Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 49 safety complaints
about the 2024 GMC Terrain with the US government. Of those, 1 describes a crash, 1 mentions a fire, 2 people were injured and no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering the body structure.
The most complained-about system is the power train,
named in 21 complaints, 43% of the total.
The typical failure was reported at 6,766 miles,
the median across the 7
complaints that gave
an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers May 2024 to September 2026 · How this is counted
What is on file
49 complaints on file
49
Complaints
1
Describe a crash
1
Mention fire
2
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.
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
POWER TRAIN 21 · 43%
21 43%
ENGINE 11 · 22%
11 22%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 10 · 20%
10 20%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 9 · 18%
9 18%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 6 · 12%
6 12%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 3 · 6%
3 6%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 3 · 6%
3 6%
AIR BAGS 2 · 4%
2 4%
SERVICE BRAKES 2 · 4%
2 4%
FIRERELATED 1 · 2%
1 2%
LANE DEPARTURE 1 · 2%
1 2%
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 1 · 2%
1 2%
01223
Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it.
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 49.
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 22.
24 18 12 6
242024252025262026
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2024 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 2024 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.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2024 Chevrolet Blazer, Blazer EV, Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The door strikers may fracture, resulting in the door opening unexpectedly.
The risk
A door opening while the vehicle is being driven can increasing the risk of injury or a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace all four door strikers and attaching bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 24, 2024. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N232429911.
General Motors, LLC · up to 265 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.
FIRERELATED
1 injured · fire
See attached document for complaint.
NHTSA complaint 11730821. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
1 injured · crash · towed · 55,000 miles
The contact owned a 2024 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving 5 MPH on an intersection, another vehicle driving 40 MPH crashed into the driver's side of the vehicle, by the driver's side door. The driver's side curtain air bag deployed. The contact stated that the three holes on the air bag propelled burning air, which melted and burned through the three layers of clothing of the driver. The driver sustained second-degree burns and blisters on the hip. The contact picked up and transported the driver to Urgent Care, where medical assistance was provided. A police report was filed. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the police officer. The vehicle was towed …
NHTSA complaint 11731421, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
POWER TRAIN
towed · 6,766 miles
The contact owns a 2024 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power. The check engine and transmission warning lights were illuminated. In addition, the contact's wife attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the gear shifter failed to move from neutral(N) and remained in Low Power Mode. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and DTC: P0700 and P073E were retrieved. In addition, the contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: PIP5974E; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure …
NHTSA complaint 11687798, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
POWER TRAIN
Factory powertrain programming actively locks out 9th gear (overdrive) during freeway driving at speeds exceeding 60–65 mph. The vehicle refuses to upshift from 8th to 9th gear, forcing sustained high-RPM operation during standard highway cruising.
NHTSA complaint 11761243. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The rear access closes on its own after sitting open for a period of time. I was sitting at grocery pick up with the access open. This caused it to close on worker at grocery pick up. It stayed closed and I had to hit the button to open it back it did not auto go back up when it couldn’t close.
NHTSA complaint 11752310. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
I was driving about 55 mph with adaptive cruise control set to maintain a three-car-length following distance. It was raining, and when the vehicle in front of me slowed down, my vehicle did not detect it or slow down as expected. Instead, it continued accelerating, and I had to brake to avoid rear-ending the vehicle ahead.
NHTSA complaint 11750466. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
POWER TRAIN
Leaking transmission fluid at 7,000 miles. Technicians noticed during routine oil change at dealership.
NHTSA complaint 11749897. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
POWER TRAIN
The vehicle has experienced a recurring transmission-related defect that has required multiple repair attempts by an authorized GMC dealership. The transmission system has also exhibited fluid leakage. Despite prior repairs, the problem has continued to reoccur. Transmission and associated transmission fluid sealing components. The vehicle is currently available for inspection upon request. A transmission is a critical safety component that transfers engine power to the wheels. A transmission defect or fluid leak can result in loss of propulsion, hesitation, inability to accelerate as expected, unexpected changes in vehicle operation, or transmission failure while driving. These conditions …
NHTSA complaint 11745857, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
Accelerator lag from any speed or stop. The care will take several seconds to hunt for the correct gear before shifting to accelerate. Or it will delay acceleration for several seconds while your pressing the accelerator. No SES indicator active. Mechanics can’t find issues. Other owners on forum a report the same sluggish behavior. These 1.5 turbo cars seem to need a software fix that they are not receiving. It’s like the drive by wire doesn’t register. Affects any gm vehicle with the 1.5 turbo and 9 spd auto.
NHTSA complaint 11744960. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
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.
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API, newest campaign on this vehicle filed December 21, 2023.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file, published October 2, 2026.
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.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst