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2020 GMC Terrain

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2020 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

Limited mileage data: 40 of 195 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

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 63 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 57 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 27 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 reports2 fire reports3 injury reports

Fuel/propulsion System complaints

25 reports
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Mileage unknown · Feb 7, 2023
Fuel/propulsion SystemService BrakesSteering

Service brake assists light flashes on dashboard . Steering wheel locks up and jerk’s loose suddenly when making a right turn, in these moments when the steering wheel jerks loose ;hands are off taken off the steering wheel otherwise injury can occur. Battery life 2 -yrs old is not performing optimally. Can not hold a sufficie…

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Service brake assists light flashes on dashboard . Steering wheel locks up and jerk’s loose suddenly when making a right turn, in these moments when the steering wheel jerks loose ;hands are off taken off the steering wheel otherwise injury can occur. Battery life 2 -yrs old is not performing optimally. Can not hold a sufficient charge and ESC light flashes. Vdnt valve leaks discovered.

NHTSA ODI #11506056

Mileage unknown · Sep 28, 2022
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train

Turbo failed. Car ran fine with no warning lights. Stopped at red light entering interstate and then could not accelerate which left us stuck in traffic. When it did move it would not shift and took over a mile to get above 20mph in a 65mph zone.

NHTSA ODI #11486951

Mileage unknown · May 4, 2022
Fuel/propulsion System

I had been fishing at the lake and went to leave and when I got in my car I put it in reverse and backed up then put in drive to pull forward, only I pushed the throttle all the way to the floor and the vehicle was completely unresponsive. I put it back in reverse and backed up a little more then put back in drive and same thing…

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I had been fishing at the lake and went to leave and when I got in my car I put it in reverse and backed up then put in drive to pull forward, only I pushed the throttle all the way to the floor and the vehicle was completely unresponsive. I put it back in reverse and backed up a little more then put back in drive and same thing happened. I then put it in neutral and have it gas and with the pedal to the floor it barely revved the engine at all. I put it back in drive and floored it again and started turning the when from side to side still nothing. I put it in park then back in drive and with the gas pedal to the floor it barely started to creep forward. It continued to creep for about 40ft then all of a sudden the throttle worked and vehicle jerked forward. 2 days later I was driving in town with my daughter in the car and slowed down before turning up a steep hill and the vehicle did the same thing. Gas pedal to the floor and wouldn't accelerate. Only this time I almost got rear ended. I have contacted the dealer and told them I need a loaner while my vehicle is fixed and their response was "I don't know what to tell you we don't have any". I called GM and they said they would contact the dealer and see if they just don't have any loaners available or of they don't offer them and said they would call me back. The end of the next day I still haven't heard from them so I reach out to them again this time being told "an owning advisor has already handled your claim, sorry you haven't been updated yet". I don't need updates, I need a safe vehicle for me and my kids! My car has only 57XXX miles plus I bought a 100,000 extended warranty. Please hold GM accountable for their poor quality of vehicles and even worse customer service!

NHTSA ODI #11463428

Mileage unknown · Feb 3, 2022
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemVehicle Speed Control

As I was driving on the highway in New York on Route 17 south near exit 111, I tried to accelerate but when I did the car went slower and the check engine light and traction control lights came on. I was right in front of a huge truck and thank God I was in the right lane that I was able to quickly get on the shoulder and turn …

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As I was driving on the highway in New York on Route 17 south near exit 111, I tried to accelerate but when I did the car went slower and the check engine light and traction control lights came on. I was right in front of a huge truck and thank God I was in the right lane that I was able to quickly get on the shoulder and turn the car off. I was able to make it to where I was going, but it was very nerve wracking. I took the car to the dealer service center and was told that it was probably a fuse issue. It turns out my entire engine has to be rebuilt. I have approximately 25,000 on my car, how could it require an entire engine rebuild? The dealer has gotten me two rentals cars that only last 5 days at a time each time and now I’m driving a dealer loaner. It’s been 3 weeks and still nothing. I’m still making payments on my car.

NHTSA ODI #11450302

5,000 miles · Nov 18, 2020
Fuel/propulsion System

VEHICLE WAS ON 1/8 OF A TANK,I TRIED TO FILL, IT WOULD ONLY TAKE ON 5 GALLONS OF FUEL, GAS GAUGE READ FULL. REPORTED TO DEALER, THERE IS A 'BULLETIN' ON THE VEHICLE, FUEL TANK WAS REPLACED. AFTER SUCCESSFULLY FILLING TANK 3 TIMES, IT HAPPENED AGAIN, RETURNED VEHICLE TO DEALER, THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE, BROUGHT VEHICLE HOME, DEAL…

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VEHICLE WAS ON 1/8 OF A TANK,I TRIED TO FILL, IT WOULD ONLY TAKE ON 5 GALLONS OF FUEL, GAS GAUGE READ FULL. REPORTED TO DEALER, THERE IS A 'BULLETIN' ON THE VEHICLE, FUEL TANK WAS REPLACED. AFTER SUCCESSFULLY FILLING TANK 3 TIMES, IT HAPPENED AGAIN, RETURNED VEHICLE TO DEALER, THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE, BROUGHT VEHICLE HOME, DEALER WAS ABLE TO FILL TANK WITH APPROX 13 GALLONS, I RAN IT TO 1/8 OF A TANK TRIED TO FILL AND IT CONTINUES TO ONLY FILL WITH 2-6 GALLONS, AND RECORD ON THE GAUGE A FULL TANK. VERY DIFFICULT TO TELL HOW MUCH FUEL IS ON BOARD. MEETING WITH GMC DISTRICT REP 11/19/2020. THEY SUGGESTED I DRIVE IT TILL IT RUNS OUT OF FUEL AS TO SEE WHAT THE GAUGE READS! REALLY? HELP PLEASE! I HAVE PHOTOS OF THE PUMPS AND DASHBOARD TO RECORD AND TIME STAMP. I NEED HELP PLEASE! THE FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS SEPTEMBER 28, 2020 , SECOND OCCURRENCE OCTOBER 16,2020 AND THIRD WAS NOVEMBER 15,2020. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER ON OCTOBER 16, THEY TRIED TO REPLICATE WITH NO LUCK, VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO ME NOVEMBER 11,2020! 26 DAYS LATER. HELP!

NHTSA ODI #11375306

Official recalls

2

23V339000 · Child Seat:vehicle Latch Anchor

May 11, 2023

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The four rear-seat lower child seat LATCH anchorage bars may have excessive powder coating, which could prevent a child seat from being installed with the anchorage bars. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: The inability to install a child seat with the LATCH anchorage bars could result in an unsecured child seat, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy: Owners are advised to install child seats using the vehicle's rear seat belts until the remedy is complete. Dealers will inspect the latch anchorage bars, and remove and replace the finish, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 2, 2023. 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 N232403240.

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.

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.