Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
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
94,000 miles · Oct 8, 2025
Power Train
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while making a turn, the transmission shifted into neutral and briefly lost motive power and stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to function while shifting to drive(D) or reverse(R). The …
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The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while making a turn, the transmission shifted into neutral and briefly lost motive power and stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to function while shifting to drive(D) or reverse(R). The contact opened and closed the door to see if the vehicle would reboot. After several attempts, the vehicle returned to normal functionality. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the transmission was leaking transmission fluid. The transmission was constantly slipping. The check engine warning light was intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the START/STOP accumulator in the cap was missing bolts, which caused the transmission to fail. An unknown code was provided to the contact. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The vehicle was taken to various independent mechanics who confirmed that the transmission had failed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.
NHTSA ODI #11692180
Mileage unknown · Oct 5, 2025
Electrical System
Backup camera not working and has a blue screen. The camera was replaced. The fuses & wires were inspected and the screen remains blue.
NHTSA ODI #11691421
Mileage unknown · Sep 26, 2025
Service Brakes
On my 2020 GMC terrain the vacuum pump failed and caused my braking system to go out completely. I had to almost stand up on the brakes to get the car to stop and thankfully I got it come to a stop before smashing into another car. I contacted gmc and while they know this is a ongoing problem and there is a warranty out for this…
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On my 2020 GMC terrain the vacuum pump failed and caused my braking system to go out completely. I had to almost stand up on the brakes to get the car to stop and thankfully I got it come to a stop before smashing into another car. I contacted gmc and while they know this is a ongoing problem and there is a warranty out for this particular problem (150,000 miles or 10 year warranty) I was told it is part/ factory specific and that if it was manufactured in certain facilities or had certain parts that they would cover the cost to fix it but however my vehicle was not covered. This poses a dangerous problem for GMC owners. As soon as the check engine light came on I had absolutely no control over the brakes and it was a miracle it stopped. There was no warning prior to this incident and upon looking up information this seems to be a recurrent problem that GMC needs to address seeing as they say they value their customers.
NHTSA ODI #11689847
Mileage unknown · Sep 18, 2025
Service BrakesCrash
My 2020 GMC Terrain brakes pump failed causing me to hit the median wall on the highway.
NHTSA ODI #11688103
Mileage unknown · Sep 15, 2025
Service Brakes
While driving my 2020 GMC Terrain (VIN: [XXX] ) with approximately 110,501 miles, I experienced a sudden and complete loss of brake assist. After about 2 hours of highway driving, I exited and the brake pedal became extremely hard to press, making it very difficult to stop. No warning lights or messages appeared before the failu…
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While driving my 2020 GMC Terrain (VIN: [XXX] ) with approximately 110,501 miles, I experienced a sudden and complete loss of brake assist. After about 2 hours of highway driving, I exited and the brake pedal became extremely hard to press, making it very difficult to stop. No warning lights or messages appeared before the failure. The dealer diagnosed the cause as the brake booster vacuum pipe exploding internally, which immediately eliminated vacuum to the booster. This created a serious safety hazard and nearly caused a crash. I have since had the part replaced, but the fact that this component can fail without warning at highway speed is alarming. GM has issued TSB 21-NA-107 describing this exact failure mode, which indicates it is a known issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA ODI #11687417
Mileage unknown · Sep 13, 2025
Engine
First problem was when the ac went out which affected the starter 2 weeks after that while I was driving something popped underneath the vehicle the vehicle completely stopped working when I checked underneath the vehicle there was leak ish a broken crankshaft car would not turn back on….
NHTSA ODI #11687031
Mileage unknown · Sep 10, 2025
EngineService Brakes
Driving down the road and an engine power reduced light came on and then the driver was not able to apply the breaks to stop the car. Almost ran into a car at a 4 way stop before getting the car to stop.
NHTSA ODI #11686464
58,000 miles · Sep 10, 2025
Fuel System, Gasoline
The contact owns a 2022 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while depressing the accelerator pedal from a complete stop, the vehicle lost motive power and started shaking and then shut off. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to respond. A dealer …
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The contact owns a 2022 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while depressing the accelerator pedal from a complete stop, the vehicle lost motive power and started shaking and then shut off. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to respond. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to the residence first and was then towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the fuel pump module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 58,000.
NHTSA ODI #11686270
Mileage unknown · Sep 9, 2025
EngineService Brakes
Driving down busy highway and suddenly had no brakes!!! No lights came on dashboard as a warning. Found out it was a braking pump that broke and shot metal pieces into the engine. Now im facing a new engine for a 2020 terrain!!
NHTSA ODI #11686126
Mileage unknown · Sep 9, 2025
Unknown Or Other
Back up camera does not work. It shows a blue screen and says service repair needed.
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.
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.
2020 GMC Terrain Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year