Power Train Problems of GMC Terrain - part 1

The contact owns a 2022 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 mph, the vehicle stalled, and the contact was unable to pull over to the side of the road. The contact stated that the message "battery critically low" was initially displayed, and then the message "engine and transmission system - schedule service now" was displayed. The contact was assisted by police officers in redirecting traffic away from the vehicle to prevent a crash. The contact stated that the tow truck driver inspected the battery and informed the contact that the battery was in good condition. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift to neutral(n), which required a special tow truck to tow the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the residence and was then towed to the dealer the same day. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 18,200.

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Vehicle struggles to shift from low gears; seems to completely miss 3rd gear. Codes from maintenance indicate tcc slip.

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The contact owns a 2024 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power. The check engine and transmission warning lights were illuminated. In addition, the contact's wife attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the gear shifter failed to move from neutral(n) and remained in low power mode. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and dtc: p0700 and p073e were retrieved. In addition, the contact related the failure to technical service bulletin: pip5974e; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 6,766.

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GMC consumer relations subject: structural undercarriage safety defect – 2012 GMC Terrain sle vehicle information: year/make/model: 2012 GMC Terrain sle VIN: [xxx] mileage at purchase: 148,305 date of purchase: [xxx] location: rochester, new york I am filing a complaint regarding a severe undercarriage safety defect in my 2012 GMC Terrain sle. The rear undercarriage of this vehicle shows heavy structural corrosion on suspension brackets and mounts. The condition produces clanging noises during normal driving, and an independent licensed mechanic has refused to work on the vehicle because the suspension integrity is unsafe. When I returned the vehicle to the dealer, I observed additional brackets being attached under the rear subframe area, suggesting reinforcement of compromised structural points. This confirms that the corrosion directly affects suspension geometry, alignment, and stability. This corrosion is not cosmetic. It is advanced structural deterioration affecting the mounting points for trailing arms and lateral links. These components are critical to safe turning, stability, and control. The corrosion compromises the ability of the suspension to keep the wheels aligned, creating serious risks of loss of control or wheel separation. What makes this more alarming is that the vehicle passed a new york state safety inspection on 07/13/2025, yet within days a mechanic refused to perform unrelated service because of the undercarriage condition. This raises questions not only about inspection validity, but also about the underlying durability and corrosion. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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We have been keeping up with all maintenance and oil changes. We have only driven the car for less than a year. At time of oil change; the oil has been low, resulting in over oil consumption; requiring an extra quart of oil to be added between oil changes. When we purchased the vehicle, there was an strong exhaust smell; the shop that we bought the vehicle stated there were no issues and we have taken it to them multiple times an hour away from our home. The car completely shut off while my minor son and I were driving. Placing both of our lives at risk! it would never start back up. Now the car has seized and requires an engine replacement. It is sitting at a local garage while we wait for the dealership to help us, to no avail.

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The GMC Terrain p187e transmission code indicates a problem with the transmission senor or shift interlock. It prevented our car from shifting into park. The car won't start now. We had to disconnect the battery because the car would not stop beeping. Milage is only 22000 miles and we have owned it for less then 2 months. It is a 9 speed transmission which I understand this to be an on going issue with this transmission.

On or around August 15th I was in traffic and my 2016 GMC Terrain just shut off in the middle off traffic almost causing the car behind me to hit me is the rear. I got it started and then slowed down for a car that was turning in frount of me and it shut off again almost causing another car to rear end me. There where no warning light no warning at all just shut off I called a flat bed and it was taken to clintscales Chevrolet in belton SC. They have informed me that it is a problem with the timing chain causing me to need a new motor. I have done research and it shows gm has had problems with this problem in numerous engines in this year. This is so dangerous it puts life's in danger by shutting of in traffic with no warning at all.

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Incident 1: pulled out from stop sign car made funny noises, light came on said it couldn't shift to drive. Had towed to dealer. They said couldn't find issue except it was quart and a half low of transmission fluid. The car had approx 3,500 miles on it. Incident 2: for about two weeks when pulling out felt like it was skipping but didn't feel like transmission. Felt like over powered. Then it done same as incident 1. Pulled out made noise would not move. Notice that is couldn't shift and check engine light came on had it towed again. Approx 6,300 miles on it. They then said it was very low on transmission fluid and they did find a small hole in hose. Danger is pulling out and it just stops in cross traffic and won't move could easily be hit. It is very scary to drive not knowing if or when it is going to happen. I have no current invoice on vehicle as it is still in shop.

I have been having intermittent problems for well over 1 year with my vehicle not accelerating. I try to accelerate from a stop, the vehicle does not respond. I have the accelerator pedal pressed to the floor nothing happens for 10-15 seconds, then vehicle will lurch forward and start responding. This has happened several times as I am pulling into traffic. Major safety concern that could cause severe injury or fatality. I also have other issues with vehicle not shifting gears, engine feels as though it is skipping while driving. I have taken this to the dealership and was told that they could not recreate the issue. No engine code or service lights have ever displayed. Dealership told me is can't be anything major since there are no codes or service lights. Currently have 72,000 miles, did purchase an extended warranty. I have seen many complaints of this same problem from other Terrain owners. GMC needs to fix this problem before someone is killed in a collision because their product won't accelerate.

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While working out of town for work my engine light started flashing and the dash lights went nuts. My brakes were nonexistent and were hard as a rock. I had zero warning as to what happened. Working 3 hours away from home the car had to be towed and I was informed the engine code came back as my cam shaft. Took it to the dealer as gm has a bulletin put out. I didn’t know what that meant. Long story short and 3000. 00 dollars later I find out that the vacuum pump exploded which cause the cam shaft to fail. I was out of work for almost a month. There is a recall for almost all vehicles from this year but not the 2019 Terrain even though it contains the same vacuum pump as all the recalled makes and models. Vacuum pump, cam shaft, oil pan, oil pump had to all be replaced at under 100,000 highway miles. Someone needs to address this problem.

I purchased a new 2024 GMC Terrain in March 2024. At the time of the incident the mileage was approximately 18,000 miles. On [xxx], as I was driving on a MA state highway, the car lost power with no warning. I was able to "coast" into a parking lot where I contacted onstar; a flatbed tow truck was dispatched and the car was towed to the local dealership where it was purchased. At this time, the car is still at the dealer as I was informed by dealer service consultant that it's a "massive" transmission job and parts were on back order from GMC for over three weeks. I specifically purchased this vehicle to be safe on my monthly trips to NY to visit grandchild. I no longer feel safe in this vehicle and have no guarantee this won't happen again. The fact that the transmission failed in 1 yr. Old car at 18,000 miles is of great concern to me. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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: 3gkaltev8ll210696 engine: 1. 5l turbo mileage: 62,142 thank you for your time and your work in ensuring vehicle safety.

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.

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On 6/22/2025, brakes stopped working while trying to make a turn. Next multiple engines light came and car went into reduced speed mode. As I tried to find a safe place to stop, the vehicle went into limp mode and shut down in the middle of the road. The dealership said the issue was the vacuum pump which caused the timing chains to break. There have multiple recalls for this exact issue but my car is not on the list. My manufacture warranty ended on 5/21/2025. When I spoke to a gm representative I was told there was nothing they can do because there is not a recall for my vehicle. They explained even though I had the same problem the recall is for other vehicles. Gm also issued a warranty extention on the vacuum pump to 10 years 150,000 miles. However my vehicle is not on the list for the extention. This issue is a safety hazard regardless of the vehicle type. I was lucky that no one was behind me or they would have hit me.

The contact owns a 2021 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that the transmission was previously replaced. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The failure had occurred intermittently. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving approximately 15-20 mph and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond for approximately 1 minute. The vehicle was taken to the Nissan dealer it was purchased several times. The dealer retrieved diagnostic trouble codes: p057c and p057e, and the brake pedal position sensor was replaced twice; however, the failure persisted. The Nissan dealer took the vehicle to a gm dealer, where the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to TSB number: pit5994 (diagnostic tip for reduced or low engine power on acceleration). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 78,843.

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Throttle position system all of a sudden went bad. My 2017 Terrain started shaking. I was holding up traffic. The sun couldn't go over 5mph. I've read online where this is happening alot in 2010'2017 GMC Terrains.

The contact owns a 2013 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the transmission failed to shift as needed. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stopped and stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to a transmission center, which determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and filed a claim. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 172,000.

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I bought this car used and had only had it about a month when I was driving to work and was in slow traffic on the freeway when my car slowed to a stop despite the fact that I had my foot on the gas pedal. It turns out it was a transmission failure. My safety and the safety of the drivers around me were put at risk because I was unable to move my car over to the shoulder and out of the lane of traffic. Traffic was slow but was still moving. My vehicle is available for inspection but I’ve already had it repaired so I no longer have the faulty transmission. The problem was confirmed by an independent service center where I had it repaired. The vehicle was inspected by the dealer and the independent service center. The dealer had it for 12 days but was unable to diagnose it so I took it to an independent service center. It was also briefly looked at and listened to by the highway patrol officer who assisted me and he also thought that the transmission had failed. The check engine light was on when this incident occurred but I was having an issue with one of the glow plugs and I thought that that was the reason. The check engine light came on the night before the transmission failed.

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The contact owns a 2019 GMC Terrain. The contact stated upon taking the vehicle to the Nissan dealer where it was purchased for an oil change, the dealer informed the contact that there was a crack in the transmission. The vehicle was then taken to a GMC dealer, where the contact was informed that the crack was more than two months old. The dealer determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,700.

[xxx] once again while diving down the road 45mph Terrain once again goes in to park ,I was lucky the lady behind me wasn't to close . Also I contacted onstar when I was able to get vehicle moving at the store . . I told her what happen she ran diagnostics while parked at store said there was no codes I let onstar know this has happened several times. . I had no warning, no indication, no lights came on. And I also let her know that this same vehicle was still stalling I was at intersection and the auto/stop is always on it will not let you bypass or default took it to dealership who I bought cpo back when it first would not let me turn it off cause its stalls at stop signs ,red lights etc crazy thing is if you turn the ac on it cranks up , if you hit the door unlock it starts. . . Thats not normal GMC knows that the dealership whom sold me cpo that wasn't the misleading is beyond crazy. . Gsm cussed me out it comes with life time warranty but when I had it towed right after I bought it 2 months . . I was talking about what the mechanics had said that this vehicle was in prior flood and accident GMC onstar has a different VIN then the one that on the vehicle. . The doors are not original I can see the inside of steering wheel and on dash where they said air bags were deployed and they did a [xxx] job hiding it . . . I paid over 32k for this 2020 Terrain that was advertised as cpo with 1 owner in florida they showed me a fraudulent carfax, I pulled up my own and it came from new york . . This vehicle is not safe to drive but I dont have any other options. . I have made complaint with both GMC and my finance company whom also wrote complaint on dealership and the told me I could rewind the loan but when I told dealership I knew that they sold me a vehicle that was not cpo and what I learned he came at me at dealership infront of workers and customers . . The vehicle just going to end up getting myself killed or someone else. . Semi had to run off road to avoid hitting me information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act.

The contact owns a 2024 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and preparing to complete a left turn, there was an abnormal pop coming from underneath the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the driveshaft had fractured. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that several days later the contact heard a loud pop, prompting the contact to take the vehicle back to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the sound. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 1,200.

The contact owns a 2021 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the transmission erroneously shifted to the neutral, causing the vehicle to decelerate. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated normally. During the failure, the message " power reduced" was displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 36,000.

Timing chain. It had no warning and failed due to poor design and gm in europe fixed/addressed the issue by installing a plate behind the tensioner a part that isn’t available in the us.

Brake vacuum pump premature failure. As you see GMC, Terrains, in equinox, I have an issue, while the engine it's on while driving etc, if this bark fails, you will have an issue I'm trying to stop. This is a known problem or gm. And as of now, they have not come out with a solution or a recall for this problem. This problem has caused many customers. To lose thousands of dollars, he repairs. I'm not covered by the warranty. This should be addressed and repaired as soon as possible as it may cause someone else to lose their life. Second problem is the 9 speed transmission transmission lack power when trying to gain speed as you enter the highway. Lastly they blamed the selenoids etc. Lastly the pulley belt retention broke down premature with only 68k miles. This is an ongoing problem gm is well aware and tries to hide or fix. When someone buys a vehicle we expect to last longer than 100k miles.

Vehicle is consuming excessive amount of oil in short drive time up to 3qt in less than 1000 miles. With no oil leaks. Vehicle only has 139840 miles. Has regular oil changes and services done.

When accelerating, the engine revved up, switched itself from drive to park, resulting in complete loss of control and the vehicle coming to a sudden stop. The car behind narrowly avoided a rear-end collision by swerving around me. The malfunction indicator light came on for the first time, and the vehicle would not switch out of park. After turning the ignition off and on again, the vehicle would switch out of park. The GMC service inspector ran diagnostics and found fault codes related to the transmission valve components that must be replaced.

The contact owns a 2022 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling, there was while smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with oil intrusion into the pistons, causing transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The dealer changed the oil and advised the contact to return every two thousand miles. On a separate occasion, the contact stated that while her husband was driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated and jerked. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had progressively worsened. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 18,686.

My car lost oil while I was driving. I also lost power. I had my car over to a garage and the mechanic diagnosed it was a ruptured rear main seal caused by a frozen pcv system. Gm knows about the problem but has not recalled it. It is very expensive to repair. And because the manufacturer knows about it but never told the consumer, is fraudulent.

Driving home from dropping my daughter off at school. When slowing down at stop sign, car locked up brakes completely, almost went through stop sign, car shut down engine and placed vehicle in park. Diagnosis is a vacuum pump failure, causing reluctor wheel to spin freely from camshaft. This happened without warning at 70k miles. Diagnostic report from three weeks prior showed no bad diagnostics with engine or drivetrain components, or brake components. Had to have car towed from intersection where I was impeding traffic due to sudden failure. Garage is concerned regarding potential for debris and engine damage, as well as timing issues due to sudden failure of vacuum pump. Gm has authorized vacuum pump recalls on other makes from prior years, not Terrain for some reason. This is how becoming highly reported failure among GMC/chevy vehicles with shaft driven vacuum pump design between 2019-2022. Gm has stopped using this design on 23 and newer models. They should absolutely recall these older models for this issue. Sudden vacuum pump failure can lead to unrepairable engine damage due to design.

While driving the car went into power save mode and completely shut down. There were no prior lights or warnings that the car was having issues. While driving at 45mph on a busy road it just suddenly shut down. It would not move to get it out of the road. I was almost hit from behind. After the car was towed, it was diagnosed as a broken vacuum pump and exhaust camshaft. Our Terrain only has 67,773 miles at the time of the incident which was unfortunately just outside of warranty. Since this incident and the repair, the car has had to go back to the shop 4 times. It is still not driving correctly and stalled as I pulled out onto a main road almost causing an accident. Still working on getting it diagnosed and repaired correctly. The mechanics I have spoken to indicated this engine/car is known for these issues. Without any warning lights or signs of issues prior it really put us in a dangerous situation.

The engine in my 2020 GMC Terrain is consuming oil at an alarming rate, burning through a full supply within one hour of operation. This excessive oil consumption has repeatedly caused significant damage to the coils and spark plugs, rendering them ineffective within 24 hours. The issue has led to multiple cylinder misfires, poor vehicle performance, and a transmission stall, posing a serious safety risk while driving. The GMC mechanic at jim ellis Buick GMC diagnosed the problem as internal damage to the pistons, which they state requires a full engine replacement. They also confirmed an internal oil leak within the engine, which is contributing to bad emissions and further degrading vehicle performance. This defect not only compromises the reliability and safety of the vehicle but also raises significant environmental concerns due to the excessive oil burning and emissions. I am requesting a thorough investigation to address this issue and determine whether it is part of a broader manufacturing defect affecting similar vehicles.

My vehicle only has 78,000 miles on it and the timing chain needs to be replaced?! this is no longer under warranty because it’s been over 5 years but this should last a life time. Now I have a car that doesn’t start or run that I have to make payments on and no one wants to do the work on my car! I looked online and a bunch of people are having the same issue with the same exact car at similar mileage and the same issue! GMC needs to do a recall on this issue, many people are losing money and it’s a financial crisis.

The contact owns a 2014 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while at a complete stop at the red traffic light, the doors were making locking and unlocking sounds. The contact stated upon depressing the accelerator pedal to resume driving, the vehicle failed to exceed 25 mph. The messages "service stabilitrak" and "service power steering" were displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was being diagnosed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 159,500.

Gear selector.

First time I had problems with my 2021 Terrain I took it to victory GMC on 9/20/24. At the it had 45,000 miles. Every time I would drive and accelerate it would shake extremely bad in the floorboard. There was also transmission fluid leaking. I picked the car up on 9/27/2024 and was advised that both front axles were replaced, which corrected the shaking and the driver side axle seal was replaced, which was where the leak was coming from. This was covered under warranty but at 45,000 miles I should not have been already having axle problems or any type of leak. I dropped my car off again on may 5, 2025. When I called them the day I made the appointment I let them know I had a service transmission message show up and then go away, I told them it’s taking longer to kick into gear when I’m on the highway, I told them it revs up past 4 1/2 rpms at times when it had not previously done this and it just sounded like the engine is working harder. I also told them I had a check engine line come on and go off and it was code p2271 which was an oxygen sensor code. I also told them when I had the oil changed. They told me there was a slight oil cooler leak starting. All this was supposedly addressed when I dropped it off to be serviced on 5/5/25. I was called on five 625 to pick up my vehicle notifying me that they found no issues. They were unable to verify concern concerning my check engine light. They said there was no oil cooler leaking, it was just slightly seeping, so not considered a leak. And they said no transmission concern operated as designed. Fast forward to may 9, 2025… I got in my car in the morning and once again the check engine light was on. I drove it straight to GMC and had them put the reader on it. The oxygen sensor code came on. The same code I told them about on the 5th that they said was fine on the 6th. I made an appointment once again to get this check engine light looked at although the check engine light is not on at the moment again.