2020 GMC Terrain Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Terrain years
- About as many complaints as other years 8th of 17 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 197 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 GMC Terrain. That ranks 8th out of 17 Terrain model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes (65 complaints, 33%), typically at around 34,415 miles. Complaints mention 7 crashes, 2 fires, 5 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 197owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 7complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2020 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 | 65 | 33% | 34,415 | “vacuum pump” (54%) | — |
| Engine problems | 58 | 29% | 67,000 | “vacuum pump” (24%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 34 | 17% | 1,514 | — | — |
| Power Train | 28 | 14% | 53,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 27 | 14% | 5,600 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 25 | 13% | 5,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 6% | 514 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 8 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 7 | 4% | 108,000 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 6 | 3% | 71,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 6 | 3% | 46,046 | — | — |
| Structure | 5 | 3% | 41,150 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 3 | 2% | 8,500 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 2% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 3 | 2% | 2,400 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 1% | 37,000 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 1% | 2,400 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 1% | 32,900 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 1% | 1,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 1% | 2,729 | — | — |
| Carry Handle, Shell, Base | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 1% | 37,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2020 GMC Terrain recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Child seat:vehicle latch anchor
Problem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The four rear-seat lower child seat LATCH anchorage bars may have excessive powder coating, which could prevent a child seat from being installed with the anchorage bars. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."
Risk: The inability to install a child seat with the LATCH anchorage bars could result in an unsecured child seat, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Owners are advised to install child seats using the vehicle's rear seat belts until the remedy is complete. Dealers will inspect the latch anchorage bars, and remove and replace the finish, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 2, 2023. 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 N232403240.
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.
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.
While driving at the speed limit the vacuum pump failed on my 2020 GMC Terrain. This failure led to me enter an intersection with heavy cross traffic, nearly striking g several vehicles. This is the 3rd time I have had to replace this pump in 2 years. The pump explodes sending chards of metal into…
While driving my 2020 GMC Terrain, I experienced a sudden loss of normal braking assistance. I had been traveling on the highway and exited onto a main road. As I approached a red traffic light at approximately 50 mph and attempted to brake, the vehicle would not stop normally. I was unable to stop…
Having the start stop issue on my terrain and recently over the last few months, it has been using oil everything that sounds exactly like the recall but mine is not included. My start stop is not working and I have to get him since it had only 60,000 miles on it years ago, but nothing was done.
Fuel pump control module and or the in tank fuel pump failed and or isnât making proper connection for car to run correctly. Safety was put at risk as car came to abrupt halt while driving. Driver was outside of vehicle at busy intersection for vehicle diagnostics and battery jump. Battery was…
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The brake pedal was depressed to the floor, and the vehicle slowed down and eventually stopped. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was…
Other GMC Terrain years
← 2019 Terrain · 2021 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 | 197 | 2 |
| 2019 Terrain | 186 | 3 |
| 2018 Terrain | 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 2020 GMC Terrain?
Owners most often report service brakes, engine, unknown or other problems. The top one, service brakes, accounts for 65 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2020 GMC Terrain?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2020 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 2020 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.