What breaks most · 2010 to 2019 model years
GMC Terrain problems by year
Owners have filed 1,076 safety complaints with NHTSA about the GMC Terrain across model years 2010 to 2019. Three years stand out: 2011 for engine complaints, 2010 for engine complaints and 2012 for engine complaints. The quietest years are 2017, 2016 and 2015.
- Years to check closely: 2011, 2010, 2012
- Fewest complaints: 2017, 2016, 2015
- Complaints on file
- 10762010 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 2011243 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 559 fires · 69 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 60kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 30Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 228 | 8 | 3 | Engine (83) | |
| 243 | 11 | 4 | Engine (87) | |
| 190 | 13 | 4 | Engine (73) | |
| 173 | 10 | 3 | Engine (66) | |
| 87 | 2 | 2 | Engine (22) | |
| 70 | 3 | 3 | Wipers and visibility (27) | |
| 21 | 1 | 2 | Electrical system (5) | |
| 11 | 4 | 1 | Unknown or other (6) | |
| 41 | 2 | 5 | Powertrain and transmission (12) | |
| 12 | 1 | 3 | Unknown or other (3) |
What fails on the 2011 GMC Terrain
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 36% |
87 | 1 | Shop engine parts for the 2011 GMC Terrain |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 19% |
47 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Air bags | 9% |
23 | 10 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 8% |
20 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2011 GMC Terrain |
| Stability controlABS and wheel speed sensors | 8% |
19 | 0 | Shop stability control parts for the 2011 GMC Terrain |
| Unknown or other | 7% |
18 | 0 | — |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 7% |
16 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2011 GMC Terrain |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 7% |
16 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2011 GMC Terrain |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Vehicle consumes 2 quarts of all every 1500 miles only had the truck fora year and a half. Also it has this terrible rattling noise.
-
Car is losing oil, no drip on ground, must be burning in motor, having to add oil every few month. This is being going own for about 3yrs. When we get oil changed, have to add oil within 3 or 4 months. Have stopped driving car. Need to sale it need to get car fixed. Losing oil when driving. Not while parked.
-
Getting a rattling/whining sound from my car, and when i come to stop it shakes an vibrates. Just purchased this vehicle about 6 months ago from a dealership, i very a little worried about this vehicle. Pleae advivse me on what to do. Can not afford to fix any major problems. Help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which GMC Terrain years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2011, 2010, 2012 carry the most filings on the GMC Terrain. The 2011 alone has 243 complaints, led by engine.
What is the most common GMC Terrain problem?
On the 2011 model year, the most-reported component is engine with 87 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do GMC Terrain problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all GMC Terrain complaints that include mileage is about 60,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.