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GMC · NHTSA safety record

2021 GMC Terrain

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 36 safety complaints about the 2021 GMC Terrain with the US government. Of those, 4 describe a crash, 4 people were injured and no death is recorded. 2 recall campaigns are open against it, covering child seat and the tires.

The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 10 complaints, 28% of the total.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers July 2021 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

36 complaints on file

36

Complaints

4

Describe a crash

0

Mention fire

4

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

Complaints rose 29% year on year: 9 in the twelve months to 2026-Q2, against 7 in the twelve before.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ENGINE 10 · 28%
POWER TRAIN 8 · 22%
SERVICE BRAKES 8 · 22%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 7 · 19%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 3 · 8%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 · 8%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 2 · 6%
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 2 · 6%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 · 6%
LANE DEPARTURE 2 · 6%
SUSPENSION 2 · 6%
AIR BAGS 1 · 3%
0 8 15

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 36.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2026 at 10.

12 9 6 3
21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2021 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2021 GMC TERRAIN, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test SUV AWD SUV FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 16.4% 18.5%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

2 on file

CHILD SEAT:VEHICLE LATCH ANCHOR

23V339000 · May 11, 2023

The defect
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."
The 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.
The remedy
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.

General Motors, LLC · up to 668,187 vehicles across all model years covered

TIRES

21V612000 · August 5, 2021

The defect
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles equipped with certain Hankook tires. The tires may have been manufactured with an insufficient amount of curative agent, which could cause tread separation.
The risk
Tread separation can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect the tire DOT numbers, and replace any affected tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 31, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782; and Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212343560.

General Motors, LLC · up to 9,597 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

SERVICE BRAKES

1 injured · crash · towed

i WAS GOING TO MY SONS HOME WHICH IS LOCATED ON A STEEP DOWHILL STREET WITH SEVERAL TURNS, ONE OF THER ALMOST 90 DEGREES.aS i STARTED TO DESEND THE HILL AND GAIN SPEED, I DEPRESSED THE FOOT BRAKE. iT DID NOT RESPOND AT ALL. AS I CONTINUED TO GAIN SPEED AND COMING UP ON THE SHARP CURVE, I CONTINUED TO PUMP AND APPLY BRAKE . tHE BRAKES DID NOT WORK. i CONTINUED TO GAIN SPEED AND GO AROUND 2 OTHER TURNS. AT THE END OF THE STREET i HAD A CHOICE TO CONTINE STRAIGHT AHEAD AND HIT A HOUSE, TURN RIGHT AND CONTINUE DOWN ANOTHER STEEP STREET UNTIL I HIT A HOME AT THE END OF THE STREET OR TRY TO TURNLEFT ANDGO UP HILL. i TURNE LEFT UP THE HILL AND FINALLY GOT STOPPED BEFOR i COULD PUT THE VEHICLE IN

NHTSA complaint 11431951, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed

I was in a in a 70 miles an hour highway accident and was hit in front driver side door, went up embankment and hit a tree then rolled backwards onto the highway. No airbags deployed.

NHTSA complaint 11568581. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

1 injured · crash · towed

The contact owned a 2021 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while the brake pedal was depressed, it was released and the vehicle suddenly accelerated aggressively. The contact attempted to avoid crashing into the vehicle in front and swerved however the front of the vehicle still impacted the vehicle in front. The air bags deployed upon impact. A police report was filed. The contact stated no medical attention was provided, but did suffer bruises from the air bag and seat belt. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was not available.

NHTSA complaint 11612312. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

1 injured

Automatic Emergency brakes have unnecessarily or prematurely activated on 2 separate occasions causing my car to stop very abruptly which has resulted in Neck, Shoulder and back pain. I have been very lucky in the recent past and today that a vehicle was not directly behind me. The seat vibrated first when it sensed the car ahead was breaking. When I started to break, the emergency break kicked in. I did not report this the first time because I thought the car was doing what it was supposed to do. Today was unnecessary. No accident and no police report. I do plan on telling the dealership.

NHTSA complaint 11537561. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
I have had my check engine light come on for P0299. I've lost power while on the road. Had my turbo replaced and now the same issue is starting again. I'm afraid of my car stalling out again with my child in the car. This is a definite safety issue especially since this is happening again months after getting the new turbo put in.

NHTSA complaint 11767928. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Vehicle Information:Year/Make/Model: 2021 GMC TerrainEngine Type: 1.5L Turbocharged EngineCurrent Mileage: 155,000 miles [1]Description of Safety Defect:I am writing to report a severe, sudden engine and turbocharger failure on my 2021 GMC Terrain that presents an extreme, life-threatening safety hazard. While operating the vehicle in active traffic, the engine began flashing a severe dashboard warning reading "Stop Now Danger" (accompanied by low oil pressure alerts) before suffering an immediate, catastrophic loss of all motive power. 2-This unexpected stalling leaves the driver completely stranded on active roadways without warning, drastically expanding the risk of a high-speed rear-end

NHTSA complaint 11763647, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
Vacuum pump failure caused my brakes to lock up and almost caused me to wreck into another vehicle

NHTSA complaint 11749838. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
Driving on the Garden state parkway on Sunday night June 28, 2026 I proceed to cross over the ratitan bridge. There was traffic as I was going down the bridge at 70 miles an hour. When I applied the brakes the car would not stop. I had two 6 years old in the backseat. I applied 2 feet to the brake pedal and it was like a rock and the car would not slow down. I thought I was going to crash. I had to steer and lane change several times to avoid hitting other cars. This has something to do with the driving assist braking system. I was scared to death. If this isn’t a safety concern nothing is. This should be a recall for GMC to fix because it’s an accident waiting to happen.

NHTSA complaint 11747599. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
Formal Safety Complaint – 2021 GMC Terrain Brake Failure Vehicle: 2021 GMC Terrain Incident Location: Garden State Parkway (NJ) Speed: Approximately 65 mph Incident Description While driving northbound at highway speed, I attempted to change lanes and apply my brakes. When I pressed the brake pedal, it became completely rigid (rock hard) and failed to function. I had no ability to slow the vehicle using normal braking. At that moment, I was forced to: Navigate multiple emergency lane changes to avoid striking other vehicles Prepare for potential collision due to lack of braking control Apply extreme force with both feet on the brake pedal in an attempt to generate any slowing Eventually, I

NHTSA complaint 11747608, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
Automatic transmission solenoid control valve body got stuck open and ruined the whole transmission. This has been a reoccurring problem with these vehicles. Image is from a code read. Issue was confirmed by Gastorf Chevrolet, and an independent transmission shop.

NHTSA complaint 11734629. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the GMC Terrain

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2026 33 1 —
2024 49 1 —
2023 39 2 —
2022 60 2 —
2020 197 2 —
2019 185 3 —
2018 223 5 —
2017 134 1 —
2016 152 2 —
2015 297 3 —
2014 296 2 —
2013 364 3 1
2012 364 4 —
2011 386 4 —
2010 290 3 —

Other 2021 GMC models

Sierra 1500 575 Yukon 332 Yukon XL 227 Acadia 149 Sierra 2500 51 Sierra 3500 20 Canyon 11

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every GMC on this site — 149 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst