2019 GMC Terrain

Friday July 25, 2025 I was driving my 2019 GMC Terrain SLE and when exiting the interstate the brake pedal got hard and I could not stop. After almost rear ending another vehicle, I got the vehicle into the ditch and safely off the road. After several attempts to correct the problem, I was unsuccessful. The vehicle was towed home and seen by a mechanic. The vacuum pump went out while I was driving.

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the accelerator was depressed to overtake a vehicle; however, the vehicle hesitated, and RPM revved to 4,000 RPM. The vehicle then shifted into gear with a jerk, causing the vehicle to shake abnormally. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure also occurred while accelerating from a stop. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle but was unable to retrieve a fault code. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but persistent. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

ON AUGUST 23, 2019, MY VEHICLE INCURRED AN ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION FAILURE REPORTED BY GMC ONSTAR APPLICATION. THE SYMPTOMS OF FAILURE ARE REPEATED ACCELERATION SPEED CONTROL CAUSING SPEED LIMIT VIOLATIONS, INTERFERENCE WITH OTHER MOVING TRAFFIC, SPOUSAL TRAUMA, AND ILLUMINATION OF MULTIPLE DISPLAY WINDOW LIGHTS IN THE DASHBOARD BEHIND STEERING WHEEL. ON OCTOBER 14, 2019, THERE WAS A REOCCURRENCE OF THE SAME ISSUE. IN FACT, THIS REPORT IS TO GET AHEAD OF THE PROBLEM BEFORE TAKING VEHICLE FOR SERVICE THIS MORNING, OCTOBER 15, 2019, AT SEWELL BUICK GMC. I HAVE SERVICE DOCUMENTATION AND ONSTAR EMAIL MESSAGES OF FAILURE FOR EVIDENCE OF THIS REPORT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 GMC TERRAIN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40-70 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND INDEPENDENTLY DECELERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SHAMALEY BUICK GMC (LOCATED AT 955 CROCKETT ST, EL PASO, TX 79922, (915) 231-4000) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED AND THE POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE UPDATED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 95389790118. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000. THE VIN WAS INVALID.

ON JULY 4TH, 2019 AT 11:15 AM, THIS VEHICLE (LANE ASSIST AND ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL OPERATING) APPLIED ITS BRAKES SOMEWHAT AGGRESSIVELY WITHOUT REASON. THIS WAS ON A HIGHWAY. I HAVE BLACKVUE CAMERAS THAT RECORDED THE EVENT. 12:15:09 74 MPH 12:15:10 73 MPH 12:15:11 67 MPH 12:15:12 60 MPH 12:15:13 56 MPH I TAPPED THE BRAKES TO SHUT DOWN THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL. 12:15:14 56 MPH 12:15:15 55 MPH

I PURCHASED A 2019 GMC TERRAIN VIN: [XXX] ON JAN 17, 2019 AT RIZZA BUICK GMC 8415 W. 159TH STREET, TINLEY PARK IL, 60487, ON JANUARY 17, 2019. THIS WAS MY FIRST BRAND NEW CAR AND I WAS EXCITED. I TRADED IN A 2014 GMC TERRAIN IN THE PROCESS, KNOWING I WOULD BE UPSIDE DOWN ON THE LOAN. I HAD THE FIRST SERVICE DONE ON APRIL 23, 2019 AT SAID DEALERSHIP. AT THAT VISIT I EXPLAINED THAT I WAS HEARING A NOISE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE VENT EVEN WHEN THE HVAC WAS NOT RUNNING. I WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS DETECTED AND MY VEHICLE WAS FINE ON MAY 24, 2019, I DROVE MY VEHICLE TO MEMPHIS TENNESSEE WITH MY FAMILY FOR MEMORIAL DAY. ON MAY 25, 2019 THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, I WAS LOSING POWER TO THE ENGINE. THAT SAME NIGHT CUSTOMER SERVICE TOWED MY VEHICLE TO SUNRISE CHEVROLET BUICK GMC, 1800 COVINGTON PIKE MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE 38128, A NEARBY GMC DEALERSHIP AND SET UP A RENTAL CAR IN THE AREA FOR ME TO DRIVE. BECAUSE IT WAS THE HOLIDAY, ENTERPRISE WAS CLOSED, AND I HAD NO VEHICLE TO DRIVE FOR TWO DAYS. THIS WAS AN INCONVENIENCE TO ME AND MY FAMILY, I HAD TO ALTER MY TRIP PLANS THAT WERE MADE BACK IN FEBRUARY 2019. ON MAY 27, 2019 I WAS TOLD BY [XXX] THE TECHNICIAN AT SUNRISE CHEVROLET THAT AIR BOX TUBE WAS LOOSE AND NOT PROPERLY INSTALLED AND COULD HAVE BEEN DONE DURING MY SERVICE I HAD DONE APRIL 23RD. I WAS ASSURED EVERYTHING WAS OKAY AND I WAS GOOD TO GO. ON MAY 31, WHILE TRAVELING BACK HOME THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. SAME MESSAGE ON THE DASH AND IT WAS RAINING AT 3AM. I WAS CLOSE TO HOME AND WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT I PURCHASED IT FROM. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN SERVICE SINCE MAY 31, 2019 AND I AM JUST FINDING OUT THAT I HAVE A PART THAT IS ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER. I AM NOT SATISFIED WITH MY EXPERIENCE AN I AM REACHING OUT TO YOU TO RESOLVE THIS MATTER. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE SHIFTER IS DANGEROUS. IT ALLOWS YOU TO INADVERTENTLY SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING. IN A CAR WITH A NORMAL SHIFTER, THE SHIFTER NEEDS TO BE PUSHED WITH SIGNIFICANT FORCE TO MOVE IT INTO NEUTRAL AND THE RESULTING THUNK WILL LET YOU KNOW IT HAPPENED. IN THIS CAR, SINCE IT IS AN ELECTRONIC BUTTON THAT CAN BE EASILY PRESSED, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT IS IN A LOCATION WHERE IT MIGHT GET HIT BY AN OBJECT LIKE A PURSE. THE DRIVER MAY WIND UP WITHOUT POWER AND THEN NOT HAVE AN EASY WAY TO REINGAGE DRIVE. ALSO, THERE IS NO PHYSICAL DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN DRIVE AND REVERSE, WHICH CAN CAUSE CONFUSION IN LOW SPEED DRIVING INTERACTIONS IF A DRIVER DOES NOT LOOK AT THE BUTTONS. VEHICLES SHOULD HAVE A SOFTWARE UPDATE TO INDICATE WHEN THE VEHICLE GOES INTO NEUTRAL ABOVE A CERTAIN SPEED AS WELL AS HAVING THE PHYSICAL BUTTONS REPLACED WITH SOMETHING THAT OFFERS A TACTILE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REVERSE AND DRIVE.

VEHICLE CAN BE INADVERTENTLY BY EITHER A PASSENGER OR AN OBJECT PUT INTO NEUTRAL. NO ALERT OR CHIME IS MADE TO ALERT THE DRIVER THAT THE CAR IS IN NEUTRAL, ONLY THE GEAR SELECTOR ON THE DASH OR THE LIGHT ON THE BUTTON INDICATES THAT IT IS IN NEUTRAL. IF SOMETHING IS COVERING THE SHIFTER, SUCH AS A BAG OR OTHER ITEM, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT AN ACCCIDENT MIGHT OCCUR BECUASE THE BAG OR ITEM MAY PRESS THE BUTTON, SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL CAUSE THE DRIVER TO BE CONFUSED AND NOT HAVE POWER TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. A CHIME SHOULD ALERT THE DRIVER THAT THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN PUT IN NEUTRAL SO IT DRAWS ATTENTION TO THAT FACT. IN ANOTHER SCENARIO A SMALL CHILD THAT IS OLD ENOUGH TO SIT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT BUT NOT OLD ENOUGH TO UNDERSTAND THE CONTROLS MIGHT PRESS THE BUTTON, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO MANEUVER OUT OF THE WAY OF AN IMPENDING COLLISION. I HAVE VERIFIED THIS POSSIBILITY BY PRESSING THE NEUTRAL BUTTON AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND IT IS VERY POSSIBLE FOR IT TO HAPPEN UNINTENTIONALLY. OTHER VEHICLES WITH SIMILAR SYSTEMS HAVE THE BUTTONS AND OR SHIFTER IN A PLACE WHERE INADVERTENT ENGAGEMENT OF THE BUTTON IS UNLIKELY. OTHER SCENARIOS - PEOPLE PLACING PHONES, BAGS ETC DURING THE COURSE OF DRIVING, AS ON A HIGHWAY MAY INTERFERE WITH SHIFTING IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION OR MAY CAUSE ONE BY PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL. AS IN AN HOUR IN ON A LONG DRIVE, SOMEONE BLOCKS THE SHIFTER BECAUSE THEY AREN'T IN NEED OF IT AT THE MOMENT AS THEY MIGHT BE WHILE PARKING OR MANEUVERING IN CITY TRAFFIC.