2016 GMC Terrain Driver assistance Problems

the car is having stability control issues

NHTSA ID

11711023

Incident

Jan 14, 2026

I was driving my morning commute to work, when I came upon a stop light. I was pressing the brakes and the brakes failed to engage which caused me to hit a car in front of me. I did not have any warnings that the brakes were defective. The warning on the dash did not indicate that there was anything wrong with brakes. I had my set belt, was going the speed limit and my brakes just gave out. I have injury’s to my arms, shoulder, neck, and head. The other vehicle driver was not hurt. Thank the Lord.

NHTSA ID

11685259

Incident

Sep 4, 2025

The engine - My engine blew because oil evaporated out of the #1 cyclinder, which drained the oil. No warning lights went on and the vehicle stalled in the middle of rush hour traffic. The dealership told me it was because of a factory defect, but no recall on that part of the vehicle. This could have been much worse if the vehicles behind me were going faster than they were and not able to stop before rear ending me. Because this was a factory defect it should have been recalled and I should have been notified of this problem when I bought the vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11550114

Incident

Oct 5, 2023

The contact owns a 2016 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the stability track warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over and restart the vehicle however, the warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the electronic brake control module replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

NHTSA ID

11445356

Incident

Dec 28, 2021

Mileage

40,000 mi

WHEN DRIVING THE STABILTRAK SERVICE LIGHT WILL COME ON AND THE ENGINE LIGHT. THE CAR WILL LOSS ACCELERATION IMMEDIATELY THEN SEEMS WONT GO OUT OF 2ND GEAR. I STOP TURN OFF CAR A FEW MINUTES AND IT WILL START AGAIN AND THE ENGINE LIGHT WILL GO OUT AFTER WHILE. LAST TIME THE CAR WOULD NOT START AGAIN. IT FINALLY DID AFTER 20 MINUTES OR SO. AND LIGHT WENT OUT LAYER. TOOK IT TO DEALER ONCE AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. THIS IS WORRYING ME.

NHTSA ID

11405940

Incident

Mar 31, 2021

Mileage

98,000 mi

VEHICLE SINCE PURCHASE SHOWS NO SIGNS OF LEAK BUT GOES THROUGH OIL AT ABOUT 1 QUART EVERY 1000 MILES MAX. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALWAYS ON, SENSORS INDICATE POSSIBLE FAULTY PISTON RINGS. ALL WERE PROBLEMS IN LATER MODEL GMC TERRAINS. WHEN LOW ON OIL WHILE DRIVING AND STATIONARY ALL LIGHTS WILL LIGHT UP AND ENGINE WILL GO INTO REDUCED POWER MODE SAYING TO SERVICE STABILITRACK. CAR WILL NOT GO ABOVE 10 MPH WHEN IN THIS MODE, SOMETIMES UNABLE TO MOVE AT ALL. GOES AWAY AFTER MORE OIL ADDED. GMC TERRAIN HAD RECALLS ON YEARS 2010-2013 FOR ALL ENGINE FAILURE PROBLEMS/REPAIRS DUE TO FAULTY PISTON RINGS/OIL CONSUMPTION ISSUES. NUMEROUS 2014-2016 GMC TERRAINS HAVE CLAIMS OF THE REDUCED POWER/STABILITRACK PROBLEM WITH NO SOLUTION, I BELIEVE BOTH PROBLEMS ARE DIRECTLY RELATED.

NHTSA ID

11397807

Incident

Sep 14, 2020

Mileage

111,000 mi

I HAVE HAD A RECURRING ISSUE WITH MY ACCELERATOR ASSEMBLY ON MY 2016 GMC TERRAIN DENALI. THE GM PART NUMBER IS 84022579. THE INITIAL PEDAL ASSEMBLY BROKE AT 26,722 MILES, WHEN THE CAR WAS ONLY 18 MONTHS OLD. THE PART WAS REPLACED, UNDER WARRANTY, AT A CERTIFIED GM DEALER. THE ISSUE HAPPENED AGAIN ANOTHER 18 MONTHS LATER. UNFORTUNATELY GM ONLY CERTIFIES THE PART FOR 12 MONTHS AND 12,000 MILES, SO I HAD TO PAY FOR THE SECOND PEDAL ASSEMBLY OUT OF POCKET. THE SECOND REPAIR WAS ALSO DONE AT A CERTIFIED GMC DEALERSHIP. THIS RECURRING HISTORY OF ISSUES IS A CLEAR INDICATION THAT GM IS USING A FAULTY PART IN THIS VEHICLE,WHICH CREATES A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE FOR DRIVERS. WHEN THE PEDAL ASSEMBLY BREAKS DOWN, IT AUTOMATICALLY PUTS THE CAR INTO LOW ENGINE POWER MODE. IF YOU ARE DRIVING ON A FREEWAY, YOUR SPEED WILL SUDDENLY DROP FROM 70 MPH TO 25 MPH IN A MATTER OF SECONDS. FURTHER, THERE IS ESSENTIALLY NO ABILITY TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE CAR IS IN LOW POWER MODE. THE OTHER SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE IS THAT EVENTUALLY THE CAR WILL GO BACK TO NORMAL AFTER A FEW MORE DAYS/USES. THE ENGINE LIGHT WILL GO OFF AND GIVE YOU THE IMPRESSION THAT THE ISSUE NO LONGER EXISTS, OR WAS A FALSE ALARM. THEN IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN WITHOUT WARNING. I HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE HAPPEN TO ME ON 7 DIFFERENT OCCASSIONS, IN A VARIETY OF DRIVING CONDITIONS (HIGHWAY, CITY, FREEWAY, ETC). I'VE SPENT THE PAST 5 WEEKS WORKING WITH GMC CUSTOMER SERVICE TRYING TO GET A RESOLUTION. THEY HAVE INDICATED THAT THEY DO NOT THINK THIS IS A FAULTY PART, AND HAVE NOT PROVIDED ANY ASSISTANCE. THEY ARE IGNORING THE FACTS AND HISTORY OF MY CASES, INCLUDING MULTIPLE GMC CERTIFIED DIAGNOSES CONFIRMING THAT THE SAME PART CONTINUES TO BREAK. I WOULD ENCOURAGE NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER AND HOLD GM ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS. IT CREATES SIGNIFICANT SAFETY RISKS FOR DRIVERS, AND IMPOSES SIGNIFICANT COSTS ON DRIVERS.

NHTSA ID

11319951

Incident

Apr 1, 2020

Mileage

26,722 mi

I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MY VEHICLE WHEN ON THREE SEPERATE OCCASIONS THE SERVICE STABILITRAK MESSAGE FLASHED ON THE DIC AND I LOST ENGINE POWER. ONE OF THE TIMES THIS HAPPENED I WAS ON A ROAD WHERE THE SPEED LIMIT WAS 55 AND THE ISSUE ALMOST CAUSED A VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO ME. THE MESSAGE GOES AWAY AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES. I TRIED TAKING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE AND WAS TOLD THEY CANT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM SO NOW I DONT EVEN BOTHER TRYING TO HAVE THEM FIX IT. HOW CAN A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE LIKE THIS NOT BE FIXED BY GM!!

NHTSA ID

11209123

Incident

Mar 6, 2019

Mileage

51,000 mi