EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL
2026 GMC Terrain
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Overview
Our database contains 33 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2026 GMC Terrain, most frequently naming the driver assistance, powertrain (other) and suspension categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 166 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.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
View as table
| Month | Complaints filed | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2025 | 2 | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | 2 | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | 1 | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | 2 | 7 |
| Mar 2026 | 4 | 11 |
| Apr 2026 | 4 | 15 |
| May 2026 | 3 | 18 |
| Jun 2026 | 2 | 20 |
| Jul 2026 | 2 | 22 |
| Aug 2026 | 4 | 26 |
| Sep 2026 | 7 | 33 |
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Driver assistance820.5%
- Powertrain (other)512.8%
- Suspension512.8%
- Electrical512.8%
- Brakes410.3%
- Other / unspecified410.3%
- Steering37.7%
- Interior & seats25.1%
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
1 campaign 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.govRecent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
On the evening ofXXX, at approximately 6:00 PM, I was driving this Avis rental vehicle on a highway in [XXX] at normal highway speed, below the posted limit, with my foot on the accelerator. The forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking system activated and applied the brakes hard. There was no vehicle, pedestrian, obstacle, or hazard ahead of me, and no vehicle behind me or beside me. The roadway was clear and dry. The sun was low in the sky, and the vehicle was crossing a metal expansion joint on an overpass at the moment of activation. I believe the low sun angle, the expansion joint, or both caused a false object detection by the forward-facing camera or radar. The service brakes themselves functioned correctly. The failure is in the forward sensing and decision logic, which commanded a braking event with no object present. The deceleration was severe and unexpected. I sustained sharp pain in my neck and shoulder. Had any vehicle been following me, this would have caused a rear-end collision at highway speed. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms before the event, and none afterward. I had driven the vehicle for seven days with no prior indication of a fault. I exited the highway immediately and drove back to the rental location on local streets at low speed because I no longer trusted the vehicle. I returned it the following morning when the Avis office opened, more than a day early, and reported the defect. Being a rental vehicle it was not available to me for inspection. The rental company has advised that it was taken out of fleet for inspection after my return, that there are no open recalls on it, and that it will not release internal service records to me. I do not know the outcome of that inspection. To my knowledge the fault has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer, independent service center, or manufacturer representative. No police report was filed because no collision occurred. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S
- NHTSA ID
- 11766350
- Incident
- Aug 29, 2026
a failing telematics module on your 2026 GMC Terrain is causing network corruption, leading to an erratic speedometer and loss of driver assistance systems while driving.
- NHTSA ID
- 11765984
- Incident
- Sep 18, 2026
My vehicle is making a squeaky sound/noise when breaking and getting louder. I took it in for service and they couldn’t seem to find the issue. It’s coming from the front end of the vehicle
- NHTSA ID
- 11765446
- Incident
- Jul 10, 2026
Shimmy, shake, wobble, after TSB 26-NA-109 repair, replace front springs, vehicle feels less stable at highway speeds. The initial condition, Shimmy, Shake, Wobble, under moderate acceleration, still exists after last repair attempt.
- NHTSA ID
- 11765270
- Incident
- May 19, 2026
The contact owns a 2026 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving 10 MPH and pulling into a parking lot, the vehicle was shifted into drive(D) and the driver’s door lock unexpectedly unlocked. The contact stated that on another occasion, a passenger in the front passenger’s seat noticed the same failure with the passenger’s side door lock. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact expressed concern that the failure was hazardous and posed a safety risk because the doors could open while the vehicle was moving. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 2,500.
- NHTSA ID
- 11764146
- Incident
- Sep 12, 2026
- Mileage
- 2,500 mi
Avis Rental. Vehicle simply shut down while driving and would not re-start. Vehicle could NOT be put into neutral to move from roadway. Emergency services vehicles had to remain on site awaiting tow vehicle. Very dangerous situation.
- NHTSA ID
- 11763641
- Incident
- Sep 11, 2026
I recently pulled over to help a woman driving a 2026 GMC Terrain who had run out of gas in the middle of XXX in Virginia. Obviously, the first priority was to get the vehicle out of the travel lanes and onto the shoulder. I tried to figure out how to put the Terrain into neutral so we could move it, only to discover that **the vehicle cannot be shifted into neutral if it is not running.** Since it was out of gas, it could not start, meaning we could not put it in neutral and could not move it out of the roadway. Fortunately, a VDOT Safety Service Patrol truck came by. The driver stopped to help and thankfully had gasoline. However, I was told that, according to policy, he could not put gas in the vehicle while it was still in the travel lanes. This created an extremely dangerous catch-22: **the vehicle could not be moved because it could not start, it could not start because it was out of gas, and gas could not be added because it had not been moved out of the roadway.** I believe this is a serious safety issue with the vehicle. A disabled vehicle should have a reliable way to be placed in neutral regardless of whether the engine can start. This is especially important after a breakdown or crash, when the vehicle may need to be moved quickly to protect the occupants, other drivers, or first responders. If there is a manual emergency procedure for putting a completely disabled Terrain into neutral, it should be clearly documented and readily accessible to drivers and roadside assistance personnel. If there is no practical method, I believe GMC needs to address this design. A modern vehicle should not become an immovable roadblock simply because it ran out of fuel. Please investigate this issue and take whatever action is necessary to ensure disabled vehicles can be safely moved out of active traffic lanes.
- NHTSA ID
- 11761336
- Incident
- Aug 27, 2026
When starting to accelerate from a red light. The car in front of us was accelerating faster. Yet our car initiated an emergency braking action at around 15 MPH. It was very jarring and I still have a headache more yhan 1 hour after the incident.
- NHTSA ID
- 11760736
- Incident
- Aug 30, 2026
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
This PI is to instruct dealer on diagnostic procedures that need to be completed prior to replacing a radio or IPC display
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
This preliminary information addresses a clunk noise in the front suspension traced to the control arm bushings.
This preliminary information addresses a clunk noise in the front suspension traced to the control arm bushings.
This Preliminary information communicates to the technicians a diagnostic tip if a technician loses communication with the image processor #2 and how to restore communication
This preliminary information is to inform technicians that GM is placing the B174W Front View Camera Module (ACP2) on part restriction due to elevated replacement rates and ongoing engineering investigation. Technicians must not replace the front camera module unless they have: 1.Completed the diagnostic procedure in this PI, and 2.Contacted TAC and received authorization, including the SI document number and specific step that directs camera replacement.
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
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2026Viewing | 33 | 1 | 0 | 48.6 |
| 2025 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 47.0 |
| 2024 | 49 | 1 | 0 | 46.9 |
| 2023 | 39 | 2 | 0 | 55.7 |
| 2022 | 60 | 2 | 0 | 55.1 |
| 2021 | 35 | 2 | 0 | 59.5 |
| 2020 | 196 | 2 | 0 | 57.4 |
| 2019 | 185 | 3 | 0 | 56.9 |
| 2018 | 220 | 5 | 0 | 58.2 |
| 2017 | 133 | 1 | 0 | 51.9 |
| 2016 | 152 | 2 | 2 | 59.5 |
| 2015 | 297 | 3 | 2 | 55.1 |
| 2014 | 296 | 2 | 2 | 50.4 |
| 2013 | 364 | 3 | 0 | 49.8 |
| 2012 | 364 | 4 | 3 | 59.6 |
| 2011 | 386 | 4 | 3 | 57.3 |
| 2010 | 290 | 3 | 3 | 56.3 |
| 2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
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.