Car Defect Radar
Built from NHTSA complaints and recalls collected for this model, generated September 22, 2026. Totals reflect what has been collected, not every complaint ever filed.

Recalls

0 total

Safety issues the manufacturer must repair for free. A recall means confirm the fix was done, not walk away.

No recalls on record for this model

No safety recalls were found in this dataset. It is still worth entering the exact VIN on NHTSA before purchase, since recalls can be added at any time.

Owner complaints by system

386 total

Unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA, grouped by the part of the car. Useful for spotting patterns. Open a group to read recent examples.

Engine & powertrain

Worth reading
251

Most reports here involve sudden stalling. Of these, 6 mention an injury.

sudden stalling 125fluid leaks 36
A recent report: We have 2011 GMC Terrain. We bought it used so we have only had it a couple years. We noticed it seemed to be using a little more oil but then we were told to keep watch on it. My husband did. Then…
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We have 2011 GMC Terrain. We bought it used so we have only had it a couple years. We noticed it seemed to be using a little more oil but then we were told to keep watch on it. My husband did. Then one day while I was driving it I thought I had heard a faint clicking noise. I said that car isn’t going anywhere until it’s fixed. Little did we know it wouldn’t ever start again. We didn’t know about a so call recall or not a recall. Still until we had to have it towed in to be fixed, I heard it mentioned. By then the car was repaired at our expense of $8000+. We are retired and don’t have or didn’t have money for that repair. The only reason we had a little money was because my husband got paid for back (lump sum) payment just a couple of days before this. We still owe on the car. Without it we only have an old 2001GMC SIERRA 1500. We live paycheck to paycheck. I called one of GMC’s phone numbers today and I was told if we didn’t have it done at a GMC FACILITY we get NO reimbursement. I cried. My husband is a real stickler when it comes to our vehicles and maintenance and logs and also keeps receipts.Please tell me there is some to help us.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11688571 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Electrical & infotainment

Minor
21

Most reports here involve sudden stalling.

sudden stalling 6software faults 4
A recent report: No warning before headlights gave up

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11741914 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Brakes

Worth reading
9

Most reports here involve loss of braking. Of these, 1 mention a crash, 1 mention an injury.

loss of braking 3sudden stalling 2
A recent report: WHILE DRIVING ALONG WITH ONGOING TRAFFIC THE VEHICLE STOPS AND ALMOST CAUSED ME AN SEVERAL ACCIDENTS.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11394397 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Steering, suspension & tires

Minor
14

Most reports here involve loss of steering.

loss of steering 6premature wear 2
A recent report: Transmission and control arms

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11543242 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Airbags & seat belts

Worth reading
25

Most reports here involve airbags not deploying. Of these, 8 mention a crash, 11 mention an injury.

airbags not deploying 12software faults 4
A recent report: The service airbag warning light came on in the vehicle last week. I took the car to be serviced. Per service advisor, the passenger side seat air bag was out of spec. Air bag wire had to be…
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The service airbag warning light came on in the vehicle last week. I took the car to be serviced. Per service advisor, the passenger side seat air bag was out of spec. Air bag wire had to be repaired. The new wire would be available for inspection upon request. The safety of passengers in the car were at risk since the air bag had to be fixed.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11471656 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Structure & body

Worth reading
43

Most reports here involve corrosion. Of these, 1 mention a crash, 5 mention an injury.

corrosion 4software faults 2
A recent report: The windshield wiper blades stopped working while driving at night in the rain. This was a dangerous situation as i had a hard time seeing where i was driving.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11551493 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Other systems

Worth reading
23

Most reports here involve fire. Of these, 1 mention a crash, 1 mention an injury.

fire 1premature wear 1
A recent report: Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2011 GMC Terrain. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the…
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Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2011 GMC Terrain. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 87,000, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 200,000.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11682188 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Is 386 complaints a lot? They were filed between 2010 and 2026, roughly 25 a year, which is more than the typical model in this dataset. We do not have sales figures for this model, so treat this as a rough volume, not a rate per car on the road. Popular, high-volume models naturally collect more complaints over time.