10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
62,066 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2013 GMC Terrain engine problems

engine problem

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2013 GMC Terrain Owner Comments (Page 5 of 10)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #102

Jun 012017

Terrain

  • 7 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The car consumes oil so much you will stall out due to sensors pressure defect with the exhaust. I have spent so much money trying to fix, keep oil in it. It's not safe. It takes a full quart now every 500 to 700 miles and my car has 116K. It's been doing this for the 2 years I bought it. The stalling out with check engine indicates camshaft sensor but your just low on oil

- Winter Park, FL, USA

problem #101

Mar 192020

Terrain

  • 100,000 miles
Started having a noise both cold and hot, had it inspected to find out the exchaust manifold is cracked broken in several areas and exchaust flex pipe is bad. Car has just over 100000 miles on it. These are around the area of the catalytic converts. GM says not under warranty I have been told this is a common problem with all 2.4 4 cylinder

- Gardner, KS, USA

problem #100

Mar 072019

Terrain

  • 88,968 miles
My wife came home from grocery shopping, as we were emptying out the car we noticed a puddle of oil under the car. There was at least a quart of oil on the floor, I looked under the car and could see that it was the rear main seal on the engine. Then I went on the internet and found out that this is a problem on this particular engine of GM, and on most of the cars this happened to GM does not cover it. It ended up costing us $1142.44 to have it fixed. Since then I have twice taken off the intake, PCV tube and cleaned it out and found excessive moisture in them. This engine also has excessive oil consumption, there was a lawsuit against GM about this and our car is getting new rings installed. I'm hoping this will also solve the rear seal problem. This is a 2013 GMC Terrain, 2.4 liter engine.

- Wisconsin Rapids, WI, USA

problem #99

Feb 162020

Terrain

  • 75,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I took vehicle in for a known oil consumption issue. The dealer check my oil and confirmed no active leaks. The next day a large oil leak appeared. The proximity of the two were purely coincidence. The dealer, after further review, uncovered a rear main seal failure due to a frozen PCV. This issue is documented in tsb 14882 however my vehicle's VIN is specifically excluded. Again my vehicle meets all of the requirements of tsb 14882. I am specifically looking to have the tsb expanded to include my vehicle and other similar vehicles.

- Pittsburgh, PA, USA

problem #98

Feb 072020

Terrain

  • 59,036 miles
I have a leaking rear main seal. This should be covered under GM bulletin 14882. I had a GM technician inspect the vehicle at glockners Chevrolet and GMC dealer in portsmouth, Ohio. He said the deal is leaking do to a clogged PCV valve. This is the very thing covered in the bulletin but they refuse to fix it because the VIN does not match. This is happening on numerous GM vehicles with this engine it should be covered under warranty. The temperature has been below freezing her for the last couple days. I drove the vehicle approximately 10 miles from work to the dealership.

- Lucasville, OH, USA

problem #97

Jan 242020

Terrain

  • 60,000 miles
The car has oil consumption issues which is causing it to stall. My car stalled while driving in traffic which could very easily cause a bad accident GM is aware of the issue but won't fix it. I am already on my second engine do to this excessive oil consumption.

- Vernon, VT, USA

problem #96

Jan 192020

Terrain

  • 112,776 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While driving on the highway, in the rear view mirror, I noticed a cloud of smoke. The vehicle then proceeded to lose acceleration, so I pulled over. Let me note that there was no previous warning light and that the oil was just changed at the end of Dec. 2019 (receipt available). Upon pulling over, the car flashed "oil pressure low - stop engine". the temperature outside was 13 and my two children where in the car; 4 and 2. not ideal conditions for the car to stop!!!. the car was towed to my home, by my insurance company. Upon examination, it was discovered that a rod went through the engine block. There was oil everywhere!! it was all over my driveway, (another note - this is the first time I have ever seen oil on my driveway from this vehicle), all over the back of my vehicle, and all over the underneath of the car. The next 24 hours we worked on finding a new engine. However, when I arrived home, there was a letter in the mail. Claim number 1900010 - berman et al V. GM. The claim stated that GM was to cover all expenses for repairs with a 2.4L engine, exhibiting engine oil consumption, due to piston ring wear. So the vehicle was then taken to a GM dealer; because the issue with the rod was determined by a jammed piston/lack of oil. After review, the dealer stated that the piston ring did not cause the rod to break. That the rear main seal went out. In one minute, no warning, the car that I have only had for three years and still owe on, blew! according to my research, there was a GM service bulletin 14482 in March 2015 for the exact same issue. I purchased my vehicle in Feb of 2017, clearly no idea. I think this is absolute bs that GM is not held accountable to repair all know issues in these vehicles! people spend their hard earned money and put their families in them with the expectations that they are purchasing a solid, safe vehicle!

- Shelbyville, IN, USA

problem #95

Jan 192020

Terrain

  • 93,600 miles
On a cold 12 degree day on 1/19/2020 I was driving my 2013 GMC Terrain on a busy state highway doing the speed limit of 55 mph. Out of no where I began to smell the odor of burning oil and seen white smoke coming from the rear of my vehicle. As soon as I noticed it my car's gauges started coming on. The check engine light, a warning to for "service stabilitrak", then the warning for "engine power reduced". at the moment my car all the sudden shut off while driving down a major highway! there was no power steering and it was very hard for me steer my car into the parking lot of walmart and safely off the road. Once in the parking lot I got out of the car and checked my oil. Smoke is rolling out of the dipstick shaft. I check my oil weekly due to GM's oil consumption issues with the 2013 GMC Terrains and on 1/15/2020 the oil was at full, was of normal color and consistency when I fueled and checked it that day. So I was shocked to see that there was no oil on my dipstick and instead a milky brownish sludge on it. I sent my fiance to buy me 2 quarts of oil just to get it to the walmart service department so they could look at it since I was in the walmart parking lot. I added the oil drove it 100 yards to the service dept of walmart. The service man pulled it into the garage and then informed me a few minutes later that the rear main seal blew and oil was flowing out of it. It was not driveable so I had to have it towed to a GM dealer. The GM dealer called me this morning 1/21/2020 to inform me that the rear main seal blew due to moisture in the intake and a froze the PCV module and caused to much pressure to build up and blew the seal. The dealer quoted the repairs to be $2065.69 and informed me that the repairs are not covered under the GM service bulletin #14882 because my VIN number is not included in the service bulletin.

- Bettsville, OH, USA

problem #94

Jan 092020

Terrain

  • 94,312 miles
Rear engine seal blew according to bulletin 14882 March 2015 caused by a frozen PCV valve. Purchased the vehicle used from a GM dealership as a good used SUV. When reporting the problem, they said there was no bulletin, changed their mind, but said VIN disqualified it for repairs and said I had bad luck vehicle is unusable as it blows oil thru the seal when in operation

- Weyburn, MN, USA

problem #93

Jan 022020

Terrain

  • 125,000 miles
Showed stability track. I was driving on the highway when it showed service stability trak then engine power reduced. It took my speed from a 65 to 35 in an instant causing me to almost crash. Then the car started to jerk as I tried to drive to find somewhere safe.

- Stone Mountain, GA, USA

problem #92

Aug 102018

Terrain

  • 85,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My Terrain ran out of oil and had no leaking anywhere. Found out from the dealer that these vehicles have a huge problem where they are burning oil internally and need their pistons and rings replaced. Had to go in every 500 miles and have them check the oil. It was down every time I went in and they would have to add oil. I thought I was still under warranty and come to find out after finishing the oil consumption testing that I was not. The bill would have been over $5000 of which I am a single mother with a car payment for a car that is now junk. My car eventually died due to the oil problem and other common issues known to GMC. It is not fair

- South Saint Paul, MN, USA

problem #91

Dec 112019

Terrain

  • 89,500 miles
Purchased car used from GMC dealer 88,706 miles. 1 previous owner thta purchased from GM dealer new, I purchased extra 100,000 warranty in addition. I drive about 10 miles total a day about 3 days a week to work, so I have not put many miles on it. 30 days after purchase when driving home from work got to driveway, car dumped large quantities of oil on driveway. No warning lights ever came on to indicate a problem. Diagnostics should have indicated pressure build-up. Car had hesitated a bit at the last stoplight before my house on the way home but not bad and only one time. Oil all over underside of vehicle. Towed to dealer, GM knows of the issue but my VIN is not on "the list" for the "service adjustment" not a recall but it should be.. nobody can say why. Will cover part but not all of the damage despite this being the result of a really poor engine design that is a "high oil consumption" vehicle. Is this the 70S? that should not even be a thing in 2019. The oil sludge in engine caused the PCV to freeze up in the cold temps and it blew out the rear main seal for the engine. They want $1300 from me to fix and GM is covering part of the cost. But if it is a design flaw and they knew about it, they should have fixed it before they sold it. Extended warranty will not cover this because they do not include the PCV. Likely will not ever cover anything with the engine since it is a design flaw and those are by definition pre-existing and high oil consumption that is not coming out on the ground is fouling up something. So my first payment is not even due yet and I already owe money to someone else and it is significant money that will not be easy to pay. If this had happened on the highway, I would have lost use of the vehicle at high speed and would likely have caused a crash.

- Chisago City, MN, USA

problem #90

Dec 012019

Terrain

  • 61,067 miles
The contact owns a 2013 GMC Terrain. While driving 30 mph, the engine made an abnormal noise and smoke emitted from the exhaust without warning. The engine began to stall and the contact pulled over and attempted to place oil in the vehicle; however, the oil leaked out. The vehicle was towed to steven lust automotive (1314 6th ave sw, aberdeen, sd 57401, (605) 277-4261) where it was diagnosed that the PCV valve was faulty. The contact stated that there was an unknown manufacturer recall that was placed on her year, make, and model vehicle; however, the VIN was excluded. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the mechanic that the contact's VIN was not included in the manufacturer recall. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was 61,067.

- Aberdeen, SD, USA

problem #89

Dec 032019

Terrain

  • 69,000 miles
In August, 2019 I had the oil changed and when I wen to leave the parking lot and put the car in reverse the car sputtered and the engine stalled. This happened several times. I then brought it to a dealership. They replaced the timing chains and actuators ($1,416.60). Two days ago there was a ticking sound and then while I was in gear (drive) waiting for the garage to open, the car started trying to "buck" forward while I had my foot on the brake. I called the dealership and was told that this model with lots of miles (under 70,000) tend to burn oil. I added a significant amount of oil (none on dip stick) and now the vehicle is running fine. Why is this car burning so much oil" I have never had a car burn oil and to be told by a dealership after it was supposedly fixed that burning oil is normal is disturbing as is the unreliability of the car. Will it buck again or die again"

- Bemidji, MN, USA

problem #88

Nov 142019

Terrain

  • 88,000 miles
The car started to "buck" and making a tap tap tap noise like a lifter tapping while driving to work. When I got out of the vehicle, something smelled hot. Checked under the hood and there was nothing wet or steaming. No check lights ever came on. Later at lunch, I left and the tapping noise was louder and the heat gauge increased fast. I stopped at a repair shop. While I waited I checked the oil. There wasn"T any!!! at all. The dipstick was milkey. The oil fill cap was wet inside and milkey. Underneath my car was covered in fresh oil. It was determined to be a busted rear main seal. 4 qts of oil added so I could get home. My mechanic confirmed the diagnosis. He was shocked. He found GM bulletin 14882 online. What is described in that video is exactly what happened. We had a sudden hard freeze X 3 days. The pvs connection at the intake was full of water. When that froze, it blew out the seal. My car has 88,000 miles on it. There are videos after videos online of the same engine doing this exact same thing. I called GM. The best they could do is tell me to report to you.

- Johnston City, IL, USA

problem #87

Aug 282019

Terrain

  • 92,000 miles
The engine stalled out and died. Upon getting new engine the vehicle stalls out intermittently. Changes of solenoid's but problem persists. This can happen when vehicle is stationary or while driving in motion.

- Bangor, ME, USA

problem #86

Sep 302019

Terrain

  • 136,059 miles
The contact owns a 2013 GMC Terrain. While the vehicle was stopped in the drive gear, it shut off and then restarted without warning. In addition, when the key was released from the ignition, the vehicle moved. Furthermore, the check engine indicator illuminated and the transmission control module and torque converter warning messages were displayed. The vehicle was taken to williams Buick GMC (8201 South blvd, charlotte, nc 28273, (704) 697-1600), but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and did not assist. The failure mileage was 136,059.

- Charlotte, NC, USA

problem #85

Sep 222019

Terrain

  • 40,000 miles
While in motion the car is randomly shutting off the engine while in motion on a city street but will immediately start back up once turning the ignition back on. This issue also caused my check engine light to come on and after doing a dianostics it turns out that the intake valve solenoid that went bad. After reaching out to several mechanics and GMC dealers they've told me that this is a common issue with my car type. Another issue they mentioned is that if you replace one and not the other, more than likely the issue will occur again.

- Cleveland Heights, OH, USA

problem #84

Apr 022018

Terrain

  • 130,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that the vehicle consumed an excessive amount of oil and five quarts had to be replaced constantly. The contact spoke with hennessy Buick GMC 1 (7261 jonesboro rd, morrow, ga 30260, (844) 240-2177) and was informed that there was no recall on the vehicle. The contact then went to an independent mechanic and had the engine replaced with an engine from another GMC vehicle at the cost of $3,300. The engine failure continued after the replacement. The contact believed that there was a defect with the engine, which was causing an overconsumption of oil. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 130,000.

- Forest Park, GA, USA

problem #83

Aug 012019

Terrain

  • 63,000 miles
I have had my 2013 GMC Terrain for 3 years and it has problems with the oil consumption, starting, traction light comes on by itself and truck cuts off without warning. This started several weeks ago. Oil, it consumes large amounts of oil between the oil changes. I check the digital oil displays, that show how much oil remains, and it can go from 80% remains to 70% remains in a matter of days. Icutting off, this happens at random times. When I drive, it looses power and cuts off in the middle of the street. No warning at all. This is very scary especially with my children in the car. It will loose power and not accelerate and I have had drift to the shoulder of the road. I am scared it will do this on the highway when driving at high speeds. Starting, my SUV can start with no problem and I can drive to the store 5 minutes away and it will not start when I return. I try starting it 5 times and it will finally start. This has happened several times. It will start in the morning when I go to work or take kids to sports practice or their games and when I leave work will not start after 8 hours. After a 1-2 hour game, same thing occurs, it will not start. I have taken it for diagnosis, received code and had it repaired. After a few days, same thing happens. My mechanic can not figure out why this is happening. My traction light has also come on by itself, for no reason. There is no recall for these problems but it should be before innocent people, and families are injured or killed.

- Richmond, VA, USA

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