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2011 GMC Truck Acadia 2WD

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2011 Acadia 2WD.

Body SUV

The 2011 GMC Acadia 2WD is a mid-size SUV whose powertrain uses 5.5 quarts of 5W-30 engine oil, a routine service spec that anchors its maintenance profile. Within the model's reliability record, this year carries 280 owner complaints with steering as the most-cited problem area and 5 recalls on file, placing it well below the 857-complaint peak set by the 2008 model but still well above the 5-complaint low recorded for 2026. For a researcher, the 2011's middle-ground position makes it a useful reference point for understanding how Acadia quality evolved from its early-production rough patch toward its later, more refined iterations.

Model year201320112007

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity5.5 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30OEM · verified
Lug nut torque140 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

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

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 48 · 660 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 · 660 CCAOEM · verified
Tail / brake / turnINNEROEM · verified
Tire sizeP255-55R20OEM · verified
Wheel / rim7.5 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12731742
Engine air filter15278634
Spark plug12681660
Battery88866309
Front wiper blades25941805 alt 25941804
Serpentine belt12608660
Thermostat12689041
Cabin air filter20958479

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine holds 5.5 qt of 5W-30 engine oil, SAE 75W · SYNTHETIC in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 140 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 15.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity4.2-6.3
Brake FluidDOT 3
Differential Gear OilSAE 75W · SYNTHETIC
Differential Gear Oil Capacity1.7 qt
Engine CoolantDEX-COOL OR EQUIVALENT
Engine Oil5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity5.5 qt

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts17 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts18 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 Valve Cover Bolts6.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts140 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug29.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug29.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub173 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub151 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-2-3-4-5-6
Cylinder Firing Order1-2-3-4-5-6
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Gap0.043 in
Spark Plug Torque13.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity2.30 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity6.50 oz
Standard BCI Group Number48
Standard BCI Cranking Performance660 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature194-225 °F
Engine Compression140
Engine Compression140 Minimum psi
Engine Oil Pressure10 psi @ Idle, 20 psi @ 2000 rpm psi
Intake Valve LashHydraulic in
Exhaust Valve LashHydraulic in

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket47.
Torque to Knuckle129 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.001 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From1.14 in / 0.79 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To1.14 in / 0.79 in
Rotor Minimum Machining1.09 in / 0.73 in

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 100,000 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 miTire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 50,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect)
Every 100,000 miSpark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transfer Case Assembly (drain & refill) · Transmission 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 2011 GMC Truck Acadia 2WD lead in one area — the steering, 53 of 280 reports (19%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 5 recall campaigns target the steering, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 8 of the reports describe a crash and 10 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the steering 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.

5
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
1500
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
2
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
280
Owner complaints
8 involved a crash · 10 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
’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25’26

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 280 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Steering53
Exterior Lighting29
Engine21
Air Bags16
Electrical System15
Power Train14
Unknown Or Other13
Electrical System,Exterior Lighting8

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 5 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

21V246000Air Bags:Critical FastenersReported 08/04/2021

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2015, 2017 Buick Enclave, 2010-2019 Chevrolet Traverse, and 2011-2016 GMC Acadia vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not be properly attached. Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, realign or replace the weld nuts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 24, 2021. Owners…

14V266000Seat BeltsReported 20/05/2014

General Motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through May 14, 2014, Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured June 6, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and GMC… Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair and replace the lap pretensioner, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. An…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 1500 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 2WD. 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.

Group 48 batteryVehicles taking 5.5 qtEngine oil filter 12731742Engine air filter 15278634Spark plug 12681660Battery 88866309

Reference guides

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

Vehicle recalls & TSBsOBD-II trouble codesMaintenance schedulesFluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2011 Acadia 2WD take?

5.5 qt of 5W-30 MEETING GM DEXOS 1 SPECIFICATION, per the factory manual.

Does the 2011 Acadia 2WD have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.