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2019 GMC Terrain

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2019 GMC Terrain do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 182.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

50 reports with mileage · 132 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.

  • Engine. Review the 67 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes. Review the 62 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 50 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

7 crash reports3 fire reports6 injury reports

Engine complaints

67 reports
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Mileage unknown · Feb 4, 2026
EngineService Brakes

My family and I were returning home from vacation in another state, and while we were driving on the interstate, an alarm popped up on the DTC stating ruduced engine power. I tried to start slowing down so I could take the next off ramp and could not push the brake pedal in. I had absolutely no brakes trying to slow down from in…

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My family and I were returning home from vacation in another state, and while we were driving on the interstate, an alarm popped up on the DTC stating ruduced engine power. I tried to start slowing down so I could take the next off ramp and could not push the brake pedal in. I had absolutely no brakes trying to slow down from interstate speed. I was able to pull into a gas station parking lot while avoiding other vehicles. I was very lucky not to get in an accident. I had to have it towed to the nearest service center and was charged nearly $4000 for repair. The car has not ran right since we recieved it back. I called them back to let them know and was told the only way I would not have to pay to have it looked at was to bring it back to them. That shop was four and a half hours away from my house. The car was less than twenty miles out of the warranty when it broke down (nine miles to be exact), then they lied on the the paperwork and put the milage after they test drove it.

NHTSA ODI #11715704

Mileage unknown · Jan 13, 2026
EnginePower TrainService Brakes

Vehicle was started for the second time that day on 1/5/26 and the engine light was on. I drove the vehicle to an auto parts store to have them check it with an OBD-II scanner. It had code P050F. I had no idea how serious this issue could be at the time. I made an appt with the GMC dealership and dropped it off the evening of 1/…

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Vehicle was started for the second time that day on 1/5/26 and the engine light was on. I drove the vehicle to an auto parts store to have them check it with an OBD-II scanner. It had code P050F. I had no idea how serious this issue could be at the time. I made an appt with the GMC dealership and dropped it off the evening of 1/6/26. They said there was a software anomaly in the engine control module and needed to be reprogrammed. I paid the $200 diagnostic fee for them to reprogram it. I learned that this anomaly could have caused my brakes to not work while driving it. I had been driving the vehicle back and forth to work until I dropped it off. This issue could have caused serious harm or death to myself and others. While researching online, I've seen that other vehicles have had safety recalls and additional warranties added for these issues, but my vehicle isn't included in this.

NHTSA ODI #11710765

Mileage unknown · Jan 10, 2026
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train

Drove car approximately 15 miles. Parked car. Car would not turn off. Message- Transmission/Park. Wouldn't Car stayed neutral. Had to call wecker to take dealership. ... Diagnostic Solenoid Valve Body faulty.... 2019 Terrain Miles 91669. Is there recall. Have more reports of issue. Should this happen with a well maintained vehi…

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Drove car approximately 15 miles. Parked car. Car would not turn off. Message- Transmission/Park. Wouldn't Car stayed neutral. Had to call wecker to take dealership. ... Diagnostic Solenoid Valve Body faulty.... 2019 Terrain Miles 91669. Is there recall. Have more reports of issue. Should this happen with a well maintained vehicle All maintenance updated to date.

NHTSA ODI #11710073

Mileage unknown · Dec 5, 2025
Electrical SystemEnginePower Train

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…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11703191

Mileage unknown · Nov 11, 2025
Electrical SystemEngineUnknown Or Other

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 vehi…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11698842

Mileage unknown · Oct 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 …

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11694577

117,951 miles · Oct 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…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11693948

Mileage unknown · Oct 12, 2025
EngineService Brakes

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.

NHTSA ODI #11692986

Mileage unknown · Sep 10, 2025
EnginePower TrainService Brakes

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 …

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11686266

Mileage unknown · Sep 7, 2025
EngineService BrakesUnknown Or Other

Two weeks ago I was driving on the highway. My car felt fine. No warning light the dashboard. Suddenly I receive a notification on my dash stating “engine speed reduced” and my check engine light went on. My car at this point still feels fine, not shaking, no smoke, etc. I’m on the highway and not in a safe position to pull over…

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Two weeks ago I was driving on the highway. My car felt fine. No warning light the dashboard. Suddenly I receive a notification on my dash stating “engine speed reduced” and my check engine light went on. My car at this point still feels fine, not shaking, no smoke, etc. I’m on the highway and not in a safe position to pull over. 2 minutes later I receive another notification on my dash stating “service breaks”. I immediately tap my brakes to check and they are stiff. I let off the gas as I was approaching the exit and begin pumping my brakes. They continue to be stiff. Luckily there was no one I front of me as this exit led to a rotary. I was able to coast around the rotary and into a parking lot where I attempted to push the E- break which did not work. My steering tightened and then my car died. I have the car towed to GMC where I bought the vehicle. Am told I will be charged a diagnostic fee and they will let me know what they find before repairs are made. I receive a call back the following day stating “the vacuum pump exploded causing you to loose brakes”. I was told “the vacuum pump and repairs would be about $1,200. BUT they could not guarantee that once the vacuum pump was removed, there wouldn’t be more debris and destruction to the cam shaft and engine”. We asked they continue with the diagnostics and check the engine for debris. We receive a call back stating “the vacuum pump exploded and there are shards of medal debris in your engine”. Recommendations are that I need a new engine as "the vacuum pump explosion caused catastrophic damage to the engine". My safety and the safety of other innocent drivers on the highway were put in extreme danger! I lost all break control, power steering, and emergency break control. I had minutes from the time the first warning alerted to the time I lost complete control of the car. This is a known issue with GM Motors specifically made between 2016-2019.

NHTSA ODI #11685543

Official recalls

3

20V668000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission

Oct 29, 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.

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.

19V184000 · Seats

Mar 7, 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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: 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.

18V576000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:caliper

Aug 30, 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.

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.

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.