Owners have filed 28 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the transmission, electrical, and brakes. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2021Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2021 GMC Terrain: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/3
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/2
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/4
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
These years share the 2021's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2021 checks
Worth adding to your 2021 checks
Worth adding to your 2021 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2021 GMC Terrain. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5L 4-cyl | AWD, FWD | 26–27 mpg |
Owners report these failures starting around the mileages below. A car inside one of these ranges deserves a closer look at that part, or records showing it was already fixed.
Front-end shake under acceleration
45,000–64,500 miles
NHTSA complaints for the 2021 GMC Terrain, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Shuddering and shaking under acceleration lead the reports. Drivers describe a violent shudder when climbing hills, rounding corners, or shifting between 45 and 60 mph, some at only 6000 miles. Dealers point to a service bulletin but offer no fix. Other reports describe the transmission dropping into neutral with a "Power Reduced" message, a loss of throttle response lasting about 1 minute with codes P057C and P057E, and a car that moved in reverse while the shifter sat in park. Each of these can leave the car without power in traffic.
The infotainment screen goes black without warning and takes Bluetooth with it. It returns after a few seconds or up to about 2 hours. Reports also describe adaptive cruise control braking hard on its own after a lane change. Another car stops suddenly, sets the parking brake, lights every dash warning and shows a false low-fuel alert. A dealer kept that car 3 weeks without fixing it. The keyless system can also let the car keep running with no remote inside and give no warning.
Two of the three reports involve crashes with injuries. In one, the car accelerated hard as the brake pedal was released. In the other, the pedal did not respond on a steep downhill, even when pumped. Neither car was diagnosed. The third complaint is a noisy right rear brake when the car moves forward or backward after sitting. The dealer calls it an ongoing GM investigation, and the noise has persisted since purchase. Rear brake squeaking and grinding also shows up in electrical complaints.
Power cuts out suddenly while driving, with a "reduced engine power" warning and the check engine light. The car barely accelerates, chugs, or revs high. One car went into limp mode twice in freeway traffic, and a turbocharger underboost code was pulled. The warning can clear on its own by the next day before the fault returns, so a short test drive can miss it. Losing power at highway speed is the main safety concern.
Stalling is the common thread. Cars quit at low speed, at a traffic light, and while driving, sometimes with no warning light. One stall at about 86,000 miles was traced to a failed fuel pump that also damaged the camshaft, and the owner linked it to GM recall N222372310 for inadequate fuel pump flow. Another car sometimes will not start from the push button and drains its battery, and the dealer could not reproduce the fault.
The main complaint is hard shaking through the floor or a wobble under acceleration, reported at 45,000 and around 64,500 miles. In one case the dealer replaced both front axles under warranty, which stopped the shaking, and also replaced a leaking driver-side axle seal. Another car wobbles between 40 and 55 mph under hard acceleration even though its tires were balanced and the front end checked out. Reports also mention parking assist symbols going missing and washer fluid that will not spray in cold weather.
Excerpts from complaints Terrain owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
When driving car starting from a red light/getting on freeway or after making turn from a stop light when accelerating between 45 and 60 car shakes when shifting. Problem is getting worse. Car only has 6000 miles on it. I reported it to local gmc dealer and I was told GM is aware of the problem and they do not have a solution. They mentioned there is a TB out for several models that customers have reported same problem
Filed with NHTSA, July 2021
My 2021 gmc terrain with 6000 miles on odometer. When driving up hill or going around corner transmission shudders so bad that it feels like front tires are coming off. I contacted the dealer and gm and was told there is a tsb for this complaint. GM and dealer acknowledged there was a problem but they didn't have a fix or known cause of problem
Filed with NHTSA, September 2021
While driving my vehicle and talking on the phone, the radio screen went black. Bluetooth or nothing in connection to it was working. After about 2 hours it came back on. I was told to bring to dealership to be checkout, but it came back on. I'm going to take it to the dealership. My vehicle has 13,000 miles on it.
Filed with NHTSA, January 2022
Recently I have noticed that the back brakes squeak and sound like they are grinding when backing up. Also every now and then the information screen will go black for a while then turn back on could be a few seconds or several minutes. 23,900 on car
Filed with NHTSA, October 2022
The engine light came on while driving, saying “engine power reduced”. It barely accelerates, RPMs go over 5, it chugs when driving. Taken to an independent service center.
Filed with NHTSA, January 2026
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2021 ranks sixth for owner complaints among 8 Terrain years, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2021 is the fourth model year of the Terrain's second generation (2018–2024).
GMC updated the Terrain for 2022, so a 2021 does not have those changes.
What changed for 2022 (not on a 2021)
Recall repairs are free at any GMC dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The four rear-seat lower child seat LATCH anchorage bars may have excessive powder coating, which could prevent a child seat from being installed with the anchorage bars. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems.".
Risk: The inability to install a child seat with the LATCH anchorage bars could result in an unsecured child seat, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Owners are advised to install child seats using the vehicle's rear seat belts until the remedy is complete. Dealers will inspect the latch anchorage bars, and remove and replace the finish, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 2, 2023. 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 N232403240.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles equipped with certain Hankook tires. The tires may have been manufactured with an insufficient amount of curative agent, which could cause tread separation.
Risk: Tread separation can result in a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the tire DOT numbers, and replace any affected tires, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 31, 2021. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782; and Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212343560.
Cars shoppers compare with the GMC Terrain, with their own 2021 checklists.
2021 owner complaints, side by side
