About this problem
On some vehicles the car shows "Shift to Park" even when the lever is already in Park, and refuses to turn off. The cause is a worn switch inside the shifter that tells the car it is in Park. Drivers end up jiggling the lever or leaving the car running to stop the battery from draining, and the fix is replacing the switch or shifter assembly.
Across all owner complaints filed about the GMC Acadia since 2012, 678 (20.6%) describe "Shift to Park" message, making it the most reported problem we track on the Acadia. The reports cluster on the 2017, 2018 and 2019 model years, and the 2017 drew the most, with 256. It tends to show up in the middle years of ownership: half of the owners who gave a mileage were between 24,000 and 48,000 miles. 3 reports describe a crash or fire linked to it. No recall covers it, but GMC has sent dealers service bulletins about it, listed below.
What owners report
Owners of 2017 to 2019 Acadias report a 'Shift to Park' message staying on after the car is in park. The car may not turn off, lock, or may drain the battery. It is the Acadia's most common complaint by far. The cause is a worn switch in the shifter.
How it gets fixed
GM issued a bulletin and dealers replace the shifter switch or assembly. Some vehicles got extended coverage.
Typical cost: A shifter switch repair costs about $300 to $600 out of warranty.
Complaints by model year
In owners' words
"First of all, this issue is being reported by hundreds if not thousands of GMC Acadia owners. I received the "shift to park" message months ago while it still was under the 36,000 mile warranty and then it went away until last week."
2018 GMC Acadia, 32,000 miles
"When shifting the vehicle to park and then shutting off the engine, I get an error message 'action required- shift to park'. The vehicle is already in park!"
2017 GMC Acadia, 37,507 miles
"9 days after taking possession of my 2019 Acadia, with less than 900 miles on it, it stopped working. The first time I had a problem I had gotten out of the truck to run into a store. When I tried to start it I was getting a message to shift to park."
2019 GMC Acadia, 1,100 miles
Excerpts from public owner complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, lightly trimmed.
Service bulletins
GMC has sent dealers 16 bulletins that mention this problem on the Acadia. A bulletin tells technicians how to fix a known fault. It is not a recall, so the repair is usually free only while the car is under warranty or covered by an extension.
This technical bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of seeing an intermittent Shift to Park message displayed while vehicle is in park.
This service bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of seeing an intermittent Shift to Park message displayed while vehicle is in Park.
This Preliminary information communicates Diagnostic information for the Shift to Park message.
Before you buy a Acadia
- Shift into park and switch off several times on the test drive.
- Check that the car locks after you park it.
- Ask whether the shifter has been repaired.
Questions
Which GMC Acadia years have "Shift to Park" message?
Complaints are highest for the 2017, 2018, 2019 model years. The 2017 drew the most, with 256 reports.
At what mileage does it usually start?
Among owners who gave a mileage, the middle figure was about 36,000 miles, and half reported it between 24,000 and 48,000 miles.
How much does it cost to fix?
A shifter switch repair costs about $300 to $600 out of warranty.