NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2014 GMC Terrain. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
My husband just did an at home oil change on the car not long before the incident. Unfortunately my car was barely under 3,000 miles since the oil change and we were going to change the oil again when my engine died mid drive on the way home. There was no oil in the car due to high oil consumption and no coolant either. High oil consumption was not reported and not disclosed to me before and a broken guide for my timing chain leading to total engine failure just after I started to exit the highway. Had my car died any sooner I would have crashed. Or wrecked with another vehicle. GMC and the dealership I got the car from did not properly disclose this safety risk to me when I purchased the car and no recall information was ever sent out. The high oil consumption causing engine failure has been a part of a class action lawsuit for these vehicles before and THAT was not disclosed to me either at any point. No notifications of low oil or other issues aside from a check engine light came on for my vehicle when I was driving. I dont know how fast I was going as I was applying the brakes to my car for a traffic light.
I purchased this in March of 2025. 2 or 3 weeks after I bought this I took it to an oil lube shop and they said there was not any oil on the.dip stick. Also I started noticing the car being jerky while driving and when shutting it off it sputters. I took it to Max motors, a GMC dealer for a diagnostic check because it uses a quart of oil a week. They told me the high pressure fuel pump is bad and the piston rings were no good. This was on the 18th of June. I had taken it to the dealer I bought it from and complained about the problems, but he wouldn't do anything about it . The warranty was good at that time. Max motors told me it would cost me about $5000 to fix it which I don't have. I read that there was a recall on these cars with a 2.4L engine for these problems.
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware of an abnormal odor coming from the engine compartment, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine failed due to excessive oil consumption. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000.
Tensioner issues keeps breaking the timing chain. . Replaced twice at own cost. Fuel pump/ loss of power while driving. Back up camera doesn't work sometimes. Screen goes black. If key is left in the ignition it starts itself. If you try to use a car charger for a phone the AC shuts off and a "systems error" message pops up. This happens alot. It's an ongoing issue since I bought the car in Feburary this year.
ABS Brake problem and have tried to get it repaired for over 3 months and cannot seem to be able to get the part and call GM with no help. Can not tell me when or where to buy the part. Nobody seems to be able to get a new part and no help from GM. If there is this many problems that there is no part left available it should be a national recall.
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that the was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil; however, there were no oil leaks evident. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who informed the contact that the frame near the rear wheel on the driver's side was completely rusted. The mechanic stated that the vehicle was not safe to drive. The vehicle was not diagnosed for the oil consumption failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle started jerking and hesitating abnormally. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the piston rings were damaged, the high-pressure fuel pump had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.
Vehicle is consuming excessive amount of oil in short drive time up to 3qt in less than 1000 miles. With no oil leaks. Vehicle only has 139840 miles. Has regular oil changes and services done.
It has nothing to do with the headlights. I was told by a couple different technicians that there's an issue with there being a slow oil leak with the GMC Terrains causing the motor/engine to lock up. I get my oil changed religiously! I even have files/reports showing so. It was NOT time for an oil change and my motor locked up. I still have 3 years to pay on my vehicle and it's my primary ride. So after having it towed 4 times...I have to get it towed 1 more time back to the shop to get a used motor/engine installed for $6700 (that's what they estimated me). On top of not having a vehicle for 3 months and making payments on top of it.
Wipers stop working In snow storm
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving 15 MPH in a snowstorm, the windshield wipers became inoperable. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V165000 (Visibility). The vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair; however, the dealer informed the contact that the recall repair could not be performed due to a Salvage Title. The manufacturer was contacted and advised the contact that the repair could be covered because the Salvage Title was not related to the windshield wipers; however, the manufacturer called the contact and informed the contact that the repair could no longer be covered due to the Salvage Title. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 149,680.
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while at a complete stop at a red light, the doors were making locking and unlocking sounds. The contact stated upon depressing the accelerator pedal to resume driving, the vehicle failed to exceed 25 MPH. The messages "Service Stabili-trak" and "Service Power Steering" were displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was being diagnosed. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 159,500.
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that his wife was not aware of any warning lights being illuminated. The contact stated that his wife was unable to restart the vehicle, and had the vehicle towed to the residence. The contact called an independent mechanic to the residence who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was oil leaking into the engine block and cylinders. The mechanic determined that the positive crankcase valve (PCV) had failed and needed to be replaced and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.
I was driving my suv while it was raining heavily and my driver side wipers just stop working out of no where the passenger side still operates. I have not been to see if a dealer can fix it because I was unaware it was under recall so now I’m trying to find someone to fix it while under the recall.
The AC is very poor and no back AC units is bad for small children. Also, engine light for exhaust
Was driving from home to my job in Novi, MI. While driving at 70 mph on [XXX] [XXX] miles west of Grand Rapids the motor suddenly stopped. There was never any warnings on dashboard instruments, no audio signs, and no physical signs this was about to happen. Had 16% remaining oil life before next oil change per computer. Dealership is telling me there is no oil in motor and it has suffered a catastrophic motor failure after timing jumped. This almost caused a major accident at highway speeds. Motor only has just over 77,000 miles on it. Of course it is out of warranty. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started shaking and vibrating and then stalled. The vehicle was examined by a local mechanic, who determined that the engine was damaged due to a lack of engine oil. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 147,623.
The oil leaks out of pan!! Oil consumption
The contact's daughter owns a 2014 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the timing chain had fractured, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
On May 10, 2024 while driving my 2014 GMC Terrain driving at about 65mph my car cut off while driving to the point that the car started slowing down which had med confused as to what was going on but thankfully I was able to safely move over to the side of the of the highway in order to be in safer position to start the car back up. There was no warrant signs that the car had cut off but I had the air conditioning on do it stop blowing. At this point I knew the car was not safe to drive but I had to get off the highway. So I was about 5 miles from my exit which I was able to get to the exit without the car cutting off again on the highway but the car cut off once again on the exit as my speed was decelerating. I took my car to Meineke Car Care a few days later and was told that my car needed to have the solenoid replaced and the timing chain kit which was what the diagnostic was showing. Once they were able to fully inspect the car I was told that the timing chain kit was broken and I had medal in my oil which was suggested that I replace my engine. This put me at risk of being in an accident that could have injured myself or someone. There were no warning indications. My check engine light was not on. I had to pay to have the engine replaced which before I had it replaced I took my car to another shop just to get a second opinion in which I had the engine replaced.
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start, and the steering wheel was locked. A tow truck driver was able to start the vehicle after several attempts. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the failure recurred. The mechanic was able to restart the vehicle and the contact drove to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken back to the mechanic and was diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was adding approximately 3-4 quarts of oil every 1,000 miles. The contact was informed by a mechanic that the failure might be related to a defective oil sending unit or piston oil ring. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
I have a 2014 GMC Terrain with less than 70k miles on the vehicle. I took the truck to the mechanic and was advised the power belts were no good. Why is this? The truck has no mileage on it basically for a 2014, I have a 2011 Chevy with more miles than this truck and its power belts are fine. The Mechanic also advised me within the last 3 years, his shop in Cecil County MD has changed over 125 Power Belts on the 2014 GMC Terrain AWD (V6), same vehicle that I have.
While turning from out of. Wheel gas station, the truck just stopped abruptly and shut off. It left me in a turning lane that curves to a stop at a stop light. I was in a dangerous spot. It was raining and dark. The Burr Ridge police had to come due to the position my truck was in and push me out of the lane and danger. I had it towed by AAA that night. Then had to have it towed to a mechanic. Who informed me that it was the timing chain belt.
While driving oil blew out of engine of 2.4 eco tech. Single digit temperatures. Very little warning caused engine to lock up cost over 5,000 to replace engine.
Vehicle started leaking oil with no indicator. Didn't realize it for at least a few days. When I smelled a burned oil smell took it to the repair shop. Was told my oil gasket blew and the engine is about shot. I also only a month earlier replaced the battery. These vehicles apparently have known battery, oil and engine issues that were known since 2010. The following class action lawsuit in Missouri is pending: [XXX] , on behalf of herself and all others similarly situated, Plaintiff, v. GENERAL MOTORS LLC, Defendant. _____________________________________ Our vehicle is not even at 100,000 miles! This will cost thousands of dollars to fix or we will need to purchase a new vehicle which we didn't plan on for a few years at least! This has been devastating. Please help. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My motor blew out of nowhere. I took it to a shop and there was no explanation as to why. I barely drive my car and keep up with oil changes. Please help asap!
See attached document for complaint
On October 13, 2023, I was driving on the highway when my 2014 GMC Terrain power was reduced. Suddenly, the engine light came on and car began throttling. Second, an error message appeared on my dashboard indicating “ engine power is reduced.” Then it stopped in the middle of the highway. I was able to restart my vehicle and drove it to a nearby mechanic shop. The mechanic said the problem was my timing chain and that my vehicle was not drivable. I left my vehicle at the mechanic shop because it was the weekend and It needed it to be towed to the dealership. On Monday, October 16, 2023, I had my vehicle towed to Buick Classic Service Center. After waiting for two days, I received a call from the service center stating that my 2014 GMC Terrain timing chain and pressure gas pump was the cause of the problem - with my vehicle. After, reading other owners similar complaints ; why is there not a recall to address this problem? Now, I am stuck without a vehicle and the company has no idea how long it will take to get the parts needed to fix my vehicle. I was told that the timing chain and a tension is on back order due to the employees of GMC being are on strike.
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed to overtake another vehicle in the right lane and the RPM raised up 8,000 RPM. The contact stated that there was an abnormal banging sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that smoke started coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine and check oil warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle lost motive power and the contact pulled off the roadway and turned off the vehicle. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that a rod bearing had fractured and pierced the cylinder into the engine block. The contact was advised by the mechanic that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that prior to the engine failure, the contact was continuously adding oil to the engine. The contact was adding one quart of oil every week for more than 10 months. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
Oil consumption issue caused timing chain to go causing catastrophic damage to the engine resulting in over 3000$ in repairs the oil light does not come on nor does it have a low oil pressure warning
The contact owned a 2014 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while stopped at a red light a vehicle one rear-ended the vehicle. This caused the contact to crash into in front of her. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The contact sustained back and neck injuries. Medical attention was needed. Additionally, the driver of vehicle three received medical attention with unknown injuries. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Terrain. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 22V165000 (Visibility) and 22V137000 (Exterior Lighting) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. Parts distribution disconnect.
Pcv system plugged up pressure in engine when remove oil cap have cleaned it my self
Vehicle shut down and turned off while being operated. No warning lights were on at any point before the incident. I was driving down the road and without warning, it just turned off. My safety as well as the safety of the drivers on the road around me were compromised by this sudden failure as the vehicle was in motion when the incident occurred and I was unable to properly operate the vehicle. When I tried to re-start the vehicle the engine would not turn over and several warning lights were suddenly on. Vehicle was towed to dealership and the service department said the timing chain jumped and the engine needs to be replaced. Multiple complaints have been made against GM for the faulty 2.4L Ecoboost Engine that causes excessive oil consumption with no appropriate monitoring or warning system in place leading to timing chain issues/failure that destroys the engine without warning, often while the vehicle is being operated. No recall has been made and no warning is given to customers who purchase vehicles with these engines. I have owned this vehicle less than a year and the repair invoice I was given quotes over $10,000.
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and inadvertently lost power. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and drive the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where the vehicle was diagnosed with Timer Change failure that needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
There's an oil consumption issue that requires you to constantly refill the engine with oil between oil changes. It's so bad that it causes buildup and eventually interferes with the timing. Causing significant, unacceptable repairs! Now I'm forking out money for a constant issue that shouldn't exist! My car cut off in traffic! That's a major safety issue! I will provide costs of repair when I get the final estimate! My timing chain, tensioner and pistons may need to be replaced because of this issue!
left wiper stopped working
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.
BOUGHT CAR IN 2021 AND A FEW MONTHS LATER CAR STARTED TURNING OFF WHILE DRIVING. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON..REPLACED SENSORS AND ALL WAS GOOD. FAST FORWARD TO A WEEK AGO...SCHEDULED AN OIL CHANGE LIKE I ALWAYS DO...CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND ENGINE STARTED RATTLING. STOPPED DRIVING IMMEDIATELY. CHECKED OIL AND THERE WAS NONE. ADDED 3 QUARTS. TOOK TO GARAGE TO HAVE THEM TAKE A LOOK AT IT. HE DID THE OIL CHANGE BUT DOESN'T HANDLE ENGINE REPAIRS AND BELIEVES IT IS MY TIMING BELT. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS ABOUT 65,000 MILES ON IT AND IS A 2014. COMMON OCCURANCE APPARENTLY WITH THIS VEHICLE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
Other years of this vehicle have recalls for the catalytic converter. My check engine came on and it said it could be that or the O2 sensors. O2 sensors have been replaced and the check engine light is back on.
Timing chain malfunction that burned through oil causing the engine to seize. No engine light indicators were displayed in regards to this issue. The issue escalated quickly with signs showing only 2 days before the engine finally seized & leaking oil into engine bay. It is also noted that the engine oil has had many reported leaks into fuel tanks & other areas of the car.
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that the oil reservoir was constantly needing to be refilled. The contact stated that he had to have the oil changed and added every 4 weeks. The contact stated that the check engine warning light had been illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the catalytic converter had failed due to engine oil deposits and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred, he saw the check engine warning light was illuminated and was again having to add oil due to excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was taken back to the same independent mechanic who advised that the catalytic converter was going to fail again due to oil deposits. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
Rear main seal failed when car sat outside for several hours at work at cold temperatures. Possible frozen or clogged PVC valve. Blew oil all over Highway. Before found and causing hazardous road conditions.
Vehicle's 3.6L engine is consuming excessive amounts of oil. Over 2 QT oil every 2,000 miles. Issue confirmed by GMC certified dealer and independent mechanic. Vehicle showed signs of it at 138,000 miles with independent mechanic. Independent mechanic said to contact GMC customer service. GMC customer service required certified dealer to validate issue. Certified dealership validated issue. GMC not taking responsibility for engine defect.
All wheel light say it’s disabled
On December 26, 2022, my son and I were on our way to Indianapolis, Indiana from Anderson, Indiana. When we were about to the end of going through Ingalls, I noticed that my check engine light went off. I pulled over within 3 to 5 miles within notification of my engine light going off at a gas station. I turned off my Terrain, so my son could look under the hood to see if anything was amiss and I turned my Terrain back on hoping that the check engine light would go off. It didn't and the engine sounded normal. We proceeded to go on to Indianapolis driving on. Everything was fine until right before we reached 30th and German Church Rd. I started hearing what I thought was a clicking/ticking sound, so I turned off my radio to confirm it. As I turned down the radio to confirm the sound, my dashboard let me know that my engine was losing power and a stabilitrack warning. I immediately pulled over to check to see if my serpentine belt broke. It hadn't. My oil read at 29% and no other lights were on besides the check engine light. NOTHING letting me know that I was losing oil. A friend of mine came to listen to it and thought maybe my alternator was going out. I attempted to drive it to a garage that was maybe at most 2 miles away. It started right back up but lost power again less than a block away from where I stopped. I pulled it into a parking lot to get it off the street. I had it towed from the parking lot to a garage to have it looked at and I was shocked to find out that I was out of oil even though the dash read 29% before needing another oil change. NO OTHER WARNING that I was losing oil. The mechanic notified me to let me know that I had a blown engine. I'm furious with GMC right now because I had overheard approximately a couple months ago while getting my oil changed that GMC engines were going out left and right and now it's happened. to me. I don't even want to think about what could have happened to my son and I if on the interstate being very short notice
The contact owns a 2014 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was oil leaking from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the PCV valve was frozen and caused oil to leak from the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.
Car engine light coming on because of codes P0010, constant oil changes, acceleration slows. Turns off a low idle. No low oil warning lights at all.
I took the car in for a recall regarding the headlights. The recall number is N222363740. The dealer placed a sticker. On the headlights, which now makes it hard to see at night this is my wife’s commuter car to work at the hospital. We live in a very rural area where the 2 lane roads are remote and very dark.my wife works from 7:00 am to 7:30 pm but with her commute she leaves at 5;30 am and returns home around 9:00 pm . This includes every single shift she works, so the bottom line is she leaves at dark and gets home at dark, needing her headlights to work and home every trip. ever since they applied the sticker to the headlights, she’s having a much harder time seeing the road which is making it dangerous especially in winter weather. Since she travels by Two lane very dark back country roads. I am asking for a different remedy for the headlight situation, other than the stickers on the headlights that are actually making it harder to see. I’m afraid she’s going to get in a car accident rather it be with a vehicle or the many deer. We have run across the roads out here by not being able to see. I feel this is very time sensitive and would really appreciate a response back as soon as possible. Thank you very much. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026