2019 GMC Terrain Service Brakes Problems
Owners have filed 65 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes problems on the 2019 GMC Terrain, 35% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 40,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “vacuum pump” (52% of reports).
- 65service brakes complaints
- 40,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 49%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Vacuum pump: mentioned in 34 of 65 complaints (52%)
- Brake assist: mentioned in 9 of 65 complaints (14%)
- Pedal became: mentioned in 8 of 65 complaints (12%)
- Extremely hard: mentioned in 5 of 65 complaints (8%)
At what mileage do service brakes problems happen?
Based on 1 complaint that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 65 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 1 an injury.
GMC Terrain service brakes complaints by model year
| Model year | Service Brakes complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Terrain | 4 | 12% | — |
| 2025 Terrain | 2 | 15% | — |
| 2024 Terrain | 2 | 4% | — |
| 2022 Terrain | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2021 Terrain | 8 | 22% | 78,843 |
| 2020 Terrain | 65 | 33% | 34,415 |
| 2019 Terrain | 65 | 35% | 40,000 |
| 2018 Terrain | 70 | 31% | 34,000 |
| 2017 Terrain | 2 | 1% | 50,000 |
| 2016 Terrain | 5 | 3% | 32,000 |
| 2015 Terrain | 8 | 3% | 43,200 |
| 2014 Terrain | 9 | 3% | 41,450 |
| 2013 Terrain | 7 | 2% | 44,198 |
| 2012 Terrain | 5 | 1% | 59,000 |
| 2011 Terrain | 5 | 1% | 77,264 |
| 2010 Terrain | 8 | 3% | 123,462 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are 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…
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…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2019 GMC Terrains have service brakes problems?
No. NHTSA has 65 owner complaints about service brakes for the 2019 GMC Terrain (35% of the 186 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2019 GMC Terrain service brakes?
Yes: 1 safety recall list service brakes. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do service brakes problems start?
The median reported mileage is 40,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about service brakes problems on the 2019 GMC Terrain?
The most frequent phrase is “vacuum pump”, in 34 of 65 complaints, followed by “brake assist” (9).
Other 2019 GMC Terrain problems
- Engine problems (70)
- Power Train problems (52)
See all 2019 GMC Terrain problems or service brakes problems across all Terrain years.