Owners have filed 2,909 complaints on the GMC Terrain, covering 2010–2026. The system named most often is Engine (689 reports). Worst years by volume: 2012, 2013, 2011; cleanest: 2025, 2026, 2021. 114 reports describe a crash, 26 a fire, 1 a death. On average the car was 5.3 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on GMC Terrain
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 2,909 Terrain complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Engine 689 Read
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…
I bought a car from Boone Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealership in North Carolina on [XXX] and by [XXX] my engine was out before I purchase my car I made sure they serviced my vehicle at a GMC Dealership and there's a warranty on the service of my engine I did not buy the warranty on my car because they couldn't…
The contact owns a 2015 gmc terrain. The contact stated while driving at 70 mph, the vehicle started to decelerate with no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that he saw black smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle as he was pulling over to the side of the roadway. The vehicle was towed to an…
Power Train 420 Read
Vehicle did not go into park when the ignition was turned off. Car started to roll while passenger was getting out of the vehicle as another vehicle was parking beside us. The other vehicle could not avoid our rolling vehicle. Passenger had to quickly sit down to avoid being hit. The next day the vehicle was taken to…
The car keeps revving and doesn't shift into gear. You have to lift your foot off the gas pedal and give it a few seconds and them press it again. However when you press the gas again the car jumps into gear causing the steering wheel to jerk either left or right. It either revs too high or it feels like it…
First off before I got the car it had gone through a tune up. About a couple months after I got the car little things started to happen it would rock back and forth while idling I thought it was kind of an indicator that it needed oil but the percentage was still at a decent range and telling me it didn't need oil…
Visibility/wiper 368 Read
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…
I just purchased a brand new 2025 Terrain. The entire windshield is defective. The glass is distorted and causing visual impairment. It is VERY unsafe. I have contacted the dealership multiple times and have not yet received a response
I am a male of 6'1" height and find it very hard to see out the rearview mirror when I drive my wife's gmc terrain. Because of the limited mobility of the mirror, I am unable to see other cars behind my vehicle without lowering my head and reclining my seat backwards, both of which can be very dangerous to do while…
Electrical System 248 Read
I was driving down the road at 55 mph when a deer ran out and hit the passenger side of my vehicle. It bounced and rolled off the drivers side. I pulled the vehicle off to the side of the road. All of the electric components in the vehicle were on. The interior lights were on, the hazard lights were flashing and the…
The contact owns a 2018 gmc terrain. The contact stated that the vehicle's electrical system failed. The vents located near the instrument panel emitted a strong burning odor when the heating system or air conditioning system was activated. In addition, the front end of the vehicle exhibited a strong vibration that…
Screen went black and warning chimes and seat vibration did not go off when backing up. Had to file a claim with insurance to fix my dented bumper. I also experience issues with the audio buttons on the steering wheel. I am not able to change the song in I am on apple play and there is always a delay when changing…
Service Brakes 189 Read
I was going to my sons home which is located on a steep dowhill street with several turns, one of ther almost 90 degrees.as I started to desend the hill and gain speed, I depressed the foot brake. It did not respond at all. As I continued to gain speed and coming up on the sharp curve, I continued to pump and apply…
The contact owned a 2021 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while the brake pedal was depressed, it was released and the vehicle suddenly accelerated aggressively. The contact attempted to avoid crashing into the vehicle in front and swerved however the front of the vehicle still impacted the vehicle in front. The air…
Driving down the freeway and all of a sudden got a service break assist notification and without warning I was unable to stop the vehicle. I was able to coast my way off the freeway and upon my exit I tried to pull into an empty parking lot but there was a fire fence I ended up crashing into which is probably what…
Air Bags 130 Read
Please let me
The contact owns a 2014 gmc terrain. While driving 40 mph, the contact swerved to avoid a deer. As a result, she drove off the road into a tall grass area and struck a concealed cable box. The passenger side grill was damaged and there was a small dent on the hood. The air bags did not deploy although the air bag…
The contact owns a 2012 gmc terrain. The contact stated while driving about 35 mph, the vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle. The driver's air bag busted open, smoked and emitted debris but did not deploy. The service air bag light illuminated. The contact and a nine-year old child in a booster seat, in the back…
Steering 83 Read
I was driving north on [XXX] when I felt a slight pull to the right. I figured it was my lane assist even though I was in my lane. Seconds later it felt like if someone was in my passenger seat and just yanked my steering wheel to the right hitting the guardrail. My whole tire and the assembly was off but everything…
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…
The vehicle was in motion making a right hand turn and in the turn the operator lost control of the vehicle causing her to strike a curb then head for oncoming traffic. When it was all said and done it looked like the ball joint had failed causing the loss of control. A bystander said he heard a loud pop and looked up…
Exterior Lighting 78 Read
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH his vehicle inadvertently and unknowingly crashed into the vehicle in front. The contact was unable to see the vehicle in front of him due to the glare of headlights. The air bags did deploy. There were no warning lights. The…
The contact owns a 2016 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while the wife was driving approximately 45 MPH she accidentally hit an animal due to visibility issues with the headlights. There were no warning lights. The police arrived on the scene; however, no reports were filed. The front passenger headlight was damaged,…
Headlights- melted plug causing fire damage on both headlights, replaced with new headlights and bulbs as well as a new wire harness plug. Was driving smelt smoke/wires burning. Wipers- stop preforming during rain storm Southeastern NC on hwy 701 south on 3-24-22. And still does not work. Maybe be associated with…
Terrain years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Electrical System,wheels,unknown Or Other | 1 | 2 | |
| 2025 | Electrical System | 2 | — | |
| 2024 | Air Bags | 1 | 1 | |
| 2023 | Air Bags,lane Departure | 2 | 1 | |
| 2022 | Air Bags | — | — | |
| 2021 | Air Bags | 4 | — | |
| 2020 | Air Bags | 7 | 1 | |
| 2019 | Air Bags | 7 | 2 | |
| 2018 | Air Bags | 13 | 1 | |
| 2017 | Air Bags | 10 | 2 | |
| 2016 | Air Bags | 9 | — | |
| 2015 | Air Bags | 9 | 1 | |
| 2014 | Air Bags | 7 | 2 | |
| 2013 | Air Bags | 12 | 1 | |
| 2012 | Air Bags | 15 | 4 | |
| 2011 | Air Bags | 8 | 8 | |
| 2010 | Air Bags | 7 | — |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 1,201 |
| Average complaints per series | 2.4 |
| Worst single series | 24 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 5.3 years |
A model average of 2.4 hides a worst series at 24. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
- The original window sticker and factory options
- Full research report as a PDF for the pre-purchase inspection
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the Terrain?
By complaint volume, 2012, 2013, 2011 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which Terrain years are the cleanest?
2025, 2026, 2021 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the GMC Terrain have?
2,909 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 2010–2026. Of those, 114 describe a crash and 26 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.