Overall rating (best variant)
Safety ratings
2019 GMC Terrain SUV AWD
- Lane departure warningOptional
- Forward collision warningOptional
- Electronic stability controlStandard
2019 GMC Terrain SUV FWD
- Lane departure warningOptional
- Forward collision warningOptional
- Electronic stability controlStandard
Crash test videos & photos
No public crash-test footage is available for this vehicle.
Recalls (3)
- SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPERCampaign 18V576000 · 30/08/2018
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
Risk: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18279.
- POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONCampaign 20V668000 · 29/10/2020
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
Risk: Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.
- SEATSCampaign 19V184000 · 07/03/2019
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The rear-right seat may have insufficient welds on the head-restraint bracket.
Risk: In the event of a crash, the insufficient welds may result in an increased risk of injury for an occupant seated in the rear-right position.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear-right seatback frame, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N192209550.
Owner complaints
Most-reported areas
- SERVICE BRAKES65
- ENGINE63
- POWER TRAIN50
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM37
- UNKNOWN OR OTHER21
- VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL9
- BACK OVER PREVENTION7
- HYDRAULIC7
Read individual complaints (50 most recent)
These are unverified consumer reports filed with NHTSA, shown as submitted.
- 12/31/2024· BACK OVER PREVENTION
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera displayed a blank image. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
- 12/30/2021· TIRES
BOTH FRONT TIRES SHOWING HEAVY CHIPPING OFF OF TIRE TREAD
- 12/28/2018· UNKNOWN OR OTHER
LIFT GATE ON THIS VEHICLE OPENS TO A HEIGHT OF 69 INCHES . AT 74 INCHES I AM CONSTANTLY BANGING MY HEAD ON THE LIFT GATE. MY 2017 MODEL OPENED TO AT LEAST 76 INCHES WHICH IS MORE REASONABLE. I CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY ISSUE, AS THIS IS A FLAW IN THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE. THE MODEL THAT HAS A POWER LIFT GATE OPENS TO AROUND 76 INCHES.. A FULL 7 INCHES HIGHER THAN THE MANUAL ONE.. THE DEALERSHIP NEVER POINTED OUT THIS PROBLEM TO ME SEEING THAT I AM 74 INCHES TALL.
- 12/25/2023· POWER TRAIN
jerking at times while driving.
- 12/19/2023· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES
It began with showing "Service Brake Assist" for about 2 weeks + then on Dec 18th 2023 around 10:30 as my fiancé was stopped at a stoplight and all of sudden when the light turned green she attempted to continue forward as traffic started to move only to stall stalled out before any movement could be achieve the battery was reading severely depleted and the vehicle would not function at all she was stuck in Drive and could not put the vehicle in neutral or even park to even try to restart the vehicle, she could not even turn the steering wheel, roll down the windows, open the door, or anything. the only thing she was able to accomplish was opening the hood so an officer that had arrived at this time could give her a jump, The officer also proceeded to leave the negative cable on the battery terminal and disconnected the Positive cable from the battery terminal which would have indicated a bad starter or depleted battery when the positive cable had been removed, which was not the case. she continued to where her appointment was and that is where i met her and took over vehicle to transport it home, driving with hazards on. I arrived at the house with no incident. then at 4:45pm on the evening of 12/18/2023 while at the stoplight I had a similar issue occurred as i was going from a stationary position to a forward slowly accelerated speed gaining momentum where the vehicle wanted to stall out while i was stopped at a stoplight attempting to proceed forward. and then at around 10:20 pm while stopped at a stop sign a similar issue occurred as i was going from a stationary position to a forward slowly accelerated speed gaining momentum attempting to proceed forward. On Dec 19th 2023 around 10:00 am I test started the car by remote and it started up and then i turned it off, now it is showing that the battery is completely depleted at 1:26 pm
- 12/16/2025· SERVICE BRAKES
Failure of the cam driven vacuum pump causing brake failure. Leading to a hard brake pedal which increases risk of a crash. Debris from the broken vacuum pump can fall down into the engine causing a catastrophic failure of the engine needing a replacement. This happens with little to no warning. Warranty companies will not pay to repair the known issue. A recall needs to be issued for this to provide a fix. This is a family suv and I do not feel safe putting my children in a vehicle that can endanger their lives and safety.
- 12/16/2024· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Blue screen with the message "Service Rear Vision System"
- 12/14/2020· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
BOUGHT THE TERRAIN IN NOV 22ND 2020 AT COVINA CHEVROLET, CALIFORNIA. ON NOV 25TH WANTED TO RESTORE THE CAR STEREO BECAUSE THE SETTINGS WOULD NOT DELETE DATA SAVED AND IT WOULDN'T CONNECT TO MY IPHONE VIA USB. SO I DECIDED TO DISCONNECT THE POSTS FROM THE BATTERY TERMINALS FOR 30 MINUTES. CONNECT BACK THE POSTS TO BATTERY AND CHECK IF THAT DELETE EVERYTHING AND IT DID BUT IT STILL WOULDN'T CONNECT TO MY IPHONE. THAT'S WHEN I NOTICED THAT SRS AND SERVICE ESC MESSAGE CAME ON. THE ABS, AIRBAGS AND STABILITY LIGHTS WERE ON, TURN OFF THE VEHICLE AND TURN IT BACK ON AND DIDN'T FIX THE ISSUE. I MADE A REPAIR SCHEDULE WHERE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE AND TILL THIS DAY DEC 13TH THEY HAVEN'T FIXED THE ISSUE OR THEIR NOT EVEN TRYING. SERVICE ADVISOR ADVISE ME THAT THEY ARE GETTING IN TOUCH WITH A FIELD GM ENGINEER THAT WAS A WEEK AGO. I'M THINKING ITS JUST THE COMPUTER THAT IS FROZEN A MALFUNCTION ABS MODULE CONTROLLER OR A FUSES OR A RELAYS BECAUSE I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND HAD NO ISSUE. I LIVE IN OXNARD, CALIFORNIA AND ITS ABOUT 1HR 30MIN FROM THE DEALER. I'M STILL HOPING THAT THEY CAN FIX THE ISSUE BECAUSE I REALLY LIKE THIS VEHICLE. PLEASE HELP GM!!
- 12/13/2021· TIRES
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Terrain equipped with Hankook Tires, Tire Line: Ventus S1 Noble 2 Tires, Tire Size: 235/50/R19, DOT Number: (N/A). The contact stated that while her daughter was driving approximately 45 - 50 MPH, the low-pressure tire warning light was illuminated. The contact's daughter pulled over and noticed that there was tread separation on the front passenger's side tire. The contact's daughter replaced the affected tire with the spare tire. The vehicle was later towed to the dealer. The dealer was awaiting approval from the manufacturer to replace the tire. The tire manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was not available. The VIN was not available.
- 12/12/2024· BACK OVER PREVENTION
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), the back-up camera failed to operate as needed with the display screen displaying a blue image. The "Service Rear Vision System" message was displayed on the instrument panel. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified about the failure. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 19-NA-076. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.
- 12/09/2024· STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES
My ESC randomly comes on. Service parking brake message comes on intermittently. Messages pop a up saying steering wheel assist limited, drive with care. Again, all of these are intermittent but when they happen my steering wheel locks up. Even mid turn. Being intermittent it doesn’t always happen and weather seems to affect when it happens, or that’s a coincidence.
- 12/09/2024· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Backup camera stopped working, giving me a blue screen
- 12/07/2021· POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES
I received a "service brake assist" message which came on then off. Took the car to a local mechanic who looked it over and said to see dealer as they saw nothing obvious. internet search revealed that many people with terrain said this warning came on when battery was low. Made a service appt for NJ dealer for 12/6/21. on 12/3/21, began a 1200 mile drive from Florida to NJ, after 2 hours, check engine light came on. Took the exit ramp from I 75 and at end of ramp, there was a total braking failure. I had to press very hard to eventually stop. Shut off car, attempted to restart but it would not. Towed to a mechanic who found fluid leakage and a repair bulletin on GM site involving vacuum seal camshaft. #pip5598A diagnostic tip. Internet search reveals many anecdotal instances of same problem. On Monday, 12/6/21, I received an email from GMAC saying that the on board diagnostics had shown a "low battery" concern. The catastrophic loss of braking seems to be connected to a low battery situation. This needs to be looked into by NHTSA.
- 12/06/2024· BACK OVER PREVENTION
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that occasionally while the vehicle was shifted into reverse, the back-up camera failed to display an image behind the vehicle as intended. The contact stated that the display screen turned blue. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 19-NA-076. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
- 12/05/2025· POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE
I bought this Terrain brand new from Betten Baker Chevrolet in Muskegon Mi in 2019 with 500 miles. That same year we had transmission Slippage causing it to slip out of gear then slam back into gear while driving. I took it to the dealer to have it looked at. They did nothing and informed me it was known by the manufacturer that this was an issue. I then had to bring it back for electrical issues as the lights would all start going off in the cab including dome lights and shift buttons. All key fob would not be recognized by the car and would have to be reprogrammed counting 5 times now. Now I am sitting at just oflver 100,000 miles and what I thought was going to be a simple spark plug change gas turned into a complete motor failure. did an oil change and there was no oil in it. The turbo was replaced and now the engine started making a lot of rattling noises and just stopped. the dash says service transmission, ECS, Extremely low battery voltage and has jost die after oil started pouring out the bottom of the car. It is now sitting at the dealership service department where I was told by am employee there that they have been seeing them come in at 150,000 miles for complete rebuilds and mine was early. let me tell you that this car isn't even paid off yet. And the 2006 Ram 1500 is more reliable.
- 12/03/2022· ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE
I’m crying out to you because I bought a 2019 GMC Terrain in April of this year with about 14,000 miles. The suv ran great for about 2 months and since then I’ve been dealing with nothing but a nightmare. We’re dealing with a situation where the suv goes into park while driving. We’ve brought the suv multiple times to GMC dealership and even reached out to GMC, and had no luck resolving the issue. Last night, while driving to a family event, the suv went into park while I was driving. This is the 4th time since we got the suv. I’m scared for my safely in this suv, if you could please assist
- 12/03/2021· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,ENGINE
While driving the car cut off on us. Started the car and the dash lights were on. Also Navigation stopped working. Took the car to bellamy Strickland and they said no issues was found. Got the car back 12/02_2021 Car seems to be ok at the moment. Melissa at bellamy stated it could have been a computer glitch. Car only has 20k miles on it.
- 12/01/2021· POWER TRAIN,ENGINE
My 2019 GMC Terrain has 21K miles and noticed a oil or transmission leak this morning. I see recalls for other vehicles but none for mine. Linking from a bolt just as the other recall is for.
- 11/30/2023· SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE
For the third time, the brake booster has failed on our GMC Terrain. We had the first replaced with an OEM part. That booster failed after 2 weeks. A second OEM brake booster was installed. That one lasted about a year until it failed as well. This time we were traveling down the interstate and interstate speeds. There were no indications of an issue until trying to slow down when attempting to exit the interstate. Luckily it was a long ramp and there was not much traffic as I had to push extremely hard to slow down the vehicle. Knowing immediately what had happened, we noticed a GMC dealership was just down the road and safely made it. We left the vehicle at the dealership and rented a car to continue our vacation. We are now being told that not only did the brake booster fail, but the components entered the engine and caused major damage. The suggested repair is a full engine replacement. This is unacceptable for an issue that GMC has know about and has had recalls for on other years of their vehicles. Not only could my family have been severely injured, or worse, we are not financially able to repair the vehicle.
- 11/29/2022· SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
The contact's client leased a 2019 GMC Terrain from Hertz Leasing Company. The contact stated while her client was driving approximately 60 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to go down and did not respond. The brake assist warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that her client continued driving and allowed the vehicle to decelerate independently. The contact's client then veered to the side of the road. There was no further information provided. The vehicle was returned to Hertz leasing company who later informed the contact's client that the vehicle had been diagnosed with brake vacuum pump failure. There was no further information provided. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.
- 11/25/2024· STRUCTURE
While I was driving on a highway, my sunroof suddenly imploded, causing shattered glass to fall all over myself and my car. The outside temperature was 50° and my car’s internal temperature was set to 68°. I reported this to the GM dealership and they told me to just report it to insurance. I am making a claim with insurance now. There were no warning or signs of this happening, just a sudden extremely loud noise and glass falling. No inspections have been done.
- 11/22/2018· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WHEN TRYING TO START VEHICLE WITH PUSH BUTTON IGNITION AND BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE DASH LIGHTS WOULD COME ON AND ERROR MESSAGES SUCH AS LOW BATTERY CAME UP ON DASH DISPLAY. VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED ON 11/17/18. TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS OCCURRED WHERE THE CAR HAD TO BE JUMPED. ONE ON 11/21/18 AND 11/22/18. UNSURE IF AN ELECTRICAL WIRING ISSUE OR BATTERY ISSUE?
- 11/21/2023· POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE
My 2019 gmc terrain, vaccum pump failed at about 45000 miles, was driving on the highway and brakes were hard to stop, almost crashed. About 52000 miles, vacuum pump failed again, also while driving on the highway. Brakes were hard to stop, again almost causing me to crash. 69000 miles again vacuum pump failed while driving on the highway, again almost causing me to crash. All times pump was replaced under warranty and now this has caused my engine to fail. i was denied factory warranty, pre certified and extended warranty. Now im stuck with a car with with three years left to pay on it
- 11/15/2021· ENGINEFire
My wife was driving the car, about 70 mph on route 84 passing danbury ct. She was traveling in the middle lane, some kind of oil light went on the dashboard, car shut down while traveling 70 mph on the highway, and caught on fire under the hood. She managed to pull over, and got out of the car with my daughter. This is a 2019 car with 14K miles. This car was packed with milwaukee cordless tools, complete Festool set, complete golf bag with all the clubs, two suitcases of best clothes for me and my daughter, her laptop, etc. We were driving to our new home in south carolina, and on the way the car burned.
- 11/15/2019· POWER TRAIN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 GMC TERRAIN. WHILE DRIVING, THE TRANSMISSION KEPT SLIPPING BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD GEAR AND A GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO PERUZZI BUICK GMC (156 LINCOLN AVE, FAIRLESS HILLS, PA 19030, (866) 526-8445) WHERE THE COMPUTER WAS REPROGRAMMED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY INVOLVED IN A CRASH AND THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SAME DEALER BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION CONTINUED TO SLIP. THE DEALER REPLACED THE 02 SENSOR, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED PER AN UNKNOWN RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000.
- 11/14/2022· SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE
Vacuum pump went out while getting off the freeway, going around a roundabout. Brake petal extremely hard to depress and was unable to slow down or stop in a timely manner. Tooke vehicle to GMC for diagnostics and they said the vacuum pump shattered causing damage to my cam shaft and possible engine damage.
- 11/13/2024· ENGINE
Driving on the interstate and got to a Toll the automatic stop start stopped the car and the car never came back on. The battery and starter started smoking and the engine has gone out. No explanation no nothing and the Mechanics at the Gmc Dealership stated it just happens with these engines they just go out! I purchased the vehicle on April 9th before I purchased it I had the dealership send it to a Gmc certified dealership to have it serviced. I've attached the paperwork from the dealership as well.
- 11/12/2020· ELECTRICAL SYSTEMFire
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 GMC TERRAIN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE AIR CONDITION WAS ACTIVATED, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL CHEMICAL BURNING ODOR COMING THROUGH THE VENTS, CAUSING HE AND HIS WIFE TO GET HEADACHES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MEADOWLAND OF CARMEL GMC (1952 US-6, CARMEL HAMLET, NY 10512) HOWEVER, WAS NOT DIAGNOSED FOR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS FIRST PURCHASED AND THE ODOR WAS FIRST EXPERIENCED, THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACED THE VEHICLE WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 24,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
- 11/11/2025· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE
Vehicle has had check engine light and engine reduced power flicking on and off for months, randomly reducing power on highway or nearly causing accidents. Brought car to GMC dealer, they said it was underboost code and needed new turbo. Paid over 7,000$ for repair. Next morning, same issue still was happening. I believe my vehicle has EMISSIONS recall issue “N192271200 Charge Air Cooler Disconnect at Throttle Body” but GM has not properly attached my vin number for this recall repair. I have poured thousands into repairs out of pocket and the same issue still persists. I believe strongly the recall emission issue is the problem and should be on my vin. Vehicle has been to dealer 3 times in the past 2 weeks, issue has not been fixed. Improperly diagnosed, random repairs made not fixing actual issue.
- 11/09/2022· SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE
Brakes failed on my car while driving and ran through 4 way stop. Took car to dealership and was told the vacuum pump seized up and sheared off. Asked the dealership what caused the problem and all they could say was normal wear and tear of the vehicle. Dealership called and said it was going to cost $900 dollars to fix the problem. I asked what that included and they said a new vacuum pump and to clean the motor out. Picked the car up on Monday and by Tuesday evening car would not run. Took it back to the dealership and am now told I need a new cam shaft which cost another $2400 to fix. This is a serious safety concern as I had no warning or received no notification that the brakes had failed just went to stop and could not. How long is GMC going to let this issue go before being addressed. How many people have to die first before they recall them as the have already recalled the bigger models of gmc, Chevrolet, Cadillac and Buick for the same reason? I don’t know how people are suppose to afford to fix an almost brand new vehicle that they are still making payments on.. Something should be done ASAP...
- 11/08/2018· ENGINE
NEED THE OPTION TO DISABLE THE AUTO START FEATURE.
- 11/05/2018· VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THE SHIFTER IS DANGEROUS. IT ALLOWS YOU TO INADVERTENTLY SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING. IN A CAR WITH A NORMAL SHIFTER, THE SHIFTER NEEDS TO BE PUSHED WITH SIGNIFICANT FORCE TO MOVE IT INTO NEUTRAL AND THE RESULTING THUNK WILL LET YOU KNOW IT HAPPENED. IN THIS CAR, SINCE IT IS AN ELECTRONIC BUTTON THAT CAN BE EASILY PRESSED, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT IS IN A LOCATION WHERE IT MIGHT GET HIT BY AN OBJECT LIKE A PURSE. THE DRIVER MAY WIND UP WITHOUT POWER AND THEN NOT HAVE AN EASY WAY TO REINGAGE DRIVE. ALSO, THERE IS NO PHYSICAL DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN DRIVE AND REVERSE, WHICH CAN CAUSE CONFUSION IN LOW SPEED DRIVING INTERACTIONS IF A DRIVER DOES NOT LOOK AT THE BUTTONS. VEHICLES SHOULD HAVE A SOFTWARE UPDATE TO INDICATE WHEN THE VEHICLE GOES INTO NEUTRAL ABOVE A CERTAIN SPEED AS WELL AS HAVING THE PHYSICAL BUTTONS REPLACED WITH SOMETHING THAT OFFERS A TACTILE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REVERSE AND DRIVE.
- 11/01/2024· SERVICE BRAKES
At 86,000 miles information board on dashboard alerted “Service, Brake Assist” upon braking from coming off of interstate. Diagnosed to a failed cam shaft driven Vacuum pump for power brake booster, next to no braking power with little to no warning what so ever. Terrible design from GM. Near miss collision due to brake failure with no warning. This needs an immediate attention through the engineering department to create a redundancy within the system. Nearly caused a very bad accident with my [XXX] and [XXX] daughters in the vehicle while fiancé was coming to pick me up from being on the road as a OTR truck driver. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- 11/01/2024· SERVICE BRAKES
The brake vacuum pump failed. I am extremely fortunate this happened at a rest stop after being on interstate 80 for numerous miles. Had this happened at highway speeds it would have been catastrophic for myself and most likely others. I do not have the part. The problem was confirmed and the psrt was replaced by Mavis Discount Tire in Mountain Top, PA There were no warning lights, signs, or symptoms prior to the malfunction. It is my understanding that GM has recalled the part on other models, but did not include the Terrain in the recall. I believe it should be before someone is seriously injured.
- 10/27/2023· STEERING,SUSPENSION,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
When turning right or left from a stop, the steering wheel jerks sharply in the opposite direction as soon as the car starts to accelerate. Diagnostic tests and inspection determined that the steering gear is loosing voltage causing the jerk in the steering wheel. The gear has the latest calibration and needs to be replaced. Cost estimate to replace is $2035.63
- 10/24/2024· SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE
I was riding on the freeway when my brakes failed. i was not able to press down on my brakes with zero warning. I had to swerve to miss cars and pull on the shoulder of the freeway and my car still would not slow down. I finally got from 65 to 35 and pressed on my emergency brakes. I stopped the vehicle then my engine light came on and I got my car towed to the car shop where my car would not stop and suffered internal damage to my engine from the brakes and vacuum pump
- 10/21/2025· SERVICE BRAKES
When approaching a stop sign, the brake pedal became extremely hard I was unable to stop, and rolled through the intersection avoiding collision. I was able to slow down enough to engage the emergency brake. There are no lights on the dash.
- 10/20/2025· ENGINE
I was driving home from vacation the vehicle went into limp mode and started to run very poorly with a brake pedal that was almost impossible to push. I limped the vehicle a couple of miles to the next exit. I had the car trailered home and taken to a service center the following Monday. They inspected the vehicle and found the vacuum pump had failed and caused what was described as “catastrophic engine failure.” They are now saying it needs a full motor replacement due to the widespread and severe damage. This is not the first time this pump has been an issue or supposed issue. About a year before this incident a month after we bought the vehicle in used condition from a GM dealership it started making a noise. We took it back to see if they could help us out being that it was recently purchased and they diagnosed it as the vacuum pump making the noise. They wanted almost $800.00 to replace it. I googled a video on how to fix it and found the cost of the part. The part itself is between $75-$90 from local and name brand parts stores. I paid the $250 diagnostic fee and took it somewhere else for a second opinion. The GM dealership pushed hard for the vacuum pump replacement and told me it was a well known issue for that part on that motor in many different makes and models. They said they recommend you change that mechanical part out every 80k miles or so and that you do not go by what the owners manual says for oil changes which is 5k miles and instead do that every 3k miles. That should not be “preventative maintenance.” That is a manufacturer issue. This should be a recall on the pump. I again did research and this vacuum pump is a known issue. You can find endless examples and discussions about it. It turned out not to be the pump originally that was making the noise saving me $800. The service center that has it now has all the pictures and pieces to show it’s failure and damage. It’s unsafe for something $85 dollars to cause that while driving at any time.
- 10/18/2021· POWER TRAIN
TRANSMISSION WOULD REV UP BETWEEN 4TH AND 5TH GEAR ONLY IN THE ON THE FIRST DRIVE. AFTER THAT IT WOULD SHIFT NORMALLY . WENT INTO DEKALB GMC ILLINOIS AND WAS TOLD IT WAS SOME PISTONS AND OTHER PARTS. THEY HAD IT FOR A WEEK OR TWO BECAUSE OF OTHER TRANS JOBS AHEAD ON MINE. GOT CAR BACK AND IT WAS WORKING FINE FOR A MONTH OR SO AND THEN IT STARTED TO SHIFT BAD AGAIN BETWEEN THE SAME TWO GEARS ONLY LONGER GAP BETWEEN SHIFTS THIS TIME. TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THE TECH ORDERED MORE PARTS TO REPAIR THE TRANS AND SAID I WOULD POSSIBLY GET IT BACK ON OCTOBER 19TH BY END OF DAY. IS THIS GOING TO BE AN ONGOING PROBLEM? IF SO WHAT IS THE LAW ABOUT 3 OR MORE REPAIRS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS THE SECOND REPAIR SO FAR.
- 10/16/2025· ENGINE
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the warning light turned off after approximately three miles of driving. The contact also stated that the vehicle experienced abnormal RPM fluctuations while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed; however, the diagnostic information was not provided to the contact. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 117,951.
- 10/15/2019· VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE
ON AUGUST 23, 2019, MY VEHICLE INCURRED AN ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION FAILURE REPORTED BY GMC ONSTAR APPLICATION. THE SYMPTOMS OF FAILURE ARE REPEATED ACCELERATION SPEED CONTROL CAUSING SPEED LIMIT VIOLATIONS, INTERFERENCE WITH OTHER MOVING TRAFFIC, SPOUSAL TRAUMA, AND ILLUMINATION OF MULTIPLE DISPLAY WINDOW LIGHTS IN THE DASHBOARD BEHIND STEERING WHEEL. ON OCTOBER 14, 2019, THERE WAS A REOCCURRENCE OF THE SAME ISSUE. IN FACT, THIS REPORT IS TO GET AHEAD OF THE PROBLEM BEFORE TAKING VEHICLE FOR SERVICE THIS MORNING, OCTOBER 15, 2019, AT SEWELL BUICK GMC. I HAVE SERVICE DOCUMENTATION AND ONSTAR EMAIL MESSAGES OF FAILURE FOR EVIDENCE OF THIS REPORT.
- 10/12/2025· SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE
Driving approximately 70mph on interstate. Came to a slight hill, gently applied brake pressure, brakes become hard to apply/would not apply. After diagnostics, found Brake Vacuum Pump with damaged fins.
- 10/11/2022· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
When I’m reverse screen shows blue and message says “service rear camera system” I purchased this car NEW in 2019 and warranty just expired. I have read so many forums with this being a common problem with gmc. Why this isn’t covered and over $600 coming out of my pocket to fix it is ridiculous. This is a safety issue and gmc flaw and should be corrected/covered by them.
- 10/11/2019· BACK OVER PREVENTIONCrash
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 GMC TERRAIN. WHILE REVERSING AT 3 MPH, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A TELEPHONE POLE DUE TO THE BACK UP CAMERA BEING INOPERABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CAMERA DID NOT DETECT THE OBJECT THAT WAS LOCATED ON THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE LIFTGATE AND THE REAR WINDOW WAS SHATTERED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,681.
- 10/09/2024· SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,ENGINE
The contact called on behalf of her husband who owns a 2019 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while her husband was driving approximately 50 MPH, the brakes seized, and the contact veered off into a lot to park the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed. The contact was informed that the brake vacuum pump and the timing chain needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.
- 10/07/2024· ENGINE
Turbo Charge Engine
- 10/07/2022· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES
I was driving through a four way intersection with my children and the breaks locked up and I couldn’t get to a stop. This was the middle of September: There are MULTIPLE complaints on this happening with my model and someone is going to die if it’s not recalled. This is a serious safety concern. There was NO warning, or light to prepare me for the problem. Please do something to help us.
- 10/06/2025· UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES
We have been having varying issues with this GMC, and have found numerous others with the same issue. Vacuum pump went out while driving. Thankfully I was not going very fast and it stopped prior to hitting someone. This is a known issue, yet no recall from GMC. Vacuum pump is said to have been failing causing other engine and transmission issues that can never be "re-created" for the vehicle to be fixed.
- 10/04/2025· SERVICE BRAKES
I was backing out of the driveway, and it was extremely hard to brake enough to stop the car. I immediately parked back into the driveway. I had to stand on the brake to completely stop. Vacuum pump was completely busted and in many pieces.
- 09/30/2020· ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
9/30/20 DRIVING HOME AND WAS ACCELERATING TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE, THE TCS AND STABILITRAK LIGHTS CAME ON AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BEGAN TO FLASH. A BRIEF MESSAGE POPPED UP TO SERVICE THE TCS SYSTEM AND WENT AWAY. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STOPPED FLASHING BUT TCS & STABILITRAK/TRACTION LIGHTS REMAINED ON. I STOPPED THE VEHICLE AS SOON AS I COULD, TURNED IT OFF, WAITING A FEW MINUTES AND RESTARTED - ALL LIGHTS HAD TURNED OFF. PROBLEM HAS NOT REPLICATED, BUT AM SCHEDULED FOR SERVICE (OIL CHANGE) AT DEALER TASCA BUICK GMC SAT OCT 3RD, WILL DISCUSS DURING SERVICE APPOINTMENT. (I COMMUTE DAILY ROUND TRIP 120 MILES) THIS IS EXTREMELY WORRISOME)