RoadVitals

2019 GMC Terrain Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

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.
185
Latest Sep 24, 2026
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
14
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.
10

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2019 GMC Terrain, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

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

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

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

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Brakes

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.

71
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

While driving on an interstate, vehicle became sluggish when accelerating. Took off on exit, engine was reduced to 50% power, attempted to drive to large parking lot, lost brakes, got the vehicle stopped in an intersection, would not shut off, go into neutral. Finally shut off, had to call tow truck, holding up traffic in a busy intersection. Was told it would be just $900 to fully diagnose problem, but it appeared the vacuum pump failed, threw broken metal into engine and now will have to be replaced at my cost. NO advanced warning of any type of problem, no warning lights, etc.

NHTSA ID 11766640 · filed Sep 24, 2026

On 9/15/2026, my wife drove her car, a 2019 GMC Terrain, to a doctor's appointment. She reported no known issues with the way the car operated during her drive nor had she or I experienced issues prior to this event. After she finished her appointment, she attempted to start her car and was unable to get the car to start. She also noticed that the brake pedal was stiff and hard to depress. When I arrived, I tried to assist her, thinking that an electrical issue was the fault. However, I was still unable to start the car and I had to have it towed after I couldn't start her car. I had it towed to a mechanic who initially thought the car had a bad starter, however, after attempting to manually turn the engine, he found that the engine was completely seized. He also confirmed that the oil in the car appeared to be without fragments in it and that the oil level was adequate for normal operation. This car is only seven years old, has had routine maintenance, and is about 60 miles over 100,000. No prior issues were noticed before this happened. I'm currently waiting on an engine for the car so we can start using it again.

NHTSA ID 11764910 · filed Sep 17, 2026
All 71 reports naming brakes →

Engine

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.

69
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

While driving on an interstate, vehicle became sluggish when accelerating. Took off on exit, engine was reduced to 50% power, attempted to drive to large parking lot, lost brakes, got the vehicle stopped in an intersection, would not shut off, go into neutral. Finally shut off, had to call tow truck, holding up traffic in a busy intersection. Was told it would be just $900 to fully diagnose problem, but it appeared the vacuum pump failed, threw broken metal into engine and now will have to be replaced at my cost. NO advanced warning of any type of problem, no warning lights, etc.

NHTSA ID 11766640 · filed Sep 24, 2026

On 9/15/2026, my wife drove her car, a 2019 GMC Terrain, to a doctor's appointment. She reported no known issues with the way the car operated during her drive nor had she or I experienced issues prior to this event. After she finished her appointment, she attempted to start her car and was unable to get the car to start. She also noticed that the brake pedal was stiff and hard to depress. When I arrived, I tried to assist her, thinking that an electrical issue was the fault. However, I was still unable to start the car and I had to have it towed after I couldn't start her car. I had it towed to a mechanic who initially thought the car had a bad starter, however, after attempting to manually turn the engine, he found that the engine was completely seized. He also confirmed that the oil in the car appeared to be without fragments in it and that the oil level was adequate for normal operation. This car is only seven years old, has had routine maintenance, and is about 60 miles over 100,000. No prior issues were noticed before this happened. I'm currently waiting on an engine for the car so we can start using it again.

NHTSA ID 11764910 · filed Sep 17, 2026
All 69 reports naming engine →

Powertrain (other)

Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.

51
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that after pulling into a parking lot, the vehicle failed to shift into park. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where the contact was informed that three fault codes were found. The dealer informed the contact that the transmission needed to be disassembled for a full diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was scheduled for the transmission to be disassembled for the diagnostic test. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA ID 11766497 · filed Sep 23, 2026

No engine lights are on. When at stops it starts chugging and when I accelerate sometimes it does not go like it should. It idles high and feels like it is slipping. I have almost been hit in the rear several times when this happens. One lady did rear end me but the damage was so little that I did not call the cops. This vehicle has not been inspected and it is available for inspection at any time.

NHTSA ID 11748117 · filed Jul 3, 2026
All 51 reports naming powertrain (other) →

Electrical

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.

39
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

While driving on an interstate, vehicle became sluggish when accelerating. Took off on exit, engine was reduced to 50% power, attempted to drive to large parking lot, lost brakes, got the vehicle stopped in an intersection, would not shut off, go into neutral. Finally shut off, had to call tow truck, holding up traffic in a busy intersection. Was told it would be just $900 to fully diagnose problem, but it appeared the vacuum pump failed, threw broken metal into engine and now will have to be replaced at my cost. NO advanced warning of any type of problem, no warning lights, etc.

NHTSA ID 11766640 · filed Sep 24, 2026

On Saturday, August 15th we were driving on the freeway when with no warning the check engine light came on and the vehicle began to run poorly, and then the vehicle lost electrical power and it became difficult to steer and the brake pedal became stiff, making it difficult to stop and pull over. The vehicle would not start on command but kept running very poorly, it also became impossible to shut the vehicle off until it seized. It was later towed to a local repair shop, and today, Friday August 21st the shop confirmed that the vacuum pump on the brake assist failed and it would need a total engine replacement.

NHTSA ID 11758591 · filed Aug 21, 2026
All 39 reports naming electrical →

Driver assistance

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.

28
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

Vehicle struggles to shift from low gears; seems to completely miss 3rd gear. Codes from maintenance indicate TCC slip

NHTSA ID 11688959 · filed Sep 22, 2025

Friday July 25, 2025 I was driving my 2019 GMC Terrain SLE and when exiting the interstate the brake pedal got hard and I could not stop. After almost rear ending another vehicle, I got the vehicle into the ditch and safely off the road. After several attempts to correct the problem, I was unsuccessful. The vehicle was towed home and seen by a mechanic. The vacuum pump went out while I was driving.

NHTSA ID 11676573 · filed Jul 28, 2025
All 28 reports naming driver assistance →

Exterior lighting

Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.

5
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

Headlights flicker when auto stop releases and clicks back on to move the vehicle. This happens when it wants too but usually at the same time service parking brake will pop up, followed by steering is reduced, drive with care.. Lets see what else. Carplay no longer works. No sound. sd card error pops up. Car will not play music through a cord but will via bluetooth, but charges a phone. OnStar light flickering between green and red until I turned off power to the liftgate. (manually clicking over knob to disable) Headlights flickering can cause accidents. Sure hope there's no epileptics out. Yes, orielly. I have documentation, photos, videos, take your pick I'm here to help. Not evaluated at dealer or mechanic, who can afford labor rates? This has been happening for months and I will continue to report till something is done or lives are cared about.

NHTSA ID 11640766 · filed Feb 4, 2025

When parked in home driveway brake lights came on with no one in car or driven during the day. Only way to turn off brake is to remote start & then cut off engine with Fob. Dealer diagnostic unable to find issue & condition didn't occur when at their location.

NHTSA ID 11531074 · filed Jul 8, 2023

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Steering

Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.

4
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

Friday July 25, 2025 I was driving my 2019 GMC Terrain SLE and when exiting the interstate the brake pedal got hard and I could not stop. After almost rear ending another vehicle, I got the vehicle into the ditch and safely off the road. After several attempts to correct the problem, I was unsuccessful. The vehicle was towed home and seen by a mechanic. The vacuum pump went out while I was driving.

NHTSA ID 11676573 · filed Jul 28, 2025

My ESC randomly comes on. Service parking brake message comes on intermittently. Messages pop a up saying steering wheel assist limited, drive with care. Again, all of these are intermittent but when they happen my steering wheel locks up. Even mid turn. Being intermittent it doesn’t always happen and weather seems to affect when it happens, or that’s a coincidence.

NHTSA ID 11629553 · filed Dec 9, 2024

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Fuel system

Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.

4
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

My cars breaks failed by a vacuum pump failer and I almost died on the a hill going home

NHTSA ID 11733476 · filed Apr 23, 2026

Drove car approximately 15 miles. Parked car. Car would not turn off. Message- Transmission/Park. Wouldn't Car stayed neutral. Had to call wecker to take dealership. ... Diagnostic Solenoid Valve Body faulty.... 2019 Terrain Miles 91669. Is there recall. Have more reports of issue. Should this happen with a well maintained vehicle All maintenance updated to date.

NHTSA ID 11710073 · filed Jan 10, 2026

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Visibility

Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

This is the second time I have noticed storm heavy rain that my car is taken on water. We had an extremely heavy rain in June and no windows was left open. I did not know water had gotten into my car for an entire month when I heard a solution sale when I came to a break, what I did realize is that there was condensation buildup is inside of my car, but it was not sure why. After searching, I was able to locate and discover thatI had at least 3 inches of water standing water in my spare tire, section of my trunk. There was also an extreme amount of water on my floors in the back row once I took out my mats, I found there to be mold back there.Still unsure of how t the water got into the car I used my shop vac to suck out the water. We just had an extreme amount of heavy rain again. We are now in August. We just had extremely heavy amounts of rain and once again there’s water in the well trunk of my car where the spare tire is. I actually made sure to sit outside in my car during this heavy rain storm to see where the water was coming from. It appears that the water is coming from the sunroof, which then leaks to the back on the right hand side where the outlet socket is. I watched it dripped down into the back of the trunk into the spare tire well. I do not understand why this issue has not triggered a a recall yet as I’m noticing this is not just with my car. This is apparently the sixth or seventh car that has experienced this issue and GMC has yet to do a recall on it. This is very alarming and concerning God forbid I’m driving to work or I have one of my children in the car during a heavy rain storm and it hits the electrical wires or electrical panel with something else bad happens.

NHTSA ID 11758661 · filed Aug 21, 2026

I got into my car to head to the store today. Upon closing drivers door I heard a muffled sounding pop. As I looked around I noticed back windshield looked “weird”. Got out and walked around the back to see it completely shattered. It just exploded and every inch has a crack or chip, even all asking the edges of the glass. I lifted the tail gate to see if a rock was thrown by chance and a chunk fell into the car. No rock was found. It simply shattered. The temp today was low 60’s on May 3rd, 2026 here in Ohio.

NHTSA ID 11735393 · filed May 3, 2026

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Suspension

Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.

3
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

Recently experience rear differential binding with vehicle resulting in an accident.

NHTSA ID 11689378 · filed Sep 24, 2025

My transmission keeps sticking when I shift into drive or reverse. Just a couple of days ago, it happened the worst it has ever done before. I shifted into reverse and my vehicle was completely stopped when I shifted. I began to let off of the brakes and gently push the accelerator to start moving back, my vehicle then punched itself into reverse. I felt after that incident, something had to have been damaged. I’m almost afraid to drive my vehicle after that. When my vehicle punched itself into reverse, I was literally jolted towards the steering wheel and thankfully my seatbelt caught me. Incidents with the the shifting into drive or reverse have happened before, but never nearly as intense. About a year ago, I brought my vehicle in to my local GMC Dealership for a concern with my transmission shifting weirdly and holding itself in gear at an unnecessarily high RPM speed. The technician stated to me, “with these 9-speeds, they tend to get confused at various speeds”. I asked him to elaborate and he could not. These issues have now gotten worse. With my suspension, every turn I take, I get a kreaking sound from my front driver side wheel well. It sounds as if my tire if going to break off. I’ve done visual inspections and nothing out of the ordinary is noticeable to the eye. My vehicle is a 2019 with less than 40,000 miles on it. I should not be having all of these issues. I’m genuinely concerned for my safety.

NHTSA ID 11606036 · filed Aug 2, 2024

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Body & structure

Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

This is the second time I have noticed storm heavy rain that my car is taken on water. We had an extremely heavy rain in June and no windows was left open. I did not know water had gotten into my car for an entire month when I heard a solution sale when I came to a break, what I did realize is that there was condensation buildup is inside of my car, but it was not sure why. After searching, I was able to locate and discover thatI had at least 3 inches of water standing water in my spare tire, section of my trunk. There was also an extreme amount of water on my floors in the back row once I took out my mats, I found there to be mold back there.Still unsure of how t the water got into the car I used my shop vac to suck out the water. We just had an extreme amount of heavy rain again. We are now in August. We just had extremely heavy amounts of rain and once again there’s water in the well trunk of my car where the spare tire is. I actually made sure to sit outside in my car during this heavy rain storm to see where the water was coming from. It appears that the water is coming from the sunroof, which then leaks to the back on the right hand side where the outlet socket is. I watched it dripped down into the back of the trunk into the spare tire well. I do not understand why this issue has not triggered a a recall yet as I’m noticing this is not just with my car. This is apparently the sixth or seventh car that has experienced this issue and GMC has yet to do a recall on it. This is very alarming and concerning God forbid I’m driving to work or I have one of my children in the car during a heavy rain storm and it hits the electrical wires or electrical panel with something else bad happens.

NHTSA ID 11758661 · filed Aug 21, 2026

While I was driving on a highway, my sunroof suddenly imploded, causing shattered glass to fall all over myself and my car. The outside temperature was 50° and my car’s internal temperature was set to 68°. I reported this to the GM dealership and they told me to just report it to insurance. I am making a claim with insurance now. There were no warning or signs of this happening, just a sudden extremely loud noise and glass falling. No inspections have been done.

NHTSA ID 11627379 · filed Nov 25, 2024

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Airbags

Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owned a 2019 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, another vehicle crashed into the passenger side of the contact's vehicle. The air bags deployed; however, metal fragments from the air bag hit the contact's face, causing severe injuries. The contact received medical attention. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard. A police report was filed. The vehicle was deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

NHTSA ID 11531264 · filed Jul 10, 2023

I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT AND WAS HIT IN THE DRIVER ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE ON THE STREET. THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY DURING THE ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ID 11231253 · filed Jul 12, 2019

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Tires & wheels

Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.

2
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

BOTH FRONT TIRES SHOWING HEAVY CHIPPING OFF OF TIRE TREAD

NHTSA ID 11445662 · filed Dec 30, 2021

The contact owns a 2019 GMC Terrain equipped with Hankook Tires, Tire Line: Ventus S1 Noble 2 Tires, Tire Size: 235/50/R19, DOT Number: (N/A). The contact stated that while her daughter was driving approximately 45 - 50 MPH, the low-pressure tire warning light was illuminated. The contact's daughter pulled over and noticed that there was tread separation on the front passenger's side tire. The contact's daughter replaced the affected tire with the spare tire. The vehicle was later towed to the dealer. The dealer was awaiting approval from the manufacturer to replace the tire. The tire manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was not available. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ID 11443629 · filed Dec 13, 2021

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Seat belts

Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

The drivers side Seat belt buckle breaks somehow and we are unable to buckle the seatbelt in the car. After the first time, I bought another brand new buckle, replaced it. After one week of use, it also locked up. I am not sure what is going on and why such a thing keeps happening, but it is not safe and needs to be fixed ASAP. Not everyone has $80 to spend once a week on a new belt buckle which should last a lifetime. This is beyond dangerous, since seat belts are mandatory and my wife being unable to use it can be a matter of life or death. This is her only means of transportation and we can't just park it and use another. I can't possibly be the only one. Thank you for taking the time to look into this matter. Please let me know if there is any further information regarding this matter.

NHTSA ID 11431876 · filed Sep 6, 2021

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

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.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .