How safe is the GMC Acadia?
Drivers of the 2017–2020 GMC Acadia died at a rate of 10 per million registered vehicle years, 73% lower than the average of 38 for all vehicles. That makes it one of the safest vehicles on the road for its driver: it ranks 25th of 127 vehicles, safer than 81% of them, whether they're small cars, SUVs, pickups or minivans.
The newer 2023 IIHS study had too little data on this model to rank it, so this page uses the earlier study of 2017–2020 models, ranked among 127 vehicles from that study.
Where the GMC Acadia sits among all 127 vehicles
GMC Acadia (bar is the 95% range)Every other ranked vehicleDashed line: average of 38
The rate is based on plenty of data, so this ranking is reliable.
2WD vs. 4WD
IIHS rates each drivetrain separately. The score above combines them, weighting the version with more data more heavily.
| Version | Deaths* | 95% range |
|---|---|---|
| GMC Acadia 2WD | 10 | 2–19 |
| GMC Acadia 4WD | 11 | 3–20 |
Vehicles ranked near the GMC Acadia
These are the vehicles just above and below it on the all-class ranking. Notice they aren't all the same type: the ranking compares every vehicle against every other one. Ranks use each rate after adjusting for how much data is behind it, so a rate of 0 from a few vehicles can rank below a slightly higher rate from many. Why.
| Rank | Vehicle | Deaths* | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Chevrolet BoltCar · Small | 8 | 83 |
| 23 | Chevrolet TraverseSUV · Midsize | 9 | 83 |
| 24 | Honda PilotSUV · Midsize | 9 | 82 |
| 25 | GMC AcadiaSUV · Midsize | 10 | 81 |
| 26 | Chevrolet TahoeSUV · Large | 11 | 80 |
| 27 | Nissan PathfinderSUV · Midsize | 10 | 79 |
| 28 | Audi A4Luxury car · Midsize | 11 | 79 |
How it compares with other SUVs
Among the 37 SUVs ranked, the GMC Acadia is 7th. The safest SUVs are below. See all SUVs.
| SUVs rank | Vehicle | Deaths* | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toyota C-HRSUV · Small | 2 | 99 |
| 2 | Nissan MuranoSUV · Midsize | 6 | 90 |
| 3 | Subaru AscentSUV · Midsize | 6 | 90 |
| 4 | Ford EdgeSUV · Midsize | 8 | 85 |
| 5 | Chevrolet TraverseSUV · Midsize | 9 | 83 |
| 7 | GMC AcadiaSUV · Midsize | 10 | 81 |
Common questions
Is the GMC Acadia a safe vehicle?
By real-world driver deaths, the GMC Acadia is one of the safest vehicles on the road for its driver. Its driver death rate of 10 per million registered vehicle years is 73% lower than the average, and it ranks 25th of 127 vehicles across all classes.
How does the GMC Acadia compare with other SUVs?
It ranks 7th of 37 SUVs. The safest is the Toyota C-HR, with a rate of 2.
Is the 2WD or 4WD GMC Acadia safer?
The 2WD version had the lower driver death rate (2WD: 10, 4WD: 11). Their ranges overlap, so the difference may be down to chance.
Why is this different from the GMC Acadia's crash-test rating?
Crash-test stars only compare vehicles of similar size and weight, so a 5-star small car and a 5-star SUV aren't equally safe. This ranking uses real-world driver death rates, which can be compared across every class.
* Driver deaths per million registered vehicle years. A registered vehicle year is one vehicle registered for one year.