GMC Terrain Complaints

3,167 consumer complaints on file.

#11676629July 28, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The windshield wipers became inoperable due to a ball joint failure within the wipers. The parts are available for inspection. The safety of myself and others were put at risk as it was raining heavily after sundown and I could no longer see through my windshield due to the rain not being cleared off by windshield wipers. The visibility issue could have caused an accident, especially if the car in front of me had slammed on breaks. The problem has not been addressed by a dealer but I will be doing that in the following weeks. No one has inspected the component. I did not get any warning lamps or messages. The wipers just immediately stopped.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11676088July 25, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES
Difficulty with power assistive braking when traveling at low speeds
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11676206July 25, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2011 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that the vehicle was leaking engine oil. The check engine warning light was illuminated while driving at undisclosed speeds. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer who confirmed there was no warranty or recall coverage on the vehicle for the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the engine might be blown. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 110,714.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11675295July 22, 2025
Carry Handle, Shell, Base
During a vehicle accident, my 2.5 year old daughter's car seat detached from the base and landed in the back part of my part. We were t-boned on the passenger side back seat. We spun and the car seat detached and she was flung around the car. She had severe whiplash, a contusion and possible fabric burn on her head. She was buckled in properly and the car seat was properly installed. Yes, all parties (other than manufacturer) saw and inspected the car seat.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11675123July 21, 2025
ENGINE
I was driving this morning and my car put itself in neutral. I think had to pull off to the side because it was not accelerating. I could get it to go over 20 mph. Every time I tired to accelerate. The engine would feel forced.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11675197July 21, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ENGINE
I purchased this in March of 2025. 2 or 3 weeks after I bought this I took it to an oil lube shop and they said there was not any oil on the.dip stick. Also I started noticing the car being jerky while driving and when shutting it off it sputters. I took it to Max motors, a GMC dealer for a diagnostic check because it uses a quart of oil a week. They told me the high pressure fuel pump is bad and the piston rings were no good. This was on the 18th of June. I had taken it to the dealer I bought it from and complained about the problems, but he wouldn't do anything about it . The warranty was good at that time. Max motors told me it would cost me about $5000 to fix it which I don't have. I read that there was a recall on these cars with a 2.4L engine for these problems.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11673998July 16, 2025
STEERING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
My son was making a left onto a freeway on ramp after traffic cleared and the steering wheel completely locked up resulting in him going over the curb and rolling completely over in a steep ditch. This occurred at a low speed (no more than 25mph), confirmed by the Life369 app. My son's description was that it felt like the wheels were against a wall and the wheel wouldn't turn even though he was using both hands in an attempt to turn. My son said there was no warning lights or any other indication that he noticed, other than the complete locking up of the steering. The resulting rollover into the ditch has totaled the vehicle so it was not inspected by any collision shop. I attempted to check the steering in the tow yard but the vehicle had no power.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11673778July 15, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle started jerking and hesitating abnormally. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the piston rings were damaged, the high-pressure fuel pump had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11673291July 14, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Component Affected: Service Brakes, Hydraulic – Brake Vacuum Pump Summary of the Problem: I am reporting a serious safety issue involving the brake vacuum pump on my 2018 GMC Terrain. The brake pump failed catastrophically ("blew up"), resulting in a sudden loss of braking power. This occurred without warning and posed a significant risk to my safety and others on the road. We were traveling to vacation in Florida and thankfully had just gotten off the interstate. Details: The failure caused the brake pedal to become extremely hard to press, and the vehicle required a much longer distance to stop. We experienced no brake at the brake booster and a blown vacuum pump is due to a faulty vacuum pump which is a known issue for this model. Fortunately, no accident occurred, but the situation could have easily led to a collision. A certified mechanic confirmed that the brake vacuum pump exploded and needs to be replaced. I have incurred significant out-of-pocket repair costs due to this issue. We had to uber to our vacation room, get Walmart Plus to have groceries delivered to our room. We had to have Uber Eats deliver other supplies. We have had to walk to various places for dinner and entertainment because Avis and Budget had no vehicles available to rent and Enterprise was closed as we arrived on Saturday afternoon. I have checked for recalls and service bulletins using my VIN, but none are currently listed for this specific issue, despite similar problems being reported in other GM vehicles. Request: I urge the NHTSA to investigate this issue further. The failure of a critical braking component without warning is a serious safety concern. I believe this may be part of a broader pattern of brake system failures in GM vehicles and should be addressed through a recall or safety campaign. Also, the estimate for the repair is $2,500 so any reimbursement would be greatly appreciated. We just received this estimate but I can provide it at a later date.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11673104July 12, 2025
POWER TRAIN
I have been experiencing loss of power when going from a full stop to acceleration. I purchased my 2020 Terrain. I almost got in a car accident for the 3rd time today due to this loss of power issue. Stopped at a stop sign, I accelerate but the vehicle will barely move no matter how far down you push the peddle down. The loss of power is anywhere from 4 to 6 seconds then all of the sudden power will return. I've looked for recalls but there are none for my vin. This behavior is unpredictable and has occurred at stop signs, traffic lights, and when attempting to turn onto main roads. It has nearly caused accidents due to my inability to safely accelerate in time when merging or crossing traffic. I’ve read that GMC recalled certain 2021 and 2022 Terrain models for a fuel pump defect causing similar symptoms. My 2020 model is not currently included in that recall, yet it displays the same dangerous loss-of-power issue. I believe this is a serious safety defect that should be investigated and potentially included in the existing recall. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this issue further. I would also appreciate confirmation that this report has been logged. Vehicle Info: 2020 GMC Terrain VIN: [XXX] Engine: 1.5L Turbo Mileage: 62,142 Thank you for your time and your work in ensuring vehicle safety. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11672277July 9, 2025
ENGINE
Broken piston land and ring. car went into 'limp mode' while driving on interstate. Taken to dealer, told new engine was needed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11672176July 9, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My GMC Terrain was stopped in traffic at a Red Light. When I stepped on the gas pedal to proceed, the SUV shut-down. Could not move SUV in Traffic. Called Police and SUV was towed. SUV towed to GMC Dealer. The K111 Fuel Module was causing the problem. GMC Dealer Repair Shop removed and replaced the K111 Fuel Module. They claimed SUV is OK. I don't trust this SUV any longer. I read of similar problems with 2022 GMC Terrain and the Fuel Module defect causing the SUV to shut down. This is a safety hazard to the Driver and other vehicles on the highway.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671877July 8, 2025
POWER TRAIN, SERVICE BRAKES
Accelerating from a stopped position into a busy intersection heard a loud clunk come from engine bay resulting in immediate "Reduced engine power" warning and stall condition. Was able to push vehicle onto the side of the road. Engine would not restart and a tow truck was called. Vehicle towed to local dealership who discovered that Vacuum Pump had failed resulting in sheering off of the exhaust camshaft. Dealers recommended fix was to replace vacuum pump and camshaft at around $4,000 but could not guarantee no debris had gotten into valve body resulting in engine failure so stated they could replace with used engine for 8500. Second vacuum pump to blow on this vehicle, first at 35k miles and replaced under warranty, this incident at just under 80k miles. Could not afford repairs and vehicle has sat for nearly 2.5 years. Contacted GM many times over that time period to get no assistance, only the offer of a small discount on a new vehicle. This incident could have proven fatal if happening at highway speeds since it stalls engine out and makes braking nearly impossible. Both GM and the NHSTA have really flunked on this one, should have been recalled during first complaints in 2020. I will continue to file complaints here on NHSTA and with GM until the cows come home.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671932July 8, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware of an abnormal odor coming from the engine compartment, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine failed due to excessive oil consumption. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671547July 7, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH the "Brake Assist" warning light illuminated. The contact attempted to depress the brake pedal, but the pedal was stiff. The contact was unable to depress the pedal. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and unknown repairs were performed. The vehicle was repaired; however, recently the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the "Brake Assist" warning light illuminated, and the brake pedal was difficult to depress. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 162,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671706July 7, 2025
ENGINE
Excess Oil consumption
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671245July 4, 2025
WHEELS, SUSPENSION, STEERING
When driving down the interstate the vehicle sways and makes steering challenging. Potential lack of control when hitting bumps on road at highway speeds. Taken to the dealership that sold the vehicle. They confirmed the issue. No warnings lights or notifications at this time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671087July 3, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The rear hatch would open but then start to slowly drop. The local dealership diagnosed the problem and told me the pump needed to be replaced but quoted $1000. I chose not to have the repair done at that time but recently the hatch opened and then dropped suddenly hitting me on the head. There were earlier model recalls for this problem but not on the 2015. This is a potentially dangerous condition.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11670432July 1, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
Tensioner issues keeps breaking the timing chain. . Replaced twice at own cost. Fuel pump/ loss of power while driving. Back up camera doesn't work sometimes. Screen goes black. If key is left in the ignition it starts itself. If you try to use a car charger for a phone the AC shuts off and a "systems error" message pops up. This happens alot. It's an ongoing issue since I bought the car in Feburary this year.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11670572July 1, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Own 2022 terrain that suddenly stalled one morning after starting vehicle with remote access before getting on highway. Vehicle cut off after 5 minutes and wouldn’t restart. Battery very strong but check engine light came on. Vehicle was towed to dealership and advise it was the fuel pump control module. No warning lights or proper failures for my vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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