NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 39 owner complaints for the 2023 GMC Terrain.
2Safety recalls
39Owner complaints
2Complaints citing a crash
1Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 28, 2026
Recalled components: child seats and air bags. Most-described problem: loss of power or limp mode (15 complaints, 38%). Most-reported area: fuel and propulsion system (15 complaints, 38%).
2 safety recalls for the 2023 GMC Terrain
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
Child seats
May 11, 2023
vehicle latch anchor
Fails federal standard 225 (child seat anchorages)
The four rear-seat lower child seat LATCH anchorage bars may have excessive powder coating, which could prevent a child seat from being installed with the anchorage bars. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."
Risk: The inability to install a child seat with the LATCH anchorage bars could result in an unsecured child seat, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Owners are advised to install child seats using the vehicle's rear seat belts until the remedy is complete. Dealers will inspect the latch anchorage bars, and remove and replace the finish, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 2, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N232403240.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles.
NHTSA listing: TERRAIN. GMC campaign N232403240.
Air bags
Dec 15, 2022
sensor · occupant classification · front passenger
The Occupant Classification System may not properly disable the front passenger air bag when there is a small child or child restraint detected in the seat.
Risk: In the event of a crash, a front passenger air bag that deploys with a child or infant in the front passenger seat can increase their risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will replace the passenger presence system, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 24, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N222388911.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2023 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles equipped with ventilated front passenger seats.
NHTSA listing: TERRAIN. GMC campaign N222388911.
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.
What owners report
Owners have filed 39 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 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
Loss of power or limp mode15 · 38%
Stalling or shutting off while driving14 · 36%
Check engine light13 · 33%
Hesitation or slow acceleration5 · 13%
Fuel pump failures5 · 13%
Fuel smell or fuel leak4 · 10%
Engine failure or replacement3 · 8%
Shaking, shuddering or vibration3 · 8%
Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these.
Areas named in complaints
Fuel and propulsion system15 · 38%
Engine14 · 36%
Electrical system7 · 18%
Powertrain7 · 18%
Fuel system6 · 15%
Lane departure systems4 · 10%
Most named: blind spot detection (3)
Air bags2 · 5%
Unknown or other7 · 18%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
GMC Terrain recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2023 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 2023 drew 18.
Owner complaints
2023: 39 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, GMC Terrain
Model year
Complaints
2016
152
2017
133
2018
220
2019
185
2020
196
2021
35
2022
88
2023
39
2024
49
2025
13
2026
33
Safety recalls
2023: 2 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, GMC Terrain
Model year
Recalls
2016
2
2017
1
2018
5
2019
3
2020
2
2021
2
2022
4
2023
2
2024
1
2025
0
2026
1
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.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
GMC Terrain SUV AWD
Rollover risk 16.4%
GMC Terrain SUV FWD
Rollover risk 18.5%
Questions
What are the most common 2023 Terrain problems?
In the 39 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2023 GMC Terrain, the problems described most are loss of power or limp mode (15), stalling or shutting off while driving (14), and the check engine light coming on (13). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2023 GMC Terrain safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2023 GMC Terrain earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Terrain has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at GMC dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 29, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 28, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: TERRAIN.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.