Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2019 GMC Terrain owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owned a 2019 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while the wife was driving at approximately 60 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and it felt stiff. The vehicle failed to decrease in speed and as a result, the driver merged to the shoulder of the road however another vehicle crashed into the front driver side of the vehicle. The driver was able to merge to the shoulder of the road where the road bumps were able to decrease the speed of the vehicle. The ABS warning light was illuminated. The driver, front passenger, and rear driver's side passenger all sustained headaches and received medical attention via an ambulance on the scene. No occupants in the second vehicle were reported injured. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not contacted. …
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving 10-12 MPH and approaching a traffic light, the brake pedal was depressed, but failed to respond and went down to the floorboard. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she continuously pumped the brake pedal until the vehicle stopped. The contact veered to the side of the road. The "Low Brake Fluid" message was displayed, and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact added brake fluid to the vehicle. The contact stated that she turned off and restarted the vehicle. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to their location for a diagnostic test. A tow truck driver informed the contact that the brake caliper was fractured and there was a puddle of brake fluid on the ground. …
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while stopped and attempting to turn to exit a highway ramp, he observed a loud banging noise emanating from the engine compartment. An "engine reduced power" message appeared. The vehicle then went into limp mode, and when the brake pedal was depressed, it was stiff as a rock. The vehicle coasted while he continued attempting to depress the brake pedal, and it eventually slowed down. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and turned off. When the vehicle was turned back on and he attempted to depress the accelerator pedal, the vehicle did not accelerate. The vehicle was taken to his mother's residence approximately 100 miles away in limp mode and parked. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. …
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The contact slammed on the brake pedal, and the vehicle came to a stop. The contact coasted the vehicle to the median. The vehicle was restarted and driven to the residence. Upon inspection, the contact noticed that the brake fluid was dark in color. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the vacuum pump had failed and exploded in the camshaft. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was determined that the vacuum pump, camshaft, valve cover gasket, and water pump needed to be replaced, along with an oil change. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
The contact's client leased a 2019 GMC Terrain from Hertz Leasing Company. The contact stated while her client was driving approximately 60 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to go down and did not respond. The brake assist warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that her client continued driving and allowed the vehicle to decelerate independently. The contact's client then veered to the side of the road. There was no further information provided. The vehicle was returned to Hertz leasing company who later informed the contact's client that the vehicle had been diagnosed with brake vacuum pump failure. There was no further information provided. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.
The contact's wife owns a 2019 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal was firm, and the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that upon depressing the brake pedal with excessive force, the vehicle responded as needed. The contact stated upon inspecting underneath the brake booster, the contact noticed a lot of debris due to lack of vacuum pressure. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
The contact owns a 2019 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while approaching an intersection, he depressed the brake pedal to the floor however, the vehicle failed to stop immediately. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the brake assist activated and stopped the vehicle. The contact was able to continue driving to his residence at a slower speed. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the vacuum pump to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,400.
The contact called on behalf of her husband who owns a 2019 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while her husband was driving approximately 50 MPH, the brakes seized, and the contact veered off into a lot to park the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed. The contact was informed that the brake vacuum pump and the timing chain needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.
Our son and two daughters were driving on the highway at approximately 70mph when a message came up to say the engine was in "Reduced Engine Power". Although nothing seemed to change. The instruction for such and error message is to "get vehicle to a dealership within the next day." So they slowed to 60mph and continued on their way. About 8-10 minutes later another message popped up that said "Service Brake Assist", at which point they immediately tested the brakes and they worked. But 2-5 minutes later they tested the brakes again and the brakes had completely failed! Zero brakes on the highway! No matter how hard the driver pushed the brake pedal there was 0.0% response. So luckily they were able to coast down to about 10 mph with hazard lights on. But at that point they lost everything. No power steering, no engine, and zero brakes. …
After driving down around 40 miles, the brakes failed when pulling into a parking spot. There was no indication that the brakes were having issues. No sounds or vibrations were felt. I stopped at a stoplight before turning into the parking lot. Then when attempting to spot in a parking spot, the brakes were very difficult to press. Luckily there was not a vehicle or person in front of me. Had the vehicle taken to a dealer and was told it was the vacuum booster that failed. Upon researching, this has been an issue in past GMC models, but I was told there was no current recall for the vehicle. The vacuum booster was replaced for $540 and I drove the vehicle home. The vehicle showed no issues for the first day. On the second day, I went to pull into a parking spot at a park and the same issue with the brakes occurred. I nearly struck a child that was walking in front of the parking spot. …
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Disc › Caliper
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.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018.
Brake complaints in other Terrain years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2019 GMC Terrain?
NHTSA has 72 complaints about the brakes of the 2019 GMC Terrain, 39% of the model year's 186 complaints. The component named most often is power assist › vacuum (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2019 GMC Terrain brake problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 18V-576 (caliper, Aug 30, 2018). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2019 GMC Terrain brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 76,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 3 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.