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Executive Vehicle Verdict

The 2020 GMC Terrain is associated with 192 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 2 safety recall campaigns in the federal safety database.

The most frequently reported component area is Service Brakes, accounting for 35 reports (18% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 4 certified vehicle configurations spanning 1.5l 4-cyl and 2l 4-cyl configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 23 to 27 MPG combined.

Official Federal Record Profile
  • • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 192 consumer reports filed
  • • Safety Recall Campaigns: 2 official campaigns
  • • Primary Defect Domain: Service Brakes (35 / 18%)
  • • Field Incident Signals: 7 crash / 2 fire / 3 injury reports
  • • NCAP Crash Safety: 5 / 5 Stars Overall Laboratory Score
  • • EPA Certified Range: 23–27 MPG across 4 powertrain trims
Directly compiled from official NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA NCAP, and EPA FuelEconomy.gov databases.

What is the fuel economy and range of the 2020 GMC Terrain?

Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by certified vehicle variant

Variant Engine Drivetrain Transmission City Highway Combined EV Range Est. Annual Fuel Cost
Terrain FWD 1.5L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic 9-spd 26 MPG 30 MPG 27 MPG — $2,300 / yr
Terrain AWD 1.5L 4-Cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic 9-spd 25 MPG 28 MPG 26 MPG — $2,350 / yr
Terrain FWD 2L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic 9-spd 22 MPG 28 MPG 24 MPG — $3,150 / yr
Terrain AWD 2L 4-Cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic 9-spd 21 MPG 26 MPG 23 MPG — $3,300 / yr
Data Boundary Note: EPA specifications are shown by certified vehicle configuration. NHTSA complaints and recall totals are recorded at the model-year level across all configurations.

What are the crash test safety ratings for the 2020 GMC Terrain?

Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant Overall Rating Frontal Crash Side Crash Rollover Rating Rollover Risk
SUV FWD 18.5%
SUV AWD 16.400000000000002%
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as Standard and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as Standard in official NHTSA records for tested 2020 GMC Terrain models.
View complete 2020 GMC Terrain crash test & safety breakdown →

What defect complaints are reported for the 2020 GMC Terrain?

Summary of 192 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
192
Crash Reports
7
Fire Reports
2
Complaints w/ Injury
3
Total Injuries
5

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

Service Brakes 35 complaints (3 crashes)
SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 12 complaints
Engine 11 complaints
Electrical System 10 complaints
Fuel & Propulsion System 9 complaints

Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.

View all 2020 GMC Terrain problems & component breakdown (66 categories) →

Are there open safety recalls on the 2020 GMC Terrain?

Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA

NHTSA Campaign #23V339000 Active Recall
Affected Component: CHILD SEAT:VEHICLE LATCH ANCHOR

Defect Summary: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. 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."

Free Manufacturer Remedy: 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.
NHTSA Campaign #20V668000 Active Recall
Affected Component: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Defect Summary: 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.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: 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.
View all 2020 GMC Terrain recalls & campaign history (2 campaigns) →
Search Intelligence

Quick Answers: Key Questions Drivers Ask About the 2020 GMC Terrain

Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2020 GMC Terrain

How many safety recalls does the 2020 GMC Terrain have?

The 2020 GMC Terrain is associated with 2 official NHTSA safety recall campaigns in AutoUtility's current federal records.

If your individual vehicle is affected by an open safety recall, NHTSA advises owners to contact an authorized franchised dealership for the recall remedy at no charge. Because recall campaigns apply to specific production runs and equipment batches, vehicle owners should verify their 17-digit VIN at NHTSA.gov.

View all 2 recall campaigns & remedy details →
Source: NHTSA Safety Recalls Database (49 U.S.C. 30118)

What are the most common problems reported for the 2020 GMC Terrain?

NHTSA records list 192 consumer defect complaints for the 2020 GMC Terrain. The most frequently referenced vehicle system is Service Brakes, appearing in 35 filings (18% of submissions).

Consumer complaints represent unverified owner submissions filed under federal reporting guidelines and describe reported component behavior rather than audited failure rates.

Explore full 2020 GMC Terrain defect complaint breakdown →
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

What is the NHTSA safety rating for the 2020 GMC Terrain?

Under the NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), the 2020 GMC Terrain earned an Overall Safety Rating of 5 out of 5 stars across 2 tested configuration(s).

Laboratory evaluations include a 35 mph frontal barrier crash, side barrier and pole impact tests, and static rollover resistance assessments.

View detailed crash test laboratory breakdown →
Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP)

What fuel economy (MPG) does the 2020 GMC Terrain get?

Official EPA laboratory estimates for the 2020 GMC Terrain range from 23 to 27 MPG combined (55% city / 45% highway weighted) depending on engine, transmission, and drivetrain configuration.

Using AutoUtility's standardized operating cost model (15,000 miles/year, $3.50/gal gas, $0.16/kWh electricity), annual energy expenditures range across certified configurations based on official EPA laboratory test baselines.

Compare MPG ratings across all certified trims →
Source: EPA FuelEconomy.gov Certified Database
Official US Government Data Provenance

The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.