2018 GMC Terrain Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Terrain years
- More complaints than other years 7th of 17 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4–5 out of 5 stars (varies by version)
Owners have filed 223 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 GMC Terrain. That ranks 7th out of 17 Terrain model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes (69 complaints, 31%), typically at around 34,000 miles. Complaints mention 14 crashes, 1 fire, 12 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 223owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 14complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2018 GMC Terrain problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes problems | 69 | 31% | 34,000 | “vacuum pump” (41%) | — |
| Engine problems | 54 | 24% | 18,000 | “vacuum pump” (30%) | — |
| Power Train | 41 | 18% | 10,300 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 35 | 16% | 22,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 35 | 16% | 6,050 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 14 | 6% | 20,575 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 13 | 6% | 105,650 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 12 | 5% | 7,674 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 8 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 4% | 15,615 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 7 | 3% | 2,034 | — | — |
| Steering | 7 | 3% | 11,950 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 4 | 2% | 151 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 1% | 21,700 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 1% | 8,669 | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 1% | 2,290 | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 1% | 11,950 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 2 | 1% | 68,348 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 1% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 1% | 12,000 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 0% | 300 | — | — |
| Carry Handle, Shell, Base | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 0% | 26,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Tether, Lower Anchor (on Car Seat or Vehicle) | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 0% | 2,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2018 GMC Terrain recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Power train:automatic transmission
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
Risk: Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:caliper
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
Risk: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18279.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure fuel line.
Risk: A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump, and high pressure fuel pipe, free of charge. The recall began July 2, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18188.
Air bags: air bag/restraint control module
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 GMC Terrain vehicles. The sensing diagnostic module (SDM) that senses a crash and deploys the necessary air bags may not power down correctly when the vehicle is shut off, causing it to be inoperative when the vehicle is restarted.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Power train:driveline:driveshaft
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles and 2017-2018 GMC Acadia vehicles. The right front intermediate driveshaft may fracture and separate while driving.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Without any type of warning, I was driving down the road when my car started making a knocking/ticking type noise then my engine light came on. I attempted to hit my brakes and stop, and I had no control. There was no brakes without pushing it all the way to the floor it was very hard to get my car…
Dear [Manufacturer], I am writing to report a serious safety concern with my [year, make, model]. A bolt from the idler arm/undercarriage came off after becoming severely rusted. I had the vehicle inspected by a repair shop, but they could not determine why the bolt failed or why it had rusted to…
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the garage at the residence, there was fuel leaking from the vehicle from the fuel line. The contact stated that the fuel pump was replaced. There was a strong gasoline odor coming from the vehicle. The…
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH, the brake pedal was firm and the "Service Brake Assist" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact used excessive force to depress the brake pedal while stopping the vehicle. The vehicle was driven to…
I purchased an Evenflo Shyft Intuiti Travel System with a Revolve180 LiteMax NXT infant car seat. The car seat was manufactured on 03/27/2025, model [redacted]. I was notified by Amazon that the car seat was recalled due to a calibration issue with the level indicator that caused the product not to…
Other GMC Terrain years
← 2017 Terrain · 2019 Terrain →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Terrain | 33 | 1 |
| 2025 Terrain | 13 | 0 |
| 2024 Terrain | 52 | 1 |
| 2023 Terrain | 40 | 2 |
| 2022 Terrain | 60 | 2 |
| 2021 Terrain | 36 | 2 |
| 2020 Terrain | 197 | 2 |
| 2019 Terrain | 186 | 3 |
| 2018 | 223 | 5 |
| 2017 Terrain | 135 | 1 |
| 2016 Terrain | 152 | 2 |
| 2015 Terrain | 298 | 3 |
| 2014 Terrain | 297 | 2 |
| 2013 Terrain | 364 | 3 |
| 2012 Terrain | 364 | 4 |
| 2011 Terrain | 386 | 4 |
| 2010 Terrain | 290 | 3 |
See all GMC Terrain problems by year, every GMC model, or the GMC VIN decoder.
Similar GMC models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2018 GMC Terrain?
Owners most often report service brakes, engine, power train problems. The top one, service brakes, accounts for 69 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2018 GMC Terrain?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2018 GMC Terrain a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Terrain model years, the 2018 has more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 4–5 out of 5 stars (varies by version) overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.