2018 GMC Terrain Recalls, Complaints & Specs
5 safety recalls list the 2018 GMC Terrain, and owners have filed 223 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
5 safety recalls for the 2018 GMC Terrain
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Automatic transmission (power train)
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer…
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Caliper (service brakes)
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at…
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Fuel pump (fuel system)
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump…
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump, and high pressure fuel pipe, free of charge. The recall began July 2, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300,…
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Air bag/restraint control module (air bags)
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 GMC Terrain vehicles. The sensing diagnostic module (SDM) that senses a crash and deploys the necessary air bags may not power down correctly when the vehicle is shut off, causing it to be inoperative when the vehicle is restarted.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the SDM with updated software, free of charge. The recall began June 29, 2018. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is…
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Driveshaft (power train)
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles and 2017-2018 GMC Acadia vehicles. The right front intermediate driveshaft may fracture and separate while driving.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the right front intermediate drive shaft assembly, free of charge. The recall began August 25, 2017. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782 or…
223 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2018 GMC Terrain have filed 223 complaints with NHTSA; 14 describe a crash and 1 describe a fire. Reports cite 12 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 44,989 miles. Complaints peaked in 2024 with 36 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“Without any type of warning, I was driving down the road when my car started making a knocking/ticking type noise then my engine light came on. I attempted to hit my brakes and stop, and I had no cont”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, September 30, 2026 · Service brakes
“Dear [Manufacturer], I am writing to report a serious safety concern with my [year, make, model]. A bolt from the idler arm/undercarriage came off after becoming severely rusted. I had the vehicle ins”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, September 25, 2026 · Suspension
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2018 GMC Terrain (Terrain AWD, Terrain FWD). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 23–32 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 21–28 / 26–39 |
| Fuel | Diesel, Premium, Regular |
| EPA class | Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD |
| Engine | 4 cyl, 1.5/1.6/2 L |
| Transmission | Automatic 6-spd; Automatic 9-spd |
Compare GMC Terrain model years
Recall and complaint counts for every GMC Terrain model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 GMC Terrain | 3 | 290 |
| 2011 GMC Terrain | 4 | 386 |
| 2012 GMC Terrain | 4 | 364 |
| 2013 GMC Terrain | 3 | 364 |
| 2014 GMC Terrain | 2 | 297 |
| 2015 GMC Terrain | 3 | 298 |
| 2016 GMC Terrain | 2 | 152 |
| 2017 GMC Terrain | 1 | 134 |
| 2018 GMC Terrain | 5 | 223 |
| 2019 GMC Terrain | 3 | 185 |
| 2020 GMC Terrain | 2 | 197 |
| 2021 GMC Terrain | 2 | 36 |
| 2022 GMC Terrain | 2 | 60 |
| 2023 GMC Terrain | 2 | 40 |
| 2024 GMC Terrain | 1 | 52 |
| 2025 GMC Terrain | 0 | 13 |
| 2026 GMC Terrain | 1 | 33 |
Checking a specific 2018 GMC Terrain
How do I know if my 2018 GMC Terrain has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 5 campaigns currently list the 2018 GMC Terrain; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised GMC dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 17V516000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other GMC models
- Sierra 15008,930 complaints
- Acadia5,569 complaints
- Yukon4,989 complaints
- Sierra3,937 complaints
- Jimmy2,720 complaints
- Envoy2,459 complaints
- Yukon XL2,417 complaints
- Sierra 25001,821 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.