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Owner-Reported Problems · NHTSA

2013 GMC Terrain — Problems & Complaints

NHTSA has 369 owner complaints on file for this vehicle. Every report below was filed by a real owner with the US government's road-safety agency.

369

Complaints

filed with NHTSA

Involved a Crash

owner-reported

Involved Fire

owner-reported

25 / 1

Injuries / Deaths

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.

2010 GMC Terrain

295 complaints

2011 GMC Terrain

397 complaints

2012 GMC Terrain

370 complaints

2013 GMC Terrain

369 complaints

2014 GMC Terrain

302 complaints

2015 GMC Terrain

316 complaints

2016 GMC Terrain

152 complaints

2017 GMC Terrain

135 complaints

2018 GMC Terrain

224 complaints

2019 GMC Terrain

186 complaints

2020 GMC Terrain

197 complaints

Problem Areas

What Owners Complain About Most

Engine 197 reports

Visibility/wiper 50 reports

Power Train 44 reports

Unknown Or Other 28 reports

Electrical System 23 reports

Air Bags 22 reports

Fuel/propulsion System 21 reports

Steering 14 reports

In Their Own Words

Recent Owner Reports

Steering ODI 11562758 12/30/2023

When driving in the rain going through puddles power steering will intermittently stop working.

Engine ODI 11385564 12/30/2020

DRIVING MY 2013 GMC TERREIN (2.4L) IT WAS ABOUT 20 DEGREES OUT, A WARNING LIGHT CAME ON THAT OIL PRESSURE IS LOW "STOP ENGINE IMMEDIATELY. I PULLED OVER AT A GAS STATION AND AS GOT OUT OF THE CAR I COULD SEE A OIL SPILLING FROM BELOW THE ENGINE. I HAD IT TOWED TO MY MECHANIC AND HE SAID IT HAD A A REAR CRANKSHAFT SEAL OIL LEAK. I HAD RECEIVED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY BULLETIN 1488…

Engine ODI 11385496 12/29/2020

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 GMC TERRAIN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE, THE FOLLOWING DAY THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE OIL PRESSURE WAS LOW AND THE TIMING CHAIN HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. T…

Electrical System ODI 10668841 12/29/2014

THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HAS FAILED TO WORK ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS. DURING THIS TIME, I HAVE HAD THE USER INTERFACE SCREEN FREEZE, NOT POWER OFF AND LOSE SERVICES DURING USAGE. THE ELECTRICAL PANEL ISSUES WILL LEAD TO FURTHER COMPLICATIONS MOVING FORWARD. *TR

Engine ODI 11499141 12/28/2022

Was driving vehicle all of a sudden reduce low power engine mode. Sign came on and something about stabilization traction. Not sure exactly what vehicle stalled out will not restart. Also have used too much oil constantly putting oil in one to 2 quarts every two weeks or more.

Same Vehicle

Recalls & Crash Tests

Complaints are one half of the picture — see the official recalls and NHTSA crash-test stars for the 2013 GMC Terrain, or check your exact car by VIN with the free VIN lookup.

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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 2013 GMC Terrain reliable?

Owners have filed 369 safety complaints with NHTSA for the 2013 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.