Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
490–25K
1125–50K
1150–75K
875–100K
7100–150K
5150K+
91 reports with mileage · 129 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
Service Brakes. Review the 68 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine. Review the 53 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Power Train. Review the 41 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
14 crash reports1 fire reports7 injury reports
What owners actually said
220 reports
77,000 miles · Aug 28, 2025
Electrical System
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the infotainment system screen and radio inadvertently switched stations from AM to FM. On other occasions, while driving and using the GPS system, the screen went blank. The contact stated that on several occasions…
Read full complaint
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the infotainment system screen and radio inadvertently switched stations from AM to FM. On other occasions, while driving and using the GPS system, the screen went blank. The contact stated that on several occasions the screen was turned off, and on other occasions, the screen was turned off and on however, the failure was temporally fixed. The vehicle was not diagnosed of repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.
NHTSA ODI #11683657
Mileage unknown · Aug 22, 2025
Forward Collision AvoidanceLane Departure
It starts to “warn” you by the seat doing whatever it does and the dash lights up collision flashing and slams on the brakes when nothing is even around
NHTSA ODI #11682338
Mileage unknown · Aug 7, 2025
Power Train
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…
Read full complaint
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.
NHTSA ODI #11678945
Mileage unknown · Jul 25, 2025
Service Brakes
Difficulty with power assistive braking when traveling at low speeds
NHTSA ODI #11676088
Mileage unknown · Jul 14, 2025
Electrical SystemService BrakesUnknown Or Other
Component Affected: Service Brakes, Hydraulic – Brake Vacuum Pump Summary of the Problem: I am reporting a serious safety issue involving the brake vacuum pump on my 2018 GMC Terrain. The brake pump failed catastrophically ("blew up"), resulting in a sudden loss of braking power. This occurred without warning and posed a signi…
Read full complaint
Component Affected: Service Brakes, Hydraulic – Brake Vacuum Pump Summary of the Problem: I am reporting a serious safety issue involving the brake vacuum pump on my 2018 GMC Terrain. The brake pump failed catastrophically ("blew up"), resulting in a sudden loss of braking power. This occurred without warning and posed a significant risk to my safety and others on the road. We were traveling to vacation in Florida and thankfully had just gotten off the interstate. Details: The failure caused the brake pedal to become extremely hard to press, and the vehicle required a much longer distance to stop. We experienced no brake at the brake booster and a blown vacuum pump is due to a faulty vacuum pump which is a known issue for this model. Fortunately, no accident occurred, but the situation could have easily led to a collision. A certified mechanic confirmed that the brake vacuum pump exploded and needs to be replaced. I have incurred significant out-of-pocket repair costs due to this issue. We had to uber to our vacation room, get Walmart Plus to have groceries delivered to our room. We had to have Uber Eats deliver other supplies. We have had to walk to various places for dinner and entertainment because Avis and Budget had no vehicles available to rent and Enterprise was closed as we arrived on Saturday afternoon. I have checked for recalls and service bulletins using my VIN, but none are currently listed for this specific issue, despite similar problems being reported in other GM vehicles. Request: I urge the NHTSA to investigate this issue further. The failure of a critical braking component without warning is a serious safety concern. I believe this may be part of a broader pattern of brake system failures in GM vehicles and should be addressed through a recall or safety campaign. Also, the estimate for the repair is $2,500 so any reimbursement would be greatly appreciated. We just received this estimate but I can provide it at a later date.
NHTSA ODI #11673291
Mileage unknown · Jul 9, 2025
Engine
Broken piston land and ring. car went into 'limp mode' while driving on interstate. Taken to dealer, told new engine was needed.
NHTSA ODI #11672277
Mileage unknown · Jun 17, 2025
EngineService Brakes
My car started experiencing a strange problem while braking on June 15. I released the parking brake leaving my parents driveway. I coasted backwards (as usual), and when I pressed the brake the car didn't stop as expected and the brake pedal was very hard to press. It eventually stopped. I put into park, then put the emergency …
Read full complaint
My car started experiencing a strange problem while braking on June 15. I released the parking brake leaving my parents driveway. I coasted backwards (as usual), and when I pressed the brake the car didn't stop as expected and the brake pedal was very hard to press. It eventually stopped. I put into park, then put the emergency brake on, then released all and tried again and encountered the same issue, that it was very very slow to stop and the brake pedal was hard to push in. I got home, parked the car - tested the reverse brake on flat surface and didn't notice the issue. The next day, the problem started happening with the front brake as well and an error code popped up that said 'check brake assist' which I've never seen before. I brought it to my local mechanic, who took a look and said that it's a vacuum pump failure, and the result is a lot of metal shards were released into the engine when the vacuum pump failed. My mechanic recommended I take to a GMC dealer for further evaluation. I looked up the recall on this issue, and see that it impacts a lot cars, including the 2017 GMC terrain, but not my 2018 GMC terrain. I am going to take it to the GMC dealer but I'm afraid I won't be able to afford the repair, and it doesn't seem like there was anything I could have done to prevent this from happening.
NHTSA ODI #11667521
Mileage unknown · May 23, 2025
Air BagsSeat BeltsCrashInjury
The contact owned a 2018 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving and nearly coming to a complete stop in the right lane, another vehicle driving approximately 40-50 MPH crashed into the rear of the vehicle, causing the contact to hit her face against the steering wheel, and the contact became unconscious temporarily. …
Read full complaint
The contact owned a 2018 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving and nearly coming to a complete stop in the right lane, another vehicle driving approximately 40-50 MPH crashed into the rear of the vehicle, causing the contact to hit her face against the steering wheel, and the contact became unconscious temporarily. The contact stated that upon regaining consciousness, the contact noticed that the vehicle had moved to the grass by the left lane of the road, where traffic was going in the opposite direction. It was unknown whether the vehicle was involved in a second collision. A message advising that an accident was detected and inquiring whether 911 should be contacted was displayed. The contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy, and the front driver's side seat belt failed to retract as needed. A bystander opened the driver's side door to verify that the contact was safe. The contact noticed that she was bleeding significantly and was unable to move the right shoulder and the neck. The emergency units assisted the contact out of the vehicle. The emergency units placed braces on the contact's neck and placed the contact on a stretcher. The contact was transported to the hospital, where the contact underwent X-rays and CT scans. The contact was informed that she had sustained a concussion, lumbar injuries, a fractured nose, loss of taste and smell, laceration on the inner and outer side of the bottom lip, carpal tunnel on the right hand, severe whiplash, laceration on the right shoulder, and a cut behind the right ear. The contact was in the process of undergoing MRIs. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and totaled, but was still under investigation. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed; however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA ODI #11662829
Mileage unknown · May 5, 2025
EnginePower Train
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.
NHTSA ODI #11659131
Mileage unknown · Apr 21, 2025
Service Brakes
Brake booster went out and lost all braking ability on interstate doing 65 mph in spring of 2022 - had brake booster and exhaust cam replaced and April 20 2025 same break and same effect - no braking ability at interstate speed - extremely dangerous situation
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure fuel line.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump, and high pressure fuel pipe, free of charge. The recall began July 2, 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 18188.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 GMC Terrain vehicles. The sensing diagnostic module (SDM) that senses a crash and deploys the necessary air bags may not power down correctly when the vehicle is shut off, causing it to be inoperative when the vehicle is restarted.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the SDM becomes inoperative, it will not detect a crash or command the necessary air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the SDM with updated software, free of charge. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18179.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles and 2017-2018 GMC Acadia vehicles. The right front intermediate driveshaft may fracture and separate while driving.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the front right intermediate drive shaft assembly separates while driving, the vehicle will lose propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. If the assembly separates while parked on a grade, without the park brake engaged, the vehicle may move unintentionally, increasing the risk of a vehicle roll-away.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the right front intermediate drive shaft assembly, free of charge. The recall began August 25, 2017. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 17329.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0
No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
2018 GMC Terrain Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year