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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.

About this comparison →

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

What owners actually said

195 reports
Mileage unknown · Jul 11, 2024
Service Brakes

As I was driving, brakes became very hard to press. I was barely able to slow down to bring the car to a complete stop. Brakes became very stiff and required a ton of force to come to a complete stop. This came with no warning signs or alerts from vehicle. It was only after this occurred that the Service Break Assist light came …

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As I was driving, brakes became very hard to press. I was barely able to slow down to bring the car to a complete stop. Brakes became very stiff and required a ton of force to come to a complete stop. This came with no warning signs or alerts from vehicle. It was only after this occurred that the Service Break Assist light came on.

NHTSA ODI #11601236

Mileage unknown · Jul 1, 2024
Fuel/propulsion System

On Wednesday, June 26, 2024 my 2020 gmc terrain unexpectedly malfunctioned and failed to restart. The engine light came on and I attempted to restart it for nearly 2 hours with no success. Fortunately, it finally started and once I got it home my fiancé plugged the car up to the code reader. P129F “Manufacturer Control” were th…

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On Wednesday, June 26, 2024 my 2020 gmc terrain unexpectedly malfunctioned and failed to restart. The engine light came on and I attempted to restart it for nearly 2 hours with no success. Fortunately, it finally started and once I got it home my fiancé plugged the car up to the code reader. P129F “Manufacturer Control” were the results. After further researching, this is for the fuel pump/fuel pump control modular assembly. In January 2023, NHTSA released a notice for my exact vehicle for this very scenario I experienced. And as of June 6th, 2024 a class action lawsuit was filed against gmc for this issue as well. My vehicle is not able to be repaired due to 1) my vin not being included on the recall list and 2) all the parts that were in inventory are also deemed unsafe due to the lawsuit documents shared online and this has caused a nationwide back order per my conversation with 3 gmc/chevy dealerships. At this point my vehicle is unreliable and unsafe to transport myself or my children.

NHTSA ODI #11598066

Mileage unknown · Jun 24, 2024
Electrical SystemEngineFuel/propulsion System

Purchased Vehicle brand new- Beck & Masten Buick GM - Houston, TX [XXX] Performed rout maint regularly. Last oil change 1-5-2024 before catastrophic failure and complete engine seizure. Towed to Wiesner GMC [XXX] 1-12-2024: Mileage on car roughly 99K- had no issues no check engine light, no mechanical failure or indication th…

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Purchased Vehicle brand new- Beck & Masten Buick GM - Houston, TX [XXX] Performed rout maint regularly. Last oil change 1-5-2024 before catastrophic failure and complete engine seizure. Towed to Wiesner GMC [XXX] 1-12-2024: Mileage on car roughly 99K- had no issues no check engine light, no mechanical failure or indication that anything was running other than normal. No Start on [XXX] PM after work, tried to return next day with battery , changed out battery, engine still would not start, after new battery installed and we attempted to start, that is when engine started making loud shaking motion while attempting to start, windshield wipers came on randomly. First initial diagnostic: Found all oils & fluids in check, could not identify cause of failure, would have to break down and take apart. Had to authorize the tear down at a 1800.00 cost, 2/2/2024: Broke down engine, found that the crankshaft would move one way , but not other, removed the engine from transmission and now crankshaft moves freely. Now the AC comp is locked up (excessive play on magnet & clutch) , tech still unable to identify what caused the failure, they advised that they found traces of metal in oil pan, scored cylinder walls, starter shorted as well. They still could not indicate where these metal pieces came from, how or that it was due to owner negligence or manuf defects. Again this is a vehicle with 99K Miles and now we were looking at a 15K price tag for a new engine, turbo, AC, starter on a car that is worth 12K. This is absolutely insane. We reached out for Goodwill Discounts for some assistance since the dealership could not solidify a cause of failure, but GM decided to not warranty and stand behind their product. We were left with a rebuild option for 7500.00. which we had to do in order to get the car back. I am completely disappointed in GM as a company. This engine should have never failed at 99K. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11596150

50,000 miles · May 1, 2024
Engine And Engine CoolingPower TrainService Brakes

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle lost braking power. The driver was able to pull over safely. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the vacuum pump had shattered. The vehicle was repaired, but …

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The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle lost braking power. The driver was able to pull over safely. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the vacuum pump had shattered. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The contact reached out to a GMC engineer, who informed the contact that the failure was due to the camshaft reluctor. While driving, the vehicle lost engine power. The vehicle was towed to the same local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the throttle body needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the turbo code had a mass air flow sensor failure. The vehicle was repaired. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the reduced engine power message was displayed. There was blue smoke detected from the exhaust. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the throttle had failed. The vehicle was towed to another local dealer, Power GMC Chevrolet of Newport (1422 N Coast Hwy, Newport, OR 97365) where it was diagnosed that the air pipe charge and air cooler needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the local dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA ODI #11586371

Mileage unknown · Mar 4, 2024
Service Brakes

This Saturday morning driving my family to Bradenton as I was coming off the hwy to my exit when I experienced a brake fail I thought, brakes got real hard and I couldn't stop the car on time like I wanted to, so I had to press the brakes pedal harder to come to a complete stop, three different places no one knew what could be t…

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This Saturday morning driving my family to Bradenton as I was coming off the hwy to my exit when I experienced a brake fail I thought, brakes got real hard and I couldn't stop the car on time like I wanted to, so I had to press the brakes pedal harder to come to a complete stop, three different places no one knew what could be the problem until I took it to GMC dealership they can only give a code P0556 / U0401 SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST, seems it was too late to checked out they where about to close , something to do with the busters not sure yet but it's getting checked out tomorrow morning, I was driving on cruise control at a speed limit when this happened, will let you know what's the result of my situation.

NHTSA ODI #11575231

Mileage unknown · Feb 13, 2024
Unknown Or Other

While driving my vehicle, check engine light came on. Then, my car proceeded to flash about 4 warnings on the dash, Fuel Level Low (had half tank of gas), Engine Power Reduced, Service ESC, and Service Transmission. My vehicle shut itself off while driving 55 down a main highway and put itself into park. Forcing me to pull over …

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While driving my vehicle, check engine light came on. Then, my car proceeded to flash about 4 warnings on the dash, Fuel Level Low (had half tank of gas), Engine Power Reduced, Service ESC, and Service Transmission. My vehicle shut itself off while driving 55 down a main highway and put itself into park. Forcing me to pull over and be stranded on the side of the road. In the way of other cars, with no way to get out of the way. I then had to shut car off, wait, and start it back it up. However, after the first time this happened, I cannot drive my vehicle more than 15 to 20 minutes without it doing this to me over and over again. To make matters worse, I am 37 weeks pregnant, and the last thing I need is to be without a car. I also had just gotten my vehicle inspected and an oil change the week before, with no issues to show. The only thing I did to my car before it did this, was remote start my vehicle, which I do every single morning and have for the little over a year I've owned this car. Also, my car has less than 60,000 miles on it!! The mechanic who is currently working on fixing this issue for me, has concluded it to be a throttle body, or the actuator of the car.

NHTSA ODI #11571635

Mileage unknown · Feb 3, 2024
Service Brakes

Brake booster failed with no warning. Brake pad was hard to push down as I exited the freeway. I came close to hitting the vehicle in front of me which would have resulted in a bad car accident. There were no warning. This is extremely dangerous and is a risk to not only the driver but also to vehicles in the path of a vehicle t…

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Brake booster failed with no warning. Brake pad was hard to push down as I exited the freeway. I came close to hitting the vehicle in front of me which would have resulted in a bad car accident. There were no warning. This is extremely dangerous and is a risk to not only the driver but also to vehicles in the path of a vehicle that cannot stop. This needs to be a recall along with the other vehicles that have a recall for this part.

NHTSA ODI #11569634

Mileage unknown · Jan 20, 2024
Service Brakes

Heard a ticking noise coming from the engine compartment. I opened the hood to investigate which I first check oil level as sounded like a lifter making the noise but all fluid levels was normal. I drove home and 3 miles later ticking noise went away and my adaptive brake assist came in and the brake pedal was hard to press. Luc…

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Heard a ticking noise coming from the engine compartment. I opened the hood to investigate which I first check oil level as sounded like a lifter making the noise but all fluid levels was normal. I drove home and 3 miles later ticking noise went away and my adaptive brake assist came in and the brake pedal was hard to press. Luckily I lived another mile down the road so I got the car home and safely parked it. One of the symptoms is hearing a ticking noise from engine when a braking component fails. Further learned could be a vacuum issue which needs a software update which makes no sense. Had I been traveling highway speeds when this happened this story could have a had a very different tragic ending. Car has less then 53000 miles on it

NHTSA ODI #11566737

57,000 miles · Dec 22, 2023
Power Train

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while at a stop, there was an abnormal burning odor coming from the vehicle, with the service brake assist message displayed. The brake pedal became firm, and the contact used excessive force to stop the vehicle. The contact pulled into a gas station and restarted the …

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The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while at a stop, there was an abnormal burning odor coming from the vehicle, with the service brake assist message displayed. The brake pedal became firm, and the contact used excessive force to stop the vehicle. The contact pulled into a gas station and restarted the vehicle while the check engine light was illuminated. Despite the failure, the contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence. The contact inspected underneath the hood and discovered an oil leak as well as black soot that had covered the entire engine. The dealer was notified of the failure and provided the contact with a diagnostic fee for an inspection. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V668000 (Power Train) which was linked to the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.

NHTSA ODI #11561481

Mileage unknown · Oct 14, 2023
EngineUnknown Or OtherVehicle Speed Control

On 4/10/2023, I took my vehicle to a local GMC dealership because it was stalling and didn't have any power. Upon accelerating the vehicle it would stall and take off at a high speed. The dealership has had my vehicle periodically from April 2023 and it presently sets at the dealership because they ain't getting a code, But aft…

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On 4/10/2023, I took my vehicle to a local GMC dealership because it was stalling and didn't have any power. Upon accelerating the vehicle it would stall and take off at a high speed. The dealership has had my vehicle periodically from April 2023 and it presently sets at the dealership because they ain't getting a code, But after the dealership drove the truck for over 200 miles, they were finally able to duplicate the stalling yet are not able to diagnose the problem!! This vehicle is very dangerous to be on the road and I have almost gotten hit twice and I'm not driving the vehicle anymore at this time. I have previously reached out to you all and I would be most thankful if you could get in touch with me. Thank you

NHTSA ODI #11549930

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.