2013 GMC Terrain Steering Problems

When driving in the rain going through puddles power steering will intermittently stop working.

NHTSA ID

11562758

Incident

Dec 27, 2023

Hello, I have spent a lot of money on this mobile car and even so, it continues to cause problems and the oil runs out too quickly.

NHTSA ID

11463744

Incident

Apr 20, 2022

Previously wrote to NHTSA and filed complaint about problem with steering rack. Steering Rack BECAME a safety issue as the steering would lock up intermittently and even while driving. Repair (complete replacement) cost nearly $2000 with diagnostic fee from dealer. I feel my year should be covered as other years are. Other issues with GMC quality of parts, so I will probably not buy another GMC product. 2013 GMC Terrain SLE. GMC needs to address this issue and treat ALL customers fairly.

NHTSA ID

11458619

Incident

Feb 2, 2021

While driving, the traction control light turns on. Then the gauges all start fluctuation. The dash reads service park assist. Then service stabilitrak. It does not run properly. It shifts hard. I’ve had it to the dealership twice now. The issue is still not resolved and it’s going back next Monday. I feel it will again not be resolved after reading multiple forums of others having the same issue after spending thousands of dollars. This is frightening and stressful to say the least. My car has less then sixty thousand miles on it. I should not be having this issue.

NHTSA ID

11441264

Incident

Nov 22, 2021

WHEN DRIVING THE POWER STEERING WILL FAIL AND LOCK UP WITH OUT WARNING. YOU CAN TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. THE COMPUTER RESETS AND EVERYTHING IS NORMAL ONLY TO FAIL IMMEDIATELY. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT UNDER 60,000 MILES. PREVIOUS MODEL YEARS THIS WAS A RECALL. I BELIEVE I HAVE A FAULTY PART FROM THE PREVIOUS RECALL YEARS. NOT SAFE TO DRIVE.

NHTSA ID

11415043

Incident

Jun 1, 2020

Mileage

60,000 mi

WHEN STEERING WHEEL TURNED HARD TO EITHER SIDE, 'SERVICE POWER STEERING' LIGHT COMES ON. MY REPAIR SHOP TRIED TWICE (FIRST IN APRIL, THEN AGAIN IN SEPTEMBER) TO REPROGRAM COMPUTER. TOOK TO GMC DEALER. I HAD ASKED IF THERE WAS SECRET WARRANTY OR BULLETIN ON PROBLEM AND THEY SAID YES, BUT I NEEDED TO PAY $150 FOR DIAGNOSTIC. THEY TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO PERFORM 'SPECIAL COVERAGE 14232A' BUT AS STATED ON INVOICE ' PROBLEM STILL EXISTS', . THEY DO COVER 2010-2012 MODELS BUT I HAVE THE 2013. I CALLED GMC AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM EXISTS (SINCE 2015) BUT WILL NOT COVER MY YEAR CAR. THE REPAIR IS $2000 FOR THE COMPLETE STEERING GEAR. I HAVE HAD MANY CARS, ALL WELL MAINTAINED BUT NONE EVER NEEDED A STEERING RACK REPLACED. MY 2013 GMC TERRAIN SLE HAS ONLY 67745 MILES. I AM UPSET THEY CHOOSE TO COVER ONLY SOME YEARS WHEN THEY KNOW THE PROBLEM EXISTS FOR OTHER YEARS. IT IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE SO I WILL NOT HAVE IT REPAIRED. I NOW HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WHERE I PARK AND DRIVE SO AS NOT TO HAVE TO MAKE SHARP TURNS-RIDICULOUS! I TOLD THEM THIS WAS MY FIRST, AND PROBABLY LAST, GMC PRODUCT. I HAD A LENS ASSEMBLY REPLACED WITH GENUINE GMC OEM PARTS AND THE SAME LEAKS OCCUR. SEEMS THEIR QUALITY CONTROL IS LACKING. PLUS THEIR ISSUE WITH HEAVY ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION. AND AIR BAGS??? MAYBE NHTSA NEEDS TO STEP IN AND REALLY SEE WHAT'S GOING ON AT GMC. THANK YOU FOR ANY ASSISTANCE YOU CAN PROVIDE.

NHTSA ID

11363549

Incident

Apr 28, 2020

Mileage

67,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 GMC TERRAIN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING AND STALLED. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE MORAN CHEVROLET CLINTON TWP LOCATED AT (35500 S GRATIOT AVE, CLINTON TOWNSHIP, MI 48035) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SUBJECTED TO A RECALL OR TO TSB-14882. THE REAR MAIN SEAL WAS REPLACED AND THE PCV VALVE CLEANED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,000.

NHTSA ID

11317857

Incident

Feb 14, 2020

Mileage

92,000 mi

MY CAR SINCE DAY ONE STEERING WHEELS LOCKS UP CONSTANTLY, THE BRAKES DO NOT STOP YOU THE WORST IS THE ENGINES BATTERY WHICH IS LOCATED UNDER THE SEAT CONSTANTLY SAYS I HAVE NO POWER IT WILL TURN ON SEVERAL CODES AND THE START IDLING THE RPMS GO UP LIKE YOUR PRESS G THE GAS BUT YOU NOT THEN YOU STALL YOU CAN BE GOING 70 OR 20 MPH AND IT WILL JUST STALL WITH NO WARNING. THE STEERING WHEEL WILL AND I LOSE TRACTION IN REGULAR ROADS IN PERFECT WEATHER. I CAN'T SEEM TO LOCATE MY AIRBAGS I HAVE HAD MY VEHICLE SERVICES A MILLION TIMES THEY ALWAYS SAY NOTHING IS WRONG ALSO WHEN THE RPMS OR GOING UP.AND DOWN I LOSE ALL HEADLIGHTS AND DASH LIGHTS. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME AT NIGHT SO MANY TIMES. THIS VEHICLE HAS ALMOST KILLED ME SO MANY TIMES I LOST COUNT I TAKE IT TO SERVICE THERE IS NEVER AN ISSUE. I'M PROBABLY GOING TO END UP IN A SEVERE ACCIDENT SOON THE BRAKE PEDAL STICKS AND I CAN'T PRESS IT DOWN I HAD TO PULL INTO GRASS ONE TIME TO AVOID A CAR.

NHTSA ID

11165320

Incident

Aug 1, 2017

Mileage

45,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 GMC TERRAIN. WHILE DRIVING 3 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE SERVICE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO PENSKE BUICK GMC OF CERRITOS (18400 STUDEBAKER RD, CERRITOS, CA 90703, (877) 886-6265) WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE STEERING GEAR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,328.

NHTSA ID

11130488

Incident

Aug 31, 2017

Mileage

74,328 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 GMC TERRAIN. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND THE POWER STEERING WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO PENSKE BUICK GMC OF CERRITOS (18400 STUDEBAKER RD, CERRITOS, CA 90703, (866) 365-2940) TWICE, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNDETERMINED. ON THE THIRD OCCURRENCE, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE AN UNKNOWN FAILURE DIAGNOSIS WAS DETERMINED AND UNKNOWN PARTS WERE REPLACED IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND A CASE WAS OPENED. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ID

11062505

Incident

Oct 31, 2017

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND BEARING SLIGHT LEFT, MY VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING. I THE MESSAGE SCREEN READ, " SERVICE POWER STEERING", AND THE CENTER CONSOLE INTERACTIVE SCREEN WENT COMPLETELY BLACK. THIS LASTED NO MORE THAN 3-5SEC. EVERYTHING RETURNED TO NORMAL AND I WAS ABLE TO PROCEED WITHOUT INCIDENT. NO SIGN OF ANYTHING LEAKING FROM UNDER MY VEHICLE AS I INSPECTED IN LATER IN THE EVENING.

NHTSA ID

11000738

Incident

Jun 22, 2017

Mileage

397,557 mi

I HAD JUST PURCHASED THE 2013 GMC TERRAIN DENALI AND NOTICED THAT IT HAS A BOGGING SENSATION IN THE STEERING AT IDLE WHEN TURNING. IT FEELS LIKE THE STEERING IS GOING TO CUT OUT - ALMOST LIKE NOT FULLY ENGAGING THE CLUTCH ON A MANUAL TRANSMISSION WHEN THE ENGINE IS ABOUT TO DIE. VERY NOISY AND ANNOYING IN THE TIGHT PARKING GARAGE WHEN YOU HAVE TO TURN THE STEERING AT A STANDSTILL DURING IDLE. THERE IS A TICKING NOISE COMING FROM UNDER THE DASH THAT SOUNDS LIKE A CONSTRUCTION WORKER JACKHAMMERING ABOUT 1 BLOCK AWAY WITH THE WINDOWS UP. IT CAN ALSO BE DESCRIBED AS A HELICOPTER HOVERING OVERHEAD AT AROUND 200-300 FEET. YOU CAN ONLY HEAR IT FROM INSIDE THE CAB. I SHOULD HAVE NOTICED THIS DURING THE TEST DRIVE, EXCEPT THAT THE RADIO WAS ON AND THERE WERE NO TIGHT STEERING SITUATIONS. I WAS TOLD THAT BOTH OF THESE ITEMS ARE NORMAL BY THE GMC DEALER. BE SURE TO TEST OUT THESE TWO SCENARIOS WHEN TEST DRIVING. TOO LATE FOR ME, AND UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT BUT WOULD RATHER NOT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10662902

Incident

Nov 26, 2014

Mileage

32,400 mi

WAS DRIVING TOWARDS A ON RAMP TO A HIGHWAY WHEN THE POWER STEERING FAILED. SERVICE LIGHT CAME (SERVICE POWER STEELING). COULD STILL STEER, BUT VERY DIFFICULT. DROVE HOME AND HAD IT TOWED TO DEALER. THEY EXAMINED IT THE NEXT DAY AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG. STEERING WAS NOW FINE! TWO WEEKS LATER THE SAME INCIDENCE HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH ON A 4 LANE CITY ROAD. VEHICLE IS TO BE TAKEN IN THIS WEEK FOR MORE TESTING OF ELECTRONIC ECM BOARD. EVEN THOUGH VEHICLE IS STILL DRIVABLE, IT STARTLES THE DRIVER AND IS VERY UNSAFE. DO NOT FEEL SAFE LETTING OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS DRIVE VEHICLE OR SAFE FOR TRIPS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10550068

Incident

Oct 11, 2013

Mileage

2,871 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 GMC TERRAIN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, HE ACCELERATED TO PASS A VEHICLE ON THE LEFT WHEN THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY PULLED TO THE LEFT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE REGAINED CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND ATTEMPTED TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE ON THE RIGHT BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A HYDRAULIC STEERING, WHICH WAS DESIGNED TO PERFORM IN THE MANNER IN WHICH IT DID. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60.

NHTSA ID

10512577

Incident

Feb 10, 2013

Mileage

60 mi