2019 GMC Terrain brake problems
72 of the 185 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2019 GMC Terrain name the brakes (NHTSA’s “Service Brakes” heading — the hydraulic brakes, ABS and brake assist). Filed under the same heading: 1 recall. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the brakes
Source: NHTSA complaint database1 of the 72 reports a crash · 0 a fire · 3 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2021: 2 · 2022: 13 · 2023: 11 · 2024: 15 · 2025: 18 · 2026: 13
Too few of these complaints carry an odometer reading to say when the problem shows up.
185 complaints in all about the 2019 GMC Terrain, 13 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Service Brakes” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: GMC Terrain brake problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the brakes. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
my vacuum booster pump for my brakes keeps needing to be replaced. i had to get it replaced twice now & every single time that it stopped working i was driving on the highway at 65 mph and my brakes just suddenly wouldn’t work and we’re very hard to push down. this has happened twice now
I was exiting off the interstate and all of a sudden my brakes got hard and wouldn’t let me stop. I tanned thru a red light barley missing another vehicle. The dealership says my vaccines pump went out and caused it to strip my valve cover gasket to shreds and now has stripped the gears in the camshaft
We were in the driveway thru lane at a fast food restaurant and all of a sudden the car shut off and the brakes got hard to push in. The car was able to be started at this time but the engine wasn’t working well. We were able to make it home, slowly and carefully.
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.
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.
What is on file about the brakes
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsRecall filed under this heading
- 18V576000 HighAug 30, 2018 · 210,628 vehicles
- 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. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
Trouble codes named on this system
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2019 GMC Terrain names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2019 GMC Terrain
Source: the same files- engine problems 69 complaints
- transmission and drivetrain problems 51 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre brake problems common on the 2019 GMC Terrain?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 72 owner complaints naming the brakes on this model year (39% of everything owners filed about it), and 1 recall is filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the brakes on the 2019 GMC Terrain?
Yes — one campaign is filed under this heading: 18V576000. A recall is matched by VIN; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
When do brake problems show up on the 2019 GMC Terrain?
Too few of the complaints carry an odometer reading to say. The model year's page shows the mileage curve across every system where it can.
What does NHTSA's "Service Brakes" heading cover?
The hydraulic brakes, ABS and brake assist. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.