2023 GMC Terrain problems & reliability
36 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2023 GMC Terrain, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2023 GMC Terrain vehicles were involved in 7 fatal crashes with 5 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 14 | 39% |
| Engine → | 13 | 36% |
| Electrical System | 7 | 19% |
| Unknown OR Other | 7 | 19% |
| Power Train | 6 | 17% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 5 | 14% |
| Lane Departure | 4 | 11% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 2 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 6% |
| Air Bags | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 15 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“adaptive cruise disengaging alert on dash- no cars or weather conditions to induce this. loss of power and bucking on highway( near accident caused) catostostrophic sudden loss of power engine/transmission failure while mechanic driving resulting in car towed back to dealer. loss of power multiple times causing near…”
Engine · filed Aug 5, 2026
“I have had 2 different instances where my vehicle stops in the middle of a busy intersection or traffic and have no warning what so ever. Vehicle just shuts off and I am not able to turn back on to move out of the way. First time I got it repaired it was related to the fuel pump and now I am waiting to hear back from…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jun 2, 2026
“The contact owns a 2023 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated and the engine stalled. The contact attempted to drive the vehicle to the shoulder of the road, the engine seized. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the…”
Engine · filed May 29, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
451 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2023 GMC Terrain. The 10 most recent:
PI to help diagnose A/C concern
PIT5099J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 21, 2026
This Preliminary information communicates an issue with an OTA pending message still displayed after an OTA event and how to reset/clear the message.
PIT5966F · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 2026
This Preliminary information communicates the potential for MIL illuminated with oil pressure related DTC concerns on LSD engines.
PIP6125 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 23, 2026
This preliminary information is to inform technicians and customers that the voice command will be inoperative when trying to open applications. Engineering is investigating and this PI will be converted to a bulletin…
PIT6519 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 27, 2026
This Preliminary information communicates the possibility of reduced power with dtc P0237 and/or p0299 due to damaged Charge Air Inlet Pipe connection at Turbocharger.
PIP5927E · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 19, 2026
This Preliminary Information communicates a intermittent misfire, surge, hesitation, chuggle with a potential MIL concerning a potential skewed position 1 oxygen sensor. 2026 model year being added with break point.
PIP6071C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 15, 2026
This Preliminary information communicates to dealers a procedure to reset the radio.
PIC6540J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 14, 2026
This Preliminary information communicates to dealers a procedure to reset the radio.
PIC6540H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 11, 2026
PI created to guide technicians through radio restriction process
PIC6626A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 11, 2026
Pi created to provide GM dealers with information on gathering information for projection issue
PIC6423A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 11, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2023 GMC Terrain has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2023 GMC Terrain?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.