2012 GMC Terrain: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
59%
195 of 330 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
59% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2012 GMC Terrain are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 79% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 40 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 53%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE10/22/20181 INJURED
JANURARY 7TH 2018 MY 2012 GMC TERRAIN RAN OUT OF OIL EVEN THOUGH IT WAS ALREADY FIXED 6 MONTHS PRIOR FOR SPECIAL ADJUSTMENT COVERAGE 16118 WHICH HAD PISTONS, PISTON RINGS, TIMING CHAIN ETC. FIXED TO REPAIR THE OIL CONSUMPTION ISSUE (SEE ADJUSTMENTS 14882 AND 16118. COVERAGE 14882 IS A RESULT OF FAILURE TO CORRECTLY FIX…
?ON APRIL 16TH OUR SON WAS DRIVING ON FAIRVIEW RD. AND TRAVELING THROUGH A GREEN LIGHT WHEN A CAR THAT RAN A RED LIGHT HIT HIM. ?HIS CAR ? A GMC 2012 TERRAIN WAS HIT MULTIPLE TIMES ? DRIVER'S FRONT END, FRONT END AND SPUN AROUND FROM THE FORCE AND HIT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED ?[XXX] WAS IMMEDIATELY…
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM06/02/2026
My car has started stalling and dying when i slow down, take off or when idling. No power when accelerated, and the smell of exhaust comes into my car. I was making a turn from a red light and my car spit, sputtered, and died right in the middle of the busy intersection. I was almost hit from the rear and another car …
Three of 195 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (4)
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to b…
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Buick LaCrosse, Regal and Chevrolet Camaro, as well as certain 2010-2012 Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox…
TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS
GENERAL MOTORS (GM) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 CHEVROLET EQUINOX AND GMC TERRAIN VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 18, 2011, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 6, 2011, FOR FAIL…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2012 GMC Terrain
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the engine.
4 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle.
