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Owner-Reported Problems · NHTSA

2012 GMC Terrain — Problems & Complaints

NHTSA has 370 owner complaints on file for this vehicle. Every report below was filed by a real owner with the US government's road-safety agency.

370
Complaints
filed with NHTSA
17
Involved a Crash
owner-reported
5
Involved Fire
owner-reported
19
Injuries
across all reports
Years to Avoid

GMC Terrain — Complaints by Model Year

Years flagged AVOID have at least twice this model's average complaint count — the strongest public-data signal of a bad year.

295 complaints

397 complaints

370 complaints

369 complaints

302 complaints

316 complaints

152 complaints

135 complaints

224 complaints

186 complaints

Problem Areas

What Owners Complain About Most

Engine 170 reports
Visibility/wiper 74 reports
Unknown Or Other 40 reports
Power Train 37 reports
Electrical System 33 reports
Fuel/propulsion System 29 reports
Air Bags 27 reports
Structure 14 reports
In Their Own Words

Recent Owner Reports

Power Train ODI 11445722 12/31/2021

I just spent 1,600 dollars to replace the timing chain. I know their were recalls on this, I was wondering why my vin and model were not included in these recalls?

Engine ODI 11292238 12/31/2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 GMC TERRAIN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 80 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SPUTTERED, THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED, AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO BARKLY CADILLAC (3575 SKY LAND BLVD, TUSCALOOSA, AL) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE VALVE SPRING FRACTURED AND DESTROYED THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE V…

Seat Belts ODI 11633244 12/30/2024

Issues with the passenger side seatbelt not pulling to lock. It's jammed off and on. Doesn't work.

Visibility/wiper ODI 10816714 12/29/2015

WIPERS IN "ON" POSITION, WIPER MOTOR AUDIBLY RUNNING, NEITHER WIPER BLADE WOULD MOVE ACROSS WINDSHIELD, BOTH REMAIN STATIONARY. CAN MANUALLY MOVE BOTH BLADES FREELY, NO BINDING, IN UNISON VALIDATING LINKAGE BETWEEN THE TWO BLADE ARMS WERE STILL CONNECTED. SUSPECTED MOTOR SHAFT/SPLINE CONNECTING TO THE "BLADE TRANSMISSION" WAS DISCONNECTED, STRIPPED, OR FELL OFF. TO ENSURE N…

Visibility ODI 10938009 12/28/2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 GMC TERRAIN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DID NOT FUNCTION WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

Same Vehicle

Recalls & Crash Tests

Complaints are one half of the picture — see the official recalls and NHTSA crash-test stars for the 2012 GMC Terrain, or check your exact car by VIN with the free VIN lookup.

Check Another Car

Problems Checker

Any year, make and model: open the Car Problems Checker. Data: NHTSA (US DOT, public domain), cached up to 7 days.

Questions

FAQ

Is the 2012 GMC Terrain reliable?
Owners have filed 370 safety complaints with NHTSA for the 2012 GMC Terrain, most often about engine. Compare the complaint counts across model years above — a year with far more complaints than the model's average is the strongest 'avoid' signal in public data.
Which GMC Terrain years should I avoid?
The rule of thumb used by analysts: a model year whose complaint count is well above the model's own average (we flag 2× or more) usually had a real manufacturing or design problem — not just noisy reporting. Use the year-by-year strip on this page.
Where do these complaints come from?
Directly from NHTSA, the US government road-safety agency. Any owner can file a Vehicle Owner Questionnaire; NHTSA publishes them as public domain data. We cache each lookup for up to 7 days.
Do complaints mean a recall is coming?
Sometimes. NHTSA opens defect investigations when complaint patterns emerge, and investigations can end in recalls. Check the recalls page for this vehicle to see what has already been recalled.