2019 GMC Terrain reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 185 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 GMC Terrain over 8 years — 17 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Terrain years here — over the median of the other years, which is 10. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Automatic transmission, Seats, and Caliper.

2012 GMC Terrain — Photo by IFCAR, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons Public domain

Complaints

185

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (69 of 185), then Service brakes (64) and Powertrain (51). Those filings include 7 that report a crash, 3 that report a fire, and 6 that report an injury.

Next to 2018 and 2020

The 2018 Terrain has 220 complaints, 22 per year, and the 2020 has 196 complaints, 13 per year. The 2019 has fewer complaints per year than the 2018. The 2019 has more complaints per year than the 2020.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2019 GMC Terrain. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (3)

Recall powertrain, automatic transmission 2020-10-29 · NHTSA campaign 20V668000

Summary 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.

Remedy 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.

Recall Seats 2019-03-07 · NHTSA campaign 19V184000

Summary 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.

Remedy 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.

Recall hydraulic brakes, foundation components, disc, caliper 2018-08-30 · NHTSA campaign 18V576000

Summary 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.

Remedy 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.

Complaints by component (185 total)

Engine

Service brakes

Powertrain

Electrical system

Speed control

Back-over prevention

Hydraulic brakes

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Forward collision avoidance

Exterior lighting

Fuel and propulsion system

Steering

Suspension

Air bags

Structure

Tires

Visibility and wipers

Seat belts

Visibility

Show 11 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"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…"
Electrical system, Service brakes, Engine · filed 2026-09-24
"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…"
Powertrain · filed 2026-09-23
"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.…"
Service brakes, Engine · filed 2026-09-17
"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.…"
Service brakes, Engine · filed 2026-09-04
"This is the second time I have noticed storm heavy rain that my car is taken on water. We had an extremely heavy rain in June and no windows was left open. I did not know water had gotten into my car for an entire month…"
Structure, Visibility and wipers · filed 2026-08-21

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2019 GMC Terrain SUV AWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2019 GMC Terrain SUV FWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Terrain all-wheel drive	1.6L, 4-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	All-wheel drive	28	38	32 MPG	$2950
Terrain all-wheel drive	1.5L, 4-cyl	Automatic 9-speed	All-wheel drive	24	28	26 MPG	$2500
Terrain all-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic 9-speed	All-wheel drive	21	26	23 MPG	$3450
Terrain front-wheel drive	1.6L, 4-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Front-wheel drive	28	39	32 MPG	$2950
Terrain front-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic 9-speed	Front-wheel drive	22	28	24 MPG	$3300
Terrain front-wheel drive	1.5L, 4-cyl	Automatic 9-speed	Front-wheel drive	26	30	28 MPG	$2300

Specs and fitment

2nd generation, 2018–present

Body styles SUV

Oil dexos1 5W-30 or 0W-20 (engine per manual) , 5 qt capacity

Tire size 235/50R19, 225/65R17 (trim dependent)

Towing capacity 3,500 lbs

Known issues for this generation

NHTSA safety recall 23V869000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that 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. A door opening while the vehicle is being driven can increasing the risk of injury or a crash. 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. When NHTSA lists multiple GM nameplates in one campaign, the published unit count is shared across them.

Compare

Previous year 2018 GMC Terrain Next year 2020 GMC Terrain See every GMC Terrain model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2019 GMC Terrain reliable?

What are common problems with a 2019 GMC Terrain?

Is the 2019 GMC Terrain more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2019 GMC Terrain been recalled?

The 2019 GMC Terrain has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2019 GMC Terrain?

Owners have filed 185 complaints about the 2019 GMC Terrain with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2019 GMC Terrain get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2019 GMC Terrain is 27.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What engine oil does a GMC Terrain use?

US Terrain manuals specify dexos-approved oil for your four-cylinder engine.

What does NHTSA recall 22V-137 cover on the GMC Terrain?

NHTSA safety recall 22V137000 covers affected vehicles after the agency found that general Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2017 GMC Terrain vehicles.

What generation is the 2013 GMC Terrain?

1st generation (2012-2017).