Model year 2019 · Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD

2019 GMC Terrain: recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings

EPA rates the 2019 GMC Terrain at 23–32 mpg combined across 6 versions. NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 187 owner complaints for this model year. Its best NHTSA overall crash-test rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Safety recalls

EPA combined mpg

23–32

NHTSA overall rating

5/5

Recall file dated Oct 27, 2026 · EPA file dated Sep 29, 2026 · updated Oct 27, 2026, 7:34 AM EDT

Check your own car: enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls for that exact vehicle, and contact a GMC dealer to schedule the repair — safety recall repairs are free. The list below covers the whole model year, so not every recall applies to every car.

2019 GMC Terrain recalls

NHTSA's recall file lists 3 safety recalls for the 2019 GMC Terrain, newest first.

Power train: Automatic transmission

NHTSA 20V668000 Reported Oct 29, 2020

Filed by: General Motors, LLC (manufacturer recall no. N202313440)
Units affected: 194,105 (estimate)
Problem: 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.
Risk: Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
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.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Seats

NHTSA 19V184000 Reported Mar 7, 2019

Filed by: General Motors, LLC (manufacturer recall no. N192209550)
Units affected: 120 (estimate)
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The rear-right seat may have insufficient welds on the head-restraint bracket.
Risk: In the event of a crash, the insufficient welds may result in an increased risk of injury for an occupant seated in the rear-right position.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear-right seatback frame, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. 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 N192209550.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Service brakes, hydraulic: Foundation components: Disc: Caliper

NHTSA 18V576000 Reported Aug 30, 2018

Filed by: General Motors, LLC (manufacturer recall no. 18279)
Units affected: 210,628 (estimate)
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
Risk: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18279.

Full recall record on nhtsa.gov

Recall summaries are written by NHTSA from manufacturers' defect reports. Dates are when NHTSA received the report.

2019 GMC Terrain fuel economy by version

EPA city/highway/combined estimates for each engine, transmission and drive combination. Annual fuel cost is EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year (55% city, 45% highway) at EPA's current fuel-price assumptions; your cost will vary.

2019 GMC Terrain EPA fuel economy
Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	Fuel	City/Hwy/Comb	Fuel cost/yr	CO2 g/mi
Terrain AWD	1.5L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 9-spd	All-Wheel Drive	Regular	24/28/26 mpg	$2,600	339
Terrain AWD	1.6L 4-cyl turbo diesel	Automatic 6-spd	All-Wheel Drive	Diesel	28/38/32 mpg	$3,000	319
Terrain AWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 9-spd	All-Wheel Drive	Premium	21/26/23 mpg	$3,550	386
Terrain FWD	1.5L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 9-spd	Front-Wheel Drive	Regular	26/30/28 mpg	$2,400	317
Terrain FWD	1.6L 4-cyl turbo diesel	Automatic 6-spd	Front-Wheel Drive	Diesel	28/39/32 mpg	$3,000	321
Terrain FWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	Automatic 9-spd	Front-Wheel Drive	Premium	22/28/24 mpg	$3,400	369

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (U.S. DOE and EPA), file dated Sep 29, 2026. Each version links to its FuelEconomy.gov record.

EPA estimates come from standardized lab tests so cars can be compared fairly; real-world mileage depends on speed, weather, load, tires and driving style.

2019 GMC Terrain crash-test ratings

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the tested versions. More stars mean a lower chance of serious injury in that type of crash. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2019 GMC Terrain NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings
Tested vehicle	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk	Forward collision warning
2019 GMC Terrain SUV AWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars	16.4%	Optional
2019 GMC Terrain SUV FWD	5 stars	5 stars	5 stars	4 stars	18.5%	Optional

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (New Car Assessment Program), checked Oct 26, 2026.

Star ratings compare vehicles of similar size and weight; a frontal rating for a large pickup is not directly comparable with one for a small car.

2019 GMC Terrain owner complaints

Owners have filed 187 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 GMC Terrain, most recently on Oct 23, 2026. 7 mention a crash, 3 a fire, 12 injured people and 0 deaths. These are unverified reports; a complaint is not proof of a defect.

Most-cited components in 2019 GMC Terrain complaints
Component named in complaints	Mentions
Engine	70
Service brakes	65
Power train	53
Electrical system	39
Unknown or other	21
Vehicle speed control	8
Electronic stability control (ESC)	6
Exterior lighting	5
Forward collision avoidance: Automatic emergency braking	5
Service brakes, hydraulic	5

Source: NHTSA consumer complaint files (complaints received since January 1, 2015). One complaint can name several components.

Had a safety problem with your vehicle? You can report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem.

Other GMC Terrain model years

GMC Terrain by model year
Year	Combined	Recalls	Complaints	Overall rating
2027 Terrain	25–26 mpg	0	1	—
2026 Terrain	25–27 mpg	1	33	5/5
2025 Terrain	25–27 mpg	0	13	—
2024 Terrain	25–26 mpg	1	53	5/5
2023 Terrain	26 mpg	2	41	5/5
2022 Terrain	26–27 mpg	4	88	5/5
2021 Terrain	26–27 mpg	2	36	5/5
2020 Terrain	23–27 mpg	2	197	5/5
2018 Terrain	23–32 mpg	5	226	5/5
2017 Terrain	18–25 mpg	1	135	4/5
2016 Terrain	18–26 mpg	2	153	4/5
2015 Terrain	19–26 mpg	3	299	4/5

All GMC Terrain years compared · Decode a VIN

Other 2019 GMC models

2019 GMC Acadia 2019 GMC Canyon 2019 GMC Sierra 2019 GMC Yukon

Sources

Recalls: NHTSA recall flat file (FLAT_RCL_POST_2010), dated Oct 27, 2026, plus a live check of api.nhtsa.gov in your browser.
Complaints: NHTSA consumer complaint flat files (COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED), counts only — we do not republish complaint text.
Crash tests: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings API.
Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov vehicles file (U.S. DOE and EPA), dated Sep 29, 2026.
NHTSA, EPA and DOE do not endorse OpenVIN. Vehicle names identify vehicles only; OpenVIN is not affiliated with GMC.