Body complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 6% | 6,000 miles |
| 2025 | 1 | 8% | — |
| 2024 | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2023 | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2020 | 5 | 3% | 70,000 miles |
| 2019 | 2 | 1% | — |
| 2018 | 3 | 1% | 2,000 miles |
| 2017 | 7 | 5% | 45,000 miles |
| 2016 | 3 | 2% | 21,000 miles |
| 2015 | 14 | 5% | 50,000 miles |
| 2014 | 5 | 2% | 71,000 miles |
| 2013 | 13 | 4% | 78,000 miles |
| 2012 | 12 | 3% | 61,000 miles |
| 2011 | 11 | 3% | 18,000 miles |
| 2010 | 10 | 3% | 5,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that rain water had leaked from the sunroof drainage into the vehicle causing the floor carpets to become saturated with water and mold had developed inside the vehicle. The contact also discovered a pool of water inside the spare tire well. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the sunroof motor and sunroof liner, unclogged the sunroof drainage assembly and replaced the carpets. The contact indicated that later the failure had reoccurred although the sunroof drainage assembly was consistently unclogged each time the vehicle was in for service. The contact had also experienced respiratory illness due to the mold present inside the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 12,300.
The contact owns a 2020 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed that the tire well was filled with water. The contact stated that the unknown box on the side was filled with water. In addition, the contact stated that the water dripped onto the ground underneath the rear tire. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Rear side windows in hatch area leaked filled up spare tire compartment with about 3-4 gallons of water. Now navigation doesn't want to work, sunroof not working, electric systems are not working right
The strike plate on my rear driver door fell off. The plate and bolts are in perfect condition but the backing is gone. Multiple body shops have attempted to locate the backing, which is somewhere between the interior and exterior metal body pieces, and gave been unable to. Every body shop I've taken it to also says that they have never seen anything like this happen before. They are reluctant to fix it because that would mean cutting through the body to replace the backing for the strike plate then welding, sanding, and painting in the area they cut and they worry about the integrity of the striker and functionality of it as well, as they've never had to do a repair like this before. One of the body shops was also a certified GM repair shop at the dealership from which the car was purchased and even they have said the same as the others. …
The contact owns a 2017 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that whenever it would rainwater would leak into the vehicle underneath the dashboard on the passenger side of the vehicle causing water to leak onto the occupant's feet and onto the carpet. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer who resealed the area. The failure now occurs on the driver's side of the vehicle. The contact stated their appointment for the driver's side had not occurred as of yet. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 48,000.
The latch for the rear hatch/door does not release every time. There have been instances when itmes have been in the cargo area and when the button is pressed, it will not release the latch. This causes someone to have to crawl over the back seat to retrieve the items from the cargo area. This also is causing my son to have to store items, that would normally be in the crgo area, on his back seat. I owned a 2015 terrain and had this same issue. The latch was replaced but still did not operate correctly.
My cousin thought I had a trailing arm bushing was bad on the driver's side. The subframe holding the trailing arm rusted out completely. He was able to put his thumb through it with little pressure when trying to see if it can be fixed.
Noticed black fluid on liftgate frame. Several days later I had great difficulty raising the hatch. When I released it the gate fell violentely injuring my hand. It appears both pistons failed. My concern is that had the gate been in the raised position and it fell, myself or a family member would have been seriously hurt. This is very dangerous. The gate is extremely heavy. My dealer did not recognize the urgency of this problem now making me wait nearly a week for repair. Vehicle was parked in my drive at the time.
Related recalls (1)
Structure › Body › Door
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2024 Chevrolet Blazer, Blazer EV, Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The door strikers may fracture, resulting in the door opening unexpectedly.
Remedy: Dealers will replace all four door strikers and attaching bolts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 24, 2024.
Frequently asked questions
Which GMC Terrain years have body problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2015 (14), 2013 (13), 2012 (12), 2011 (11) and 2010 (10) model years. Body complaints make up 5% of all complaints for the 2015.
Is there a recall for GMC Terrain body problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 23V-869 (door, Dec 21, 2023). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do GMC Terrain body problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 44,000 miles; 57% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the body (59 mentions), followed by the body › hatchback/liftgate (8).
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.