Make sure that you personally go on the test drive so that you witness the transmission slip and document it...

You are so close to warranty end, you have to get it fixed, otherwise they will just write, could not replicate customer complaint of slippage...

Your warranty will expire, and since you are the second owner, you will NOT get customer satisfaction...

I say that you refuse to take it back until they fix the transmission, a rental car for a week will be a small price to pay to get it fixed now (under warranty)...

 

Hi T49ers68,

I'm sorry that you are experiencing this issue so soon after purchase! Although we are not a certified technicians, our dealerships are our eyes and ears on the field, and we rely on them heavily for technical information. I would be happy to speak with your dealership about a resolution for you. You may send a private message at any time with your full contact information, VIN, and name of involved dealership. Thank you!

Jessica
GMC Customer Care

I just bought my 2010 Acadia three weeks ago used from a used car dealer. I like this car but now I am reading about problems on here and have also experienced a couple of them already. The car has 95,000 miles. First a coolant leak. I looked where it was coming from and I found it coming from the waterpump. I took it in to my local dealer on a weekend because my wife needs it during the week. They diagnosed it and said its a water neck above the waterpump. It very well could be. It is so tight of a fit maybe i didn't see it right. Anyway they said they have to order the part. I brought it back the following friday and dropped it off so they can have it Saturday. They call me Saturday morning and tell me that they ordered the wrong part. So now i have to do this all over again next weekend! Now my wife tells me that she feels it slip between shifting from 2nd to 3rd. I can't believe it. I start thinking did i make a huge mistake buying an acadia? :facepalm: So i drove the acadia and felt it hesitate/slip between 2nd to 3rd maybe 3 or 4 times during a 30 minute drive. So sorry for all the venting, but my question is do any of you waveplate victims have any advice of symptoms to look for and was slipping or hesitation one of them? Also, after your first symptom, how long did it take to have symptoms severe enough for the dealer to diagnose? Thank you to anyone with advice.

 

I just bought my 2010 Acadia three weeks ago used from a used car dealer. I like this car but now I am reading about problems on here and have also experienced a couple of them already. The car has 95,000 miles. First a coolant leak. I looked where it was coming from and I found it coming from the waterpump. I took it in to my local dealer on a weekend because my wife needs it during the week. They diagnosed it and said its a water neck above the waterpump. It very well could be. It is so tight of a fit maybe i didn't see it right. Anyway they said they have to order the part. I brought it back the following friday and dropped it off so they can have it Saturday. They call me Saturday morning and tell me that they ordered the wrong part. So now i have to do this all over again next weekend! Now my wife tells me that she feels it slip between shifting from 2nd to 3rd. I can't believe it. I start thinking did i make a huge mistake buying an acadia? :facepalm: So i drove the acadia and felt it hesitate/slip between 2nd to 3rd maybe 3 or 4 times during a 30 minute drive. So sorry for all the venting, but my question is do any of you waveplate victims have any advice of symptoms to look for and was slipping or hesitation one of them? Also, after your first symptom, how long did it take to have symptoms severe enough for the dealer to diagnose? Thank you to anyone with advice.

 

Thanks for the advice everyone. DVelasco68 I hope i dont have to be pushy like that but thanks for the advice. I am a little worreid because i have drove it twice since i have felt it slip and it hasn't acted up at all. I really hope if it's going to fail that it does before 100,000. I am even thinking about selling it now. I am going to have the coolant leak fixed and mention the tranny while im there. But i am sure they can't diagnose anything without the transmission throwing a code or them being able to feel it slip :facepalm:.
Jessica from customer care,
Thank you for your response. Im glad that you are willing to help me if you can. If i feel i need help, i will do what you said and send you a message with my info. I will try on my own with my local dealer first. Also what are your opinions? Do you think they will diagnose my vehile with no trouble codes? What if it doesnt act up when they test drive it? Am i out of luck?
I told my wife to write down how many times it acts up when she drives it. Hopefully if it's going to break it happens soon.

 

You're welcome! Please keep me posted. Sometimes it can be difficult to diagnose an intermittent problem, but the dealership will do what they can to try to resolve the issue. I am always happy to speak with them further if the issue persists.

Jessica
GMC Customer Care

Thanks for the advice everyone. DVelasco68 I hope i dont have to be pushy like that but thanks for the advice. I am a little worreid because i have drove it twice since i have felt it slip and it hasn't acted up at all. I really hope if it's going to fail that it does before 100,000. I am even thinking about selling it now. I am going to have the coolant leak fixed and mention the tranny while im there. But i am sure they can't diagnose anything without the transmission throwing a code or them being able to feel it slip :facepalm:.
Jessica from customer care,
Thank you for your response. Im glad that you are willing to help me if you can. If i feel i need help, i will do what you said and send you a message with my info. I will try on my own with my local dealer first. Also what are your opinions? Do you think they will diagnose my vehile with no trouble codes? What if it doesnt act up when they test drive it? Am i out of luck?
I told my wife to write down how many times it acts up when she drives it. Hopefully if it's going to break it happens soon.

 

I don't think the 2010s are known for transmission issues like the 07s and 08s are.

 

Thats what i thought. I thought 2010 had updated waveplates. I sure hope so. Hopefully it is something easier than waveplate.

 

Re: Transmission problem. Waveplate? slips from 2nd to 3rd Intermittently

I took the acadia to my local dealer and they said they did a pcm (software update to the transmission). I haven't got it back yet but i hope that the problem goes away. The only thing i was concerned about was they said software updates weren't covered under powertrain warranty. Can anyone here confirm that?

 

Re: Transmission problem. Waveplate? slips from 2nd to 3rd Intermittently

I took the acadia to my local dealer and they said they did a pcm (software update to the transmission). I haven't got it back yet but i hope that the problem goes away. The only thing i was concerned about was they said software updates weren't covered under powertrain warranty. Can anyone here confirm that?

The powertrain warranty normally just covers the mechanical parts of the engine and transmission, no electronics.

 

Heres the update. The service writer called and said its shifting better but the acadia still has a delayed shift bewteen 2nd and third gear. When i had it thats the only time i can feel it. The rpms will actually rev higher between shifts. They are telling me that it is normal for this transmission to shift that way for a smooth shift. Im not quite convinced and am wondering if anyone else can verify their acadia shifts like that.

 

T49er - that is a load of crap. The transmission is not supposed to slip between shifts of any gears. I had a 2008 Enclave and was driving it when the wave plate disintegrated and screwed up the transmission. It was slipping for a very short time before it totally stopped working. I would move up the food chain at the dealer. Could be the solenoid too. Who knows. Bottom line is you need to scream from the rooftops that you want this issue documented in your perm file so when the transmission goes at 100,001 you are covered.

 

I agree. Load of crap. My 2008 has never revved up when shifting.

 

UPDATE: I called them again and asked if they would show me that this is normal in another acadia. I wanted a ride along with me in the car. They said they wont. They did say that they will let the technician ride with me in mine. Well if we ride in mine it's just going to be my word against his. So my question is if they keep telling me that this is normal, what do i do next? Do i not accept the vehicle and leave it with them? Who would i contact higher up the ladder?  Again the transmission feels like when it leaves 2nd gear to shift into third the rpms visibly rise. During stern acceleration (merging on the freeway type acceleration) the rise is around 500rpms. Then it will shift into third and the rpms will come down. The whole process takes a. Couple seconds.

 

These cars are infamously known for slow up shifting, its a 'fuel economy' thing. All they want to do is down shift once you hit your cruising speed.
I've revved as high as 5K getting Have Blue 'moving' from the on ramp to the left lane on a highway, you'd "feel" a tranny slip, just get used to how
these cars up shift, it sucks.

 

UPDATE: I called them again and asked if they would show me that this is normal in another acadia. I wanted a ride along with me in the car. They said they wont. They did say that they will let the technician ride with me in mine. Well if we ride in mine it's just going to be my word against his. So my question is if they keep telling me that this is normal, what do i do next? Do i not accept the vehicle and leave it with them? Who would i contact higher up the ladder? Again the transmission feels like when it leaves 2nd gear to shift into third the rpms visibly rise. During stern acceleration (merging on the freeway type acceleration) the rise is around 500rpms. Then it will shift into third and the rpms will come down. The whole process takes a. Couple seconds.

My only suggestion would be to take it to another dealership and go through the process with them. Yes, it is a pain in the butt having to do that, but another opinion can't hurt. The tranny in my 2008 doesn't act like this.

 

My only suggestion would be to take it to another dealership and go through the process with them. Yes, it is a pain in the butt having to do that, but another opinion can't hurt. The tranny in my 2008 doesn't act like this.

X2


Or a good independent tranny shop.

 

...slip between shifting from 2nd to 3rd...So i drove the acadia and felt it hesitate/slip between 2nd to 3rd maybe 3 or 4 times during a 30 minute drive. So sorry for all the venting, but my question is do any of you waveplate victims have any advice of symptoms to look for and was slipping or hesitation one of them? Also, after your first symptom, how long did it take to have symptoms severe enough for the dealer to diagnose? Thank you to anyone with advice.

My 09 Enclave is at the dealership for the very same thing. I noticed the transmission slipping between 2nd and 3rd gear first. Then it started between 4th and 5th; sometime when it downshifted the engine RPMs would go up before the transmission shifted gears. Some gear changes weren't as smooth as before, and I had no trouble codes. This is NOT normal operation for this transmission. From what my service advisor said, they had to open up the transmission to see what was causing this. The transmission control module was mentioned, and they're going to replace the wave plates and clutches. I'll know better what caused this after I get my car back.

Note that these transmissions have faulty wave plates in the early years, 2007-2009; GM corrected this in the 2010 model year run. Because these transmissions have "adaptive shift capabilities," they will often mask a problem so the fact that you noticed the issue very early will save you a lot of grief later.

 

Note that these transmissions have faulty wave plates in the early years, 2007-2009; GM corrected this in the 2010 model year run.

really? Acadia has been experiencing tranny issues right up until now. And the new Escalades tranny's are shattering.

Because these transmissions have "adaptive shift capabilities," they will often mask a problem so the fact that you noticed the issue very early will save you a lot of grief later.

Better phrased they 'mask a problem' until the car is hopefully out of warranty and then the consumer is stuck paying the bill for a still faulty design and parts.

 

Waveplate problem was fixed for the 2010 models but a few have reported other minor problems with tranny but nothing like the 2007-2009 models that had a wave plate that was not heat treated properly so they will fail after time. :banghead:

 

Final update! :thumb: hopefully.. Well I wen't to the dealership prepared to not accept the acadia. I wen't for the test drive with the technician. It shifted perfect between each gear. (well not perfect. I dont agree with how the acadias were designed to shift). But the acadia shifted exactly how it was designed to. The revving higher between 2nd and 3rd went away. I have had the acadia for a couple weeks now and still hasn't missed a beat. Im a completely shocked. I guess the software update did the trick. I guess the service writer had me all worked up for no reason! haha. The technician told me that it is alot better now than when he first drove it and the service writer didnt feel it before he upgraded the PCM. I guess the service writer can feel the stupid design of shifting they made these acadias have but from driving other acadias i know that it is normal for them to rev higher than you think they should. Well anyway.....thanks for all the input everyone.

 

Thats great news.... My 2013 Acadia is doing that EXACT same thing though. Revs when switching from 2nd to 3rd. Like an inexperienced driver pushing the gas while the clutch was half engaged on a manual transmission. I brought it to the dealer and they told me since it wasn't throwing codes than it was fine... I was not happy with that explanation, but what am I to do?

 

Hi huchinsond,

I am sorry to hear of this concern you are experiencing! The best course of action to take is to drive the vehicle as soon as possible to the dealership after you experience the concern again. I know it can be frustrating when they are unable to duplicate an issue. Please let us know if you would like our involvement. We are happy to help and contact your dealership for further technical advice.

Jessica
GMC Customer Care

Thats great news.... My 2013 Acadia is doing that EXACT same thing though. Revs when switching from 2nd to 3rd. Like an inexperienced driver pushing the gas while the clutch was half engaged on a manual transmission. I brought it to the dealer and they told me since it wasn't throwing codes than it was fine... I was not happy with that explanation, but what am I to do?

 

Final update! :thumb: hopefully.. Well I wen't to the dealership prepared to not accept the acadia. I wen't for the test drive with the technician. It shifted perfect between each gear. (well not perfect. I dont agree with how the acadias were designed to shift). But the acadia shifted exactly how it was designed to. The revving higher between 2nd and 3rd went away. I have had the acadia for a couple weeks now and still hasn't missed a beat. Im a completely shocked. I guess the software update did the trick. I guess the service writer had me all worked up for no reason! haha. The technician told me that it is alot better now than when he first drove it and the service writer didnt feel it before he upgraded the PCM. I guess the service writer can feel the stupid design of shifting they made these acadias have but from driving other acadias i know that it is normal for them to rev higher than you think they should. Well anyway.....thanks for all the input everyone.

Its not you, its how the car is 'made'. I can crank 4 grand off a stop light.. then on the highway all it wants to do is downshift, PITA! I had the re-flashes too. My tech said the design was all about "saving fuel"... hey I'm BUYING the fuel, give me a car that burns it to my satisfaction.

 

Hi huchinsond,

I am sorry to hear of this concern you are experiencing! The best course of action to take is to drive the vehicle as soon as possible to the dealership after you experience the concern again. I know it can be frustrating when they are unable to duplicate an issue. Please let us know if you would like our involvement. We are happy to help and contact your dealership for further technical advice.

Jessica
GMC Customer Care

The problem I have is they didn't even try to reproduce the issue... First the tech said that its trying to do so much that sometimes the computer doesn't know what to do and it just gets weird. I said, that can't be true... then he said... well its not throwing any codes, so all is fine. Seems like a cop out to me, which is why I was unhappy with the whole ordeal. I'm going to record it with my phone so there is no denying it next time

 

Have your dealer reprogram your transmission. After my 09 Enclave's transmission was fixed (trans control module, filter, 3-5-R waveplate, seals), I still noticed intermittent slipping between 2nd and 3rd gear, but less than before the repair. However, the more I drove it, the less noticeable the slip. I drove it a bit more aggressively on the accelerator and I could tell the slip was less. However, since I had a leak in my transmission (faulty seal they installed), I took it back and explained about my concern with the slipping still being there when I drove first thing in the morning, on the first 2-3 gear shift. They actually reprogrammed my transmission with a "special" calibration that was supposed to alleviate many shifting complaints including slipping. When I got my car back, I immediately noticed that it shifted much better, without the slip. Plus, the shifts were at better, more realistic intervals meaning my acceleration and overall drivability improved too. I'm not sure if this calibration affects gas mileage, but my service advisor told me it doesn't. I haven't noticed a difference in MPG, but my Enclave sure shifts better than it did before.

Note that my service advisor said that they didn't notice the slip (when I brought it back the second time) but reprogrammed the transmission because of my concern, just to be sure it wasn't the problem. Sure enough this fixed the issue.