2010 GMC Acadia Likely To Need Engine Rebuild, Report Says
34
Sponsored Links
In a recent article, Consumer Reports pulled data from its Annual Autos Survey to determine which older used vehicles have the biggest chance of experiencing a major engine problem at some point in their lifetime. The Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain are both included on the list, as we reported last week, with the crossovers well-known for problems with the available 2.4L four-cylinder engine. Those weren’t the only GM vehicles that may need an engine rebuild in their lifetime, however.
The 2010 GMC Acadia and its 3.6L LLT V6 engine are also included on Consumer Reports‘ list of vehicles with problem powertrains. The publication indicates the vehicle typically experiences engine trouble between 106,000 and 129,000 miles, though it did not list any specific problems associated with the six-cylinder engine in its article.
Some owner complaints submitted to the publication appear to indicate that some owners have experienced timing belt problems with the LLT V6 engine. One owner in Louisiana said the timing belt failed twice in the vehicle, but both times it was fixed under warranty. Another owner said the timing belt in their 2010 GMC Acadia failed at 50,000 miles, which led to significant damage and forced them to replace the entire engine under warranty. The timing belt in the new engine failed again after 50,000 miles, which also led to damage and required an engine rebuild. The same owner said that when going to buy a new vehicle “the dealership admitted to us that this was a bad year for this vehicle and the trade-in value was not very good.”
Consumer Reports has also received other complaints related to an engine oil leak and a “heavy buildup of carbon,” that led to engine trouble but did not require a complete engine replacement or rebuild.
While the 2010 GMC Acadia is a bit of a problem child, Consumer Reports has not received the same volume of complaints from owners of older and later model year examples of the crossover. It’s worth noting that the first-generation GMC Acadia went out of production in 2016 and the second-generation model offers a range of major improvements, including different available engines.
Subscribe to GM Authority for more GMC Acadia news, GMC news and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
- Sweepstakes Of The Month: Win a Corvette Z06 and 2024 Silverado. Details here.
Sponsored Links
This Consumer Reports story is a mess.
The variations I have read in the media is chocked full of errors.
#1 here it says timing belt failed. Well the engine uses chains. Yes some engines either needed guides or changes once they are over 120k miles.
#2 another story said that the rear main seal failed causing the engine to over heat? Well main seals do not cause over heating.
While this engine has had issues The story is lacking accurate detail. It also lacks to cover that the new 3.6 shares little with the original engine and the issues of chains, leaks and carbon are gone.
Scott, Still spewing S**t –
How about a H*ll of a lot of them needing timing chains at WELL UNDER YOUR 120,000 miles !
How is that 8 speed GM junk transmission fluid fix working for you ?
Sitting with a 2011 Traverse with need of the Timing Chains replaces…. $5,000 and the vehicles is only worth $6,000.
Sounds like you have a lot of mileage if your Traverse is only worth 6K. A timing chain job should be a lot less than that outside the rip off dealer.
I have a 2010 6cyl Terrain. New guides and chains at 105k miles. Always dealer maintained. Ended up costing almost $5k. Truck ran terrific with no problems but showed an engine code. They dropped the engine down, charged labor fee for pulling it. Now I have problems with both axles which they claim is on me. Have another $3k estimate on that. Pretty sure I will do that myself. (Lots of experience from the 90’s) If I abused the vehicle I would understand the possibility. It has always been pampered. They offered me 5k on trade. Told them I would drive it out back at the farm and put a torch to it first. It is not about the money at this point.
A chain and phaser job is just part of owning an older 3.6 gm engine. If your lucky its in a rwd vehicle. If your not lucky its in a fwd and the cradle has to come out the bottom costing more labor.
Does anyone still believe you can go 8000 miles without an oil change?
Engineers do, particularly those for Ford and the Germans.
I personally change the oil on my car and my parents car every 5,000 miles.
Not a bit of difference with this particular engine. I have a 2011 Acadia, at 59,000 miles the engine had timing chain issues GM only replaces broken parts nothing more. Now right around 99,800 miles the other part not replaced has failed and GM refused to do the repair, I even purchased the platinum extended warranty, which includes timing chain on the paperwork until 150,000 miles. Had a unknown GM technician tell me they know it was a faulty engine from day 1 but they’d sold way to many to fix anymore.
So…… What about the other GM vehicles with the same engine!? ie. Buick Enclave, Saturn outlook, Chevy Traverse!?
ALL of the GM 3.6 in this area are the same !
The Cadillac because of the Mobile One synthetic requirement might last to Scotts 120,000 miles if your lucky !
My mother in laws Enclave made it to 78,000 miles with GM doing ALL of the service !
Our Cadillac CTS made it to 140,000 miles with me doing ALL of the service !
My brothers made it 98,000 miles with him doing all the service !
The going rate around here is around $2000.00 not a dealer !
And fedup is right, you will be lucky to get $6,000.00 out of these vehicles, loaded up, with the timing chain out. and then maybe $9,000.00 after replacement . And that’s for a loaded Envlave with under 100,000 miles !
1. LLT uses timing CHAINS, not a timing belt.
2. The problem usually stems from people running them too long between oil changes. The engine runs low on oil because the oil life monitor counts down from too high an interval (as well as too low an oil capacity; early models are listed as having a 5.5 quart oil capacity, later models are listed as taking 6 quarts), and the chains stretch because they aren’t being properly lubricated.
There supposedly is a TSB to reflash the OLM to count down from 8k miles and not let the car go more than one calendar year between oil changes.
Tl;dr change your oil when the mechanic tells you to.
All of you ” GM is great ” people here do realize that the newer 3.6 engine is fixed for this problem RIGHT !
So that means you still do not have to change your oil every 2000 miles like 1975 RIGHT !
All of your endless, endless, simply endless blame and excuses means NOTHING !
GM them selves have fixed the issue, YES the issue ! Yes there is just another of the many GM engineering design issues that the GM customer is paying for !
All of you could stand to do some digging on this issue for sure, even the chain manufacturer knew the timing chain and tensioner design in these engines was SUB PAR at best !
Rev rattler GM 3.6 !
LOL timing belts. Rear main seals causing overheating. Are they making it up as they go? Yes these engines had issues with timing chains but some of it was due to using the wrong oil, waiting too long between changes which also could involve low oil levels and that wiped out the chain and phasers. We have sold some Traverses and Enclaves with the LLT 3.6’s and some of the well serviced examples had well over 100K with no issues but then the occasional example would roll in with 80-90K with the check engine light on and a bad chain so it varies. We have not seen any 2013 on up LLT/LFX or LGX 3.6 engines with these issues so apparently they finally got it right.
It’s also noteworthy that Ford also had timing chain issues for similar reasons on certain year 3.5 EB engines and oil levels and change intervals are critical on those too along with carbon buildup so this wasn’t just a GM issue.
Some of the well serviced examples !
KEY word SOME !
And WHY is it always OK here from the excuse blamers that other brands have had troubles ? yet in the next conversation you same people try to convince the general public that GM is better ?
Which is it ? Is GM only as good as the problems other brands have ?
Or is GM better ?
I know when GM WAS better, but it hasn’t been a LONG time now !
I was told by a GM rep that the chain problem was more of a supplier issue, same with Ford. The newer designed chains are more robust and have been redesigned to resist wear. GM and maybe Ford too also shortened the oil change intervals to help combat these issues and the carbon buildup. Actually Ford, Hyundai and Toyota went a step further and now offer dual injection setups that have both direct and port injection to combat carbon buildup and emissions. The points I’m making are no brand is immune to these and other issues and at least they have taken steps to improve reliability so I do give props to that. But overall I do agree they should have tested these things out better in the first place and GM is certainly no better in my eyes than other companies and worse in certain areas!
OK I am not just going to be just negative here !
The new 10 speed to replace the GM 8 speed junk transmission seems to be great, so far !
The new 3.6 Timing chains seem to be great, so far !
The new, new GM stuff is leaps and bounds ahead of just 6 years ago, other than the people still buying that GM 8 speed junk transmission !
All GM has to do is increase average horsepower – torque numbers by 20 %, and fix all the pricy s**t interiors, and away they go !
We will see if they can get there or go broke again in the next 5 years !
Yeah – I am on my second Acadia also and yes definitely a history of problems but they are awesome driving vehicles and GM helped out with buying a new one when our 2007 failed. We now have a 2015 from new. Front end noise has been the biggest problem at 75,000 miles. Hard to track down. Agree on this story – this story was just culmination dumpster diving. When their are technical errors in a technical story – the whole story is gone with the wind. Sorry
I have issues with both engine and transmission on my 2010 Acadia. This is my 2nd one. I will not buy another one. GMC don’t want to fix the problem or admit to their mistakes. Are they planning to recall the SUV?
Gmc envoy the best and trailblazer the made those car for last. Alot miles and replace this car arcadia. Not a good car engine and other problemsis the chet
My 10 gmc acadia is broke to timing chain is not whorth it to fix it again
My 09 Acadia engine is blown and mechanic said the put something in it to get it this far. I bought it last july its been in the shop 5 times in 4mths in there now said its the engine damn still making payments just had over 2700 now 6000 more hell no its a pandemic and the dealership knew about the problem and just want their money
2009 GMC Acadia had to replace the engine, catalytic converter, power steering pump, a/c compressor, water pump, and rebuilt the transmission replacing broken wave plates inside. All at 98000 miles. Last GMC I’ll ever buy.
Our 2009 has so many issues still. After $1000s and engine pull due to timing under warranty. Barely over 100,000 now and just sits in the driveway. Spent more time in the shop. And complete catalytic converters exhaust. Still they truly are nice to look at. But don’t drive it. Can’t sell it. Total disappointment in GM
My Buick Enclave has had its transmission replaced twice and now the engine looks like it would need to be replaced due to a leaking main seal, faulty catalytic converters, and an undiagnosable loss of power and fuel mileage which is likely caused by burned exhaust valves and/or blown gaskets. Do not buy a GM vehicle! They are only interested in making vehicles that look nice, not ones that can be considered reliable means of transportation. This is a company that took federal bailout funds to stay in business and was granted a second lease on life. But instead its business as usual for them. Well, you can put a shine on a turd, but in the end all you get is a shiney turd. Too bad GM. You could have turned it all around and created great products. Oh well.
im in the same boat as all of you i have 2015 acadia and i hate it
I agree GM has gone bad my 2014 Acadia caught fire in the engine compartment for no apparent reason, vehicle burst into flames I was lucky that myself and my daughter were able to get out alive, I’ve made several phone calls to GM to have an investigation done I’ve received no phone call back from GM at all!
I still owe 2 years of payments on my 2010 Acadia and it’s sitting at the mechanic shop. I do not have $6000 to get the engie replaced due to the timing belt . No warning and have no warranty bought car used. Haven’t had a car since February 12, 2020. Been walking or asking for rides.