Total Complaints
556 filings
GMC TERRAIN · model year
556 NHTSA complaints, 20 crash reports, and 4 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
New Car Assessment Program
The 2011GMCTERRAIN carries 556 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 20 crashes, 11 fires, 49 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 4/5 rating, with 4/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2011 TERRAIN is engine with 178 filings, followed by power train (71) and unknown or other (33). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 4 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 2 investigation files overlapping the 2011 TERRAIN. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
556 filings
Crashes Reported
20 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ENGINE | 178 |
| POWER TRAIN | 71 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 33 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 31 |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 28 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 27 |
| AIR BAGS | 25 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 21 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 17 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 16 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 15 |
| STEERING | 15 |
| SEATS | 10 |
| SEAT BELTS | 7 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 6 |
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Buick LaCrosse, Regal and Chevrolet Camaro, as well as certain 2010-2012 Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles, equipped with power height adjustable driver and passenger seats. In the affected vehicles, the bolt t
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 CADILLAC SRX, CHEVROLET EQUINOX AND GMC TERRAIN VEHICLES. THE DRIVER AND /OR FRONT PASSENGER SAFETY BELT BUCKLE ANCHOR MAY FRACTURE AND SEPARATE NEAR THE SEAT ATTACHMENT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2017 GMC Terrain vehicles. A reflection caused by the headlight housings may illuminate areas above the vehicle and outside of the driver's view with excessively bright light. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 201
We have 2011 GMC Terrain. We bought it used so we have only had it a couple years. We noticed it seemed to be using a little more oil but then we were told to keep watch on it. My husband did. Then one day while I was driving it I thought I had heard a faint clicking noise. I said that car isnât going anywhere until itâs fixed. Little did we know it wouldnât ever start again. We didnât know about a so call recall or not a recall. Still until we had to have it towed in to be fixed, I heard it mentioned. By then the car was repaired at our expense of $8000+. We are retired and donât have or didnât have money for that repair. The only reason we had a little money was because my husband got paid for back (lump sum) payment just a couple of days before this. We still owe on the car. Without it we only have an old 2001GMC SIERRA 1500. We live paycheck to paycheck. I called one of GMCâs phone numbers today and I was told if we didnât have it done at a GMC FACILITY we get NO r
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2011 GMC Terrain. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 87,000, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 200,000.
Mileage: 200,000
The contact owns a 2011 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that the vehicle was leaking engine oil. The check engine warning light was illuminated while driving at undisclosed speeds. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer who confirmed there was no warranty or recall coverage on the vehicle for the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the engine might be blown. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 110,714.
Mileage: 110,714
The contact owns a 2011 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact pulled over to the right side of the roadway and waited for towing assistance. The contact stated that an independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and two separate auto body shops, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine was consuming engine oil, and the engine needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the second time the vehicle was driven to the independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 114,114.
Mileage: 114,114
SUV gets a slow down warning and it stops shuts off , itâs happened several times now Iâm scared!!you wait few minutes it turns back on , mechanic said this a complain about this vehicle all the time , it has not been repaired Iâm disabled with no money , I was on the highway and thank God I was on the slow lane if not I would have been killed by an eighteen wheeler. GMC is waiting for someone to die and probably address this issue
SUV gets a slow down warning and it stops shuts off , itâs happened several times now Iâm scared!!you wait few minutes it turns back on , mechanic said this a complain about this vehicle all the time , it has not been repaired Iâm disabled with no money , I was on the highway and thank God I was on the slow lane if not I would have been killed by an eighteen wheeler. GMC is waiting for someone to die and probably address this issue
Two of the valves failed and the dealership told me it was likely due to a manufacturerâs defect.
Engine Failure: Timing chain had excessive slack causing guide to be sheared off. Timing chain guide bolt was completely stripped requiring both the timing chain and cylinder head to be replaced. Safety: The vehicle stalled while driving Problem: Problem was confirmed by a dealer Warnings: The check engine light came on as the vehicle stalled
Engine Failure: Timing chain had excessive slack causing guide to be sheared off. Timing chain guide bolt was completely stripped requiring both the timing chain and cylinder head to be replaced. Safety: The vehicle stalled while driving Problem: Problem was confirmed by a dealer Warnings: The check engine light came on as the vehicle stalled
continuous excessive oil issues burns and uses 3-5 quarts of oil every week to 2 weeks causing engine issues slow acceleration lurching and chugging issues with engine wonât downshift or upshift correctly transmission seizing issues have spent 1000s of dollars trying to fix this issue and mechanic has said itâs just a commen issues with this make and model and year range just have to keep pouring oil in each week which is costly and eventually will cause my engine and transmission to fail.
continuous excessive oil issues burns and uses 3-5 quarts of oil every week to 2 weeks causing engine issues slow acceleration lurching and chugging issues with engine wonât downshift or upshift correctly transmission seizing issues have spent 1000s of dollars trying to fix this issue and mechanic has said itâs just a commen issues with this make and model and year range just have to keep pouring oil in each week which is costly and eventually will cause my engine and transmission to fail.
Transmission
Temperature actuator door is broken, this causes my windshield to fog up therefore I can't see to drive.
My car wouldnât start, later found out it was due to timing chain issue which ended up blowing up my engine. I live 40 minutes from work and am consistently driving on the interstate for at least an hour a day. GM said thereâs nothing they can do even though thereâs been class action lawsuits for the engine. My car has also had oil consumption problems. I bought my car in March of 2022. The engine blew up by November 2022. I barely got my car back in September 2023. After the engine replacement, still wouldnât turn on, over heated immediately when I did get it back. After paying $7440 for the engine replacement I had to fork over snother $650 to replace the fuel pump control module, and an engine control unit. My car overheated AGAIN just 2 weeks ago!!!!
My car wouldnât start, later found out it was due to timing chain issue which ended up blowing up my engine. I live 40 minutes from work and am consistently driving on the interstate for at least an hour a day. GM said thereâs nothing they can do even though thereâs been class action lawsuits for the engine. My car has also had oil consumption problems. I bought my car in March of 2022. The engine blew up by November 2022. I barely got my car back in September 2023. After the engine replacement, still wouldnât turn on, over heated immediately when I did get it back. After paying $7440 for the engine replacement I had to fork over snother $650 to replace the fuel pump control module, and an engine control unit. My car overheated AGAIN just 2 weeks ago!!!!
The windshield wiper blades stopped working while driving at night in the rain. This was a dangerous situation as i had a hard time seeing where i was driving.
The contact owns a 2011 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while stopped at a stop sign making a left turn, the vehicle started sputtering. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer. The contact was informed that the failure was due to the timing belt being loose. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 175,000.
Mileage: 175,000
Transmission and control arms
Transmission and control arms
Transmission failure
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.