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2018 GMC Terrain problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2018 GMC Terrain has been recalled for and what owners report, from official government data. Updated October 25, 2026.
- 5safety recalls
- 225owner complaints
- 14crash reports
- 1fire report
- 12injuries reported
225 complaints, against an average of 163 for the other 14 GMC Terrain model years.
Every GMC Terrain model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.
What goes wrong with the 2018 GMC Terrain?
The components named most often in the 225 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
What symptoms do 2018 GMC Terrain owners describe?
Found by reading the text of all 225 owner complaints. Tap a symptom for the answer, a real owner quote and any related recall.
Has the 2018 GMC Terrain been recalled?
5 U.S. safety recalls. Repairs are free at a franchised dealer; some are done over the air.
Power Train: Automatic Transmission 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 have missing bolts.
Risk: Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
Fix: 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 service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic: Foundation Components: Disc: Caliper 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 form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
Risk: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18279.
Fuel System, Gasoline: Delivery: Fuel Pump 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 damaging the high pressure fuel line.
Risk: A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: 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, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18188.
Air Bags: Air Bags/Restraint Control Module 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.
Risk: If the SDM becomes inoperative, it will not detect a crash or command the necessary air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: 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 18179.
Power Train: Driveline: Driveshaft 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.
Risk: If the front right intermediate drive shaft assembly separates while driving, the vehicle will lose propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. If the assembly separates while parked on a grade, without the park brake engaged, the vehicle may move unintentionally, increasing the risk of a vehicle roll-away.
Fix: 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 Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 17329.
What do 2018 GMC Terrain owners report?
12 of the 225 complaints, the most recent for the most-reported components, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
This car was my daily driver to work it's been serviced regularly and well maintained, in XXX I've had the car for 8 years and driving home from work on the [XXX] it started to Rev very high and I wasn't able to speed up past 55 so I got in the slow lane and the car was not shifting gears and the transmission light came on, I took it to a garage who said the error code was P0700 and I would need a whole new transmission which would cost 8k the trade in value for the 2018 GMC terrain is about that price, having a transmission fail after just 8 years is unacceptable, I've read there is a recall…
On XXX while driving my 2018 GMC Terrain SLE 1.5L turbo on the highway at approximately 70 MPH near [XXX]. I experienced a sudden loss of power brake assist without any prior dashboard warning lights or messages. I was traveling with children to [XXX] for a youth wrestling tournament, approximately 5 hours from my residence. The brake pedal became extremely hard to press, requiring excessive force to slow the vehicle while traveling at highway speeds. I was transporting children at the time, creating a serious safety concern. Because I was away from home and needed to get the children to their…
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 control. There was no brakes without pushing it all the way to the floor it was very hard to get my car to stop. I managed to get off the road and into a parking lot and now told that I have $5000 worth of repairs, including the vacuum pump, camshaft timing and guides. After reading information I see there is complaints filed regarding this failed vacuum pump and I would just like to report this.
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH, the brake pedal was firm and the "Service Brake Assist" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact used excessive force to depress the brake pedal while stopping the vehicle. The vehicle was driven to the destination and parked. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in a vacuum pump recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was scheduled for repair with an independent mechanic. The failure mileage was approximately…
Approximately 3 miles from my residence my car display flashed "Reduced Engine Power" and slowed down. When I reached a stop sign and tried to stop, my brakes were stiff and I was unable to stop. I went through the stop sign. I continued to my residence at 10mph and backed into a parking space with a curb to help stop my vehicle. I turned the car off and called a mechanic to come look at my car. I explained the events and let him know it would not start. He checked the codes after hooking it up. The error codes were for Cam shaft and crank shaft, etc. I was instructed to not try and start the…
While driving my 2018 GMC Terrain, the vehicle suddenly displayed an “Engine Power Reduced” warning and the brakes became extremely hard to press. The vehicle experienced a sudden loss of normal power-brake assist while it was in motion, creating a serious safety risk because significantly greater pedal force was required to stop the vehicle. I was able to pull over safely. After stopping, the vehicle would crank but would not start. The vehicle was towed to a GMC dealership for inspection. The dealership documented that the vehicle had a suspected failed/broken vacuum pump, a damaged exhaust…
The vehicle has had regular maintenance, oil change, and inspection including the brakes. My boyfriend is visiting me in [XXX] from the [XXX]. OnXXX while driving the vehicle the engine started. Making a ticking noise especially during idle and when accelerating in idle. About 15 minutes after the ticking stopped and all of a sudden there's a complete loss of breaks they locked up and the driver was unable to efficiently stop while going down a hill Road. Driver had to use the emergency brake to make the other brakes release and then the brakes from there would not work even though you could…
Gas leaking from the hood. High pressure fuel pump
My car was t-boned on the driver side and no airbags deployed. The outer door and window exploded with the force. We were also hit from behind
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Terrain. While attempting to shift to reverse(R) out of a parking spot, the message “Transmission Unable to Shift” was displayed on the instrument panel, and the transmission was unable to shift into reverse(R). The contact called for tow truck assistance. The vehicle was unable to shift into neutral (N). The contact stated that prior to the transmission failure, the “Service Transmission Soon” message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle…
The infotainment system will just randomly start going haywire and when it happens, you cannot use the touchscreen. It will try to randomly delete app icons such as the camera, it will try to delete connected phones, it will try to delete radio favorites and it will move app icons all around. These are just a few examples of things that happen.
The contact owns a 2018 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that the transmission was shifting gear erratically. The contact stated that the doors were locking and unlocking independently, and the instrument cluster was blank. There was an abnormal beeping sound coming from the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that while at a traffic light, the Auto START/STOP feature delayed to respond. OnStar was alerted, but the contact declined to perform the service. The contact was in contact with the independent mechanic who sold the vehicle, but no assistance was provided. The local dealer was…
2018 GMC Terrain: questions owners ask
Is the 2018 GMC Terrain reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 225 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 GMC Terrain; the most common categories were service brakes (83, 36.9%), engine (55, 24.4%), power train (42, 18.7%). There are 5 safety recalls. 14 complaints mention a crash, 1 mentions a fire, 12 injuries were reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2018 GMC Terrain?
Across 225 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are service brakes (36.9% of complaints), engine (24.4% of complaints), power train (18.7% of complaints), electrical system (15.6% of complaints), air bags (6.2% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.
Does the 2018 GMC Terrain have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2018 GMC Terrain; the most recent (campaign 20V668000, 2020-10-29) concerns Power Train: Automatic Transmission. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Why is the check engine light on in my 2018 GMC Terrain?
25 of the 225 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2018 GMC Terrain (11.1%) describe the check engine light coming on. One owner wrote: "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 control." (NHTSA complaint 11767937, September 2026). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why does my 2018 GMC Terrain stall, lose power or shut off while driving?
19 of the 225 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2018 GMC Terrain (8.4%) describe the engine stalling, losing power or shutting off while driving. One owner wrote: "The vacuum pump exploded and I lost power braking ability while going approx. 40mph. If I hadn't pressed down hard on the brakes to slow down, in less than 2 minutes I would have ended up in Lake Michigan, as I was heading east toward the on ramp for [XXX]." (NHTSA complaint 11628389, December 2024). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why do the brakes feel soft, fail or make noise on my 2018 GMC Terrain?
14 of the 225 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2018 GMC Terrain (6.2%) describe brakes feeling soft, failing, grinding or squealing. A related recall exists: campaign 18V576000 (service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: caliper). The fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. One owner wrote: "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 control." (NHTSA complaint 11767937, September 2026). Recall repairs are free at a dealer; check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Check your own Terrain
Counts are a starting point, not a verdict: popular models collect more complaints because more of them are on the road, and NHTSA does not verify individual reports. To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (U.S.) or your registration at check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk (UK). Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations and recalls.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint databases (public domain), retrieved October 25, 2026. Model year 2018 only.