Steering complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 | 9% | — |
| 2025 | 3 | 23% | — |
| 2024 | 2 | 4% | — |
| 2023 | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2021 | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2020 | 3 | 2% | 2,000 miles |
| 2019 | 4 | 2% | 0 miles |
| 2018 | 7 | 3% | 12,000 miles |
| 2017 | 2 | 1% | — |
| 2016 | 6 | 4% | 30,000 miles |
| 2015 | 2 | 1% | 42,000 miles |
| 2014 | 5 | 2% | 54,000 miles |
| 2013 | 14 | 4% | 60,000 miles |
| 2012 | 7 | 2% | 48,000 miles |
| 2011 | 15 | 4% | 38,000 miles |
| 2010 | 12 | 4% | 90,000 miles |
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Car aggressively shakes and steering wheel shakes / jerks itself side to side when accelerating. Getting worse with time. GMC has it as a known issue but has been for months. Problem is getting worse the more it is driven. GMC says it is "safe".
This vehicle was bought new and is a NEW 2026 GMC TERRAIN DENALI with less than 5,000 miles at this time. It is a continuous event and not a specific failure date, but began soon after purchasing. The specific parts are UNKNOWN. It could be tires, wheels, steering parts (CV JOINTS, CONTROL ARMS ETC) or possibly transmission. I took it initially to the purchasing dealership and they took it for a ride and just dismissed the problem without investigating. Several days later I called and talked to the person who sold me the SUV and was told either him or service manager or both would call me, but neither did so. They were to set up a return date. After this insulting experience I decided to take it to a Cadillac dealer that I have had great experience with in the past. …
I was driving north on [redacted] when I felt a slight pull to the right. I figured it was my lane assist even though I was in my lane. Seconds later it felt like if someone was in my passenger seat and just yanked my steering wheel to the right hitting the guardrail. My whole tire and the assembly was off but everything was still intact to the tire. The tie rods, axle, ball joints, the whole assembly. During investigation I was told by the mechanic that the stabilizer bar was a clean break. There was damage to the front end and all down the side. I was told by GM that the force of the impact was what ripped off my tire but it was not enough impact or damage to deploy the airbags. I was on crutches for my left leg, bruising and scar now from a huge abrasion to my right arm. Still having right shoulder pain. …
My SUV pulls hard to the right when braking at speeds above 50 mph and much more on the interstates at 65 mph and above. I first experienced this after three weeks of ownership on a drive up I-95 on a trip to NC. It has happened numerous times while traveling on the interstates and has almost caused loss of control when having to brake hard when cut off by another driver or traffic suddenly coming to a stop. The vehicle has been to the service department numerous times....at first they suspected a braking issue and have had both calipers replaced, all brake lines replaced, lower control arms replaced and the right side strut replaced. None of these repairs have solved the problem. The factory service rep who took over the situation tested 3 other GMC 2025 Terrain suvs and all had the same problem. …
Service brake assists light flashes on dashboard . Steering wheel locks up and jerk's loose suddenly when making a right turn, in these moments when the steering wheel jerks loose ;hands are off taken off the steering wheel otherwise injury can occur. Battery life 2 -yrs old is not performing optimally. Can not hold a sufficient charge and ESC light flashes. Vdnt valve leaks discovered.
I was driving 55 miles an hour on an Expressway. And suddenly my truck just shut off.The brake became very hard unable to break very scary situation for me and my children. Engine power was reduced and would not start, many errors came up. The vacuum pump failed, which also caused the cam shafts to fail.The vacuum pump exploded into pieces and sent metal into my engine.
Friday July 25, 2025 I was driving my 2019 GMC Terrain SLE and when exiting the interstate the brake pedal got hard and I could not stop. After almost rear ending another vehicle, I got the vehicle into the ditch and safely off the road. After several attempts to correct the problem, I was unsuccessful. The vehicle was towed home and seen by a mechanic. The vacuum pump went out while I was driving.
My ESC randomly comes on. Service parking brake message comes on intermittently. Messages pop a up saying steering wheel assist limited, drive with care. Again, all of these are intermittent but when they happen my steering wheel locks up. Even mid turn. Being intermittent it doesn't always happen and weather seems to affect when it happens, or that's a coincidence.
NHTSA investigations
Momentary Increased Steering Effort
On June 1, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE20-009 to investigate instances of a momentary increase in steering effort after the vehicle is driven in a straight line for a period of time due to an issue with the steering gear in model year (MY) 2010 through 2012 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain SUVs.If the electric power steering system fails to operate as intended, the driver will…
Frequently asked questions
Which GMC Terrain years have steering problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2011 (15), 2013 (14), 2010 (12), 2012 (7) and 2018 (7) model years. Steering complaints make up 4% of all complaints for the 2011.
Is there a recall for GMC Terrain steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for any GMC Terrain model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do GMC Terrain steering problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 51,000 miles; 58% happened before 50,000 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.