GMC Terrain

Where it stands out against its peers

• Visibility/wiper: more complaints than 97% of 2012 cars — 20% of its 370 complaints, where an ordinary 2012 car has 3%.

Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.

Before you buy one

Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.

• ENGINE — 104 owners reported this, 1 involving a fire
• VISIBILITY/WIPER — 70 owners reported this
• POWER TRAIN,ENGINE — 15 owners reported this
• AIR BAGS — 14 owners reported this, 9 involving a crash
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 8 owners reported this
• STRUCTURE — 8 owners reported this
• EXTERIOR LIGHTING — 7 owners reported this
• FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 7 owners reported this
• POWER TRAIN — 7 owners reported this
• VISIBILITY — 7 owners reported this

Crash test

Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.

Specification

Recalls

Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.

62% of 2022 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.

• 11V511000

  UNDERINFLATED TIRES CAN RESULT IN TIRE OVERLOADING AND OVERHEATING, WHICH COULD LEAD TO A BLOWOUT AND POSSIBLE CRASH. THE RESULTING CRASH COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY. UNDERINFLATED TIRES CAN ALSO RESULT IN PREMATURE OR IRREGULAR WEAR, POOR HANDLING, AND POOR FUEL ECONOMY.

  GM DEALERS WILL UPDATE THE BODY CONTROL MODULE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT NOVEMBER 9, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438 AND GMC AT 1-866-996-9463.

• 14V447000

  If the driver's seat unexpectedly drops, the distraction and altered seat position may affect the drivers' control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

  GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the height adjuster shoulder bolts, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed interim letters to owners on September 11, 2014. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14271.

• 15V666000

  In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of one or both of the side impact air bags, the air bag's inflator may rupture and the air bag may not properly inflate. The rupture could cause metal fragments to strike the vehicle occupants, potentially resulting in serious injury or death. Additionally, if the air bag does not properly inflate, the driver or passenger is at an increased risk of injury.

  GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the side impact air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began on October 19, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 01320.

• 16V449000

  If the information on the certification labels is incorrect, the operator may install incorrectly sized tires or rims or may improperly inflate the tires, increasing the risk of a crash.

  GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the certification label, free of charge. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1050, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 46600.

• 16V502000

  If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.

  GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.

• 16V582000

  Inoperative windshield wipers may reduce the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

  GM will notify owners, dealers will repair the AIP-hole, inspect and, if necessary, replace the front wiper module, free of charge. The recall began on April 13, 2017. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 25302.

• 17V516000

  If the front right intermediate drive shaft assembly separates while driving, the vehicle will lose propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. If the assembly separates while parked on a grade, without the park brake engaged, the vehicle may move unintentionally, increasing the risk of a vehicle roll-away.

  GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the right front intermediate drive shaft assembly, free of charge. The recall began August 25, 2017. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 17329.

• 18V340000

  If the SDM becomes inoperative, it will not detect a crash or command the necessary air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

  GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the SDM with updated software, free of charge. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18179.

9 more campaigns have been filed against this model. A dealer can check by VIN which apply to one car.

Regulator investigations

Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.

• Momentary Increased Steering Effort

  Preliminary evaluation, opened June 2020, closed June 2022.

• Front Wiper Transmission Inoperative

  Engineering analysis, opened December 2019, closed November 2022.

• Windshield Wiper Transmission Failure

  Recall query, opened November 2018, closed December 2019.

What the maker told its dealers

Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.

GMC filed 7 bulletins about the 2027 Terrain.

• Other: 7

• Onstar connectivity features may be inoperative. Dealer is instructed how to reset the onstar module. Engineering is investigating a solution. · August 2026
• This Preliminary Information describes steps needed to resolve a rattle or vibration from the door panel. · August 2026
• This PI advise dealers If U3000 is present, follow the correct service doc by Symptom Byte before contacting PQC; if not present, verify the camera is clean, then contact PQC if no issue is found. · August 2026
• This PI communicates a possible speedometer and/or odometer error due to an error in the parts catalog · June 2026
• This PI addresses leaks from the case half and provides repair direction to dealer technicians · June 2026
• PIP6032B provides diagnostic direction for dealers when encountering transmission leaks · June 2026
• This Preliminary information communicates to technicians to remove the pulley assembly and inspect the drive chain and pulley surfaces. · June 2026

Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.