AutoUtility currently tracks 218 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2018 GMC Terrain. Brakes & Traction Control issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 86 complaints (39.4% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 14 filings cite a crash, 1 cites a fire, 7 report one or more injuries.
- • Total NHTSA Complaints: 218 reports
- • #1 Reported Problem Area: Brakes & Traction Control (86 reports • 39.4% of submitted complaints)
- • Secondary Problem Areas: Engine & Cooling (51), Powertrain & Transmission (41)
- • Crash-Citing Complaints: 14 filings
- • Fire-Citing Complaints: 1 filings
- • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 7 injury filings • 0 fatality filings
Most Reported Problems for 2018 GMC Terrain
Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records
Brakes & Traction Control
NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #18V576000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
Engine & Cooling
Powertrain & Transmission
NHTSA records list 2 official safety recall campaigns for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #20V668000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
- Campaign #17V516000 POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
Electrical System
Driver Assistance & Safety Tech
Symptoms Mentioned in NHTSA Owner Reports for 2018 GMC Terrain
Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis
AutoUtility uses deterministic phrase matching to identify recurring symptom descriptions within consumer-submitted NHTSA complaint narratives.
Reduced Braking / Brake Pedal to Floor
Loss of Motive Power While Driving
Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2018 GMC Terrain
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"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..."
"The contact owns a 2018 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while her son was driving 45 MPH, the brake pedal was firm while depressed. There was no warning light illuminated. Due to the failure, excessive force was needed on the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. The contact was able to drive 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..."
"The contact owns a 2018 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that the brake pedal was abnormally firm. The brake pedal was depressed to the floor, and the..."
"Vehicle would slowly roll even when break is applied. It was confirmed by the service center that the break booster vacuum pump was only reading 8 when it should be at 27. It was not making enough pressure. The vehicle would not stop when break was applied."
Complaint History for GMC Terrain
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 GMC Terrain | 315 | 10 | 3 | View 2015 Problems → |
| 2016 GMC Terrain | 152 | 9 | 2 | View 2016 Problems → |
| 2017 GMC Terrain | 133 | 11 | 1 | View 2017 Problems → |
| 2018 GMC Terrain Current Page | 218 | 14 | 5 | Current |
| 2019 GMC Terrain | 181 | 7 | 3 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 GMC Terrain | 192 | 7 | 2 | View 2020 Problems → |
| 2021 GMC Terrain | 34 | 4 | 2 | View 2021 Problems → |
| 2022 GMC Terrain | 81 | 0 | 2 | View 2022 Problems → |
| 2023 GMC Terrain | 37 | 2 | 2 | View 2023 Problems → |
| 2024 GMC Terrain | 48 | 1 | 1 | View 2024 Problems → |
| 2025 GMC Terrain | 12 | 2 | 0 | View 2025 Problems → |
| 2026 GMC Terrain | 0 | 0 | 1 | View 2026 Problems → |
Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2018 GMC Terrain
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 67 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Reported Injury Entries | Reported Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 41 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 9 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering NHTSA category: STEERING | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance NHTSA category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SEATS,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,AIR BAGS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,POWER TRAIN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,POWER TRAIN,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| STEERING,SUSPENSION | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,WHEELS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,WHEELS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires NHTSA category: TIRES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER,BACK OVER PREVENTION | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.