Vehicle report
2019 GMC Terrain
Free recalls, owner complaints, and NHTSA safety ratings for the 2019 GMC Terrain, plus how to check this specific vehicle before you buy.
The 2019 GMC Terrain has 3 NHTSA recalls on record and 15 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Its overall NHTSA crash-test rating is 5 out of 5. Below is the full breakdown, plus how to check this specific vehicle by VIN before you buy in Alberta.
3
Open recalls
15
Complaints
5
Overall safety
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2019 GMC Terrain recalls (3)
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
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.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
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.
SEATS
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.
2019 GMC Terrain safety ratings
5
Overall
5
Front
5
Side
4
Rollover
Source: NHTSA NCAP ratings.
2019 GMC Terrain owner complaints (15)
- POWER TRAIN,ENGINE
The turbo went completely out at around 105k miles while I was driving to work. I had to coast into a repair shop because it was smoking and wouldn’t go over 20mph and then have it towed to the place that repaired it. Since then, the transmission is having trouble shifting gears. The car struggles to accelerate and I have to go abnormally slow after coming to a complete stop in order for the car to get into gear. The onstar diagnostic says everything is fine but it is clearly not fine.
- UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My 2019 GMC Terrain has a faulty back up camera system. It shows a blue screen that says Service rear view camera system, This has been a faulty system for years until it finally stopped working completely. I have researched the issue and have discovered this is a known problem. There was a Service Bulletin 19-NA-076 dated April of 2019. Why has there not been a recall for this safety issue?
- SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,ENGINE
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while stopped and attempting to turn to exit a highway ramp, he observed a loud banging noise emanating from the engine compartment. An "engine reduced power" message appeared. The vehicle then went into limp mode, and when the brake pedal was depressed, it was stiff as a rock. The vehicle coasted while he continued attempting to depress the brake pedal, and it eventually slowed down. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and turned off. When the vehicle was turned back on and he attempted to depress the accelerator pedal, the vehicle did not accelerate. The vehicle was taken to his mother's residence approximately 100 miles away in limp mode and parked. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that his brother, during an inspection of the vehicle, removed the vacuum pump and noticed that it was broken with numerous pieces that had gone into the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000.
- VISIBILITY/WIPER
I got into my car to head to the store today. Upon closing drivers door I heard a muffled sounding pop. As I looked around I noticed back windshield looked “weird”. Got out and walked around the back to see it completely shattered. It just exploded and every inch has a crack or chip, even all asking the edges of the glass. I lifted the tail gate to see if a rock was thrown by chance and a chunk fell into the car. No rock was found. It simply shattered. The temp today was low 60’s on May 3rd, 2026 here in Ohio.
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My cars breaks failed by a vacuum pump failer and I almost died on the a hill going home
- ENGINE
ENGINE BREAKDOWN 1.5TURBO IN 11/28/25 WITH 16820 MILES ON IT. IT IS NOT AVAILABLE I HEARD A BANG AND SMOKE OUT OF BACK LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGH WAY DAMAGE WAS CONFIRMED BUY A DEALER GOODWIN CHEVROLET IN BRUNSWICK ME YES BUY GM DEALER. NO THERE WERE NO WARNING LAMPS OR OTHER SYMPTOMS BEFORE FAILURE. CAR WAS CHECK ON 3/30/2023 AT 10383 MILES FOR SHAKING AND LOSING POWER.CAR DID COME OUT IT TOOK IT TO LEE GM DEALER IN AUBURN ME COULD NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM.
- UNKNOWN OR OTHER
This is the 4th time my vacuum pump has “broke” my brakes become hard and stiff and my brake assist light comes on. It happens EVERY winter when it drops below freezing. This is the second time this winter it has broke and now my check engine light is on. It is not cheap to fix and a major safety issue. Would like to add I was only backing out of my drive way this last time it happened. I was going maybe 5-10 mph.
- SERVICE BRAKES
Brake assist light came on and brake pedal became stiff/hard to push. Vehicle struggled to brake. Replaced brake pads and checked brake fluid. Brakes still inoperable. Check engine light came on for vacuum pump. When replacing pump, metal shards and pieces were falling out when original was removed. Once replacement was installed vehicle began hesitating to start and run.
- UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My Transmission went out of my truck. I was told this has happened to others of the same make and model, so this is a known issue with this transmission. I was driving down the road and the car completely stopped in moving traffic. I was almost hit by other vehicles and then had to take my truck to get it repaired. I was told it was not able to be rebuilt that it had to be completely replaced. This is radiculitis since this vehicle is not that old and again a known issue. I want to be sure mine was listed as one that had to be repaired in the event a recall is done so that I may get my money back.
- POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly shifted into neutral(N). There was transmission fluid on the ground, and the vehicle became disabled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a transmission accumulator leak. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 180,400.
- UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE
Vacuum pump exploded into camshaft and engine area, causing me to lose brakes completely on the highway. Costly repairs to clear out metal shrapnel and replace camshaft.
- UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The backup camera in our 2019 GMC Terrain stopped working one day - has blue screen and says Service Rear Vision System - so we’ve been driving a year with no backup camera. The dealership wants almost $1000 to fix this issue. And this issue seems to be very common in 2018-2020 Terrains. We bought the vehicle in December 2023
- SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE
I am driving a 2019 GMC Terrain SLT, and I have a serious concern regarding a recent service experience. On 02/10/2026, I had an oil change and a complete vehicle inspection performed at Kunes GMC Greenfield, Wisconsin. After the service was completed and I returned home, I noticed an unusual noise coming from under the engine hood. I immediately went back to the dealership and informed them of the issue. I was asked to return the following day (02/11) for further inspection. After their investigation, I was informed that the vacuum booster had failed. It appears that this issue was not identified during the original inspection, and I was the one who brought the noise to their attention. From my understanding, vacuum pump/booster issues are common with many 2019 GMC Terrain models. I am surprised that this has not resulted in a recall, especially considering the potential safety risks it poses to me and my family. What concerns me even more is that this issue was not detected during the dealership’s inspection. If it had worsened, it could have led to a serious safety situation. I had to spend $450 today to repair what appears to be a manufacturing-related defect. I respectfully request that this matter be escalated and that my claim for reimbursement be reviewed. I would appreciate your assistance in helping me pursue compensation for this expense.
- SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE
My family and I were returning home from vacation in another state, and while we were driving on the interstate, an alarm popped up on the DTC stating ruduced engine power. I tried to start slowing down so I could take the next off ramp and could not push the brake pedal in. I had absolutely no brakes trying to slow down from interstate speed. I was able to pull into a gas station parking lot while avoiding other vehicles. I was very lucky not to get in an accident. I had to have it towed to the nearest service center and was charged nearly $4000 for repair. The car has not ran right since we recieved it back. I called them back to let them know and was told the only way I would not have to pay to have it looked at was to bring it back to them. That shop was four and a half hours away from my house. The car was less than twenty miles out of the warranty when it broke down (nine miles to be exact), then they lied on the the paperwork and put the milage after they test drove it.
- POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE
Vehicle was started for the second time that day on 1/5/26 and the engine light was on. I drove the vehicle to an auto parts store to have them check it with an OBD-II scanner. It had code P050F. I had no idea how serious this issue could be at the time. I made an appt with the GMC dealership and dropped it off the evening of 1/6/26. They said there was a software anomaly in the engine control module and needed to be reprogrammed. I paid the $200 diagnostic fee for them to reprogram it. I learned that this anomaly could have caused my brakes to not work while driving it. I had been driving the vehicle back and forth to work until I dropped it off. This issue could have caused serious harm or death to myself and others. While researching online, I've seen that other vehicles have had safety recalls and additional warranties added for these issues, but my vehicle isn't included in this.
Checking a used GMC Terrain before you buy
The recall, complaint, and safety data above describes the 2019 Terrain in general. To know the condition and history of the specific vehicle you're looking at, check it by VIN. A VIN check shows whether this particular Terrain's recalls are still outstanding, and a full history report adds accident, title, and ownership records the data above can't show.
Before you buy a 2019 GMC Terrain in Alberta:
- Run a free VIN check on the exact vehicle for its own recalls and safety data.
- Run an Alberta Personal Property Registry lien search so you don't inherit debt.
- Get an independent pre-purchase inspection.
- If it's a dealer, confirm their AMVIC licence.
See other model years of the GMC Terrain, or browse more GMC models.
2019 GMC Terrain — questions and answers
Does the 2019 GMC Terrain have any recalls?+
Our check found 3 NHTSA recalls associated with the 2019 GMC Terrain. Check the specific vehicle by VIN to see which remain outstanding, since some may already have been repaired. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer.
How many complaints does the 2019 GMC Terrain have?+
NHTSA lists 15 owner complaints for the 2019 GMC Terrain in our results. Complaints are problems reported by owners and don't always lead to a recall, but a pattern of similar complaints is worth weighing before you buy.
Is the 2019 GMC Terrain safe?+
The 2019 GMC Terrain has an overall NHTSA crash-test rating of 5. Review the front-crash, side-crash, and rollover ratings above, and pair safety ratings with a mechanical inspection of the specific vehicle.
How do I check a 2019 GMC Terrain VIN?+
Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN into our free VIN check to see recalls, complaints, and safety ratings for that exact vehicle, then run an Alberta Personal Property Registry (PPR) lien search before you pay.
Are recall repairs on a GMC free?+
Yes. Safety recall repairs are performed at no cost by a franchised GMC dealer, even for a used vehicle and even if you're not the original owner. Confirm the required parts are in stock before relying on the fix.
Get the full vehicle history report
SPONSOREDAccident & damage records, liens, title brands, ownership history, and odometer verification.
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