Home · 2012 GMC Terrain · Complaints

What 370 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 GMC Terrain

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (370)Crash / fire / injury (26)Engine (170)Visibility & wipers (81)Transmission & drivetrain (37)Electrical system (33)Fuel system (30)Airbags (27)Body & structure (14)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (13)Speed control (11)Lights (10)

1 of 370 complaints match · Lights · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jan 24, 2024Transmission & drivetrainLightsFire

My 4 cyl. AWD GMC Terrain has had excessive oil use which caused premature failure of the timing chain, loss of power/compression, blown engine, damage to exhaust manifold, cellinoids, and melted the catalytic converter. Its was a road safety, poor emissions due to failed catalytic converter. Headlights are too bright for oncoming traffic at night. Another road & safety hazard. Auto warranty is refusing to cover parts listed above caused by the timing chain and excessive oil consumption problems.

NHTSA ODI 11567406

Working with the data? Download all 370 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 10, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 GMC Terrain verdict →