GMC TERRAIN · model year

2026 GMC TERRAIN

9 NHTSA complaints, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2026GMCTERRAIN carries 9 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/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 2026 TERRAIN is service brakes with 2 filings, followed by unknown or other (2) and forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking (2). 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 1 active recall campaign, 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 2026 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.

9
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

9 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 — Not rated · Front: Not Rated/5 · Side: 5/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SERVICE BRAKES2
UNKNOWN OR OTHER2
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING2
WHEELS1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1
POWER TRAIN1

Recalls (1)

26V11400026/02/2026

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

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Recent Complaints

20260202POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2026 GMC Terrain. While driving at 28 MPH, the RPM became elevated to over 3,000 RPM. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact immediately pulled over and then resumed normal operation after the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, no cause for the failure was found. The contact was advised to bring the vehicle back to the dealer if the failure reoccurred. Approximately one week after the initial failure, while driving approximately 30 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to L2. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. A diagnostic test was performed, and the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be rebuilt. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and was provided a case number. The vehicle remained with the dealer unrepaired. The failure mileage was approximately 1,300.

Mileage: 1,300

20260113SERVICE BRAKES

The system that failed was the brakes, The car is availble for inspection. My saftey and others was put at risk due to not having brakes to stop. The problem has been confirmed by a dealer as a master brake cylinder failer The vehicle has been inspected by the dealer. There were warning lamps, message and other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. They first appearead on December 4 2025

20260113FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

The system that failed was the brakes, The car is availble for inspection. My saftey and others was put at risk due to not having brakes to stop. The problem has been confirmed by a dealer as a master brake cylinder failer The vehicle has been inspected by the dealer. There were warning lamps, message and other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. They first appearead on December 4 2025

20251231FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

I was driving (roughly about 30 MPH) when my automatic braking kicked on and caused my tires to squeal to a halt. There were no other cars around me (thankfully) - otherwise I would have been rear-ended. Right before it stopped, it flashed the warning lights for a quick second. I wanted to report this issue in case others are experiencing the same problem and to hopefully help prevent it from happening to someone else. Very scary and could cause a serious accident. I turned off all of my automatic brake settings after the incident, as I believe it is faulty and don't want to risk it happening again.

20251229WHEELS

The vehicle has been taken to the dealership at least 4 times. Each time for the same reason: when driving at 65 or higher, it sounds like it's on a flat. My screen also glitches when foot is taken off the break after a stop. The service advisor told me that there was a shortage of mechanics and asked me to bring it back next week (this is the response I have gotten each time). I have asked for a loaner twice and was told that there were none available. Therefore, I had to pay $40 to uber to work. Today, I said that I couldn't come back because it's the same issue and I have to work next week. He then let me speak to a service manager. The service manager drove it (with me in the passenger seat) and heard the sound. He noticed that it was not all of the time and that my steering wheel was a little shifty. When it was finally "fixed" (tires being rotated and some steering update), I was told to come back if I hear it again. I left at about 2pm and heard the sound again, as well as my sc

20251229UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The vehicle has been taken to the dealership at least 4 times. Each time for the same reason: when driving at 65 or higher, it sounds like it's on a flat. My screen also glitches when foot is taken off the break after a stop. The service advisor told me that there was a shortage of mechanics and asked me to bring it back next week (this is the response I have gotten each time). I have asked for a loaner twice and was told that there were none available. Therefore, I had to pay $40 to uber to work. Today, I said that I couldn't come back because it's the same issue and I have to work next week. He then let me speak to a service manager. The service manager drove it (with me in the passenger seat) and heard the sound. He noticed that it was not all of the time and that my steering wheel was a little shifty. When it was finally "fixed" (tires being rotated and some steering update), I was told to come back if I hear it again. I left at about 2pm and heard the sound again, as well as my sc

20251229ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The vehicle has been taken to the dealership at least 4 times. Each time for the same reason: when driving at 65 or higher, it sounds like it's on a flat. My screen also glitches when foot is taken off the break after a stop. The service advisor told me that there was a shortage of mechanics and asked me to bring it back next week (this is the response I have gotten each time). I have asked for a loaner twice and was told that there were none available. Therefore, I had to pay $40 to uber to work. Today, I said that I couldn't come back because it's the same issue and I have to work next week. He then let me speak to a service manager. The service manager drove it (with me in the passenger seat) and heard the sound. He noticed that it was not all of the time and that my steering wheel was a little shifty. When it was finally "fixed" (tires being rotated and some steering update), I was told to come back if I hear it again. I left at about 2pm and heard the sound again, as well as my sc

20250825UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I have brand new GMC Terrain 2026, I leased dog on Aug 4th 2025. After one week into driving the vehicle, OnStar, GPS NAV stopped working and the Emergency calling is not working. All features related to locating the vehicle through OnStar or through google stopped working, in addition to SoS not working. I took it to the dealership they said the Telematics module needs replacement.

20250806SERVICE BRAKES

Master cylinder , less then 1000 miles was pulling out of a parking lot and the brakes went out

Compare 2026GMCTERRAIN to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2026 GMC TERRAIN have?
The 2026 GMC TERRAIN has 9 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2026 GMC TERRAIN?
The 2026 GMC TERRAIN received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of 5/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2026 GMC TERRAIN?
Yes, the 2026 GMC TERRAIN has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2026 GMC TERRAIN?
The most-complained component for the 2026 GMC TERRAIN is SERVICE BRAKES with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include UNKNOWN OR OTHER and FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING.
Is the 2026 GMC TERRAIN safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2026 GMC TERRAIN has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

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.