved quickly I was quick to put rt foot back on brake which stopped me from going thru my garage wall! Thank you After paying $53,000 for a vehicle in 2017 I should not be facing these kind of issues. Has anyone ever had to replace a shifter in their life. I have not nor has my husband. I do high way drive I am not putting it in and out of park constantly to have this happen. My husband snow plows and he is constantly moving his trucks forward and backward and never had this happen to his trucks. This is a recall if I ever saw one. Also the bulletin doesn’t cover my VIN # so says GM. It is happening to mine and others so that bulletin should cover all these Acadias. I will be calling the Better Business Bureau and my attorney on this matter because now it is a safety issue. This also is my 4th complaint on same issue to GM.
Did they charge you? I had mine at the dealership a few weeks ago and since I have 70K miles and out of warranty they were going to charge me $500 to replace it.
Yes we paid for new shifter/labor it was off warranty. Also paid for the harness/ labor. The harness didn’t correct the situation. So this vehicle has had 3 shifters counting the original.
Sucks to be you.
This isn’t just an Acadia problem. My Cadillac does this a few times a year.
My start the problem park ship is in my dashboard is 2017 Acadia
My start with the problem is light in the dashboard park ship is on i have a 2017 Acadia
Yes this was an issue on several models. One highly effected by This was the Malibu.
There was too much resistance in the wiring in the shifter and the body control module can not detect where the shifter is.
Only a small number of Acadias were affected. I had followed this on the Acadia Forum and saw how the early people with the issue just got adjustments and if the shifter was replaced it was with the original.
By the time we had the issue they had the new part number out and available.
Electronics and electrical issues are much harder to find many times than a mechanical one.
I don’t even get offended anymore when people call Gm garbage motors there’s always some kind of lawsuit or recall it seems like every week why a company with so much to lose take so many short cuts when it come to making good cars when are they going to learn they can make more money by building great cars an having repeat buyers then putting out crappy ones an having lawsuits
New 2018 acadia bought outright and I ended up taking a big hit when I traded it in due to this issue. Long story short it was in the shop 4 times for this issue within 3 months. All while the vehicle was under 30k miles. Highly disappointed in this gm product ,and the manner they are going about rectifying the problem.
I had this issue on my 2017 GMC Acadia. The dealer fixed it at no charge and thereafter my lease expired.
Your dealer is better than mine. Mine wants $339 to fix it. Car only has 24,215 miles on it.
My issue is not the same but I’ve been having issues with my gmc. I have a 2012 GMC Acadia and the engine light comes on then it states traction control off and engine stability. I’ve took it to so many gmc dealers where I put in over $1000 for them to fix it but the problem persists. I’ve also took it back to the dealer I got it from no luck. I’ve been experiencing this issue a month after I got it off lot and the dealer say it’s nothing they can do about me giving it back. We will NEVER get another gmc again and I advise everyone not to! Don’t waste your money!!!!
I had your problem and two different dealers could not figure it out.
I figured it out and the part only cost $22
The Brake Pedal Position Sensor
is faulty and is easy to replace, just one small bolt above the pedal.
After replacement, the computer needs 5 to 8 days to self recalibrate, then the error will go away.
Good for you not buying GM again. I will not buy anymore GM either. I had 2 GMC Acadia with problems and I am done. I also have GMC credit card and going to cut it up no reason to have it if not buying GM.
Wow! Had this problem about a year ago. 2017 Acadia. Got it to dealer. They were aware of this problem. Replaced a cable somewhere and it has been fine since.
I’ve been experiencing this with my 2017 GMC almost everyday. I woke up one morning and was getting ready to leave for work and my car just wouldn’t start, it had done the “shift to park” the night before and I had to shift it to drive several times before it registered and finally shut off. When I called the dealership they told me it was probably just the battery and barely even acknowledged the shift to park issue I was having. They kept my car for 3 days, I had to get a rental, and all they did was replace the battery. This is the third gmc that I’ve owned and honestly I’m contemplating just trading it for a Ford Explorer at this point. I’m completely fed up with GMC.
Im getting rid of my Acadia sooner then later also. Not sure what to get so starting to look now. My son has a Ford Expedition and loves it. Im going to do my homework on SUVs.
Happened to my 2018 Chevrolet Traverse. When it happened I drove right to the dealership and they fixed it right away.
I have a 2018 Acadia and experienced this issue myself. I took it back to the dealership and they kept it for a few weeks and finally repaired it as well as all others issues I was having. I was very disappointed with my purchase for a long time at time wishing I had kept my 2009 Ford Edge. I just hope the Acadia don’t put me down once all my extended warranty expires.
Update: 2021 shift to park issue again. Will I have to replace this every two years?
Same thing happened to me. Every time I go into park it’s chimes for me to shift into park. The only way for me to get it to turn off is to wiggle and hit the gear shift and it finally turns off. I took it to the dealership while under warranty and they said they had heard of the issue, but there wasn’t anything they could do except to reset it. That turned it off temporally. It’s back on once again unfortunately
experienced same problem shortly after purchase. Call to dealership Said they are not aware of any problems or recall
I have been having this problem consistently for the last year on my 2017 Acadia. I even took the bulletin in with me to GM to try to get this fixed. They told me it doesn’t fall under the powertrain warranty (my bumper to bumper had just gone over 36,000 when this started). Told me it was going to cost almost $500 for them to teplace the defective part.
I’ve had this shifter problem in about a year after I bought the car in august 2017,,,called the dealer and they said that they didn’t have this problem,,,maybe I didn’t shift it all the way,,then it got worst,,,,once a week then maybe twice a week,,,,,then it got once a month or maybe twice,,,I began to notice it was more when raining or damp,,
I had the same problem in my Acadia 2017 model I call dealership and they changed some bad connector in shifter and now it’s fine
But now there is problem for gear shifting sometimes while on the drive
Report was spot on. Fortunately I have a few thousand mikes under the 36k warranty, First attempt of jumper cable failed and second trip to dealer a week latter when shift to park issue resurfaced, the shifter assembly was replaced. I expect the problem to come back sometime after out of warranty and then will be my responsibility. I am convinced that GM does not know what to fix. Both visits were bandaids.
Please comment on why the negatives. I stated only the facts!
My 2017 Arcadia has 46,000 miles and just started giving me the shift to park warning. Have to drive forward and back 3 or more times before the message stops. Taking several minutes and looking stupid like i don’t know how to park. GM dealer says they have to replace entire shifter assembly and wiring harness costing me of over $600. Or put up with it and see if GM will eventually come up with a recall. I’d like to join that class action lawsuit!
I’m with you on class action lawsuit. Texas had one. My issue with the shift to park started after 40,000 miles also. I had a new updated shifter put in 17 months ago then now it started all over again with the shift to park. The harness was just put in and next day shift to park was on dash again.This is ridiculous. We always bought GM Chevy vehicles. But had problem with 2008 GMC Acadia, 2000 Bonneville and husband had issues with his last Chevy pickup.
I had shifter replaced 17 months ago and now having problems again. Had the harness added on 3 days ago then on the second day it went into shift to park. So the two things I have done has not fixed the problems. I have it back at the dealer again this week. Its becoming a safety issue now when the vehicle starts moving when in park. Have not heard anything yet from dealer today. I was hoping to have it fixed today being its Friday.
I see two things here some folks who are dealing with a bad dealer. Most dealers just fix it and move on. Also if under warranty and they keep it they give you a loaner.
The other is we have a few strangers here that never post. Being a legal case I can see them sending plants to post in their favor. It happens often in stories for class actions where law firms are chasing money not justice.
This is a simple documented fix. If out of warranty complain to Gzm and do not take no for an answer, they will either cave or cut you a break. Others have done this so you can.
The lawyers are not going to get you a thing unless it is a private case and even then the shifter is cheaper.
It’s sad that this is going on.GENERAL MOTORS STRESS SAFETY SO MUCH.I believe the owners should stay on GM.Its a safety issue and they should be accountable for it.You need to stick together on.Its sad that some dealers and Engineers are stupid of this issue.I really think they knew something about it.All the plants want to push vehicles out.Alot of this doesn’t get up to the upper management.
Our brand new 2018 Chevy Traverse was doing the same thing for quite awhile. I had it in the dealership twice before getting the entire shifter assembly replaced.
Problem is most likely a shift linkage adjustment underneath the car. Have the dealer repair man put the car on a hoist loosen the shift linkage rod to the transmission with the car in neutral the linkage should almost adjust itself or slide barely one way or the other into the proper position tighten a nut recheck the shift lever and almost guarantee of the problem will be fixed that easy. Had seen similar issue on Cadillac CTS that we owned I fixed it myself. Curious to know please respond
My 2019 left me stranded in the parking lot. The lights on the dashboard went black the car wouldn’t start check engine light came on. Left car with GM for 3 days couldn’t duplicate fault. Hadntvhappen sense but when’s the next time? It only had 5000 miles on it.
I bought my 2017 GMC Acadia from a GMC dealer back in November. It wasn’t until January when I started to experience this shifting into park issue. To me the GMC dealer did something to resolve this issue just long enough to sell it. I also own a Yukon and this is my 1st bad experience with GMC. If there is a class action lawsuits I’d be interested in learning how to get involved.
Purchased my 2018 Acadia back in July. Started having this issue in September. After three trips to the dealership to replace shifters and assemblies, the problem has been resolved since January. I pray it doesn’t become an issue again.
I had the same issue with my 2017 GMC Acadia. I had it for about a year or so when it began. I had no clue what to do when it first happened. I googled to find a quick resolution with shaking the gear shift. That did help but it was annoying doing that all the time. I took the vehicle to GM and told them about it. They were aware of the problem but said there was no recall on it yet. Thankfully I had a bumper to bumper coverage with my car inaurance or I would have had to come out of pocket with $1100.00, since extended warranty did nothing. I am definitely trying to get in on this action. GM should have just recalled and fixed it.
We own a 2017 GMC Acadia and purchased it with about 20k miles on it, we’ve only driven it about 15k miles and have started experiencing the issues with our Acadia, Denali trim, 4WD. It scares me because my 17yo daughter will sometimes drive it and several times could not get the vehicle to register it is in park and it will not turn off. This hasn’t been the only issue, the front sensor will sometimes think there is something blocking us and slam on the brakes when we are going 5-15mph. Fortunately it has not caused an accident.
Jason the stopping is just the auto stop. None are perfect as they can do this no matter the brand. Welcome to the future.
Read the a TSB I posted and your issue will go away.
It could be ss simple as adjusting the shift linkage underneath the vehicle! Probably not in correct spot as it is tightend together on the assembly line. Had similar problem with Cadillac CTS!! Dealer/ repair can put car on the houst with vehicle in neutral, loosen 5he nut on shift linkage rod to transmission and it should badically fall/ slide into correct position with minor adjustment!! Easy fix! Curious to know!!
Twice my Denali Acadia left me stranded due to the gear shift not engaging completely and leaving the dashboard lights ruining long enough to kill the battery, Then I had to tow my Acadia to get a new battery and some of the gear shift parts replace and it has happened about a year apart each time it was very disappointing to find out that it has not been recall after so many other have had to deal with this.
Not just 2017 gmc Acadia, the same thing happen to our 2008 gmc Acadia. We had it for about 7 years ago and it happened to us on several occasions.
I purchased a 2017 GMC Acadia on December 2019, I too have experienced the shift to park error, leaving me trapped at work, the grocery store, and home. It started about three months ago and it super frustrating! I purchased the under 20k miles. I just want it fixed!!!
People don’t realize that there is no more lincage or cables on newer cars. Your gear selector is just an electronic module that connects to bcm, and telling transmission what to do. I’m sure some software could fix it. Removing battery for a few minutes can fix glitcy modules, and weak battery can make modules to glitch. I learned it from my ram.
Some time in or around april 2019 our 2018 Acadia. Was doing that same thing the dealership changed the cable. It fix the problem. But if February 2020 while driving the car from the store our car just shifted into park crossing a intersection. Thank god we didn’t get into an accident. We were going about 20 miles a hour.took it to the dealership they had it for a week could figure it out. And said it may not happen for awhile. And just gave the car back. Now every time I drive home from work you hear the e brake engage. And disengage when I stop at the house. Dosent make you feel safe. I think theres something to do with the computer.
YES! I AM SO HAPPY I FOUND THIS ARTICLE! I have a 2017 Acadia crossover. Bought is brand new in 2017. When I first experienced the issue my dealership didn’t understand what I was complaining about but worked with me on it. Finally I was able to use them the issue, by then they had already been notified by the manufacturer that it was a known error and they were working on how to fix the issue. It became a recall and it was fixed. HOWEVER it was only fixed for two years. Now it’s happening again and the dealership wont fix it without me paying for a $130 diagnosis fee! I am happy this article says that the problem was not fixed on all cars. If I could piggyback on this lawsuit I’d do it. I have two little ones and there are times I’m stuck playing with the damn gears to turn the car off for 15mins.
I purchase my 2017 Denali Acadia 15 months ago and within a few months had the dealership replace the sensor portion of this error code. It was good for a few months, but now it’s does it periodically. I’m tired of this. My question is, Do the new 2020 Acadias have this issue? Safely is #1 and this is Unsafe!
I have had this issue and also an issue that when my vehicle shifts into second gear it “bogs” down sometimes hesitating when I’m accelerating. I have taken into the dealership to address this issue and they tell me it was a design flaw and can’t be fixed!
I bought a new 2018 Acadia Denali. I haven’t even put 20000 miles on it. Shift to park started this February. Took to dealership twice. First time in March and most recently this week. They said GM is aware of the problem and both original fixes did not fix the issue. They informed me that GM believes they have a fix due out hopefully in June! In the mean time they say live with it. Clearly they have no idea what that means. Live with my vehicle running for nearly four hours while I try to get it to register being in park?!! I’m hesitant to drive it anywhere for fear of it not turning off again. Which happens well over fifty percent of the time. Please HELP!!! I wonder how the Lemon Law would work in this situation.
I bought my 2017 GMC Acadia in October 2019. I had to take it to the dealership 3 times!! The sadder part is that my husband had to tell the mechanic that they already did what they were proposing to do AGAIN, so that they wouldn’t replace the part with the same part! Smh.
We own 2018 Acadia won’t lock in park most stops as u all know. Had fixed once with new wiring harness. 2 weeks later problem continues as before. We find pushing the shift button multiple times allows it to stop most times. We want in on lawsuit,this is lemon law problem and a safety issue!
You do realize it is in park the indicator just says it is not. It will not roll away.
Yes but it is still a safety issue. An indicator saying you’re not in park when you really are is confusing and will not allow you to just walk away while your battery goes dead wherever you might be or stress you thinking it can roll, how do you know? Why can’t it be fixed properly if it is the wiring harness which it isn’t because others say it continues after the wiring harness fix. I suggest it is in the release button push down mechanism!! Take a look at that GM!! A $35,000 vehicle should not have this simple of a problem and not be resolved, pathetic!!!
Chris you really lack in critical thinking here if this stresses you out.
#1 if it is not in park it will generally roll.
#2 Use the Emergency brake if you have any doubts.
#3 If you can not shut it off then don’t leave it. If needed carry a wrench to remove the battery cable If needed.
#4 Return it to the dealer or another dealer to have the problem resolved.
#5 if it was on so simple of a problem then why don’t you show them how to fix it?
The reality of all models and all brands is they can and will have an issue that will come up and it may not always be easily resolved. Vehicles are. Dry complex today and even a change of a bulb to the Wong one can set off a chain off issues with a body control module. I saw that one not long ago with a change to LED bulbs.
Today’s cars are using more voltage and computing power than ever and this is why GM and most other MFGs all are bringing out new gen electrical systems.
I had this issue, I know what it is like and yes it was an inconvenience but no one was ever in danger or at risk.
Do your self a favor and save the stress for a real problem. There are many people out there that would trade you a funky shifter for their problems.
Life is to short to waste worry on this. Just deal with it.
I had the shift to park issue with my 2017 Acadia Denali. Took it to the dealership and they fixed it. I have also had an issue with the sensors in front thinking something was in front of the vehicle and it slammed on the brakes while I was driving. I shut that off so I no longer use it as I’m afraid it will happen again when I’m driving down the road. I love my vehicle but I’m not sure I’ll ever buy a GMC again.
Ours did it 2018 Acadia took it to the dealer they replace the park sensor switch never had another problem
I have a 2011 GMC Acadia and I am experiencing the same issues regarding the transmission and shifting gears.
I purchased a gmc acadia its a 2010 I’ve had it since July of 2019 so a little under a year. I have drove it maybe a total of 60 days if added all days together due to similar issues but more severe at time. It has accelerated on highway with no reason. Started without key. Refused to turn off and could not turn off or put into part the dash has done crazy things and I’ve tried to argue it’s a major issue but there is no lemon law in pa so I still owe 10000 on a beautiful death trap. Pls help. People see how nice it looks and are shocked but its unsafe and being unable to turn car off or stop car is a feeling I never want to have another mother go through
This doesn’t just apply to this Acadia but the exact same thing happens to the 2016 Chevy Malibu… there’s a micro switch in the console below the shifter where you can see that this part is weak/defective. YouTube it it’s a common problem.
I bought a 2020 Acadia Denali in January. Will I be having a Shift Park problem? I barely have driven my new vehicle because of ‘stay at home’ over the Covid-19.
No, only 2017-2018. 2020 uses push-button electronic shifter.
The biggest culprit of these micro switches located in center console. These switches tend to fail because people spill coffee on console and it leaks inside console and gets the switches wet with coffee. Which in time short out the switch making it inoperative. At first intermittent then complete failure.
I brought it back to the dealer and they fixed it with no problem. This was over a year ago.
My 2018 works fine and has not given me any problems of any sort in my 30000 of driving,
When our 2017 does this, we have tried parking on a hill foreward, the backwards. We bang on the shifter. We have tried foot on brake and off brake when shutting the engine off with the button. We have driven somewhere only to turn around and go back home. Once I got so mad that I parked in the grass so it wouldn’t roll, and just theft it there overnight. Very frustrating.
We purchased a 2018 GMC Acadia in 2018. Several months later started experiencing this problem. Took vehicle to dealership. They replaced sensor. Havent had anymore issues so far.
I bought an older Arcadia this year , Wish I read the reviews and GM blogs on the Arcadia, They have Not been positive sense 07″ a car plagued with problems….
It’s an Acadia, not an “R-cadia”
I have a 2018. Mine started showng that message as well. Took it to dealership and they replaced sensor. I havent seen warning again. Gonna make it hard to get rid of this car now with this class action suit against this model.
GM NEEDS TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THERE MISTAKES.
Own a 2018 GMC ARCADIA DENALI with 27,000 and have been getting the ‘shift to park ‘ message for the last couple months. Took my Car into the local dealership today but, unfortunately was sent home because the parts to fix it are on back order.
But was told by one of the mechanics that this issue might have been the cause of my dead battery that left me stranded 5 months ago.
Very Frustrated!
I own a 2017 GMC Acadia my vehicle will be going into a Chevrolet dealership garage for repair on the shifter. When placed in park dashboard sounds shift to park. Vehicle will not turn off all the way. I have to wiggle shifter numerous times to get the shift to park indicator to go off. My Acadia has 48000 thousand miles which is out of warranty this repair will be out of my pocket book. Very disappointed.
Glenda, see my comment below regarding contacting GMC corporate. Don’t know the outcome but doesn’t hurt to ask.!
2017 Acadia Denali is at the dealership with shift to park issue. 46,000 miles so out of warranty. Estimate is $12.75 for the shifter harness and $314.00 for labor. Not willing to negotiate on this known defect. Currently waiting on a call back from GMC corporate regarding goodwill financial assistance.
Hi Gale, sorry to hear that you too are dealing with the shift to park issue. I currently own a 2017 GMC Acadia at 42k miles and I too am dealing with the same issue. Hopefully, GMC will fix this issue. Best of luck to you and everyone else that has the same issue.
I ended up using my extended warranty that I had with my insurance company.
I have a 2017 with this same problem. Gm replaced the part under warranty at 22,000 miles and now it has the same problem again at 46,000 miles. I will be contacting the dealership tomorrow. I sure hope they stand behind their service.
I have GMC Acadia 2017 had this issue with 23,000 miles so GM replaced the shift assembly. Now I have 41,000 miles on the vehicle and the same issue. So 18,000 miles later it comes back. The service tech told me GM will probably not cover this the second time. I say BS you know you have a problem so correct the issue. How do I contact someone higher up so that they can take care of this issue.
I have a 2017 GMC Acadia with 44,000 miles that just started giving me this shift to park problem within the last few days. How do I get this fixed? I pay for an extended warranty.
I have a 2018 GMC Acadia with the same problem of placing the gear selector into park, turning off the engine and engaging the park brake. After doing so a notice shows on the display to “shift into park”. After repeating the process several times i get out of the car and leave it with the alarm chiming. This just started a few days ago and is becoming a nuisance. Please include me in your process. Thank you.
I have the same problem with my 2017 Acadia including me in your lawsuit pliss
I have the 2018 same problem dealer repair with jumper
problem returned 2 days later
Round 2 dealer attempt repairs Friday
I have the same problem with my 2017 Acadia. It is very inconvenient.
How do I join the class action lawsuit?? I have the same problem with my shifter and it’s getting worse.
I have the same problem with the park ship can you include me in the lawsuit
My 2017 Acadia denali with 50,000 mi. started doing this about a month ago been getting worse. I have appointment 1st of the week to have the shifter changed by the GMC dealer. Service man said yeah we do 2 or 3 of those a week. I have a extended warranty $100 deductible but I don’t think I should have to use it for their problem.
PLEASE HELP. I HAVE A 2010 GMC ACADIA I MAKE MONTLY PAYMENTS ON. I HAVE HAD A YEAR AND DROVE ONLY RARLY DUE TO NUMEROUS ISSUES AND TOWES. YESTERDAY IT FOR NO REASON DURING WORK STARTED SOUNDING AS THO THE FAN WAS ON WHILE THE CAR WAS IN PARKINGLOT LOCKED WITHOUT KEY OR PERSON IN IT. THIS WAS AT 1PM. WAS ANNOUNCED OVER SPEAKER AT WORK FOR OWNER TO REPORT TO GUARD SHAKE SO UPON ARRIVAL I INVESTIGATED TO FIND NO ANSWERS. NEVER FIGURED OUT ISSUE. VEHICLE WAS DROVE HOME FINE BUT UPON BEING PARKED SAME THING EVEN WITH THE FUSES PULLED AND BATTERY UNHOOKED. POLICE WHERE CALLED BC CAR SMELLED HOT AND THE POSITIVE MAIN LINE WAS PULLED AND IT STOPPED. ABIT LATER WAS PUT BACK ON AND RAN FINE. THE ENGINE LIGHT IS ONE BUT ITWONT READ NO CODES. THE ELECTRIC FOR THE RADIO THE TURN SIGNAL AANY NOISE WONT WORK AND I FEEL THIS IS A DEATH TRAP. IVE REACHED OUT EVER SINCE I PURCHASED THIS A YEAR AGO AND HAD FOR A WEEK BEFORE IT BLEW THE RADIATOR. NOT TO MENTION THE ELECTRICAL. THE DEALERSHIP IS SHUT DOWN AND THE BANK SAID IT WILLAFFECT MY CREDIT IF I DONT PAY IT OFF BUT THERE HAS BE SOMETHING I CAN DO. THIS IS A DEATH TRAP. I RECORDED THE NOISE FROM YESTERDAY EVEN THE POLICE SAID IT DIDNT MAKE SENSE OR SOUND RIGHT. FEW MONTHS AGO IT STARTED WITHOUT THE KEY IN IGNITION OR EVEN ANYONE IN VEHICLE. THAT WAS REPORTED ALSO
My wife’s 2017 Acadia had the issues last year, hers was still covered by the Bumper to Bumper warranty, we did have to wait 5 weeks for the part to come in and there were several Acadias and Traverses in the que ahead of her. This past June (2020) my 2017 Acadia started the same issue. I was outside my B2B by a couple weeks. The dealer suggested that I contact GM Customer Support and plead my case. I contacted them, spoke with the initial intake person, explained everything, including the fact that there are GM Tech Bulletins (TB) on problem. A day or 2 later I heard from the support rep. I explained that my situation and that I was hoping GM would cover the repairs since its a known and well documented issue and I was only a couple of weeks beyond warranty. The CSR said he had never heard of a “Shift to Park” issue, and I needed to go to the service center (you know the people that sent me to him). I then frustrated myself by explaining the issue, its history, the TB’s and how the TBs explain how the problem is fixed. He felt that it was unfair of me to expect that he should ever have heard of this problem. I pointed out the I told the intake person what the problem was, I asked why he didn’t look it up before he called me. He explained that until the Service Center diagnosed the issue, I don’t actually have an issue, so there is nothing he can do. I went to the SC, I got lucky they found the parts at another dealership (2 sets, one for me and one for other driver), I paid for it out of pocket. The GM CSR just called, I asked if he could help get the repairs covered. He said no, I said even though (list here). He replied that he still hadn’t heard of the Shift in Park issue, and it was unreasonable of me to expect that he would. I’m now waiting for a manger to call.
What about 2019? I had had my 2019 GMC Acadia and its doing the exact same thing. Of course it waiting until 10k after warranty was up for me to even know that this was an issue. Im so angry right now
We have been having this issue going on for several weeks and we took it to the dealership today and they said this is not covered under warranty and admitted this is a known problem but we had to pay $600 to have this fixed!
I have had the same issue, had the wire harness replaced under the warranty than not even 6 months later it does it again, I take it back and tell them I see all the blogs on this and the dealership reached out to GM to see if they would cover it and they said no. My question is if they been going through this on the 2017 models they should know by March 2020 that it was more than just the wire harness poor customer service just to just put a bandage on it with one part of it when they knew there was another part to go faulty they should’ve just fixed both the wire harness and the shifter at the same time. They wanted $600 to replace the gear shifter and my husband and I both got laid off around that time due to the economy shutting down with the pandemic. We bought our Acadia brand new in 2018 and brought it in October 2019 for the 1 st shift to park issue than brought it right back in March of 2020 for the same thing. In my opinion this should be a recall.
I experienced this issue for the first time today. Tried to find any info about it and found this site. I own Acadia 2017. I actually do not have any trust with the GMC dealer in my town, and I am not sure if they can take care of this issue for free.
This is just an update for the record. I found that I purchased this vehicle on August 15, 2017 and I drove below 36000miles. I set up an appointment to see a dealership on August 10, 2020 – hoping that they can take care of this with the manufacturer’s warranty.
Again, just an update. I brought the car to the dealership on August 10 morning. Service person said “Shift to park” issue is very common and the job will be done on the same day. I left the car at the dealership, did not hear anything, called them, and heard that they do not have a part, the part is on delivery, and the work will be completed next day. And, on Tuesday (August 11), it was postponed again to August 14, Friday evening..
So, now it is Friday, and I did not hear anything in the afternoon. I gave a call to the shop and heard that the part is on delivery due to the COVID and a storm last week. Service advisor says it will be done next week. Will continue updating this log. 🙂
Final Update…
The part arrived on August 18 in the morning. I got a text message and heard that I might get the car by the end of that day or next morning at the latest.
Waited, waited, and waited and did not hear back from the dealership. I texted them on August 19 2PM to ask what is happening. They said they are working on it at that time.
Finally got a text “ALL SET” just after 5pm on August 19. Fortunately, the issue was covered by the manufacturer’s warranty and paid nothing for a repair.
All I have to say is: Good luck to everyone. I just cannot believe GM did not recall this safety issue yet. Also, I think it is crazy that anyone has to pay more than $600 for this minor repair. My repair took for a while, so be ready for it..
Thank you dpr for the update. Today, August 20, 2020, after sending an attached link to this article last Saturday evening along with a follow-up phone call and subsequent voice mail for the service manager at Sterling Kia in Lafayette, LA. I have YET to hear anything back from any of the three people: 1) Salesman 2) Service Department Manager 3) Dealership Supervisor.
Again, I just purchased this 2017 GMC Acadia Sport on June 4, 2020. I have put less than 1,300 miles since the date of purchase!. An extended warranty was included in the total amount financed. The simple fact that not ONE of the three people contacted have responded tells me that this Dealership needs to be looked into a bit further.
If any other of you are having the same or similar less than concerned or lacking customer service ethic dealership issues, would you mind offering a word or two of advice for me, please?
Respectfully,
M. Touchet
SW Louisiana
I have the exact same problem with my 2017. We had the shifter replaced twice and now have the same problem yet again!
I have a 2012 Buick Verano with 90000 km on the clock and it is also having this same ‘ shift to park’ issue. There are a lot of Buick’s with this issue, it is GM cars in general not just the Acadia
We have a 2017 Arcadia that we bought new in November of 2017 and had to have the shifter part replaced because of the Shift to Park notice that kept coming up when we parked. We to called GMC customer care and was told they had never heard of this happening before so we should have it diagnosed by the dealer. We were told the same as everyone else that they needed to replace the shifter and it cost us $629 and our bumper to bumper warranty was expired so we would have to pay for it. Needless to say we are looking at a Kia to replace our GMC because their warranties are better.
I purchased a 2017 Acadia second hand with 51k miles on 6/4/2020. Ive started noticing this shift to park error on and off for the past 4 weeks. Ive also noticed that while braking, the volume on the radio goes lower. Sometimes the vehicle jerks while shifting gears too. I’m more than disappointed. I’m down right angry with the manufacturer, dealership, etc. There MUST be some sort of compensation in addition to mandatory repairs Or preferably replacement vehicles!
I own a 2017 Acadia with 82,000 Miles in May i started having issues with the Shift to Park msg. In June they replaced the shifting harness. The next day my battery was dead as result of the issues. This was a temporary fix as it’s not working again two and half months later. If you leave the car with out the msg off it could roll, BIG safety issue! Now they are saying I need to pay for a whole shifting assembly at $300 cost to me. This is a GM defect and they need to recall before someone is hurt. The part takes over a week to come in. In the mean time it some times takes me up to 28 minutes to exit my car, shifting in and out of park hoping and praying it will shift into gear. Not convenient at all to say the least. Ever tried to explain why you are 30 minutes late because you can’t get your car to shift into park. Not a great way to promote GMC products that’s for sure.
I have a 2018 Acadia and had the Shift to Park as well, 6 months into ownership while still under warranty. The dealer said they corrected the issue. It’s not 2020 and the shift to park light is back on. I called the dealer and they are aware it is an issue and said they try to replace the harness first and then the shifter and they will discuss with me since it is no longer under warranty. What is the criteria for a recall? If this is a known issue why would GMC not replace the shifter right out of the gate?
I have a 2017 GMC Acadia and I am experiencing the same problems as everyone else is reporting. My dealer is saying that it will cost me $430 to have it fixed, So apparently there is a fix. I would like to know when GMC is planning to do a recall on such a serious issue?
What is the fix? I just had mine “fixed” 2 weeks
ago. They put in a harness. Last night the error came back again.
I had the harness installed as the “fix”. Like your experience, it did not solve the problem. The dealer replaced the complete shifter. Fingers crossed that the problem does not come back. On a another note, my battery had to be replaced. There is a electrical draw coming from somewhere but GM’s solution was a battery replacement. I think these issues are related.
I have a 2017 GMC Acadia and am on my 3rd battery. Luckily, they are all within warranty so I’m not having to pay for them. But I agree, there is clearly some kind of draw from the battery as well. (I have also had the shift to park issue 3 different times).
I have a 2018 and had this problem here and there. All I had to do was turn the SUV on shift into drive and then back to park and off. Worked every time. Took it to the dealer and they had it fixed in 3 hours. They gave me a loaner and besides the drive time it really wasn’t a big deal. Same thing for my brother in law except his repair came out of pocket. This is where GM should have just stepped up and fixed the issue. Would have kept the lawyers out of it.
I have the same issue with my 2017 acadia have only had it a month. I would have to keep putting it into drive and then park a few times before it would turn off. Now whenever I get the warning message i jusy wiggle my shifter and it usually disappears
I have a 2019 Chevrolet Malibu that has 31k miles and just had the same problem. Since under warranty the dealership’s service department fixed the problem. They installed an inline shifter wire harness jumper.
They did that for me about a month ago and the problem came back.
I have a 2018 Acadia, just turning 45K in miles and the park to shift warning has just started this week. I have been stuck in my car when arriving at work, getting to the groceries. Luckily it has only been a week and I have an appointment this week.
I have a 2018 Acadia – I couldn’t begin to tell you all the “tricks” I’ve tried to fix this or prevent it. I’ve been stranded, late to work, stuck at work, battery dead at grocery store, unable to get gas – the list goes on and on. The dealer fixed once about six months ago but it’s back with a vengeance this time !
My 2017 GMC Acadia is in the service department at the dealership once again. This is the 3rd time we have had the “shift to park” issue with this vehicle. Clearly they do not know what the fix is. They replaced the shift assembly the first time, the remaining 2 times they replaced the shift wiring harness. I love how they keep replacing the same part thinking that will fix the problem. I’m in TEXAS and would love to know how to get in on the class action lawsuit. This is beyond aggravating.
I just purchased my 2018 Acadia in June 2020 It had 23000 miles on it and just turned 30000 miles. We are now starting to have problems with putting the vehicle in park. Every time we put it in park the shift to park light goes off and the radio will not turn off and the car bell dings. We have to try several time in putting it in park and even starting the car and moving it before it finally goes off. This is frustrating!!
I have a 2017 with 52,000 and in the past 2 weeks I have been experiencing this problem. Really frustrating and annoying. I also notice if you shut the car off then turn it back on it sometimes starts funny. I guess I will be taking it in ASAP.
I have a 2019 with this issue. The part is back ordered and because I’m over 36K miles I have to pay $350 to get it fixed. At times I can’t even get my car to shut off because of this. Life long GM customer but considering jumping ship with this kind of service.
I have a 2017 Acadia having this exact problem and am taking it back to the dealership a second time. I did not realize this is a known problem until googled it t now. Don’t know why dealership did not acknowledge problem?
Well, my 2019 Malibu is doing this again. I left a comment previously. Only a few weeks after the dealership fixed the problem. I have another appointment to get the car in on the 17th this month. May want to look into adding Malibu to this.
Happening to my 18 acadia just as I hit 36k miles. Taking it in and hope gm pays for this known issue.
Bought a 2017 Acadia with 20,000 miles about 3 weeks ago. While doing the test drive no alarm messages were displayed. Took the car home and only 4 days later the “Shift to park” message was displayed on my DIC the first time.
The car is still under manufacturer’s 36 months warranty for another 4 weeks and the repair shop has ordered a new harness as suggested in the by GM issued tech. bulletin which addresses this problem I hope the part will arrive soon and will fix the problem.
It is not only a nuisance but also a safety issue, the car cannot be locked when this alarm message is displayed.
What are people doing who do not have a garage and their cars are parked on the streets all the time? Leave the car open so whoever wants to get in can get in and out as they please?
It’s a shame GM needs to be stepped on their feet by filing a class action lawsuit instead of them issuing a recall if they are aware of the problem anyway.
The harness is a band aid fix. GMC replaced the harness and then a month latter problem reoccurred. Replaced the shifter. No new problem but then battery had to be replaced. There is low draw happening that is draining the battery.
I hope you are wrong since some people have reported the harness has solved the problem but for me being quite honest, I do have my doubts too. So far I am waiting for almost one week for GM to deliver the part to my GMC repair shop. I’m wondering how much longer it will take. The service advisor told me it should arrive 2 or 3 days after the order was placed, which was last Monday.
I’m not technical inclined enough to know for sure what is going on but have noticed something that makes me wondering if the issue is really caused by a faulty harness, micro switch or the entire shifter unit.
To this date on several occasions I have noticed, after me shiftng in the Park position and releasing the brake pedal, the car moved a couple inches, even on a nearly 0% sloped surfaces like in my garage or the parking spot in front of my office. Kind of like it’s moving itself into the parking gear correctly. I have never noticed anything like that happen with my previous car, a Dodge Durango. On several occurrences this short motion of the car resulted in the alarm message disappeared from the display and the car door could be opened without any warning sounds. All electronics shut down correct and the car could be locked and secured as expected.
Just today again, I parked the car in my garage but this time the car would not move. After me turning off the ignition the alarm message appeared and the warning sound came on when I opened the door. While I was getting out of the car, I gave it a gentle push forward and backward and surprise surprise, the alarm message disappeared from the display, the warning sound stopped and I could lock the doors as never anything was wrong. Like I said before, I’m not technically inclined enough to say what could cause this but it makes me wondering if maybe a faulty (brake?) sensor may be the culprit. I sure hope it’s not anything wrong inside the transmission.
@Mjwest You were right, the jumper harness did not solve the problem.
I would like to post a quick update to my previous comment in regards to GMC’s famous “Shift To Park” problem.
After I initially was told the jumper harness would arrive with the repair shop in 3-4 days, I ended up waiting for it to arrive 2 weeks.
I took the car in to have the part changed today and after waiting for more than 2 hours, the service advisor told me the harness did not fix the problem and the shifter unit needs to be replaced.
I asked him how long it will take to get that part delivered and his response was “about 10 days”.
So this brings just the waiting time on replacement parts to about 20(?) days and 4 hours waiting time at the repair shop for just this one problem, which is not even fixed yet, while me owning this car for about 6 weeks so far. I assume, only the Lord and maybe GM will know, if a new shifter unit will really solve the problem or if this will be dragged out even longer.
This is my first GM model that I ever have bought in my almost 60 years of life and if the problems will continue and waiting times for parts being delivered to the repair shop always will be that long, this will also be the last GM model that I ever have bought.
Please tell me they are providing a loaner.
@ RainierMan2007
My service advisor told me, he’ll order loaner since the repair takes too long for anybody to wait on it.
The main problem I’m having is, my 3 year B2B / 36,000 mls warranty will run out 11/11/2020 and I sure hope they’ll not trying to hook me with the cost for the repair by dragging out the delivery of the part from the estimated 10 days to 15-20 days.
wouldn’t think they could, since the repair order has been issued already 2 weeks ago, but you never know. It seems pressure on GM is growing as almost daily more people reporting this problem.
What is the solution other than complaining on this forum?
Update on mine.. as previously posted the harness was replaced and the problem came back quickly. Had an appointment today. They explained to me that the issue is known and GM has the service department repair/replace the harness first. If that does not solve the problem (such as my case) they order and install a new shifter. My shifter has been ordered and they will call when the part comes in. The service department has been nothing but professional.
I was just charged $200 for the harness fix. Hope it works.
Your repair shop overcharged you by estimated 1 hour of labor I would say.
Per GM’s technical bulletin the calculated time to install the harness is 0.6 hours for an Acadia and the part itself costs less than 10 bucks.
https :// static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10166630-9999.pdf
The harness is a bad band aid. It is not the solution and GM knows it. Had the harness replaced and then the shifter replaced. Then my battery had to replace for some unknown current draw. Something tells me they are connected. My solution, because GM does not either care to come up a corrective repair or they have no clue, is to say a little prayer when shutting off the car. This is 2020 and not 1980 when GM was building junk. I love my Acadia, but if I have another similar issue, I will be looking at other OEM’s.
I have a 2019 chevy Silverado. I started getting the shift to park message. I took it to the dealership today and they informed me that I have to get the steering column/shifter replaced.
So I paid $200 two weeks ago to have the wire harness jumper put in and it did it failed again tonight.
I have a 2018 Traverse and this has happened twice.
I also have a 2017 Acadia with the ‘shift to park’ issues. It started this summer. Put me on the list of complaints. It needs to be addressed as a recall since there are so many of us with the issue.
Potential buyer of a GMC Acadia SLT2 model here. I’ve been paying close attention to this issue as I’m comparing this against a 2017 Infiniti QX60. I would rather pickup this one but this Shift-To-Park issue is a huge obstacle in my reasoning. I don’t mind playing around with the shifter but this car will primarily be driven by my wife and I don’t want to have her get stuck with this issue and then have a dead battery .
So as I’ve researched so far the issue is the harness that builds a resistance to having that thin aluminum piece connecting with the button that register’s a “park” signal. The fix that GM has after all this time is a new shifter design…. BUT that new shifter design now creates a problem where the vehicle now doesn’t know its in park at all and continues to think its in drive causing people to roll forward if they are unaware.
THAT is an even worse problem than the original problem. What I’ve seen some do to remedy the problem is to take the console off to expose the shifting mechanism and use a flat-head screw driver to bend down the aluminum part on the harness so that once the shifter slides into park it will make a stronger connection to hit that button that registers a “park signal”… If anyone has tried this have the results been satisfactory?
I’m confused as to why if this is a known issue they don’t just recall it. Tonight I sat in my driveway for 30 minutes trying to get my 2017 Acadia to shut off.. they say it’s not a safety issue, but the car “rolls away.”
Just fix the problem. GMC will not have my business again. It’s been frustrating even trying to get someone to call you back from GMC.
I had a the same problem fixed, but for how long? But what good does it do to complain in this forum? Is this going to change GM’s position? Like others, I will be looking for another OEM for my next purchase. I think this is the only answer.
This started happening to my car yesterday. Took it to the closest dealership today and they replaced the sensor and gear shift for free since I was still under the 36,000 mile warranty. Hopefully it is fixed! Bc that was highly concerning
I have a question- Has anyone had the “check engine “ light come on while receiving the “Shift to Park” message. Mine took 30 minutes to shut off last night- called the dealer- part ordered, however when I got in the car to drive home I noticed the engine light on.
On a side note- I contacted a GMC Executive liaison about the situation and all I can say is how rude.. I’ve never been spoken to by anyone from GMC as rudely as I was today from this woman.
I have a 2019 Acadia and it started doing this and I am only at 29,000 miles.
I have a GMC Acadia 2017, I already had mine changed like 2 years ago and just a few days ago it started saying park to shift and has done it in the last few days this is so inconvenient and frustrating. Really hope that a solution could be found into this problem!!!
2017 Acadia Denali and have had the issue from day one. Just recently the dealership swapped out the shifter and last week it gave me the warning to shift into park and couldn’t get it to do anything. Shifter wouldn’t move and couldn’t completely turn it off. Got out to eat lunch and the Acadia rolled into the vehicle in front of me. Called the dealership and had them tow it in immediately and take care of damage to both vehicles.
Doesn’t anyone use the parking brake anymore?
Yes, it did not engage!
My 2017 GMC Acadia Denali started this “shift to park” issue a week ago. Yesterday I had a lot of errands to run and it repeatedly happened. I had to repeatedly start my car shift into gear and turn it off, each time hoping they message wouldn’t appear.
Dec 21, 2020
Tried to park back in late spring; this was the first time seeing the shift to park message, and was stranded unable to shut the 2018 Acadia off. Subsequently took the Acadia in and the “harness” was replaced. Seemed to have corrected the problem until last week when the same message and problems appear. Not safe at all, especially living in the North with cold temperatures.
Called the dealership in Thunder Bay. The service advisor said he had never heard of the issues associated with the GMC Acadia. I find this not only hard to believe given the number of GMC bulletins about this issue, lawsuits I have read about, I find it completely irresponsible and risks customer safety.
Bringing the Acadia in Wednesday Dec 23, 2020 to see what the next fix will be given that apparently no one at the GMC dealership has heard of this issue.
Absolutely baffled that GMC can get away with not formally recalling and addressing this issue. If they cannot provide a permanent fix, replace all affected models.
Now experiencing this exact issue. My 2017 is not wanting to shut off. It is stating shift to park. Roughly 28,000.00 miles only. Newly purchased on September 3, 2020. Noticed that the car will roll while it is park on flat ground. Now the indicator is literally preventing the car from shutting off. I have to start vehicle and then shut off again , move the car up within it’s space. Then repairs, and attempt to shut off the car. Called and set up repair for Weds December 23, 2020
I’m surprised to see that even after a class action law suit GMC is not authorizing. Recall. Me or any other owner of this make and model should not have to struggle to come up with repair money for something that should ethically be under recall.
I bought my wife a new 2018 Acadia and this has been going on for 2 years now and since it is now out of the 3 year warranty I have to put out of pocket. I am done with GM and their BS and will never buy another.
Bought my Acadia used with about 12,000 miles and had to go in for service with months of having the vehicle. Less than 18 months after having the piece replaced it is doing it again. And they are making me pay for it. I have ALWAYS bought GMC vehicles! I’m sadly disappointed and hope they correct this issue physically and financially!!!
We have a 2018 GMC Acadia purchased in Oct of last year. We looked at 2 at the time. The other one was already having this issue and the dealer ship would fix it but wanted us to pay for the replacement. The one we currently have did not have the issue at the time of purchase but now has the issue. It may go for days without any issues and then may happen every time you shift to park and has taken up to 10 times on some instant to get it to shift to park correctly and not show in the message center. I have called about the issue and there is never mention on them doing the repair for a discount or at no charge. They are VERY aware of the issue but if you vehicle is not under the bumper to bumper warranty you are expected to pay for it. Not very good business for GMC to be well aware of the widespread issue and have done nothing to fix their product. We have had discussions of trading off the vehicle because we do not feel GM is handling their issue with the consumers safety in mind.
My 2018 Acadia Denali has started doing this. I didn’t buy it from a GM dealership. I bought it used in March 2020 from a Nissan dealership. Where would I take it to get it fixed??
My 2018 Acadia has been in the shop on three separate occasions regarding the shift to park issue. I even had to replace the battery one time because my daughter didn’t realize the car was still on and it drained the battery. GM said they were sorry. 🙄 The car has now started again for the 4th time. This time is bad. I have had to sit in the car putting it in drive and park over and over again for it to register and go into park. This is ridiculous.
When does the lemon law kick in. Maybe GM would actually care about its customers if they had to buy back these vehicles.
Just great…our 2017 Malibu started doing this today. Called Chevrolet and they said they never repaired one out of warranty so they will get back to me on a price. Scary…
I had the shift to park issue start in December 2020 and had to restart my car or go forward and backwards multiple times before I could get the error message to stop. My car was started but not driven during the first three winter months. I started driving the car in April and the shift to park became an issue again. I called the dealership and they put in a replacement part on April 9 2021 at a cost of more than $500. After looking online I saw that others were experiencing the same problem and was disturbed there was no recall by GM knowing there was a problem with the Acadias.
2017 Acadia here. I had this problem in 2017, and it was repaired. 4 years later, it’s happening again and I am so mad about it!
I have a 2017 GMC Acadia with the same issue. I’ve replaced the gearshift lever and control cable already and my car is currently back in the shop for the 3rd time with this same issue. Nothing is solving the problem. The battery drains extremely fast because of this. The amount of money wasted on repairs is extremely frustrating. I don’t know why this isn’t a recall yet, but I have saved all of my receipts in case it is. How do I become a part of the class action suit?
Where is the Lemmon law for this issue. GM should be embarrassed . Loosing many future customers unless they stand up and take care of this issue.
My 2017 GMC Acadia just started doing this last week.
No problems until now and it’s becoming more frequent as well.
My 2018 has been extremely reliable and a pleasure to own. But a month ago it did the shift to park thing. I made an appointment with my dealer, and he had it ready in 2 hrs. Works like new again no issues. The dealership was smart enough to keep one in stock. Overall, no big deal, just get it done.
I have a 2018 Acadia Denali, and have recently experienced the “Shift to Park” issue. I am going to make an appointment with the dealership.
I took my Acadia to Rivertown Buick GMC on June 12th and they replaced the shifter at no charge.
I too have the same problem on my 2018 had it serviced and doing it again
This is a real problem
Good luck. GM does not care
I too have a 2018 Denali that recently started displaying the “Shift to Park” error. I have an appointment later this week with a dealership. Has anyone had success with a particular dealership in fixing this issue in or around Houston?
I am far from Texas. However, when my malibu did this my dealership said that they were told to replace the harness first and If that doesn’t work to replace the whole assembly. Of course, the first did nothing (they said they expected this as it is a known problem). So it took two trips for me. I would suggest trying to get them to skip the first step.
My 2018 Acadia has been in the shop for this twice already and now is doing it again.
I’m sitting in the GMC dealership right now waiting for them to address the “shift to park” issue on my 2017 GMC Acadia All Terrain.
I have a 2017 Acadia All Terrain and just waiting for the day when I encounter “shift to park”.
Pray it doesn’t. GM does not have a fix or care to assign engineers to root cause problem. Solution is to replace parts. First jumper cable and then when the problem comes back, replace shifter module. All bandaids 😳
I am currently experiencing this issue. I have seen the “shift to park” warning and had to keep going from park to drive several times before it will shut off for car to turn off. Now Im stranded because this drained the battery when car still registered “on” even when car was off. I had to call the tow truck and now awaiting to hear from dealer. BTW I have a 2019 GMC Acadia.
I spoke too soon earlier. My 2017 All Terrain Acadia developed the problem and I had to have it repaired. Thankfully I bought an extended warrantee when I bought the car and it covered the repair at no out of pocket from me. I am disgusted that NHTSA hasn’t forced GM to recall these vehicles and fix this problem. It can certainly be a safety issue.
My 2019 Acadia started doing this Shift to Park about 1.5 months ago and doesn’t always happens but happens allot. It is very frustrating when you have to be somewhere and you’re in the parking lot turning your car constantly off/on and moving the gear shift until it finally shuts off. I have an appointment Monday 9/27/21 @ the dealership hope it works.
I took my 2018 in for the shift park issue in December, under warranty, started having intermittent issues again shortly after. Took it in on 2/4/2022 again and was charged $135.00 for diagnostics and told it was a new issue? Really do you think I am stupid? I went from there to work less than a mile and then 5 miles home from work “Shift Park Error” UGH so irritated. I will Never purchase another vehicle from GMC and this is my second Acadia, loved my first one.
They’re wanting me to pay to fix it after they failed to fix it under warranty. They even told me that it may not be fixed at the time. Now they want to charge me?
The solution for me was the button on or rather under the shift knob it sticks so the vehicle doesn’t know it’s in park. Try activating it several times with your finger. For me the problem went away after a week or so it’s been more than a year without trouble. X GM mechanic
My 2017 Acadia has the shift to park issue as well. Had the harness fixed twice and still does it. Also affects manual shifting button (either does nothing when pressed or is opposite of what is supposed to happen.
I have never owned anything but a GM product. But have lost all faith in the company, and they have lost my loyalty. It’s obvious that this is a prevalent problem. Figure it out and fix it (recall)! I am totally interested in joining a class action. One does not expect, after paying ~$50K to have an unsafe and unreliable vehicle that needs to be repaired constantly. It is WRONG! Not to mention the time and inconvenience of it.
How do I join the class action lawsuit for my 2017 GMC Acadia? Your article is spot on about the shift to park issue. My car wouldn’t shut down properly, it would not recognize my fob, and it would not have enough battery power to automatically lock the car. It would lug when I accelerated, and the control panel would not connect for minutes after I drove when the battery was low.
My list of repairs for this problem is too long to list. My car has 46 K miles, and the problem started at 19 K miles. I have been locked in and locked outside my car many times. The scariest time was being locked in my car when the outside temperature was 116, an all-time record for Oregon. I had seconds to break a window when I was able to push multiple buttons and one worked to open my car. I now keep a tool in my car to break my window if this ever happens again. It was traumatic, to say the least, and when it happened again, I recorded it on my phone because the dealership did not believe me the first time. My car is currently in the shop for 3 weeks and counting for multiple module problems (electrical): immobilizer control, ABS, instrument cluster, and HVAC. I feel like they are throwing darts at a board to see what may band-aid the problem. 7 K miles ago they replaced my fuel injector, and 11 K miles ago they replaced the body control module and a fob. Prior to that, they replaced 2 batteries, another fob, a jumper harness, and a shifter assembly.
I have not gotten any notices of recall, why???
I did just file a complaint with the NHTSA.
Does anyone have any suggestions? Are there any updates since the class action lawsuit was filed?
Thanks all~