2016 GMC Acadia
Key Replacement - Save vs Dealer in San Diego

The 2016 Acadia runs a traditional key-start setup. No push-button, no proximity, nothing like that on any trim including Denali. The key is a metal blade with a transponder chip in the head, and the remote functions are built into a separate fob that pairs to the vehicle through the OBD port. That means you have two things to program: the transponder in the key and the remote on the fob. They are related but not the same operation. One thing that trips people up on these: if you buy an unprogrammed key online, it will turn the ignition and crank, but the vehicle will start and stall. The transponder has to be enrolled to the immobilizer before the engine will run. The remote can be added without the key present, but the transponder cannot be skipped. Know which problem you actually have before you start throwing parts at it. Also worth knowing: the fob on the 2016 Acadia takes a CR2032. If your remote range has gone short or the lock and unlock response feels sluggish, swap the battery before assuming the fob needs replacement. A weak CR2032 on these can mimic a pairing failure.