Is the GMC Acadia more reliable than the Toyota Highlander?

No. The Highlander has a slight edge, though both rate good. Independent repair-cost data shows it costing less per year, visiting the shop less often, and facing a lower chance of a major repair. The Acadia's 9-speed transmission complaints are its biggest weakness.

Which has more recalls, the Acadia or the Highlander?

The Highlander has far more. Federal recall records show 66 recalls across 9 model years for the Highlander, against 17 across 8 model years for the Acadia. Recall count alone does not decide reliability, since the Highlander still costs less to repair.

Which costs less to repair, the Acadia or the Highlander?

The Highlander costs less. Independent repair-cost data estimates $489 a year for the Highlander and $734 for the Acadia. Over five years that gap comes to about $1,225. The Highlander also has the lower chance of a major repair, 13% against 19%.

What is the most common Acadia problem?

Transmission trouble leads the Acadia's complaints. Owners describe the 9-speed shuddering, bucking, and shifting hard, sometimes from as early as 15,000 miles. Complete failure is reported at roughly 74,000 to 80,000 miles. Fluid flushes and torque converter replacement do not always fix it.

Is the Toyota Highlander transmission a known problem?

Owners report it, mostly just past 60,000 miles. They describe a high-pitched whine under acceleration that grows until the transmission fails. Dealers quote $8,500 to $10,000 for replacement, and some owners wait months for a backordered unit. Check service history on any example near that mileage.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

GMC Acadia vs Toyota Highlander: Reliability Compared

GMC Acadia

Good

More Reliable

Toyota Highlander

Good

On reliability, the Toyota Highlander has a slight edge over the GMC Acadia. Lower yearly repair costs decide it. Both models rate good, but the Highlander needs fewer shop visits and faces a smaller chance of a major repair, even though it has far more recalls.

How Do the GMC Acadia and Toyota Highlander Generations Compare?

Most used Acadias a shopper sees come from the second generation, which ran from the 2017 to 2023 model years with updates in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Its weakest years, 2020 and 2023, both fall in that run. The third generation began with the 2024 model year, so those cars have had less time to collect complaints. On the Highlander side, the fourth generation, the XU70, began with the 2020 model year and ran through 2026. The 2018 and 2019 cars belong to the older third generation. Its weakest years, 2021 and 2024, both sit inside the XU70 run. The fifth generation, the XU80, covers the 2027 model year.

Verdict

The Toyota Highlander is more reliable than the GMC Acadia, scoring 73/100 vs 70/100.

Slight edge to the Toyota Highlander. Both land in good standing, so this is not a wide gap. The deciding reason is cost and repair severity: independent repair-cost data shows the Highlander costing less per year, needing fewer unscheduled shop visits, and facing a lower chance that a repair is major. The Highlander does carry far more recalls and more owner complaints, so the lead rests on what repairs cost, not on a cleaner record.

Key Differences

1Toyota Highlander costs $245 less per year to repair
2GMC Acadia has 49 fewer total recalls
3Toyota Highlander has 6% lower major repair risk

Category Scoreboard

1GMC Acadia

—

4Toyota Highlander

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair RiskSafety Rating

GMC Acadia vs Toyota Highlander: Which Is More Reliable?

GMC Acadia vs Toyota Highlander at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	GMC Acadia	Toyota Highlander
Reliability Score	70/100	73/100
Years Tracked	8	9
Total Recalls	17	66
Total ComplaintsRaw count — varies with sales volume	770	1892
Annual Repair Cost	$734/yr	$489/yr
Repair Frequency	0.4/yr	0.3/yr
Major Repair Risk	19%	13%
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2026 NHTSA	2026 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	1 (1 tied)	6 (1 tied)

What Are the Common Problems With the GMC Acadia and Toyota Highlander?

Transmission trouble tops both lists, but it looks different on each. The Acadia's 9-speed shudders, bucks, and hard-shifts, and some fail outright. The Highlander's transmission whines under acceleration, then needs replacement just past 60,000 miles. The Acadia also has a black rear camera, a parking brake that sets itself while moving, and thermostat faults that trigger a "Steering Assist Reduced" warning. The Highlander adds air bag reports, mostly front impacts with no deployment, and a bumper cover that detaches at highway speed. Steering and engine crash reports appear only on the Acadia.

GMC Acadia vs Toyota Highlander common problem areas comparison
Component	GMC Acadia	Toyota Highlander
POWER TRAIN	200	485
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	106	254
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	139	134
SERVICE BRAKES	70	169
AIR BAGS	12	162
STRUCTURE	4	159
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	23	112
ENGINE	37	61
STEERING	55	28
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	5	42
FUEL SYSTEM	4	39
SUSPENSION	4	16
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	6	5
VISIBILITY/WIPER	2	8
SEAT BELTS	6	3
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	8	—
SEATS	6	—
TIRES	—	5
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)	4	—
WHEELS	3	—
LANE DEPARTURE	2	—

Raw complaint counts aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports. Counts vary with sales volume.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: GMC Acadia or Toyota Highlander?

Independent repair-cost data puts the Highlander at $489 a year against $734 for the Acadia. That is $245 less each year, or about $1,225 over five years. The Highlander also needs fewer unscheduled shop visits, 0.3 a year against 0.4. When something does break, the chance the repair is major is 13% on the Highlander and 19% on the Acadia. The Acadia is the pricier car to keep running on every measure.

How Does GMC Acadia vs Toyota Highlander Reliability Compare by Year?

GMC Acadia vs Toyota Highlander year-by-year reliability scores
Year	GMC Acadia	Toyota Highlander	Edge
2026	76/1000R / 0C	84/1000R / 0C	Toyota Highlander
2025	76/1000R / 51C	76/1008R / 40C	Tie
2024	76/1000R / 51C	67/10016R / 198C	GMC Acadia
2023	64/1004R / 37C	73/10013R / 140C	Toyota Highlander
2022	66/1003R / 44C	74/1007R / 186C	Toyota Highlander
2021	68/1002R / 134C	70/1006R / 403C	Toyota Highlander
2020	62/1006R / 84C	71/1008R / 269C	Toyota Highlander
2018	68/1002R / 369C	72/1005R / 242C	Toyota Highlander

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 GMC Acadia scored 76/100 and the 2022 Toyota Highlander scored 74/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the GMC Acadia vs the Toyota Highlander?

Pick the Highlander if you want the lower running cost and the smaller chance of a big repair bill. It suits you if you keep a car for years and want fewer surprises in the shop. Before you buy, check that any bumper cover recall work is done and ask about transmission history on examples near 60,000 miles. Be careful with 2021 and 2024, which are among its weakest years. Newer years show fewer complaints mostly because they have had less time to collect them. Pick the Acadia if you find a well-priced one and can verify the transmission has been behaving. It also has far fewer recalls on record. Test drive at steady highway speed and feel for shudder or hard shifts. Be careful with 2020 and 2023, its weakest years. Ask whether the thermostat, rear camera, and parking brake have ever been repaired. Skip any example with a transmission that hesitates or lurches.

GMC Acadia vs Toyota Highlander: Common Questions

Is the GMC Acadia more reliable than the Toyota Highlander?: No. The Highlander has a slight edge, though both rate good. Independent repair-cost data shows it costing less per year, visiting the shop less often, and facing a lower chance of a major repair. The Acadia's 9-speed transmission complaints are its biggest weakness.
Which has more recalls, the Acadia or the Highlander?: The Highlander has far more. Federal recall records show 66 recalls across 9 model years for the Highlander, against 17 across 8 model years for the Acadia. Recall count alone does not decide reliability, since the Highlander still costs less to repair.
Which costs less to repair, the Acadia or the Highlander?: The Highlander costs less. Independent repair-cost data estimates $489 a year for the Highlander and $734 for the Acadia. Over five years that gap comes to about $1,225. The Highlander also has the lower chance of a major repair, 13% against 19%.
What is the most common Acadia problem?: Transmission trouble leads the Acadia's complaints. Owners describe the 9-speed shuddering, bucking, and shifting hard, sometimes from as early as 15,000 miles. Complete failure is reported at roughly 74,000 to 80,000 miles. Fluid flushes and torque converter replacement do not always fix it.
Is the Toyota Highlander transmission a known problem?: Owners report it, mostly just past 60,000 miles. They describe a high-pitched whine under acceleration that grows until the transmission fails. Dealers quote $8,500 to $10,000 for replacement, and some owners wait months for a backordered unit. Check service history on any example near that mileage.

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How we score the GMC Acadia and Toyota Highlander

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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