Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 GMC Terrain owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2012 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH in rain weather, the front windshield wipers stopped functioning. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact attempted to deactivate and activate the windshield wipers however, the wiper blades failed to operate. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the windshield wiper motor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 152,000.
Driving in heavy rain south on the I-5 at 545p. In peak traffic and wipers suddenly just stopped while going 60mph in the carpool lane. As we past the exit for I-405 There was no shoulder to pull off of on my left. I had to cross over 5 lanes until I could safely get off the freeway. Then drive another 5 miles on side streets getting out an manually moving the wipers every few blocks so i could see. I'm female and over 50 yrs old. There was not a place I felt safe to just pull over at night. I stopped at a friend's. I can hear the motor moving but the wipers are not. I do not recall ever seeing the recall on the ball bearings and nor the wiper linkage but found one. However I'm have 72k miles and have owned it for 10 yrs.6 months. So it may not be covered, which I believe is not fair. …
I was getting on the Interstate when a really bad rain storm came up. I turned my windshield wipers on and they got stuck in the upright position. I tried many times to get the wipers to work, but they would not move. I had NO VISIBILITY and I was on an elevated ramp getting on the interstate. I could not see anything so I had to roll my window down, drive 5 miles an hour and use the white line on the road as a guide. I got soaking wet as did my car. I had to drive about a mile before I could safely stop the car. There was no warning and I am reading now there is an issue with this on Terrains. This was an EXTREMELY dangerous, I could have severely hurt myself or someone else. I am getting really tired of all the recalls on the Terrain. So far there have been six (6) for my car and a few more that don't seem to apply YET!!
Ball joint for wiper assembly just "pops off" while in use causing wipers to stop working. I have taken vehicle apart, fixed the issue ( reconnecting the ball joint) and issue happens again. I understand the vehicle is from 2012, but uses same part 2010-2017, which is currently a recall on 2013-2015 models. First occurrence of this issue was July 02, 2019. I brought to GMC dealer, they said they were out of the part. Since then I've not had the issue until today March 14, 2023 where I almost hit another car, due to it popping off and stopped working while in motion.
very serious failure ... traveling at night, in a rainstorm, doing 70mph on a highway and the wiper regulator connecting the wiper arms to the wiper motor fails ... no warning what so ever ... no intermittent operation or noises, nothing ... looking into this problem I see that GM has issued a safety recall for 2014 and up versions of this vehicle but not my specific model year ... what are the chances that the hardware used in my particular vehicle model year are any different than those listed in (22V-165) this safety recall.
I was driving while it was raining. The wipers stopped working. The driverside wiper jumped partially off the windshield. I had my mechanic inspect it. The fuses, relay, and wiper motor are operational. The bushing on the wiper transmission failed. I found the following recall. Special Coverage Adjustment N192266181 Wiper Transmission Arm Linkage Failure - USA Only Release Date: July 2022. However, my VIN does not have this as an applicable recall.
Wiper system failed, without notice or warning, while in use during travel on the highway, severely limiting visibility and creating significant safety event. No accident was reported as other vehicle passengers were able to assist the driver in safely maneuvering the vehicle to a safe stopping location.
While driving down the highway at about 65 MPH in a bad thunderstorm, the wipers stopped working, stopping about halfway up. After pulling over to the side of the road, we discovered we could hear the motor clicking but the wipers wouldn't move. We had to dangerously drive several miles with very little visibility until we could find a safe place to pull over to try to access the situation further. We were 4 hours from home going on a weekend trip, about an hour from our destination. We had to get rain-x (suggested from the auto zone we were able to find) and apply it to make it to our destination. We couldn't find any dealerships who could help us on the weekend, so we had to hope for the best driving back home. It was very dangerous driving in the rain with no wipers, but we had no choice since we were hours away from home and could not find any place to help us. …
I used my windshield wipers on the highest/fastest setting the other day for the 1st time ever. I usually only use the low or medium setting. The windshield wipers worked for about 1 minute and then they stopped working completely. They froze in place and my dealer is recommending a replacement of the wiper motor and connections. I am reading online and it looks like GM recalled the 2013 terrains for this exact issue and that your company was looking into whether they should recall 2010-2012 terrains as well. I would like any information you have about the possibility of that recall because I think its ridiculous that GMC has not recalled this item when it was clearly an issue for the 2013 model using the same parts. This is extremely dangerous when the wipers fail when they are going the fastest. That is when the wipers are needed the most because it means it is raining excessively. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that he was informed that there was no oil inside the vehicle upon taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic for the first oil change. No warning lights appeared on the instrument panel prior to the discovery. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was given a voucher to have the vehicle inspected. The contact was informed that the failure was due to defective piston rings that were too expensive to be replaced. As a result, the engine became inoperable. The vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. Prior to the engine failure, the contact also stated that the vehicle revved and accelerated independently without warning, while driving at various speeds. The contact noted that prior to the engine failure, both windshield wipers were defective due to the windshield wiper transmission. …
NHTSA investigations
Windshield Wiper Transmission Failure
On November 2, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Recall Query (RQ18-002) to assess the scope of Recall 16V-582.General Motors (GM) initiated Safety Recall 16V-582 on August 3, 2016 to address windshield wiper failure in the Model Year (MY) 2013 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain.
Front Wiper Transmission Inoperative
On December 13, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) upgraded RQ18-002 to an Engineering Analysis (EA19-005) to further assess the MY2010-2016 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain windshield wiper failures. Due to a prior recall, 16V-582, addressing this issue in the MY2013 subject vehicles, MY2013 was not included in the analysis.
Window & Wiper complaints in other Terrain years
Frequently asked questions
How common are window & wiper problems on the 2012 GMC Terrain?
NHTSA has 80 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 2012 GMC Terrain, 22% of the model year's 364 complaints. The component named most often is windshield wiper/washer › motor (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 GMC Terrain window & wiper problems?
No. NHTSA lists no windows, wipers & sunroof recall for the 2012 GMC Terrain, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2012 GMC Terrain window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles, and 8% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.