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.

Accelerating from a stopped position into a busy intersection heard a loud clunk come from engine bay resulting in immediate "Reduced engine power" warning and stall condition. Was able to push vehicle onto the side of the road. Engine would not restart and a tow truck was called. Vehicle towed to local dealership who discovered that Vacuum Pump had failed resulting in sheering off of the exhaust camshaft. Dealers recommended fix was to replace vacuum pump and camshaft at around $4,000 but could not guarantee no debris had gotten into valve body resulting in engine failure so stated they could replace with used engine for 8500. Second vacuum pump to blow on this vehicle, first at 35k miles and replaced under warranty, this incident at just under 80k miles. Could not afford repairs and vehicle has sat for nearly 2.5 years. Contacted GM many times over that time period to get no assistance, only the offer of a small discount on a new vehicle. This incident could have proven fatal if happening at highway speeds since it stalls engine out and makes braking nearly impossible. Both GM and the NHSTA have really flunked on this one, should have been recalled during first complaints in 2020. I will continue to file complaints here on NHSTA and with GM until the cows come home.

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The low power message was displayed. The contact pulled over to the left side of the road and waited for towing assistance. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was towed to an independent where it was diagnosed that timing chain, timing gears, the vacuum pump, cam phasers, and sensors all needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred by the manufacturer and was informed to contact NHTSA to report the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact's wife owns a 2019 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal was firm, and the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that upon depressing the brake pedal with excessive force, the vehicle responded as needed. The contact stated upon inspecting underneath the brake booster, the contact noticed a lot of debris due to lack of vacuum pressure. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

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.