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2020 GMC Terrain Problems & Owner Complaints

185 NHTSA owner complaints
7 crash 2 fire 5 injury

Age-normalised, this year draws ~26.4 complaints per year on the road — ranking 1 of 15 GMC Terrain years we track (1 = most complaints per year).

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What owners report

Service Brakes is the most-reported problem area on the 2020 GMC Terrain, cited in 67 of 185 filed complaints (36%).

Engine is next (55 complaints, 30%), followed by Electrical System (27), Power Train (25), Fuel/Propulsion System (21).

Across all complaints, 7 report a crash, 2 report a fire, 5 report injuries.

The most safety-critical cluster is Service Brakes: 5 crash, 2 injury report(s).

Complaints by vehicle system

Owner complaints filed with the U.S. NHTSA for the 2020 GMC Terrain, grouped by the vehicle system each cites. A single complaint can name more than one system, so the group totals can add up to more than 185.

Service Brakes 67 5 crash 2 injury

“While on highway service brake system warning light came on,brake became hard to apply almost causing an accident. Vehicle had to be towed to a repair shop(dealer).after paying over $1600 the problem was not resolved and found there are numerous complaints about issues with the terrain and no recall issued.are they waiting til someone dies before a recall?”
NHTSA complaint #11539270, 2023 · 2 injury(ies)

“SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST CAME ON, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND VEHICLE WAS HARD TO STOP. Took to authorized service dealer and all parts were replaced. After driving it for a little while, SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST BACK ON, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BACK ON AND VEHILCE IS HARD TO STOP.”
NHTSA complaint #11696555, 2025 · crash

“My 2020 GMC Terrain brakes pump failed causing me to hit the median wall on the highway.”
NHTSA complaint #11688103, 2025 · crash

Engine 55 2 injury

“While on highway service brake system warning light came on,brake became hard to apply almost causing an accident. Vehicle had to be towed to a repair shop(dealer).after paying over $1600 the problem was not resolved and found there are numerous complaints about issues with the terrain and no recall issued.are they waiting til someone dies before a recall?”
NHTSA complaint #11539270, 2023 · 2 injury(ies)

“Vacuum pump failure causing sudden and unexpected hard brake pedal and loss of braking coming off the highway. Ended up catastrophic engine failure. This is the SECOND incident with this vehicle of the exact same problem. GMC refuses to address this issue and continues to risk the lives of their customers.”
NHTSA complaint #11752293, 2026

“On June 7, 2026, I was driving my 2020 GMC Terrain. I was going at about 40MPH along a very busy main road. While slowing for a red light the Check Engine Light turned on and the car displayed a notice about reduced engine power. Seconds later, the brake pedal became stuck and would not press down all the way and I lost braking ability. The car rattled/shook violently, made a grinding noise, and then the engine shut off and the car stopped abruptly, narrowly avoiding hitting the car in front of us. I turned on the hazard lights. I was not able to get the car to start again, nor was I able to g…”
NHTSA complaint #11742733, 2026

Unknown Or Other 32 2 fire

“The back passenger seat exploded and caught fire, burning the back of the seat in front and burning the ceilings. Inside the whole vehicle is black from smoke damage. Incident assessed by fire marshal who has ruled as electrical issue. No warning lights or systems displayed anything.”
NHTSA complaint #11751287, 2026 · fire

“I was driving approximately 75mph on the interstate. 3 hrs into my trip I started feeling hot so I turned the a/c up. In my peripheral vision I saw orange and thought a car was beside me on fire. Immediately I realized it was my vehicle. I immediately slowed and came to a stop. I put it in park and opened the door. By the time I started to exit there were flames higher than the rear windows. A car that was behind me stopped. They said about a mile back there was a spark under the car by the rear tire. Then it went up in flames.”
NHTSA complaint #11533758, 2023 · fire

“Backup camera stopped working and displays a blue screen stating “service backup camera.” This was an issue when the vehicle was under 3 year manufacturer bumper to bumper warranty and was fixed by dealer at no cost. Now this same issue has occurred again approximately 3-4 years later. I thought at first this was an issue specific to my vehicle but now after doing research I see this is an issue across several GMC Terrian vehicles and other GM vehicles. This issue should be fixed by the manufacturer for all vehicles affected. Vehicle owners should not be responsible to fix faulty parts from th…”
NHTSA complaint #11745463, 2026

Electrical System 27 1 fire

“The back passenger seat exploded and caught fire, burning the back of the seat in front and burning the ceilings. Inside the whole vehicle is black from smoke damage. Incident assessed by fire marshal who has ruled as electrical issue. No warning lights or systems displayed anything.”
NHTSA complaint #11751287, 2026 · fire

“Transmission wouldnt shift. Sensor in car is causing issue, code is N 202321840”
NHTSA complaint #11741315, 2026

“The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving in cold weather at various speeds; moisture accumulated and deactivated the charger, causing the vehicle to go into LIMP Mode and lose drive power. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the charger air cooler was defective and needed to be replaced. The dealer also wanted to place an air deflector on the vehicle. The contact was informed of a service update for the failure however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched and learned that…”
NHTSA complaint #11716636, 2026

Power Train 25

“The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal while driving uphill or making a left or right turn, the tires were skipping, and there was a clicking and whining sound coming from the front of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that a friend test-drove the vehicle and informed that the vehicle had experienced transmission failure. Neither the independent mechanic nor the dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired.…”
NHTSA complaint #11706083, 2025

“The intercooler has been a document problem on GMC Terrains for awhile now. I had my intercooler replaced and now less than 10 months it is having the same problem. The vehicle will go into reduced power mode which would be a safety hazard because it will also stall sometimes when it is having performance issues. That could lead to someone colliding into me if it suddenly stops when someone is behind me. I believe this part should be recalled and fixed for free.”
NHTSA complaint #11705510, 2025

“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…”
NHTSA complaint #11692180, 2025

Fuel/Propulsion System 21

“Vehicle was filled with a full tank of gas, went to crank the car up to go home from work it acted like it wanted to crank but seemed to be getting no gas. Diagnostic was performed and the fuel pump control module failed. I thank God It did not start because if it did and I just so happen to pull out into traffic and the car just die in the middle of the road I don't think it would of been pretty. Frankly I think it would of be a very dangerous situation. My vehicle was not part of the recall but somehow my vehicle was still affected hopefully GM would look into the 2020 Terrains with the 2.0…”
NHTSA complaint #11749649, 2026

“After vehicle acting like it isnt getting power and trying to die, I pulled into a gas station and turned it off. When I went to restart it, the vehicle kept turning over and over automatically not wanting to start and the engine light came on. I let it sit for about 5 minutes and tried again. It did same thing. I tried a 3rd time pushing the gas pedal and it finally started. I made it home 2 miles away. Turned the car off and tried starting it again with same issues.”
NHTSA complaint #11732955, 2026

“Re: 2020 GMC Terrain. Our fuel pump control module (FPCM) unexpectedly failed after driving a short distance. Vehicle stalled without warning on the street and was unable to be started again. This could have resulted in a crash and/or injury to other people in the area. An independent service center suspected an issue with the module but was unable to make an official diagnosis. The vehicle was towed to the local GMC dealer who confirmed the FPCM failure and needed to be replaced at a cost of $850. There were no warning indicators prior to the incident and the vehicle's display only show…”
NHTSA complaint #11704451, 2025

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Vehicle Speed Control 11 2 injury

“While on highway service brake system warning light came on,brake became hard to apply almost causing an accident. Vehicle had to be towed to a repair shop(dealer).after paying over $1600 the problem was not resolved and found there are numerous complaints about issues with the terrain and no recall issued.are they waiting til someone dies before a recall?”
NHTSA complaint #11539270, 2023 · 2 injury(ies)

“Random problems accelerating. Like I can be pulling out of my parking spot in revese then switch it to drive an try to move and it won’t move at all or very slowly then out of nowhere it accelerates fast”
NHTSA complaint #11731643, 2026

“On 6/22/2025, brakes stopped working while trying to make a turn. Next multiple engines light came and car went into reduced speed mode. As I tried to find a safe place to stop, the vehicle went into limp mode and shut down in the middle of the road. The dealership said the issue was the vacuum pump which caused the timing chains to break. There have multiple recalls for this exact issue but my car is not on the list. My manufacture warranty ended on 5/21/2025. When I spoke to a GM representative I was told there was nothing they can do because there is not a recall for my vehicle. They…”
NHTSA complaint #11669590, 2025

Forward Collision Avoidance 8 2 crash

“The brake system failed. No warning. When the brakes failed, driver ran the car into a tree to stop instead of hitting pedestrians or other vehicles”
NHTSA complaint #11632538, 2024 · crash

“The emergency breaking system failed to engage. Failure to engage caused collision with another car”
NHTSA complaint #11501917, 2022 · crash

“my vacuum pump went out. my brakes went out at 86k miles. very pour design.”
NHTSA complaint #11635979, 2025

Back Over Prevention 6

“Backup camera stopped working and displays a blue screen stating “service backup camera.” This was an issue when the vehicle was under 3 year manufacturer bumper to bumper warranty and was fixed by dealer at no cost. Now this same issue has occurred again approximately 3-4 years later. I thought at first this was an issue specific to my vehicle but now after doing research I see this is an issue across several GMC Terrian vehicles and other GM vehicles. This issue should be fixed by the manufacturer for all vehicles affected. Vehicle owners should not be responsible to fix faulty parts from th…”
NHTSA complaint #11745463, 2026

“The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that upon shifting to reverse(R), the rear-view camera image was blue, and the parking sensor beeping sound was inoperable. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the rear-view camera needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11701734, 2025

“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 complaint #11639943, 2025

Fuel System 6

“The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that shortly after refueling the vehicle, the vehicle suddenly stalled while accelerating from a stop light. The contact stated that after the vehicle stalled, the transmission failed to shift out of park, and the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with fuel pump failure. The fuel pump was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 46,917.”
NHTSA complaint #11744805, 2026

“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 fail…”
NHTSA complaint #11686270, 2025

“The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 88,000. The VIN was not availabl…”
NHTSA complaint #11670353, 2025

Structure 5 1 injury

“The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that rain water had leaked from the sunroof drainage into the vehicle causing the floor carpets to become saturated with water and mold had developed inside the vehicle. The contact also discovered a pool of water inside the spare tire well. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the sunroof motor and sunroof liner, unclogged the sunroof drainage assembly and replaced the carpets. The contact indicated that later the failure had reoccurred although the sunroof drainage assembly was consistently unclogged each time the vehi…”
NHTSA complaint #11631628, 2023 · 1 injury(ies)

“The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed that the tire well was filled with water. The contact stated that the unknown box on the side was filled with water. In addition, the contact stated that the water dripped onto the ground underneath the rear tire. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11737045, 2026

“After heavy rain the backseat of the car was flooded as well as the rear wheel well likely due to the sunroof not draining properly. This led to electrical failure of the sunroof mechanism and potential to damage other electrical elements. This will be looked at by the dealership but have read that this is a known issue.”
NHTSA complaint #11541554, 2023

Air Bags 3

“The airbag system on my 2020 GMC Terrain has an intermittent malfunction. The airbag warning light turns on and off and the diagnostic code B0014 has been identified by a dealership. When the warning light is on, the airbag system may not deploy properly in a crash, creating a safety risk. The vehicle has approximately 49,000 miles. The problem has occurred for about three years. The dealership repaired the issue when the vehicle was first purchased and the light went off temporarily, but it returned a few months later. A second dealership attempted a repair and again the light went off tempo…”
NHTSA complaint #11723564, 2023

“Brakes hard to press. Almost cause an accident on interstate. Was able to contain vehicle. Took to autozone to assessed and it said Powertrain System. Brake Booster Senor Circuit.”
NHTSA complaint #11452898, 2022

“MY AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT/DASHBOARD MESSAGE HAS COME ON 7 TIMES IN THE LAST 3 WEEKS, ALONG WITH 4 OTHER TIMES IN THE 2 MONTHS PRIOR, BUT THE GMC DEALERSHIP WILL NOT INVESTIGATE SINCE IT DOES NOT STAY ON. AT THE MOST RECENT EVENT THIS WEEKEND, I PRESSED ONSTAR, AND THEY RAN DIAGNOSTICS AND EMAILED ME THE "B0085" DETECTED ERROR CODE, BUT MY DEALERSHIP WILL STILL NOT INVESTIGATE, SINCE THE LIGHT WENT OUT. THE LIGHT HAS COME ON AT STARTUP AND WHILE DRIVING. WARNINGS HAVE COME ON 8/27/20, 10/5, 10/8, 10/12, 111/28, 12/2, 12/8(X2), 12/11, 12/14, AND 12/19/20.”
NHTSA complaint #11384441, 2020

Engine And Engine Cooling 3

“The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that the engine had seized. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was again towed to the dealer, who again diagnosed a failure with the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. After in…”
NHTSA complaint #11658576, 2025

“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 thr…”
NHTSA complaint #11586371, 2022

Steering 3

“I was driving 55 miles an hour on an Expressway. And suddenly my truck just shut off.The brake became very hard unable to break very scary situation for me and my children. Engine power was reduced and would not start, many errors came up. The vacuum pump failed, which also caused the cam shafts to fail.The vacuum pump exploded into pieces and sent metal into my engine.”
NHTSA complaint #11722686, 2026

“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 complaint #11506056, 2022

“THIS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE DUE TO A VIOLENT SIDE TO SIDE WOBBLE IN THE FRONT END MUCH LIKE THE JEEP DEATH WOBBLE. THIS HAPPENS CONSTANTLY ANYWHERE FROM 30MPH - 70MPH USUALLY AFTER HITTING A SMALL BUMP OR WHEN TURNING HARD. THE TURNING ASPECT IS WHERE IT HAS BECOME VERY DANGEROUS ON SLIPPERY SURFACES AS THE CAR THEN SLIDES OUT. I LIVE IN THE MOUNTAINS WHERE THIS IS A NORMAL OCCURANCE. I AM ACTUALLY AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE ANY LONGER. THE DEALERS HAVE CONFIRMED THE ISSUE, BUT STATES THAT GM DOES NOT HAVE A FIX FOR THIS AS OF NOW. I HAVE HEARD THIS IS AFFECTING ONLY THE AWD TERRAINS AND EQ…”
NHTSA complaint #11396428, 2020

Electronic Stability Control (Esc) 2

“The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer for an oil change. The contact stated that approximately 5 weeks after returning the oil change, while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle and steering wheel started shaking abnormally and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that the traction control, check engine, and stabili-trak control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that there was no oil in the engine and the spark plugs and ignition coils needed to be replaced. The…”
NHTSA complaint #11669512, 2024

“EVERY WEEK IT'S SOMETHING DIFFERENT. IN MOTION... NO CRUZE CONTROL. NO AUDIO. DON'T DRIVE OVER 50MPH BRAKE PROBLEM. PARKING BRAKE ENGAGES RANDOMLY AND WITHOUT USER ENGAGEMENT. NO AWD. NO STABILITY TRACTION. THIS HAPPENS SO FREQUENTLY THE DASH INDICATORS HAVE BEEN REDUCED TO 'IDIOT LIGHTS'. AT WHAT POINT DO I BECOME CONCERNED? THINGS APPEAR TO RESOLVE WHEN THE ENGINE IS TURNED OFF AND BACK ON, SOMETIMES....I COMPARE IT TO OTHER GLITCHY TECHNOLOGY. HOWEVER I POTENTIALLY COULD BE AT AN 80MPH CRAZING SPEED WHEN I DECIDE TO IGNORE THE IDIOT LIGHTS...WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A REAL PROBLEM PRESENTS AND I I…”
NHTSA complaint #11341949, 2019

Lane Departure 2

“UNKNOWN...ACTS AS IF ITS A SMART CAR THAT'S NOT REALLY A SMART CAR”
NHTSA complaint #11458704, 2022

Suspension 2

“THIS VEHICLE IS UNSAFE DUE TO A VIOLENT SIDE TO SIDE WOBBLE IN THE FRONT END MUCH LIKE THE JEEP DEATH WOBBLE. THIS HAPPENS CONSTANTLY ANYWHERE FROM 30MPH - 70MPH USUALLY AFTER HITTING A SMALL BUMP OR WHEN TURNING HARD. THE TURNING ASPECT IS WHERE IT HAS BECOME VERY DANGEROUS ON SLIPPERY SURFACES AS THE CAR THEN SLIDES OUT. I LIVE IN THE MOUNTAINS WHERE THIS IS A NORMAL OCCURANCE. I AM ACTUALLY AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE ANY LONGER. THE DEALERS HAVE CONFIRMED THE ISSUE, BUT STATES THAT GM DOES NOT HAVE A FIX FOR THIS AS OF NOW. I HAVE HEARD THIS IS AFFECTING ONLY THE AWD TERRAINS AND EQ…”
NHTSA complaint #11396428, 2020

“THE COMPLAINT I HAVE IS THE INSIDE FRONT OF THE CAR IS TOO SMALL AND I CANT REACH THE GAS PEDAL EXCEPT WITH MY TOE. MY FOOT KEEPS SLIPPING OFF AS I AM DRIVING. I HAVE TO HAVE THE SEAT WAY UP OR I CANT REACH. I AM 5 FOOT TALL WOMAN. THIS IS A RIDICULOUS THING THAT I HAVE TO PUT UP. I DROVE IT FOR 10 MINUTES AND DIDN'T REALIZE IT. I ASKED FOR A PEDAL THAT IS LONGER AND CLOSER TO THE FLOOR AFTER I HAD BOUGHT IT AND SERVICE PEOPLE TOLD ME THEY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO TO FIX IT. THEY ASKED IF I HAD A BUTTON TO ADJUST IT AND I DON'T. ITS ON THE EXPENSIVE ONE. THIS SHOULD BE ON ALL VEHICLES F…”
NHTSA complaint #11316405, 2019

Visibility 2 1 injury

“The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that rain water had leaked from the sunroof drainage into the vehicle causing the floor carpets to become saturated with water and mold had developed inside the vehicle. The contact also discovered a pool of water inside the spare tire well. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the sunroof motor and sunroof liner, unclogged the sunroof drainage assembly and replaced the carpets. The contact indicated that later the failure had reoccurred although the sunroof drainage assembly was consistently unclogged each time the vehi…”
NHTSA complaint #11631628, 2023 · 1 injury(ies)

“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 complaint #11644884, 2025

Visibility/Wiper 2

“VEHICLE HAS 56801 MILES AND AIR CONDITIONING COMPLETELY WENT OUT. i HAVE ALSO REPLACED WINDSHIELD WIPERS TWICE IN 6 MONTHS. THIS IS MORE THAN ANY OTHER VEHICLE i HAVE EVER OWNED (i HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE 1 YEAR NOW)”
NHTSA complaint #11468997, 2022

“I AM A MALE OF 6'1" HEIGHT AND FIND IT VERY HARD TO SEE OUT THE REARVIEW MIRROR WHEN I DRIVE MY WIFE'S GMC TERRAIN. BECAUSE OF THE LIMITED MOBILITY OF THE MIRROR, I AM UNABLE TO SEE OTHER CARS BEHIND MY VEHICLE WITHOUT LOWERING MY HEAD AND RECLINING MY SEAT BACKWARDS, BOTH OF WHICH CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS TO DO WHILE DRIVING. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE MIRROR ADJUSTED TO BE LONGER, OR ABLE TO BE ADJUSTED FURTHER UPWARD TO IMPROVE VISIBILITY FOR TALLER PEOPLE, LIKE MYSELF.”
NHTSA complaint #11403615, 2021

Wheels 2 1 crash

“WHEN REVERSING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT, BRAKES FAILED CAUSING ACCIDENT. MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO DEPRESS BRAKE PEDAL WITH NO BRAKING. HIT A PARKED CAR. AFTER SHUTTING CAR OFF AND ATTEMPTING TO MOVE VEHICLE BRAKES DID ENGAGE AND RESPOND CORRECTLY. REAR DAMAGE TO TERRAIN OCCURRED REQUIRING TOWING.”
NHTSA complaint #11359950, 2020 · crash

“ONLY A MONTH AFTER PURCHASING MY VEHICLE I STARTED TO FEEL A WOBBLE IN THE FRONT END WHEN ACCELERATING UP HILLS AND TURNING WHILE ON THE GAS. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY CHANGED OUT THE FRONT TIRES STATING THAT THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN FIXED. ONCE AGAIN WHILE DRIVING THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER AGAIN AND THEY SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG AND SUGGESTED THAT I MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO GO FOR A DRIVE WITH THE MECHANIC TO SHOW THEM WHAT IS HAPPENING. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT. A DAY BEFORE THE APPOINTMENT I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE DEALERSHIP STATING THAT AN…”
NHTSA complaint #11375056, 2020

Carry Handle 1 1 crash 2 injury

“During a vehicle accident, my 2.5 year old daughter's car seat detached from the base and landed in the back part of my part. We were t-boned on the passenger side back seat. We spun and the car seat detached and she was flung around the car. She had severe whiplash, a contusion and possible fabric burn on her head. She was buckled in properly and the car seat was properly installed. Yes, all parties (other than manufacturer) saw and inspected the car seat.”
NHTSA complaint #11675295, 2025 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

Exterior Lighting 1

“Interior lights stays on at night while driving and when parked. Tried turning it off but it won’t turn off”
NHTSA complaint #11448895, 2022

Seat Belts 1

“Driver seat belt exhibits signs of fraying in area of belt hidden from view when not in use. When extended, hair-like fibers extend out, primarily from the car-forward side of the belt in the area coming out of the B-pillar and from behind the trim. It is available for inspection. Concerned that this may continue to degrade the integrity of the seat belt over time. There could be something sharp in the retractor, or flash on a piece of plastic trim hidden from view causing this. My understanding is that if there is a small nick on the edge of a safety belt it can tear across, and concerne…”
NHTSA complaint #11501427, 2023

Seats 1 1 fire

“The back passenger seat exploded and caught fire, burning the back of the seat in front and burning the ceilings. Inside the whole vehicle is black from smoke damage. Incident assessed by fire marshal who has ruled as electrical issue. No warning lights or systems displayed anything.”
NHTSA complaint #11751287, 2026 · fire

Traction Control System 1

“The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer for an oil change. The contact stated that approximately 5 weeks after returning the oil change, while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle and steering wheel started shaking abnormally and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that the traction control, check engine, and stabili-trak control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that there was no oil in the engine and the spark plugs and ignition coils needed to be replaced. The…”
NHTSA complaint #11669512, 2024

How we read this (methodology)

How to read this: raw complaint totals are not a clean reliability score — a model year with more cars sold, or simply more years on the road, accumulates more complaints regardless of how good it is. So this page leans on two signals that are not distorted by sales volume: the share of complaints falling on each vehicle system (the breakdown above) and NHTSA's own crash / fire / injury / death flags. When we compare model years of the same model, we normalise by years on the road (complaints ÷ vehicle age) rather than comparing raw totals. Age-normalised, the 2020 GMC Terrain draws about 26.4 complaints per year on the road, ranking 1 of 15 among the GMC Terrain model years we have ingested (1 = most complaints per year on road).

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