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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

What owners actually said

195 reports
Mileage unknown · Apr 10, 2025
Fuel/propulsion System

Having problems with fuel system

NHTSA ODI #11653840

Mileage unknown · Mar 12, 2025
Fuel/propulsion System

Vehicle stalled while stopped in middle lane during rush hour traffic. Vehicle would not start, and could not be put in neutral to be pushed to side of road. Vehicle was towed to repair shop where they needed to replace the fuel pump control module. The automotive repairmen stated they have seen this with multiple GMC vehicles a…

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Vehicle stalled while stopped in middle lane during rush hour traffic. Vehicle would not start, and could not be put in neutral to be pushed to side of road. Vehicle was towed to repair shop where they needed to replace the fuel pump control module. The automotive repairmen stated they have seen this with multiple GMC vehicles and they do not understand how it has not been recalled yet because, as they stated, it is going to get someone killed one day.

NHTSA ODI #11647936

101,700 miles · Mar 10, 2025
EngineService Brakes, Hydraulic

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to stop while driving 55 MPH while depressing the brake pedal. The contact pressed the button that immediately shifted the transmission to park, and the vehicle came to a stop. The contact drove the vehicle to a safe parking space. After safely parki…

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The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to stop while driving 55 MPH while depressing the brake pedal. The contact pressed the button that immediately shifted the transmission to park, and the vehicle came to a stop. The contact drove the vehicle to a safe parking space. After safely parking the vehicle off-road, the check engine and brake assist warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the brake booster pump and camshaft had fractured and detached from the vehicle. The contact was informed that the brake booster, vacuum pump, and camshaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired because the dealer was awaiting the parts to repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 101,700.

NHTSA ODI #11647296

Mileage unknown · Mar 8, 2025
Service Brakes

My 2020 GMC Terrain (under 100K miles) was running great until one day, after starting the vehicle, I shifted into reverse and felt soft brakes before the engine suddenly shut off. A licensed mechanic diagnosed the issue, pointing to Technical Service Bulletin #PIP5835, which identifies a defective brake vacuum pump. This failu…

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My 2020 GMC Terrain (under 100K miles) was running great until one day, after starting the vehicle, I shifted into reverse and felt soft brakes before the engine suddenly shut off. A licensed mechanic diagnosed the issue, pointing to Technical Service Bulletin #PIP5835, which identifies a defective brake vacuum pump. This failure caused damage to the exhaust camshaft and timing belt, ultimately leading to the recommendation of a full engine replacement. GMC’s response? They advised me to pay for their diagnostics and repairs, then file for a "Goodwill Repair," which they admitted was unlikely to be approved. Meanwhile, GM has since replaced this defective vacuum pump with an electric version, acknowledging the flaw—yet leaving owners like me to cover the cost. I believe GM should stand behind their product and take responsibility for this engineering failure, instead of forcing customers to absorb the expense.

NHTSA ODI #11647165

108,000 miles · Mar 4, 2025
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds in a parking area and attempting to stop, the brake pedal failed to depress all the way to the floorboard and was firm, requiring an increased effort; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact was able to bring the vehicl…

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The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving at slow speeds in a parking area and attempting to stop, the brake pedal failed to depress all the way to the floorboard and was firm, requiring an increased effort; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact was able to bring the vehicle to a complete stop by turning the vehicle off. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the brake vacuum pump, observing that the pump had sent metal fragments into the engine, resulting in damages to the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Special Coverage Adjustment: N182202780. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 108,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI #11646312

53,500 miles · Feb 25, 2025
Visibility

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle and shifting into reverse(R); the rear-view camera screen was not functioning as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The message "Service Rear Camera System" was displayed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not d…

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The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle and shifting into reverse(R); the rear-view camera screen was not functioning as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The message "Service Rear Camera System" was displayed. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 53,500.

NHTSA ODI #11644884

Mileage unknown · Feb 21, 2025
Power Train

Gear selector

NHTSA ODI #11644217

Mileage unknown · Feb 11, 2025
Service Brakes

Brakes stopped working while driving. Yes it has been reproduced by mechanic. No it has not been inspected by manufacturer. “Service Brake Assist” message populated after failure.

NHTSA ODI #11642036

104,000 miles · Jan 31, 2025
Back Over Prevention

The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while reversing, the rearview camera screen displayed a blue image. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that a fee would be charged for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manu…

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The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while reversing, the rearview camera screen displayed a blue image. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that a fee would be charged for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.

NHTSA ODI #11639943

Mileage unknown · Jan 14, 2025
Forward Collision AvoidanceService Brakes

my vacuum pump went out. my brakes went out at 86k miles. very pour design.

NHTSA ODI #11635979

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.