2011 GMC Terrain Recalls and Problems

NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 386 owner complaints for the 2011 GMC Terrain.

Recalled components: exterior lighting, electrical system, seats, and seat belts. Most-described problem: stalling or shutting off (85 complaints, 22%). Most-reported area: engine (178 complaints, 46%; median mileage when it happened: 85,500).

Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated Oct 2, 2026

Best year

4 safety recalls for the 2011 GMC Terrain

Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.

Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

NHTSA investigations

NHTSA has opened 3 investigations that name the 2011 GMC Terrain; all 3 are closed. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.

A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA's first step, to gather information and decide whether to look further. An engineering analysis is a deeper review, usually opened after a preliminary evaluation. A recall query is a review of whether a recall covered the right vehicles or whether its fix works. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.

What owners report

Owners have filed 386 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Terrain. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.

Problems owners describe

• Stalling or shutting off85 · 22%
  Median 82,800 miles at failure, from 70 reports with mileage
• Excessive oil consumption44 · 11%
  Median 100,000 miles at failure, from 33 reports with mileage
• Loss of power or limp mode40 · 10%
  Median 83,000 miles at failure, from 33 reports with mileage
• Engine failure or replacement38 · 10%
  Median 100,700 miles at failure, from 25 reports with mileage
• Check engine light37 · 10%
  Median 71,300 miles at failure, from 31 reports with mileage
• Timing chain or belt problems30 · 8%
  Median 102,600 miles at failure, from 20 reports with mileage
• Jerking, lurching or harsh shifting26 · 7%
  Median 39,000 miles at failure, from 23 reports with mileage
• Wiper failures24 · 6%
  Median 102,500 miles at failure, from 20 reports with mileage

Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these. Compare other models in the problem owners report most for every model year.

Areas named in complaints

• Engine178 · 46%
  Median 85,500 miles at failure, from 132 reports with mileage
• Powertrain76 · 20%
  Most named: automatic transmission (5) · Median 74,500 miles at failure, from 58 reports with mileage
• Fuel and propulsion system31 · 8%
  Median 84,900 miles at failure, from 24 reports with mileage
• Electrical system29 · 8%
  Median 89,500 miles at failure, from 20 reports with mileage
• Visibility/wiper28 · 7%
  Median 100,000 miles at failure, from 22 reports with mileage
• Air bags25 · 6%
  Median 64,500 miles at failure, from 22 reports with mileage
• Engine and cooling22 · 6%
  Median 14,000 miles at failure, from 20 reports with mileage
• Unknown or other33 · 9%
  Median 97,800 miles at failure, from 21 reports with mileage

A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.

GMC Terrain recalls and complaints by model year

The highlighted bars are the 2011 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2018 Terrain drew the most (65) and the 2011 drew 61.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2011 Terrain MPG

Questions