What are the most common problems with the 2019 GMC Terrain?

Brakes and engine are the biggest complaint groups in the NHTSA record. Power train and electrical complaints come next.

Has the 2019 GMC Terrain had recalls?

Yes. The by-year count is in the by-year fact. The Recalls section on this page lists each one.

How many complaints are there for the 2019 GMC Terrain?

NHTSA has 186 owner complaints on file. They are unverified and not adjusted for sales.

Is the 2019 GMC Terrain reliable?

The complaint groups above show where owners reported trouble. For the MPG, crash ratings and a comparison with other years, see the generated sections on this page.

2019 GMC Terrain Problems, Recalls and MPG

NHTSA has 186 owner complaints on file for the 2019 GMC Terrain^[1]. Brakes and engine are the two biggest complaint groups^[2]^[3].

186owner complaints^[1]

3recalls^[4]

23–32MPG combined (EPA)^[5]

5★NHTSA overall rating^[6]

Problems
Recalls
Fuel economy
Safety
Engine and size
By year
Verdict
FAQ

Most reported problems

Here are the complaint groups in the NHTSA record, biggest first. These are unverified owner reports, and one complaint can name more than one part.

Brakes. 72 complaints name the brakes^[2]. Owners describe a stiff pedal, brake assist warnings that come and go, and moments when the car was slow to stop or lost braking help.
Engine. 70 complaints name the engine^[3]. In the stories we read, owners describe warning lights, a loss of power while accelerating, and the car shutting down on the road.
Power Train. 52 complaints name the power train^[7]. Owners describe slipping when starting or stopping, trouble getting into gear, and a car that would not move.
Electrical System. 39 complaints name the electrical system^[8]. Owners describe a dead battery, false warnings on the dash, climate control errors, and a strange smell from the vents.
Unknown Or Other. 21 complaints fall in the unknown or other group^[9].
Speed Control. 9 complaints name speed control^[10].
Back Over Prevention. 7 complaints name back over prevention^[11].
Forward Collision Avoidance. 6 complaints name forward collision avoidance^[12].

Recalls

Newest first. Each recall covers only certain vehicles, so not every 2019 Terrain is necessarily included.

Power Train › Automatic Transmission (20V668), October 2020. About 194,105 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: fire, a crash. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[13]
Seats (19V184), March 2019. About 120 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, injury. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[14]
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Caliper (18V576), August 2018. About 210,628 vehicles are potentially affected across every model and year the recall names. The recall names these risks: a crash, reduced braking. Dealers do the repair free of charge.^[15]

Fuel economy

EPA ratings depend on the engine and drive. Annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not prices when the car was new.

Version	City / highway / combined MPG	Annual fuel cost
Terrain FWD, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic 9-spd, Premium, Front-Wheel Drive^[16]	22 / 28 / 24	$3,400
Terrain FWD, 1.5L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic 9-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[17]	26 / 30 / 28	$2,400
Terrain AWD, 1.5L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic 9-spd, Regular, All-Wheel Drive^[18]	24 / 28 / 26	$2,600
Terrain AWD, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic 9-spd, Premium, All-Wheel Drive^[19]	21 / 26 / 23	$3,550
Terrain AWD, 1.6L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic 6-spd, Diesel, All-Wheel Drive^[5]	28 / 38 / 32	$3,000
Terrain FWD, 1.6L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic 6-spd, Diesel, Front-Wheel Drive^[20]	28 / 39 / 32	$3,000

Safety ratings

Version	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
SUV AWD^[6]	5	5	5	4	16.4%
SUV FWD^[21]	5	5	5	4	18.5%

Engine and size

Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles.

Engine	Horsepower
2019 GMC Terrain with 1.5L 4-cylinder^[22]	170 hp

These are Canadian-market specifications from Transport Canada, so US models can differ slightly.

Version	Length	Width	Height	Wheelbase	Curb weight
TERRAIN 4DR SUV AWD^[23]	183 in	72 in	65 in	107 in	3,483 lb
TERRAIN 4DR SUV FWD^[24]	183 in	72 in	65 in	107 in	3,327 lb

How 2019 compares with other years

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for each Terrain model year. The 2019 is highlighted^[4].

Show the numbers

Model year	Complaints	Recalls
2010	290	3
2011	386	4
2012	364	4
2013	364	3
2014	297	2
2015	298	3
2016	153	2
2017	135	1
2018	225	5
2019	186	3
2020	197	2
2021	36	2
2022	88	4
2023	41	2
2024	52	1
2025	13	0
2026	33	1
2027	1	0

NHTSA's counts for the Terrain show 186 complaints and 3 recalls for 2019^[4]. Among the 18 model years listed, 9 have fewer complaints than 2019 and 8 have more^[4]. The fewest complaints are for 2027 (1) and the most are for 2011 (386)^[4]. These counts are not adjusted for sales, so treat them as a rough guide. The chart above shows every year.

Should you buy a used 2019 Terrain?

The complaint record for this model year centers on brakes and the engine^[2]^[3]. Power train and electrical problems follow behind them^[7]^[8]. These are owner reports sent to NHTSA, so they show what people ran into and not how often it happens. The by-year section shows the recall count and complaint total for this year^[4]. Check the recalls section on this page and ask a dealer whether the open ones have been done on any car you are considering.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2019 GMC Terrain?: Brakes and engine are the biggest complaint groups in the NHTSA record^[2]^[3]. Power train and electrical complaints come next^[7]^[8].
Has the 2019 GMC Terrain had recalls?: Yes. The by-year count is in the by-year fact^[4]. The Recalls section on this page lists each one.
How many complaints are there for the 2019 GMC Terrain?: NHTSA has 186 owner complaints on file^[1]. They are unverified and not adjusted for sales.
Is the 2019 GMC Terrain reliable?: The complaint groups above show where owners reported trouble^[2]^[3]^[7]^[8]. For the MPG, crash ratings and a comparison with other years, see the generated sections on this page.

Keep exploring

Other model years of the GMC Terrain

2011 386 complaints, 4 recalls
2012 364 complaints, 4 recalls
2013 364 complaints, 3 recalls
2014 297 complaints, 2 recalls
2015 298 complaints, 3 recalls
2016 153 complaints, 2 recalls
2017 135 complaints, 1 recall
2018 225 complaints, 5 recalls
2019 this page
2020 197 complaints, 2 recalls
2024 52 complaints, 1 recall

Compare all model years of the GMC Terrain

Other GMC models from 2019

2019 GMC Acadia 387 complaints, 2 recalls
2019 GMC Sierra 684 complaints, 10 recalls
2019 GMC Yukon 126 complaints, 3 recalls

All GMC models

Similar cars from 2019: small suvs

2019 Nissan Pathfinder 76 complaints, 2 recalls
2019 Volkswagen Atlas 482 complaints, 12 recalls
2019 Volkswagen Tiguan 193 complaints, 5 recalls
2019 Chevrolet Equinox 306 complaints, 4 recalls
2019 Ford Edge 772 complaints, 3 recalls
2019 Ford Escape 596 complaints, 3 recalls

All small suvs we cover

Facts and sources

NHTSA has 186 owner complaints on file for the 2019 GMC Terrain (7 mention a crash, 3 a fire, 12 injuries, 0 deaths reported). NHTSA vehicle records
72 complaints name the brakes component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 3 injuries, median mileage at failure 72,000). NHTSA vehicle records
70 complaints name the engine component group (0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 41,500). NHTSA vehicle records
Owner complaints and recalls for every GMC Terrain model year (chart above). NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for Terrain AWD, 1.6L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic 6-spd, Diesel, All-Wheel Drive: 28 city / 38 highway / 32 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,000. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, SUV AWD: overall 5 stars, frontal 5 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 16.4%. NHTSA vehicle records
52 complaints name the power train component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 14,000). NHTSA vehicle records
39 complaints name the electrical system component group (0 crashes, 1 fires, 2 injuries, median mileage at failure 15,900). NHTSA vehicle records
21 complaints name the unknown or other component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
9 complaints name the speed control component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 4,697). NHTSA vehicle records
7 complaints name the back over prevention component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 55,000). NHTSA vehicle records
6 complaints name the forward collision avoidance component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries). NHTSA vehicle records
Recall 20V668, filed October 29, 2020: Power Train › Automatic Transmission. NHTSA recall database
Recall 19V184, filed March 7, 2019: Seats. NHTSA recall database
Recall 18V576, filed August 30, 2018: Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Caliper. NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for Terrain FWD, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic 9-spd, Premium, Front-Wheel Drive: 22 city / 28 highway / 24 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,400. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Terrain FWD, 1.5L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic 9-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 26 city / 30 highway / 28 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,400. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Terrain AWD, 1.5L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic 9-spd, Regular, All-Wheel Drive: 24 city / 28 highway / 26 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,600. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Terrain AWD, 2.0L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic 9-spd, Premium, All-Wheel Drive: 21 city / 26 highway / 23 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,550. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Terrain FWD, 1.6L 4-cyl turbo, Automatic 6-spd, Diesel, Front-Wheel Drive: 28 city / 39 highway / 32 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $3,000. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, SUV FWD: overall 5 stars, frontal 5 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 18.5%. NHTSA vehicle records
EPA Test Car List, 2019 GMC Terrain with 1.5L 4-cylinder: rated 170 hp. www.epa.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, TERRAIN 4DR SUV AWD: length 183 in, width 72 in, height 65 in, wheelbase 107 in, curb weight 3,483 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov
Transport Canada specifications via NHTSA vPIC, TERRAIN 4DR SUV FWD: length 183 in, width 72 in, height 65 in, wheelbase 107 in, curb weight 3,327 lb (converted from centimeters and kilograms). vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov

Complaints submitted to NHTSA by owners; unverified reports, one complaint can name several components. Complaint counts are not normalized by sales; compare years of the same model, not different models. EPA annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not the price when the car was new. Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles. Dimensions are Canadian-market specifications and can differ slightly from US models.

2019 GMC Terrain: problems, recalls and fuel economy