There are 50 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2011 GMC Terrainin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Transmission
Transmission failure
I bought this vehicle and NHTSA made GM release an extended warranty on this vehicle for excessive loss of engine oil. In 2019 I had to take this vehicle and pay several thousand dollars for the pistons to be replaced in my engine because I was 1 year past the extended warranty. Now 3 years after spending thousands of dollars through a certified GM store I am having the same problem excessive loss of engine oil. I have zero leaks and I have to put oil in my engine every other day. If I do not by the end of the week I will have an empty engine.
Ok so my 2011 GMC terrain just went over 150,000 miles I bought this vehicle used from a dealership not knowing that there was a big lawsuit or that GMC continuted making this make and model knowing that it had a oil usage problem. So mmm mmm with that being said let's start with my vehicle uses oil, my vehicle idles high low and always rough at times, my service stabilitrak flashes, my motor sounds like a HEMI kock knock knock instead of a 2.4, doesn't matter where I'm at or where I'm going I let off of the gas and my car dies.... Let me clarify on that last one me and my 9 year old daughter we're headed home today let off the gas to go around a curve and a hill and you guesswd it my 2011 GMC TERRAIN died I lost all control and all power had no power steering and no brakes... I just thank Jesus I wasn't speeding and that there was no oncoming traffic cuz I don't think me nor my 9 year old would have made it out ok. So thanks to whatever faulty motor engine or power train GMC has with this make and model putting people's safety and lives in danger due to these issues and only choosing certain VINS eligible instead of all VINS from 2011 GMC TERRAINS in my opinion is just choosing which owners survive because this make and model is dangerous to whoever drives it and to whoever meets it on the highway.
Was driving the car and all of a sudden a bunch of lights came on the dash called the dealership where I got it from to get fix and they said sorry they can’t help and then have blocked my number from communication. I can’t drive my car so I don’t know what to do at this point
Was driving home from work had a half tank of gas no lights or anything came on, car just shut off was not able to start it from that point. I spoke with car lot to whom I'm making payments with and not able to get anything done with the vehicle. Now I've lost my job and I'm about to be homeless due to this mechanic problem on this vehicle.
2011 GMC Terrain SLT The engine blew do to timing Chain breaking and it tore up the injectors as i was looking it up there where lots of people with the same problem and when it blew i was on the Highway and almost wrecked. We put new engine. After putting the engine in the transmission seems like every gear you put it in is like neutral and reeding up on other complaints people are having the same problems it only has 80,000 miles No lights came on or Warnings
Vehicle has been burning up to 3 quarts of oil every 1,500 miles. This has been an ongoing issue for years. In 2020 a GM dealer serviced/repaired the vehicle to correct the issue; the vehicle only had approximately 60,000 miles at the time. The issue returned around 20,000 miles after the repair. Neither an instrument panel light nor a OBDII code appears when the oil is low. When the oil is low the vehicle stalls when making a turn and also jitters and jerks while idling. I am put in a dangerous situation when the vehicle stalls (especially on the freeway service roads).
BURNS TO MUCH OIL AND I CAN'T KEEP UP WITH THE SPEED LIMIT IT'S IN AND THE SHOP GOT TO PUT A NEW TIMING BELT ON
ONLY 87000 MILES AND THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT, CAR STARTED TO SURGE WHILE DRIVING, AFTER PARKING IT WOULDN'T GO INTO REVERSE. THEN WHEN TRYING TO SEE IF IT WOULD STILL DRIVE FORWARD, WOULDN'T GO FASTER THAN 20 MILES AN HOUR, JUST STARTED REVVING WOULDN'T ENGAGE IN A GEAR.
YET AGAIN, ANOTHER COSTLY ENGINE REPAIR. CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE PROPERLY, ENGINE SEEMED TO BE BACK FIRING. THEN CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON (CODE P0016). GMC DEALER SAID THE TIMING CHAINS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. $2300. YET, THEY WILL CREATE A RECALL FOR A SEAT. BUT NOT AN UNSAFE ENGINE. HOPE LIVES WON'T BE LOST, LIKE WITH THE IGNITION FISCAL. SMH.
ENGINE RANDOMLY STALLS WHILE DRIVING AND REFUSES TO START BACK UP. NO CODES ARE BEING PRESENTED WHEN IT DOES STALL. *TR
ODB CODE P0014/P0017 IS A GMC RECALL AND I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO BRING IT AND LET YOU GUYS FIX IT BECAUSE IT IS BECOMING A PROBLEM!
THE VEHICLE GOING THROUGH OIL LIKE MADE AND STALLING IN THE MIDDLE OF INTERSECTIONS OR PULLING ONTO A ROAD. THIS HAS CAUSED OTHER PEOPLE TO ALMOST HIT ME OR GO OFF THE ROAD TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. I WILL START OUT INTO AN INTERSECTION GET IN THE MIDDLE AND IT DIES. TURNING ONTO A DIFFERENT ROAD THIS HAPPENS ALSO IN MOTION GOING AT NORMAL SPEEDS FOR THE ROAD. *TR
I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IT RAN GREAT. WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, IT STARTED STALLING WHEN I GO TO TAKE OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF INTERSECTIONS OR PULLING OUT ONTO A ROAD. IT WILL RUN FINE I STOP IT IDLES OK AND WHEN I TOUCH THE GAS PEDAL IT WILL START OUT INTO THE ROAD AND THEN JUST DIE. IT GOES THOUGH OIL LIKE MAD. *TR
I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN MARCH 2018. FROM THE DATE OF PURCHASE, THE SERVICE ENGINE AND/OR CHANGE OIL LIGHTS WOULD TURN ON. EVERY TIME I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY MECHANIC, IT NEEDED OIL. IN JANUARY 2020, I GOT A NOTICE FROM GMC ABOUT THE SETTLEMENT OF A LAWSUIT REGARDING VEHICLE OIL CONSUMPTION. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL GMC AND THE MANAGER READ THE "NOTICE OF APPROVAL OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT AND CLAIM FORM" THAT WAS SENT TO ME. THE LAWSUIT REQUIRES GMC TO PAY FOR REPAIRS OR REIMBURSE CUSTOMERS FOR THE REPAIRS. MY VEHICLE HAD NOT HAD THE NECESSARY REPAIRS DONE TO IT, SO THE MANAGER INSTRUCTED ME TO APPROVE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS AND PAY FOR THEM OUT OF POCKET BECAUSE GMC WOULD REIMBURSE ME. THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED ON FEBRUARY 7, 2020. I FOLLOWED ALL THE GUIDELINES PROVIDED TO ME BY GMC IN ORDER TO GET THE REIMBURSEMENT. I MAILED DOCUMENTS TO THEM A WEEK AFTER THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED, MONTHS BEFORE THE DEADLINE OF MAY 16, 2020. AFTER WAITING OVER A MONTH AND NOT GETTING REIMBURSED, I CALLED GMC CUSTOMER SERVICES (1-866-790-5600) ON APRIL 11, 2020. I WAS INFORMED BY GMC CUSTOMER SERVICE TO EXPECT A REIMBURSEMENT CHECK FOR REPAIRS AND RENTAL CAR FEES WITHIN TWO WEEKS. AFTER NOT RECEIVING THE REIMBURSEMENT, I CALLED AGAIN IN JUNE AND JULY 2020 AND GIVEN THE SAME INFORMATION-WAIT. THIS CONTINUED THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER. THE DELAY WAS BLAMED ON COVID-19. I CALLED AGAIN IN LATE SEPTEMBER 2020, AND THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO EMAIL ALL THE DOCUMENTS AND THAT THE CHECK WOULD ARRIVE IN TWO WEEKS. ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2020, I EMAILED ALL THE DOCUMENTS TO GMC. AFTER WAITING ANOTHER TWO WEEKS, I CALLED THEM AND THEY AGAIN SAID IT WOULD COME IN TWO WEEKS. ON NOVEMBER 10, 2020, I SENT ANOTHER EMAIL ASKING FOR THE REIMBURSEMENT CHECK. A WEEK LATER, I GOT A LETTER STATING I DID NOT QUALIFY FOR REIMBURSEMENT BECAUSE THE TIME HAD PASSED/EXPIRED.
MY 2011 GMC TERRAIN WHILE DRIVING 45 MILES DOWN ROAD THE LOSE OF POWER LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR IMMEDIATELY SLOWED DOWN CAUSING ME TO ALMOST HAVE A ACCIDENT. THE CAR WOULD RUN BUT SHAKE REAL BADLY. I STOPPED THE CAR AND TURNED OFF FOR 5MIN AND RESTARTED AND WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT HOME BUT HAD TO DO THIS AT LEAST 3 TIMES GETTING THERE.I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON, BUT I DO KNOW I ALMOST LOST MY LIFE IN THE PROCESS. MY CAR SEEMS TO BURN AIOT OF OIL TOO HERE LATELY, LIKE ITS DRINKING WATER.
SINCE I BOUGHT MY TRUCK I HAVE BEEN HAVING MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION I'VE TRIED MULTIPLE TIMES TO CONTACT THE DEALERSHIP TO GET MY CAR LOOKED AT AND THEY DO NOT RESPOND BACK TO ME I FEEL LIKE THEY ACT AS IF I DID NO BUSINESS WITH THEM ON PURCHASING MY CAR
TRANSMISSION WILL NOT ENGAGE IN ANY GEAR, HAS GONE COMPLETELY NONFUNCTIONAL. I HAVE RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND NOTICE THAT EVERY COMPLAINT IS THE SAME REGRADING THE TRANSMISSION. SAME MILEAGE AS OTHERS AND THIS PROBLEM OCCURS, THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS MATTER.
TRANSMISSION NOT FUNCTIONAL, WILL NOT ENGAGE INTO ANY GEAR,AND WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING. I'VE SEEN MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ONLINE WITH SANE PROBLEM. RECALL NEEDS TO BE DONE.
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026