Owners have filed 21 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the electrical, fuel system, and engine. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2023Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2023 GMC Terrain: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/2
Engine off, key in hand0/1
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/3
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/3
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 2023's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2023 checks
Worth adding to your 2023 checks
Worth adding to your 2023 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2023 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 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.
Stalling and reduced engine power
30,000–48,256 miles
NHTSA complaints for the 2023 GMC Terrain, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Most of these reports describe sudden stalling, often while pulling away from a stop. The engine cuts out, may restart and die again, and the dash shows a reduced engine power warning. Some cars lose all electrical power, including the hazard flashers. Others limp along near 15 mph after restarting. Reports cluster between 30,000 and 48,256 miles. One earlier case traced the problem to a fallen intake rocker and metal debris inside the engine. Dealers often cannot reproduce the stall. There is also a report of fuel-like fluid leaking. One complaint covers a black infotainment screen.
Fuel delivery failures cause power loss and stalling. The check engine light comes on and the car drops into limp mode with reduced power, or the engine shuts down at a light and the SUV cannot move. Codes and dealer diagnoses point to low fuel pressure, a faulty fuel pump, and the K111 fuel module, which dealers replace. In one report the fuel pump sprays gasoline inside the engine compartment, a clear fire risk. Stalling in traffic leaves the car stranded among moving vehicles.
Low-speed stalling and loss of drive power define these reports. The engine dies and electrical power can drop out. The push-button shifter may refuse to select Park, which blocks a restart until several attempts work. Another pattern combines shaking, an unexpected shift into neutral, and a check engine light, diagnosed as a possible fuel injector failure. The replacement injectors are on backorder, so that car stays unrepaired. Losing drive power while moving creates a crash risk.
Random stalling and limp mode are linked to the high-pressure fuel pump. The engine hesitates to restart, even in highway traffic, and the problem repeats. The other complaint is a rear main seal leak. In that case the car sits at the dealer for months with few updates and a warning that it may need a new engine. Both problems carry a risk of losing power in traffic or facing a costly repair.
Driver-assist warnings and blind-spot coverage are the issues here. Proximity sensors stay silent at very low speed, and the car strikes an object at the road edge and is damaged. Separately, some cars left the dealer without side blind zone alert because of the semiconductor shortage. The promised retrofit has not been installed. Without that feature, owners describe poor rear visibility and a higher risk when changing lanes in dense highway traffic.
Excerpts from complaints Terrain owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
While driving 40-45 mph the engine light came on and 50% loss of power was displayed on screen. Thankfully I wasn’t far from home and was in limp mode for the last 2 miles. The mileage of vehicle is 42,000 miles. The codes are reading low fuel pressure and faulty fuel pump. Any help would be appreciated as this shouldn’t be happening to this new of a vehicle.
Filed with NHTSA, March 2025
The high pressure fuel pump, the car randomly goes into limp mode and stalls and then when cranking it back up in the middle of 635 it hesitates to start, done this 3 times already
Filed with NHTSA, January 2026
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2023 ranks seventh 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 2023 is the sixth model year of the Terrain's second generation (2018–2024).
It includes the 2022 update.
What changed for 2022
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 2023 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles equipped with ventilated front passenger seats. The Occupant Classification System may not properly disable the front passenger air bag when there is a small child or child restraint detected in the seat.
Risk: In the event of a crash, a front passenger air bag that deploys with a child or infant in the front passenger seat can increase their risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the passenger presence system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 24, 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 N222388911.
Cars shoppers compare with the GMC Terrain, with their own 2023 checklists.
2023 owner complaints, side by side
