Shift to park warning when I’m in park when I turn off vehicle
2018 GMC Acadia
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2018 GMC Acadia do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 256.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Acadia years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
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When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
179 reports with mileage · 214 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 163 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 108 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 33 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Unknown Or Other complaints
117 reportsWe purchased this vehicle New in 2018. Gear Shift Problem. The vehicle displays a persistent “Shift to Park” warning on the dashboard. This usually occurs even when the gear selector is in the “Park” position and I have difficulty in Turning Off the Vehicle. The ignition remains active despite the gear selector being in “Park.” …
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We purchased this vehicle New in 2018. Gear Shift Problem. The vehicle displays a persistent “Shift to Park” warning on the dashboard. This usually occurs even when the gear selector is in the “Park” position and I have difficulty in Turning Off the Vehicle. The ignition remains active despite the gear selector being in “Park.” We have to go through all the gears - Drive - Neutral then Park then try to turn it off over and over. May take 5 or 6 tries before I can leave the car safely. Unintended Vehicle Movement: We believe the car is safely in the “Park” position and have exited the car and then it rolled. We have to jump back in and try to turn it off. I'm [XXX] and husband [XXX] and this is causing us injuries. It rolled one time and hit the Handicap Parking Sign in my parking space. It just missed hitting another car in a parking lot when it rolled about 3 times now. Called around to get it fixed but everyone says "it's been a problem for years and GMC has NO fix for it." Only temporary fix is to install new gear shifter or full transmission replacement, which owner has to pay for $700 to $3000 repair! We don't have 30,000 miles as of yet. We are low income, on Social Security and this should be a Recall since there are many complaints online for years. Praying we do not have a collision or terrible injuries. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Car does not recognize it is in park and has rolled into my garage door even though the shifter has been placed in the park position. Also it continues to alarm to "Shift to Park" and has caused 2 dead batteries.
4 years ago I would get a shift to park error. This meant my vehicle did not recognize that it was in park. This meant that my vehicle would not lock, turn off the radio or headlights. My husband tried to fix it, but it turned out to be a part that only a dealership could obtain. So $500 later my vehicle was fixed. This was a KN…
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4 years ago I would get a shift to park error. This meant my vehicle did not recognize that it was in park. This meant that my vehicle would not lock, turn off the radio or headlights. My husband tried to fix it, but it turned out to be a part that only a dealership could obtain. So $500 later my vehicle was fixed. This was a KNOWN problem affecting multiple vehicles/years. Fast forward to the third week of February this year. I again am getting this same error. Took it to the dealership and there is a switch along with a transmission control harness and jumper harness that needed replaced. These parts have to do with the original shifter that was replaced 4 years ago, but of course not covered. So now $668 dollars later my vehicle is fixed. This is another KNOWN issue and my repair paper says “replace per bulletin #19-NA-206. Now I am pissed. I want to know why these are not a recall. Both times were a HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. I could not lock my car for Pete’s sake. If my car was stolen, what is the first question my insurance company is asking? It would be “ WAS IT LOCKED?” Not to mention MY PERSONAL SAFETY. Anyone could get into my vehicle and wait for me or me and my grandchildren to get in the car. Does human trafficking ring any bells???? What is it that needs to be done to make this a damn recall?
Leaving work on [XXX], my vehicle started sounding like a loud truck and it started to smoke. I immediately pull over because something smell like it was burning. That's when I call my insurance company to assist me. So, I had it tow to the nearest Mechanic Shop. It was a scary movement for me being along at night. I'…
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Leaving work on [XXX], my vehicle started sounding like a loud truck and it started to smoke. I immediately pull over because something smell like it was burning. That's when I call my insurance company to assist me. So, I had it tow to the nearest Mechanic Shop. It was a scary movement for me being along at night. I'm very upset about this had happen to my GMC 2018 Acadia, the Cadillac Converter left is defect. It is not drivable. It's at the shop for least a month. The Mechanic Shop have not received the parts because GMC has a back order. This is to long being without transportation. This is unfair where I continue to pay the monthly bill. Please, I asking to investigate on this matter. I called the Pep Boy Mechanic Shop today and the manager said it still on BACK ORDER. What happen to GMC products? Hope to hear from someone soon! Thanks [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The shift to park displays and will not allow the vehicle to shut off. This is the second time this has happened in this vehicle. I have 63822 miles and repaired this same issue about 20000 miles ago. Looked into it and it appeared to be a common issue in this year and model. Looking for some insight on what if anything can b me…
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The shift to park displays and will not allow the vehicle to shut off. This is the second time this has happened in this vehicle. I have 63822 miles and repaired this same issue about 20000 miles ago. Looked into it and it appeared to be a common issue in this year and model. Looking for some insight on what if anything can b me done.thank you
Whining noise from rear axle when 4x4 engaged.
The vehicle will not shift into park. This is a common problem with this vehicle, many lawsuits. When you walk away one has concerns that the vehicle is actually in park or not.
Shift to park issue is getting worse. I couldn’t turn my car off for hours today. The recall is still pending for this and GMC is doing nothing after thousands of class action lawsuits and complaints. Keeping my car running for hours on end while in park because it won’t turn off is causing electrical issues and using tons of ga…
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Shift to park issue is getting worse. I couldn’t turn my car off for hours today. The recall is still pending for this and GMC is doing nothing after thousands of class action lawsuits and complaints. Keeping my car running for hours on end while in park because it won’t turn off is causing electrical issues and using tons of gas. I have to get with an attorney at this point because I can’t use my car lots of the times because I can’t leave it running and unlocked all day while I’m at work or at the store. It’s a MASSIVE safety issue. GMC needs to take accountability and fix these vehicles. This has been ongoing for 2 years now.
When I put my car in Park and go to shut it down, it is not recognizing that it is in park, and will not shut down. I have to spend 30 plus minutes messing with the shifter to try to get it to recognize it is in park when it is indeed in park. I have to start and stop my car a number of times to do so. There have been a number o…
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When I put my car in Park and go to shut it down, it is not recognizing that it is in park, and will not shut down. I have to spend 30 plus minutes messing with the shifter to try to get it to recognize it is in park when it is indeed in park. I have to start and stop my car a number of times to do so. There have been a number of complaints for this over the years and NOTHING has been done with this. This can be a costly repair as I have seen results in a new transmission.
Official recalls
218V358000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump
May 31, 2018
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure fuel line.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump, and high pressure fuel pipe, free of charge. The recall began July 2, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18188.
17V516000 · Power Train:driveline:driveshaft
Aug 22, 2017
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles and 2017-2018 GMC Acadia vehicles. The right front intermediate driveshaft may fracture and separate while driving.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the front right intermediate drive shaft assembly separates while driving, the vehicle will lose propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. If the assembly separates while parked on a grade, without the park brake engaged, the vehicle may move unintentionally, increasing the risk of a vehicle roll-away.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the right front intermediate drive shaft assembly, free of charge. The recall began August 25, 2017. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 17329.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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