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Owner-Reported Problems · NHTSA

2023 GMC Terrain — Problems & Complaints

NHTSA has 40 owner complaints on file for this vehicle. Every report below was filed by a real owner with the US government's road-safety agency.

40
Complaints
filed with NHTSA
2
Involved a Crash
owner-reported
1
Involved Fire
owner-reported
1
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.

152 complaints

135 complaints

224 complaints

186 complaints

197 complaints

36 complaints

88 complaints

40 complaints

52 complaints

13 complaints

0 complaints

Problem Areas

What Owners Complain About Most

Fuel/propulsion System 16 reports
Engine 15 reports
Power Train 8 reports
Unknown Or Other 7 reports
Electrical System 7 reports
Fuel System 6 reports
Gasoline 6 reports
Lane Departure 4 reports
In Their Own Words

Recent Owner Reports

Power Train ODI 11632219 12/23/2024

My vehicle continues to slip and jerk out of gear , brought in to a local Chevy dealership , they test drive the vehicle and Acknowledge the issue. They updated transmission software and give it back to me to drive for 1000 miles or 30 days and see if the problem continues. Problem gets worse slipping and jerking more and more , made appointment dealership cancels my appointme…

Visibility ODI 11626382 11/20/2024

The contact owns a 2023 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving 70-71 MPH, the vehicle suddenly decelerated. There was a red flashing light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle then accelerated. Additionally, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle decelerated, and the message that the sensor was dirty was displayed. The contact stated that th…

Electrical System ODI 11698105 11/07/2025

GMC Terrain with 12,564 total miles had experienced an engine failure. Under normal driving conditions, the car was sluggish and would not accelerate properly when pulling out into traffic or when getting on the freeway/interstate causing fear for driver safety and causing traffic slowdowns or congestion with a significantly increased risk of crash. While driving to work, the …

Unknown Or Other ODI 11548431 10/05/2023

The problem with this car that continues is that when driving over 65 miles per hour/ more or less, the driver side door rattles and shakes. It rattle and it looks like if the door wants to detach. It only happens on the driver side, not the passenger side. I put my arm on the arm rest, and my arm shakes and that is not ok. I am concern and want to know what can be done ab…

Power Train ODI 11768325 10/01/2026

My 2023 GMC Terrain has experienced two separate incidents of complete loss of motive power/engine propulsion while being driven. The vehicle suddenly loses the ability to accelerate and maintain normal propulsion, creating a serious safety risk in traffic. The first occurrence was on August 8, 2026. The vehicle was subsequently diagnosed and repaired by an authorized Chevrole…

Same Vehicle

Recalls & Crash Tests

Complaints are one half of the picture — see the official recalls and NHTSA crash-test stars for the 2023 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 2023 GMC Terrain reliable?
Owners have filed 40 safety complaints with NHTSA for the 2023 GMC Terrain, most often about fuel/propulsion system. 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.