GMC Terrain
Reliability, NHTSA Complaints & Recall History
10 model years analyzed (2017–2026). All data sourced directly from the NHTSA public complaints and recall database — the same data used by federal regulators.
Checking a specific GMC Terrain? Run a VIN check for its exact history.
⭐ NHTSA NCAP Crash Test Ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
AI Interpretation
High ConfidenceBelow AverageNHTSA complaint data for the GMC Terrain (2017–2026) shows a high volume of reports, with the most complaints concentrated in the 2018–2020 model years. The leading components reported are the engine, service brakes, and power train, which together account for a substantial portion of all complaints. While the data does not confirm defects, it suggests these areas may warrant attention from prospective buyers.
- The engine is the most frequently reported component, with 276 complaints.
- Service brakes follow with 210 complaints, and power train with 181.
- Model years 2018, 2019, and 2020 have the highest complaint counts, while 2025 and 2026 have the fewest.
- Engine issues are the most common complaint, with 276 reports.
- Service brake problems are the second most frequent, with 210 complaints.
- Power train concerns are the third most reported, with 181 complaints.
Model years 2018, 2019, and 2020 have elevated complaint counts, driven primarily by engine, service brakes, and power train issues.
Model years 2025 and 2026 show the fewest complaints, which may indicate improved reliability or lower sales volumes. However, data for these years is limited.
- Inspect the engine for known issues such as excessive oil consumption or stalling.
- Check service brake performance and look for signs of premature wear or failure.
- Verify all open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
- Request service records for reported components, especially engine and brakes.
- Have a mechanic inspect the power train, including transmission and driveline.
🔔 NHTSA Safety Recalls
19 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
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Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2017–2026. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
🔧 Most-Reported Problem Areas
Based on component keywords extracted from all 879 NHTSA complaints.
📋 NHTSA Complaint Reports
879 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
The contact owns a 2026 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while attempting to depress the accelerator pedal after coming from a complete stop, the vehicle started wobbling. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with Technical Service Bulletin: PIT6466 (Shimmy, Shake or Wobble When Leaving a Stop); however, the VIN was not included in the bulletin. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall for the failure, and opened a case. The failure mileage was 5,200.
I bought this car new from Davidson's in Rome, NY in early March 2026. This is a 2026 model. Two days after I took possession, I noticed that the spare tire well was halfway full of solid ice. The car has a severe leak through the back right side window. The dealer states it needs to be replaced. The interior frames of the car were loaded with water for many weeks as it stood on the lot. Had the dealer done a final inspection of this car prior to transferring ownership to me, as they should have and stated they did, they would have found the solid ice that surrounded the spare tire and investigated the leak and repaired it BUT they would have been required to tell me of this leak I assume...if so, I would never have bought this car. They had the car in the shop now for 3 weeks as of today, April 20th, 2026, and no word on the resolution. They did give me a loaner car for use. They have to dry the car out completely and dehumidify it as well as replace the window that leaked. The risks going forward is to the internal wiring, mechanicals, etc. due to static water exposure for many weeks prior to the sale. Had the dealer done their job with prior inspection, this could have been avoided. I asked them for my money back and they refused so I am stuck with a brand-new car that was essentially flooded with rainwater because the dealer did not do a final inspection prior to my accepting ownership of it. I wrote letter to all the dealership principals involved and NONE of them answered me directly...as if I was invisible or completely silent on this issue. If given an option, I would give them this car back and get a full refund.
The windshield has an optical distortion, characterized by "waviness" and "rippling." This condition is not merely a cosmetic imperfection; it is a safety hazard that causes visual impairment, and dizziness while driving. This defect compromises my ability to perceive distances and hazards accurately, especially when looking through the passenger side while making turns or looking for hazards. Current Status of the Issue as reported online Documented reports indicate that GMC dealers are aware of these "warped windshields" and that the issue appears to be a systemic quality control failure in the 2026 model year. • Safety Risk: This distortion constitutes a safety-related defect as defined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), as it interferes with the driver's primary field of vision. •Failure of Prior Remedies: I am aware that many owners have undergone multiple replacements only to have the same defect reoccur, suggesting that current replacement stock may also be compromised
The contact owns a 2026 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that there was an abnormal clunking sound coming from the front driver’s side suspension while driving over bumps in the roadway, and while braking and turning the steering wheel. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where a test drive was performed; however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 14.
Car was off and parked and randomly caught on fire. Completely totaling the car
Purchased NEW 2026 GMC Terrain Elevation, and it came with NO User Manual. I was told by the dealership (Al Serra GMC in Grand Blanc Michigan that i could either purchase one for $50.00+ dollars, PLUS TAX & $25.00 SHIPPING, or d/l it via the infotainment system in the car, WHICH DID NOT WORK! Talk about [XXX] A VIETNAM VET!!! We are both [XXX] old & need a manual, so bought a reproduction of the original via eBay for $50.00. At least GM could reimburse the cost of the manual… INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Vehicle “wobble” under moderate acceleration and in corners, can be felt in the seats and steering wheel.
Very soon after purchase vehicle developed a front end shake and continued to get worse. This happens when pulling out or in stop and go traffic this varies from in intensity and sometimes it can be quite violent shaking the whole vehicle. The car has been to a GM dealership for this problem 3 times now. The first time 9/8/2025 replaced rear axle, the second time 10/20/25 both front axles were replaced. The 3rd time GM engineer Paul Koerner said they are aware of this problem but there is no repair until it is further investigated this was 12/10/25. As of this time there is still no repair but a bulletin has come out document #7036661. This states the customer should continue to drive vehicle I now have 7600 miles on it and it continues to shake every time I pull out. There seems to be no repair in sight and I’m concerned something will finally fail maybe causing a serious situation and about the unknown damage this is causing to the vehicle. I have written a letter to GM corporate about my concerns and asked for vehicle replacement to no avail. I have all the repair orders and documents and would be glad to give them to you as I have tried to upload them and it seems to work but won’t let me continue.
The contact owns a 2026 GMC Terrain. While drying the vehicle after it was washed, the contact became aware that the middle section of the vehicle was loose. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer informed the contact that the part to repair the vehicle needed to be ordered. The contact was awaiting a response from the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3,000.
The contact owns a 2026 GMC Terrain. While driving at 28 MPH, the RPM became elevated to over 3,000 RPM. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact immediately pulled over and then resumed normal operation after the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, no cause for the failure was found. The contact was advised to bring the vehicle back to the dealer if the failure reoccurred. Approximately one week after the initial failure, while driving approximately 30 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to L2. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. A diagnostic test was performed, and the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be rebuilt. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and was provided a case number. The vehicle remained with the dealer unrepaired. The failure mileage was approximately 1,300.
The system that failed was the brakes, The car is availble for inspection. My saftey and others was put at risk due to not having brakes to stop. The problem has been confirmed by a dealer as a master brake cylinder failer The vehicle has been inspected by the dealer. There were warning lamps, message and other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. They first appearead on December 4 2025
I was driving (roughly about 30 MPH) when my automatic braking kicked on and caused my tires to squeal to a halt. There were no other cars around me (thankfully) - otherwise I would have been rear-ended. Right before it stopped, it flashed the warning lights for a quick second. I wanted to report this issue in case others are experiencing the same problem and to hopefully help prevent it from happening to someone else. Very scary and could cause a serious accident. I turned off all of my automatic brake settings after the incident, as I believe it is faulty and don't want to risk it happening again.
The vehicle has been taken to the dealership at least 4 times. Each time for the same reason: when driving at 65 or higher, it sounds like it's on a flat. My screen also glitches when foot is taken off the break after a stop. The service advisor told me that there was a shortage of mechanics and asked me to bring it back next week (this is the response I have gotten each time). I have asked for a loaner twice and was told that there were none available. Therefore, I had to pay $40 to uber to work. Today, I said that I couldn't come back because it's the same issue and I have to work next week. He then let me speak to a service manager. The service manager drove it (with me in the passenger seat) and heard the sound. He noticed that it was not all of the time and that my steering wheel was a little shifty. When it was finally "fixed" (tires being rotated and some steering update), I was told to come back if I hear it again. I left at about 2pm and heard the sound again, as well as my screen began to glitch when I get off the break after a complete stop. I took a video of the glitching and took it back for both issues. I was told that some bolts were tightened and some update was done to the screen, and if I hear it again come back. On my way home at 4:35pm, the issues were not resolved.
I have brand new GMC Terrain 2026, I leased dog on Aug 4th 2025. After one week into driving the vehicle, OnStar, GPS NAV stopped working and the Emergency calling is not working. All features related to locating the vehicle through OnStar or through google stopped working, in addition to SoS not working. I took it to the dealership they said the Telematics module needs replacement.
Master cylinder , less then 1000 miles was pulling out of a parking lot and the brakes went out
Car reduced speed and smells of gas. Will not crank and will stall immediately and just stops immediately. Car has only 30,000 miles and it has stalled out for the second time with the same issue. The first time the car stalled on the freeway and I was almost hit from the back. This second time reduced speed and quickly shut off on a Main Street and was almost hit again. Car does not allow you to press the gas and coast during the incident.
Car reduced speed and the smell of gas filled the car. Car shut off. Check engine light came on with reduced speed. This is the second time this has happened. Gas leaked onto ground from car. Car stalls immediately while driving and does not allow you to press the gas to keep moving. Almost hit from behind on Main Street.
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated, the message "Engine Power Reduced" was displayed, and the vehicle lost power. The vehicle stalled on three separate occasions. The vehicle was able to restart each time after approximately 15 minutes of waiting, but the vehicle failed to accelerate above 40 MPH. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and DTC: P228C, P0089, and P006C were retrieved, and the contact was informed that the fuel pump and fuel injectors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2023 GMC Terrain. The contact was informed by his wife that while attempting to accelerate from being stationary, the vehicle was shaking abnormally and hesitated before accelerating. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed but the cause of failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The manufacturer opened a case for the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000.
Took dealer 3/26 for Sam issue Engine Power reduced after already cause me hit curb. Got it out 4/1/26 Now 4/5/26 it happened again same codes after they claimed they fixed it. Also keep having Emergency services come on a caused my dashboard out. My issues is car keeps stalling losing power. Same codes as week ago after dealer fix. Also 4 time took for noises in my car from passenger side. They keep telling me they can’t replicate it, but you can clearly see where the door is not lined up. This has been going on for over 30,000 miles for that. Like some of these issues have been going on since the 36,000 but now I’m having issues where I’m losing power like this is insane all before 60,000 miles which I’m about to hit. It’s gonna end up getting me killed on the interstate. My vin also says it’s fwd it’s awd AT4 . Called dealer said only to update software clearly not the issue. My doors are off and they have refused to fix those for over 30,000 miles now. It won’t let me attach any pics for some reason I’ve tried since yesterday
Showing 20 of 879 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Check a Specific GMC Terrain
This page shows fleet averages across all 10 model years. Enter a VIN to see the exact accident history, odometer records, title brands, and open recall status for a specific car.
📖 Understanding This Data
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The GMC Terrain has 879 complaints on record across 10 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The GMC Terrain has 19 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 47 of the GMC Terrain's 879 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the AI Rating Calculated?
The AI reliability rating (Below Average) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. The rating provides a plain-English summary for buyers who want a quick verdict without parsing raw numbers. It is one input in your buying decision — always verify with a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all GMC Terrain vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two GMC Terrain vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The GMC Terrain has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.