2019 GMC Terrain Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Terrain years
- About as many complaints as other years 9th of 17 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 186 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 GMC Terrain. That ranks 9th out of 17 Terrain model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (70 complaints, 38%), typically at around 72,000 miles. Complaints mention 7 crashes, 3 fires, 12 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 186owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 7complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2019 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine problems | 70 | 38% | 72,000 | “vacuum pump” (33%) | — |
| Service Brakes problems | 65 | 35% | 40,000 | “vacuum pump” (52%) | — |
| Power Train problems | 52 | 28% | 14,000 | “vacuum pump” (15%) | — |
| Electrical System | 39 | 21% | 15,900 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 21 | 11% | 230 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 9 | 5% | 4,697 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 7 | 4% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 7 | 4% | 76,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 6 | 3% | 15,900 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 6 | 3% | 4,473 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 4 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 2% | 50 | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 2 | 1% | 19,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 1% | 58,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2019 GMC Terrain recalls (3)
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.
Seats
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The rear-right seat may have insufficient welds on the head-restraint bracket.
Risk: In the event of a crash, the insufficient welds may result in an increased risk of injury for an occupant seated in the rear-right position.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear-right seatback frame, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. 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 N192209550.
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.
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.
VIN: [XXX] Mileage: Approximately 103,576 Incident location: [XXX] Safety Complaint: While my wife was driving our 2019 GMC Terrain into a shopping center parking lot, the vehicle suddenly experienced a severe loss of braking assistance. The brake pedal became extremely stiff and difficult to…
While driving on an interstate, vehicle became sluggish when accelerating. Took off on exit, engine was reduced to 50% power, attempted to drive to large parking lot, lost brakes, got the vehicle stopped in an intersection, would not shut off, go into neutral. Finally shut off, had to call tow…
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that after pulling into a parking lot, the vehicle failed to shift into park. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where the contact was informed that three fault codes were found. The dealer informed the contact that the transmission needed to…
On 9/15/2026, my wife drove her car, a 2019 GMC Terrain, to a doctor's appointment. She reported no known issues with the way the car operated during her drive nor had she or I experienced issues prior to this event. After she finished her appointment, she attempted to start her car and was unable…
While driving my 2019 GMC Terrain with three children as passengers, the vehicle developed a braking/engine problem. The brake pedal became very hard, and the vehicle subsequently became undrivable and would not start. I received no advance warning through the GMC app indicating that the vacuum…
Other GMC Terrain years
← 2018 Terrain · 2020 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 | 186 | 3 |
| 2018 Terrain | 224 | 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 2019 GMC Terrain?
Owners most often report engine, service brakes, power train problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 70 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2019 GMC Terrain?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2019 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 2019 has about as many complaints as a typical year, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.