RoadVitals

2014 GMC Terrain

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
296
Latest Feb 18, 2026
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
2
Latest Mar 17, 2022
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
2
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
9
8 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 296 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2014 GMC Terrain, most frequently naming the engine, visibility and powertrain (other) categories. 2 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year; 2 NHTSA investigations name it; and 1,695 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

2 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

Mar 17, 2022
681,509 units potentially affected
The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The ball joints in the windshield wiper module may corrode, causing one or both windshield wipers to fail.
The risk: Inoperative windshield wipers can reduce visibility in certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will inspect the wiper module, and repair or replace it as necessary, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed on April 21, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 25, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N212352530.
General Motors, LLCManufacturer number N212352530View on NHTSA.gov

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

Mar 8, 2022
740,581 units potentially affected
The defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2017 GMC Terrain vehicles. A reflection caused by the headlight housings may illuminate areas above the vehicle and outside of the driver's view with excessively bright light. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
The risk: The bright reflection may cause a glare for other drivers, reducing their visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will install headlamp appliques, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 8, 2022. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N222363740.
General Motors, LLCManufacturer number N222363740View on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

EA19005ClosedEngineering Analysis

Front Wiper Transmission Inoperative

Opened Dec 13, 2019
Closed Nov 28, 2022

On December 13, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) upgraded RQ18-002 to an Engineering Analysis (EA19-005) to further assess the MY2010-2016 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain windshield wiper failures. Due to a prior recall, 16V-582, addressing this issue in the MY2013 subject vehicles, MY2013 was not included in the analysis. To date, ODI had received 998 complaints with allegations of the front windshield wiper failing in adverse whether conditions, while the vehicle was in motion.General Motors (GM) initiated Safety Recall 16V-582 on August 3, 2016 to address windshield wiper failure in the Model Year (MY) 2013 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain. Failures were attributed to water and debris intruding into the windshield wiper assembly ball joints, leading to excessive wear and eventual detachment of the affected ball joint resulting in loss of windshield wiper function. ODI?s review focused on 2010-2012 and 2014-2016 Equinox and Terrain vehicles. Owners were reporting a high rate of failures of the windshield wiper system. These failures were the same as that addressed by recall 16V-582. ODI's review of data supplied by GM as well as its own confirmed a high failure rate in model years 2014 and 2015. On March 17, 2022, GM filed a defect information report recalling all MY2014-2015 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles to remedy the potential failure of the front windshield wiper transmission assembly.General Motors is also conducting a special coverage program, N192266181, for MY2010-2012 and MY2016-2017 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The special coverage is for a period of 15 years or 200,000 miles, whichever comes first.Both the recall, 22V-165, and the special coverage program, N192266181, address windshield wiper system failures on the subject vehicles. The dealership will inspect the front wiper assembly for ball joint wear. Depending on the degree of wear, the wiper links will be replaced, and a water shield installed or the entire module will be replaced.In view of the recall and special coverage, ODI is closing this Engineering Analysis (EA). NHTSA reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances.The ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at www.nhtsa.gov under the following ODI identification numbers in a separate attachment.

VISIBILITYLed to recall 22V165000
RQ18002ClosedRecall Query

Windshield Wiper Transmission Failure

Opened Nov 2, 2018
Closed Dec 19, 2019

On November 2, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Recall Query (RQ18-002) to assess the scope of Recall 16V-582.General Motors (GM) initiated Safety Recall 16V-582 on August 3, 2016 to address windshield wiper failure in the Model Year (MY) 2013 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain. Failures were attributed to water and debris intrusion into the windshield wiper assembly ball joints, leading to excessive wear and eventual detachment of the affected ball joint with an attendant loss of windshield wiper function. The recall remedy addressed these conditions with the installation of an improved windshield wiper motor/transmission assembly and the relocation of a drain hole on the Air Inlet Panel at the base of the windshield.RQ18-002 was opened to assess windshield wiper failure rates in the MY 2010-2012 and MY 2014 - 2016 Equinox and Terrain (subject vehicles).During the course of the investigation, ODI received additional consumer complaint traffic bringing its total to 602 concerning the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. In their December 20, 2018 response to ODI's Information Request (IR) Letter, GM reported 1,303 complaints related to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. Together, these bodies of data correspond to 1,905 unique Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN).GM stated the recalled vehicles exhibited double the warranty rate and five times the complaint rate of the subject vehicles and that continuing complaint traffic concerning the alleged defect in the subject vehicles stemmed from publicity surrounding Recall 16V-582.ODI's review of GM's data confirms the stated difference in failure rates between the recalled and subject vehicles. However, ODI believes that the subject vehicle failure rates are nevertheless elevated and that publicity alone cannot account for the continued consumer complaint traffic concerning the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. ODI is upgrading to RQ18-002 to an Engineering Analysis to compare subject vehicle failure rates and engineering practices to those in peer vehicles.The 602 ODI complaints cited can be viewed in a separate attachment.

VISIBILITY

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Engine
Filed Feb 18, 2026

My husband just did an at home oil change on the car not long before the incident. Unfortunately my car was barely under 3,000 miles since the oil change and we were going to change the oil again when my engine died mid drive on the way home. There was no oil in the car due to high oil consumption and no coolant either. High oil consumption was not reported and not disclosed to me before and a broken guide for my timing chain leading to total engine failure just after I started to exit the highway. Had my car died any sooner I would have crashed. Or wrecked with another vehicle. GMC and the dealership I got the car from did not properly disclose this safety risk to me when I purchased the car and no recall information was ever sent out. The high oil consumption causing engine failure has been a part of a class action lawsuit for these vehicles before and THAT was not disclosed to me either at any point. No notifications of low oil or other issues aside from a check engine light came on for my vehicle when I was driving. I dont know how fast I was going as I was applying the brakes to my car for a traffic light.

NHTSA ID
11718808
Incident
Feb 16, 2026
BrakesElectrical
Filed Aug 21, 2025

ABS Brake problem and have tried to get it repaired for over 3 months and cannot seem to be able to get the part and call GM with no help. Can not tell me when or where to buy the part. Nobody seems to be able to get a new part and no help from GM. If there is this many problems that there is no part left available it should be a national recall.

NHTSA ID
11682242
Incident
May 6, 2025
EngineFuel system
Filed Jul 21, 2025

I purchased this in March of 2025. 2 or 3 weeks after I bought this I took it to an oil lube shop and they said there was not any oil on the.dip stick. Also I started noticing the car being jerky while driving and when shutting it off it sputters. I took it to Max motors, a GMC dealer for a diagnostic check because it uses a quart of oil a week. They told me the high pressure fuel pump is bad and the piston rings were no good. This was on the 18th of June. I had taken it to the dealer I bought it from and complained about the problems, but he wouldn't do anything about it . The warranty was good at that time. Max motors told me it would cost me about $5000 to fix it which I don't have. I read that there was a recall on these cars with a 2.4L engine for these problems.

NHTSA ID
11675197
Incident
Jul 11, 2025
Engine
Filed Jul 15, 2025

The contact owns a 2014 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle started jerking and hesitating abnormally. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the piston rings were damaged, the high-pressure fuel pump had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.

NHTSA ID
11673778
Incident
Apr 5, 2025
Mileage
130,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jul 8, 2025

The contact owns a 2014 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware of an abnormal odor coming from the engine compartment, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine failed due to excessive oil consumption. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000.

NHTSA ID
11671932
Incident
Jul 8, 2025
Mileage
125,000 mi
ElectricalEnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Jul 1, 2025

Tensioner issues keeps breaking the timing chain. . Replaced twice at own cost. Fuel pump/ loss of power while driving. Back up camera doesn't work sometimes. Screen goes black. If key is left in the ignition it starts itself. If you try to use a car charger for a phone the AC shuts off and a "systems error" message pops up. This happens alot. It's an ongoing issue since I bought the car in Feburary this year.

NHTSA ID
11670432
Incident
Jun 28, 2025
Body & structureEngine
Filed May 15, 2025

The contact owns a 2014 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that the was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil; however, there were no oil leaks evident. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who informed the contact that the frame near the rear wheel on the driver's side was completely rusted. The mechanic stated that the vehicle was not safe to drive. The vehicle was not diagnosed for the oil consumption failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.

NHTSA ID
11661246
Incident
Apr 24, 2025
Mileage
71,000 mi
Engine
Filed May 1, 2025

The contact owns a 2014 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was adding approximately 3-4 quarts of oil every 1,000 miles. The contact was informed by a mechanic that the failure might be related to a defective oil sending unit or piston oil ring. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA ID
11658263
Incident
Mar 1, 2024
Mileage
50,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

PIP6113

This document provides the technician with a diagnostic tip if the vehicle stalls and set diagnostic trouble code P0191 and may also set P0172. The diagnostic tip has the technician inspect the high pressure fuel pump body markings to confirm it is an original manufacture part. If it is not an original manufacture part, they should install one and evaluate the vehicle.

PIT3271Q

This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.

PIP6104

This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect.

PIP4902V

This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.

PIP4902U

This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.

PIT5214G

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have had multiple repair attempts that are being performed on customer’s vehicles that exhibit vibration conditions without utilizing the support of General Motors Technical Assistance Center. If valid vibration frequency or Road Force Variation data has been collected and a repair attempt does not correct the customer complaint, contact General Motors Technical Assistance Center for further support. For any vehicles that remains unrepaired after being at the dealer for three days or more and a related bulletin or PI is not found, contact General Motors Technical Assistance Center for further support.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

GMC Terrain by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2027000
2026241050.9
2025120048.4
2024481048.0
2023372056.4
2022512055.4
2021342059.9
20201882058.7
20191783057.5
20182165058.0
20171331052.5
20161512260.6
20152973255.1
2014Viewing2962250.7
20133633049.8
20123644359.9
20113864357.9
20102903356.3
2009000

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.