GMC TruckAcadia2016Overview/gmc-truck/acadia/2016/base/
2WD platform

2016 GMC Truck Acadia

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2016 Acadia.

Body SUV

The 2016 GMC Acadia is a two-wheel-drive SUV powered by an engine requiring 6.0 quarts of oil with a recommended viscosity of 5W-30 or 0W-30. This model year recorded 234 owner complaints with air bags cited as the most frequent concern, alongside four separate recalls issued during its production cycle. When placed within the model's broader complaint history spanning 2007 to 2026, the 2016 entry falls well below the peak of 857 complaints logged in 2008 yet significantly above the minimal 5 complaints recorded for the 2026 model, suggesting moderate but not atypical reliability performance within the Acadia's evolution.

Model year2021202020162015

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity6.0 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 / 0W-30OEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 48 · 615 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12731742. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 48 · 615 CCAOEM · verified
Tail / brake / turnLAMPOEM · verified
Tire sizeP255/65R18OEM · verified
Wheel / rim7.5 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12731742
Engine air filter15278634
Spark plug12681660
Battery88866309
Front wiper blades20945800 alt 20945799
Serpentine belt12654815
Thermostat12689041
Cabin air filter20958479

Diagrams

Power distribution wiring6 sheets

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 6.0 qt of 5W-30 / 0W-30 engine oil, Synthetic · 75W-90 · GL-5 in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque the oil drain plug to 15.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidDEXRON(R)-VI GM P/N 89020661
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity4.2-6.3
Automatic Transmission FluidDEXRON(R)-VI GM P/N 89020661
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity6.7
Brake FluidDOT 3
Differential Gear OilSynthetic · 75W-90 · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity2.1 qt
Engine CoolantDex-Cool

Engine torques

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs89 inch lbs. ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts18
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts15 ft/lbs.
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts18.0 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts15.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug15.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug15.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs18.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Driveshaft Flange to Transmission43.0 ft-lbs
Steering Track (Rod End) BoltsInner: 55.0; Outer: 22.0
Transfer Case Fill Plug29.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug29.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel HubInstall a new nut and torque to 173.0 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel HubInstall a new nut and torque to 151.0 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-2-3-4-5-6
Cylinder Firing Order1-6-5-4-3-2
Cylinder Firing Order1-2-3-4-5-6
Spark Plug ManufacturerAc Delco
Spark Plug Gap.037 - .043 in
Spark Plug Torque13 ft-lbs
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Gap0.037-0.043 in

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity2.50 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity7.80 oz
Standard BCI Group Number48
Standard BCI Cranking Performance615 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature194-225 °F
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (With Vacuum)43-58 psi at idle psi
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)50-100

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier TorqueFront: 47; Rear: 20 /; Front: 47; Rear: 20
Brake Caliper Carrier to Hub Bolt TorqueFront: 129; Rear: 129 /
ABS Sensor Torque6.6 / NS
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness for ReplacementFront: 1.080; Rear: .720 /; Front: 1.080; Rear: 0.720
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness after RefinishFront: 1.090; Rear: .730 /; Front: 1.090; Rear: 0.730
Variation from Parallelism Thickness Variation.001 / 0.001
Maximum Rotor Runout.002 / 0.002

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
122.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: loosen all bolts completely, Step 3: 18.0 ft. lbs., Step 4: 11022 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts. Use new bolts coated with clean engine oil. · M11 Bolts

122.0 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
2150 degrees; M8 Bolts150 degrees
111.0 ft. lbs.11 ft. lbs
275 degrees75 degrees

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 97,500 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miAccelerator Pedal (inspect) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (lubricate) · Brake Shift Interlock Solenoid (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · Engine Air Filter Element (inspect) · Engine Oil (inspect fluid level)
Every 22,500 miCabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 45,000 miBrake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect)
Every 97,500 miSpark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transfer Case Assembly (drain & refill)
At 150,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 2016 GMC Truck Acadia dominate in one area — the air bags, 128 of 234 reports (55%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 4 recall campaigns target the air bags, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 8 of the reports describe a crash and 2 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the air bags pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

4
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
1175
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
234
Owner complaints
8 involved a crash · 2 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 234 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Air Bags128
Steering22
Power Train12
Unknown Or Other10
Electrical System6
Seat Belts4
Electrical System,Lane Departure4
Engine4

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 4 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

15V609000Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer:MotorReported 29/09/2015

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured August 18, 2015 to September 24, 2015. Due to a manufacturing defect, the windshield… Remedy: GM has notified owners, and dealers will replace the windshield wiper motor cover assembly, free of charge. Owners are advised not to use their front windshield wipers until the…

15V833000SeatsReported 11/12/2015

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured November 6, 2015, to November 12, 2015. The affected vehicles have a the third row… Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the third row left side lower seat frame, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 29, 2016. Owners…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 1175 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
PIT3271Q2026-04-01Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel…
PIP61042026-03-09Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and…
PIP4902V2026-03-09Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into…
PIP4902U2026-01-08Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into…
PIT5214G2025-11-20Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Acadia. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Fuse box & wiring diagrams

Interactive fuse-box and wiring references for this vehicle, searchable by circuit.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2016 Acadia take?

6.0 qt of 5W-30 meeting GM Dexos 1 specification or equivalent. Where temperatures fall below -20 degreesF, GM recommends using either an SAE 5W-30 synthetic oil or an SAN 0W-30 oil., per the factory manual.

Does the 2016 Acadia have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.