Equipment Problems of GMC Terrain - part 1

The car suffered a long crank, then stalled completely while moving on a public road, which is a severe safety hazard.

See all problems of the 2022 GMC Terrain 🔎.

When the gas is mashed to accelerate, the car does not want to go. It has left me stranded and rolling in the middle of traffic. I am scared to drive it.

See all problems of the 2020 GMC Terrain 🔎.

During heavy rain, the sunroof on my Terrain leaked badly enough to allow a substantial amount of water into the vehicle. The rear floor area became completely saturated, and the sunroof controls stopped working. I brought the vehicle to hudson Cadillac Buick GMC in poughkeepsie, new york, to have the problem diagnosed and repaired. The resulting repairs and water-damage cleanup cost me nearly $3,000 out of pocket. I was advised that the damage was not covered by my warranty or by my insurance. What concerns me most, however, is that this does not appear to have been an isolated incident. While my Terrain was at the dealership, I learned that four other GMC Terrains were also at the dealership experiencing water damage related to leaking sunroofs. Mine was the fifth. Finding five Terrains at the same dealership with what appeared to be similar water-intrusion problems was extremely concerning to me and made me question whether this is a recurring issue with these vehicles. I also have a video provided by the dealership documenting the water damage to my vehicle, and I am happy to provide that video, my repair invoice, photographs, or any other documentation you would like to review. They went to great lengths to dry the vehicle, which was especially important to me because I was extremely concerned about hidden moisture and dangerous mold. Thankfully, after their work, there is no odor and no indication of remaining moisture or mold, and I am very satisfied with the quality of the repair and cleanup. The extent of the water damage was frightening. At one point, I was genuinely concerned that I might have to get rid of the vehicle simply because I was afraid of the long-term consequences of having so much water inside it. I am very grateful that the dealership was able to restore the vehicle so thoroughly but there is still a possibility that the repair will fail and I will have to replace the sunroof module.

The rear access closes on its own after sitting open for a period of time. I was sitting at grocery pick up with the access open. This caused it to close on worker at grocery pick up. It stayed closed and I had to hit the button to open it back it did not auto go back up when it couldn’t close.

See all problems of the 2024 GMC Terrain 🔎.

The back passenger seat exploded and caught fire, burning the back of the seat in front and burning the ceilings. Inside the whole vehicle is black from smoke damage. Incident assessed by fire marshal who has ruled as electrical issue. No warning lights or systems displayed anything.

The screen calls my own phone number and hangs up over and over if I just ended a call. I am not able to use any part of the screen afterwards such as my map. It stays like that until I disconnect the bluetooth and wifi from my phone while trying to drive. Safety issue!.

Backup camera stopped working and displays a blue screen stating “service backup camera. ” this was an issue when the vehicle was under 3 year manufacturer bumper to bumper warranty and was fixed by dealer at no cost. Now this same issue has occurred again approximately 3-4 years later. I thought at first this was an issue specific to my vehicle but now after doing research I see this is an issue across several GMC terrian vehicles and other gm vehicles. This issue should be fixed by the manufacturer for all vehicles affected. Vehicle owners should not be responsible to fix faulty parts from the manufacturer.

On June 7, 2026, I was driving my 2020 GMC Terrain. I was going at about 40mph along a very busy main road. While slowing for a red light the check engine light turned on and the car displayed a notice about reduced engine power. Seconds later, the brake pedal became stuck and would not press down all the way and I lost braking ability. The car rattled/shook violently, made a grinding noise, and then the engine shut off and the car stopped abruptly, narrowly avoiding hitting the car in front of us. I turned on the hazard lights. I was not able to get the car to start again, nor was I able to get the car to shift into any other gear including neutral. We were nearly hit by other vehicles multiple times while attempting to get the car to move again, and to get myself and my child safely out of the road. Myself and multiple bystanders attempted to engage the transmission interlock override multiple time. We were eventually able to engage it and push the car to the side of the road. This failure created an extremely unsafe situation for all involved as this road is very busy and there were numerous near-collisions both with my disabled vehicle, and with other drivers serving out of the way and into other lanes at the last second. As time went on and the battery drained, most of the car's exterior lights turned off and other drivers had a hard time seeing my car. I used a strobe flashlight to alert other drivers but this required that I had to stand in the road near the vehicle. Police were called immediately when I found that we could not move the car out of the road, but they did not arrive. Ultimately the vehicle was stuck and inoperable in a travel lane for over two hours. The car was then towed to a nearby repair shop. The mechanic evaluation stated that the brake vacuum pump had failed resulting in loss of braking ability and expensive damage to the engine and other components. The manufacturer is aware of this issue. See: thieme, et al. V. General motors llc.

Vehicle stalled while driving and would not restart. Strong gasoline smell present and on ground. Third occurrence. Vehicle stalled while driving at on busy road (safety issue both times). Strong raw gas smell. Would not crank afterward. Dash powered normally with check engine light. Happened previously around 27k miles in September 2025. Occurred again may 9, 2026. Occurred again today l, may 18, 2026. Vehicles is being towed to dealership again for the 3rd time.

See all problems of the 2023 GMC Terrain 🔎.

The sun/moon roof randomly imploded while driving. It popped and felt the force of the implosion.

I have had 2 different instances where my vehicle stops in the middle of a busy intersection or traffic and have no warning what so ever. Vehicle just shuts off and I am not able to turn back on to move out of the way. First time I got it repaired it was related to the fuel pump and now I am waiting to hear back from my mechanic to see what the issue is but so far it is an indication of the fuel pump as well. Both times I required help from law enforcement because vehicle shut off in the middle of the road and safety to myself and other drivers was an issue until tow truck arrived to move my vehicle.

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.

Filled up with gas and went to leave gas station and was still rolling to come to a stop and car shut off and would not crank back up o couldn't put in neutral to even move out of the way. After about 10 mins I was able to crank it back up. No lights came or was on and battery was showing 14. 5 now that im sitting battery is showing 12. 8. Oil was just changed 4 days ago. Just purchased used less then 3 weeks ago. Im at a lost has 122,272 miles on it.

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.

Onstar module not working.

See all problems of the 2025 GMC Terrain 🔎.

This just started on it's own. Back up rear camera shows distortion from time to time and appears to be getting worse or happening more.

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.

While driving the vehicle became extremely difficult to stop I was advised that the vacuum booster pump was broken and it needed to be replaced. This was first completed 09/24/25 by gateway tire and service center. I was advised that there was a service bulletin for the issue. Then I have had the same thing happen and I returned the vehicle to the same repair shop and I was advised that the vacuum booster pump was broken and it caused the exhaust camshaft to break, as well as the timing was out. The shop had to replace several things in order to repair and I was responsible for the cost. There was no warning before either of the incidents.

See all problems of the 2019 GMC Terrain 🔎.

Vacuum pump exploded into camshaft and engine area, causing me to lose brakes completely on the highway. Costly repairs to clear out metal shrapnel and replace camshaft.

The control knob that controls awd, 2wd,off-road, and 4 x4 awd. Just stopped working. Stuck on 2wd mode. I did have it checked for any codes, even though, there is no check engine light is on.

See all problems of the 2018 GMC Terrain 🔎.

While driving several times smelt gas and car cut out engine came on and car stopped mid driving multiple times. Says they replaced fuel pump reset car etc.

The screen continues to go out. Screen contains many safety functions. When it malfunctions it is distracting.

Got everything under the hood done n still have the same problem with it shut off while driving.

See all problems of the 2010 GMC Terrain 🔎.

I had a message flash that said the power to the engine was reduce. Next message said check stabilink ( or something similar). . It said drive with caution. I live 2 mins from my job I drove home and pulled in the driveway I then felt the car act like it wanted to shake. This was on 2-10-26 I contacted onstar asked them to run a diagnostic. The codes that came back p0016 p0089 p228d are very well known codes with many people with the same vehicle/engine that have had to replace the engine. The engines have known issues had I known that maybe I could have replaced a part or two or three or four to have a stable vehicle now my vehicle is currently at GMC dealer since Tuesday morning actually had it towed there Monday night. I called Wednesday evening they still wasn't sure the "issue". Thursday I wait until about 1pm spoke with john he said well we are pretty sure you need a new engine the mechanic is checking a few more things the car has no pressure. About a hr later I get a email and a call saying the timing chain skipped and something about the pistons and the valves and I need a new engine . John called me and said well. Ill tell you what we will offer you a brand new engine for the same price as a rebuild plus you get 3yrs 300 thousand warranty for 10,944. Give or take a few dollars. We'll first I paid like 15,500 for the car that I just litetally paid off like Jan 12026. I really feel like had GMC made buyers aware that the vehicle has defective parts/engines buyers could replace parts or GMC should be held accountable. I started googling the engine and found out that there is a class action lawsuit and a recall on " certain" 2017 Terrains depending on the VIN. Same issues my car is having but its saying my car has no recall.

See all problems of the 2017 GMC Terrain 🔎.

The pcv valve froze which caused pressure to build up in the rear main seal to fail. Causing oil to leak out of the motor. Hence the motor won't hold oil.

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 dealership, and they could not find anything wrong. They gave us a copy of bulletin#08-07-30-026i. We were not aware of any problems or bulletins being issued prior to the accident. We had repairs of $2,705. 71 and don't know what the other driver incurred.

Vehicle will not shift out of park, despite replacing the valve body, putting in a new battery, and transmission fluid. It has been this way since mid January. The codes don’t make sense and there is no current recall, nor have we had this vehicle for very long. It has 48,000 miles on it and is having this issue. Very disappointed.

I own a 2020 GMC Terrain with approximately 110,000 miles. While driving in winter, the vehicle suddenly lost cabin heat and defrosting capability. The temperature gauge began fluctuating and the cooling fans continued running after the vehicle was shut off. A mechanic diagnosed the cause as a cracked radiator that allowed coolant to leak out, which is a known frequent failure on this model. Because the heater stopped working in sub-freezing temperatures, this created a safety hazard due to lack of defrosting and heat while driving. The failure occurred without warning, and no coolant warning light was displayed before the heater stopped working. The vehicle was not overheating at the time, but the loss of heat and defrost made winter driving unsafe.

The radio dead out randomly. Which means the back up camera is non working. I wasn’t able to see a stump and hit it. Doesn’t seem safe. Like what would has happened if it was a person instead and they like the stump was in my blind spot while backing up. I feel like this is a safety issue. I have looked it up online and found out this is a common issue with these vehicles.

See all problems of the 2015 GMC Terrain 🔎.

Complete engine failure @100,600 miles engine power reduced and lost compression transmission module failure will not exceed 20mph.

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).

This is the 4th time my vacuum pump has “broke” my brakes become hard and stiff and my brake assist light comes on. It happens every winter when it drops below freezing. This is the second time this winter it has broke and now my check engine light is on. It is not cheap to fix and a major safety issue. Would like to add I was only backing out of my drive way this last time it happened. I was going maybe 5-10 mph.

My 2019 GMC Terrain has a faulty back up camera system. It shows a blue screen that says service rear view camera system, this has been a faulty system for years until it finally stopped working completely. I have researched the issue and have discovered this is a known problem. There was a service bulletin 19-na-076 dated April of 2019. Why has there not been a recall for this safety issue?.

Car was off and parked and randomly caught on fire. Completely totaling the car.

The article below appears online, 4/13/2026. I have the exact same problem with my 2020 GMC Terrain denali and I would like other gm vehicles added to their chevy recall. They use the same parts within gm's product lines. As background info, I went to the dealer, matick Buick GMC, 29300 telegraph rd, southfield, mi 48034 on Jan. 14, 2026 for repair. I was told water infiltrated my backup camera and its harness. Matick said very few parts are available in the USA. Still not fixed and it is dangerous. Yes is the answer to the 1st 4 general guideline questions. The 5th question is no. Read more trending news: Chevrolet has recalled 271,770 vehicles over an issue with the rearview camera. Some 2023 to 2025 chevy malibus were recalled because the camera screen may show a distorted or blank image, the national highway traffic safety administration said. Dealers will replace the camera at no cost to correct the issue. Owners will get letters in the mail alerting them to the problem after may 18, the agency said. For more information, call Chevrolet at 800-222-1020. The company’s internal recall number is n262551720. The vehicle identification numbers can be searched on NHTSA. Gov.