Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
490–25K
1125–50K
1150–75K
875–100K
7100–150K
5150K+
91 reports with mileage · 129 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.
Service Brakes. Review the 68 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine. Review the 53 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Power Train. Review the 41 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
14 crash reports1 fire reports7 injury reports
What owners actually said
220 reports
Mileage unknown · Jan 18, 2024
Service Brakes
My vehicle keeps showing “service brake assist” and “service TSC” lights. I was on a hill and the auto-start was engaged, as well as hill assist. When I let off the brake pedal slightly to get the car to come out of auto-start, the car acted like it completely shut off (radio went black and lost power) and the car just started r…
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My vehicle keeps showing “service brake assist” and “service TSC” lights. I was on a hill and the auto-start was engaged, as well as hill assist. When I let off the brake pedal slightly to get the car to come out of auto-start, the car acted like it completely shut off (radio went black and lost power) and the car just started rolling backwards quickly. If there was a vehicle behind me it would’ve %100 caused an accident. My wife and child ride in this car every day and this is the second time I’ve had serious issues with this car. The first time I was driving down the interstate and the brake vaccuum pump went out and I lost all brakes, I had to put all 180lbs of my weight on the brake pedal to get it to stop.
NHTSA ODI #11566282
Mileage unknown · Jan 15, 2024
Service Brakes
Vehicle brakes went completely hard and vehicle would not stop. There was no warning signs, no lights on the dash and vehicle was driving on highway normally. Upon taking a highway exit, I could not stop the vehicle, completely unexpectedly. Upon further research it is a very common problem that needs to be addressed. My 3 kids …
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Vehicle brakes went completely hard and vehicle would not stop. There was no warning signs, no lights on the dash and vehicle was driving on highway normally. Upon taking a highway exit, I could not stop the vehicle, completely unexpectedly. Upon further research it is a very common problem that needs to be addressed. My 3 kids and wife were in the vehicle when it happened, and this is actually the second time it has happened. The first time it happened we could not stop the vehicle at all to turn onto the road I live on, could barely push the brake pedal and coast to a stop. The repair last time it happened was the camshaft driven brake booster vacuum pump, and it has failed again after 20,000 miles. This is a serious manufacturer defect that has almost killed my family twice now.
NHTSA ODI #11565539
Mileage unknown · Jan 7, 2024
Electrical System
The door locks began to have issues; the locks started to work only occassionally for no apparent reason. I've been locked out of the car several times and had to use the auxiliary key. Plus I couldn't lock the car while I was inside as the interior door lock button wouldn't lock or unlock the doors either. It's not a kefob…
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The door locks began to have issues; the locks started to work only occassionally for no apparent reason. I've been locked out of the car several times and had to use the auxiliary key. Plus I couldn't lock the car while I was inside as the interior door lock button wouldn't lock or unlock the doors either. It's not a kefob or battery issue and no lights on the dashboard. The dealer reports that they couldn't reproduce the issue. However they found corrision on the electrical harness inside the passenger front door. I replaced an electrical harness in the rear bumper 18 months prior for corrision found. The dealer says they received a service bulletin on the "electrical harness" issue however the dealer won't cover the cost of $500 to replace the harness. As this deals with the electrical system, my concern is that it may effect the operation of other components of the car while it's running. Safety and security is of the utmost importance whether at home or away as it regards to being able to lock or unlock the doors.
NHTSA ODI #11563980
Mileage unknown · Dec 30, 2023
Unknown Or Other
This complaint is for the rear camera / back up camera system: After purchasing the vehicle the back up camera started to get hazy around 25,000 miles. At 35,000 miles it was completely useless. I purchased a second back up camera and had the body shop install it. It has now been right at the same mileage, 30,000 miles, and…
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This complaint is for the rear camera / back up camera system: After purchasing the vehicle the back up camera started to get hazy around 25,000 miles. At 35,000 miles it was completely useless. I purchased a second back up camera and had the body shop install it. It has now been right at the same mileage, 30,000 miles, and the camera is again hazy. This is not an external haze where I can just wipe the camera off, even carefully so as to not scratch the lens or cover, but a haze that is behind (inside) the protective outer lens (cap). This has happened with both cameras and I am facing installing a third. My vehicle has less than 70,000 miles on it! I've had other vehicles where the camera lasted way longer (lifetime!) of the vehicle. When I went to the dealer with the complaint on the original equipment they said it was because the lens was scratched, but didn't look any further that the lens was foggy 'inside'. The safety of myself and others comes into play when I cannot see what is behind me: trees, curbs, vehicles, people, drop-offs. Also, at night when in reverse the dash area the feed goes to is so bright that it blinds the driver and the system is unable to be dimmed to allow proper viewing.
NHTSA ODI #11562748
Mileage unknown · Dec 27, 2023
Air BagsCrash
Head on collision with a deer destroying the front head light and severely damaging the drivers side door. No airbags were deployed.
NHTSA ODI #11562197
Mileage unknown · Dec 17, 2023
Unknown Or Other
I was driving my car December 10, 2023 when I was at a red light my truck completely shut down I could not reverse I could not put in drive I could not put in Park I could not switch gears. I didn’t know what happened. I had to call a tow truck to get me home once I got home I got my car towed to a shop. Before my car was towe…
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I was driving my car December 10, 2023 when I was at a red light my truck completely shut down I could not reverse I could not put in drive I could not put in Park I could not switch gears. I didn’t know what happened. I had to call a tow truck to get me home once I got home I got my car towed to a shop. Before my car was towed I contacted OnStar. OnStar did a diagnosis on my car and it came back ECM which stands for electric control module. When my car was at the shop i got a tune up & the mechanic was able to start my car. Driving again on the date of December 15, 2023 it did it again and it said ECM. I was paranoid because I was on the expressway I had too get my car towed to the Dealership. This is the second time that my car has did this. I keep all maintenance up on my car. I’m not understanding what’s going on. I feel like it should be a recall on this issue. It was very dangerous both times that my car stopped. Now yet again I’m waiting to see what the problem is. This is definitely a safety recall issue. I have a 2018 Denali terrain with only 71,000 miles i keep up with oil changes and maintenance on my vehicle. Who do i contact about this concerning scary situation, Will it take for a person to die before this is is rectified. Someone please contact me or respond to this situation. So we can request for a recall on this serious matter
NHTSA ODI #11560514
Mileage unknown · Dec 12, 2023
Electrical System
On Wed., Dec. 6 around 3:15 pm during heavy traffic on FWY [XXX], cars slowed down to a brief complete stop. When I went to start slowly as traffic began to move, engine completely shut down. I could not open windows or my door to get out of vehicle. Immediately called 911 and was transferred to DPS. It took approximately 65 …
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On Wed., Dec. 6 around 3:15 pm during heavy traffic on FWY [XXX], cars slowed down to a brief complete stop. When I went to start slowly as traffic began to move, engine completely shut down. I could not open windows or my door to get out of vehicle. Immediately called 911 and was transferred to DPS. It took approximately 65 minutes before I had help and was finally towed from the dangerous freeway lane where I was stuck and with vehicle completely stalled and locked down, I couldn't even get car in N to be able to have help moving to a non dangerous place outside of the FWY lanes. This is the fifth time this car locks down. I've learned to open a panel by the foot brake area, pull a lever in that area and be able to move the car to a safe location until I got towed into the dealer. It is the second time that this has happened in a potentially dangerous street and now Freeway. Danger to myself and many others that had to maneuver around me. The first time (around 2020) the car totally shut down, it was reported that a computer harness had to be replaced. This last time I was faced with such a dangerous situation on a FWY it was determined that the ECM (Engine Control Module) had caused the shutdown and locked the vehicle to where I could not even get out for close to an hour. The ECM was replaced by GM and the car is running again, but my shock and trauma still haunt me as to the self and others danger that was present. . GMC Dealer finally determined after several attempts that ECM was the problem. Unsure if available to inspect it. Delivered car back 12/8. . Heavy freeway traffic at peak hour put me and many others in serious danger. . My dealer report reads it was difficult to diagnose and finally find ECM was the problem. .Vehicle has not been inspected by Manufacturer, police, or insurance. .A few minutes before this lock-down an engine icon appeared while on the FWY. Previous shutdown incidents had no warnings or messages before locking up. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFO
NHTSA ODI #11559752
Mileage unknown · Dec 10, 2023
Engine
The 2018 GMC Terrain has the AutoStop feature but does not incorporate a switch to defeat AutoStop. In heavy stop and go traffic or when fast acceleration from stop is required, the response of the engine in having to restart creates not only a nuisance condition but a severe accident hazard. It not only hesitates from stoppe…
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The 2018 GMC Terrain has the AutoStop feature but does not incorporate a switch to defeat AutoStop. In heavy stop and go traffic or when fast acceleration from stop is required, the response of the engine in having to restart creates not only a nuisance condition but a severe accident hazard. It not only hesitates from stopped, it lurches forward after hesitating, which could cause a collision with a vehicle in front. I have had several other vehicles equipped with AutoStop, and all of them have a defeat or cancel AutoStop switch to allow the operator the opportunity to turn AutoStop Off. My 2018 Terrain Denali is now on its third battery. Having a dead battery in traffic also constitutes a safety hazard as does the inherent danger of using jumper cables. I have asked my dealer for a way to defeat the faulty feature, but they either cannot or will not do it. There must be a software code to easily allow this that the dealer can perform or a slight hardware modification to allow the operator to defeat AutoStop when it creates a safety hazard.
NHTSA ODI #11559359
Mileage unknown · Dec 9, 2023
Engine
Driving 2,5 hrs from Binghamton, NY towards Long Island on Saturday. We took a short break and after that I got onto the highway and not even hit the 50 miles/hour speed I received “engine power reduce” alert on the dashboard and car stalled. I was able to pull the car off the road. I was provided a tow truck by the state police…
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Driving 2,5 hrs from Binghamton, NY towards Long Island on Saturday. We took a short break and after that I got onto the highway and not even hit the 50 miles/hour speed I received “engine power reduce” alert on the dashboard and car stalled. I was able to pull the car off the road. I was provided a tow truck by the state police and moved to closest GMC service, GRAND PRİZE GMC Nanuet, NY. This car has only 30,309 miles and it’s 2018. The car has been fixed by replacing 5 parts, oxygen sensor, pcv tube, air inlet tube etc. We ended up paying $1,460 just before the Holidays. Rightfully, we are very upset with this unexpected event driving a basically brand new car, in 30000 miles. This car has been mostly driven by my wife who is in 60s in local streets not exposed to harsh enviroments. There is a recall I noticed online for 2019 models and almost from the same area of throttle body, but nothing for 2018. Now, my wife and I hesitating to drive the car. Are we going to get stuck on the road again?
NHTSA ODI #11559269
Mileage unknown · Dec 4, 2023
Electrical SystemEnginePower Train
There is an has been an issue with my electrical system says I purchased this car in 2017. Myself believe that the issues have not been documented until 2020. When my racy begins to run out, my engine light has been coming on and I’ve been getting the same code P1101 I took my vehicle to GMC and they told me that the engine ligh…
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There is an has been an issue with my electrical system says I purchased this car in 2017. Myself believe that the issues have not been documented until 2020. When my racy begins to run out, my engine light has been coming on and I’ve been getting the same code P1101 I took my vehicle to GMC and they told me that the engine light came on because the tape came loose. I brought this vehicle and there’s no way there should be no tape on it. The service tech also told me that if the problem continue to bring it back and I will have to pay $120 or whatever the label rate was for them to research I contacted GMC to file a complaint and I received the whole bunch of calls from a guy named Kevin. I believe he told me that he had been contacting [XXX] and no one returned his call and that he was sorry he couldn’t help me. This is my report number one of them from GMC. [XXX]. Everywhere I take my car they tell me that they have a lot of customers with the same issue and they tried to replace what the code is matching which is the mass airflow sensor but that does not help there is some type of problem with the engine or the electrical system with this vehicle. I am not the only consumer that has had this problem. I don’t know what to do. I have two kids I cannot afford to keep pay and label rate for them not to find the problem. I am also attaching the typical email that GMC sent out when they are working with the dealerships because I have been in contact with them and the person that was calling and then they sent me this email. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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.
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.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure fuel line.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump, and high pressure fuel pipe, free of charge. The recall began July 2, 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 18188.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 GMC Terrain vehicles. The sensing diagnostic module (SDM) that senses a crash and deploys the necessary air bags may not power down correctly when the vehicle is shut off, causing it to be inoperative when the vehicle is restarted.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the SDM becomes inoperative, it will not detect a crash or command the necessary air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the SDM with updated software, free of charge. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18179.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles and 2017-2018 GMC Acadia vehicles. The right front intermediate driveshaft may fracture and separate while driving.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the front right intermediate drive shaft assembly separates while driving, the vehicle will lose propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. If the assembly separates while parked on a grade, without the park brake engaged, the vehicle may move unintentionally, increasing the risk of a vehicle roll-away.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the right front intermediate drive shaft assembly, free of charge. The recall began August 25, 2017. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 17329.
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.
2018 GMC Terrain Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year