2020 GMC Terrain
Gas Compact SUV
The 2020 GMC Terrain is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 4 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Terrain FWD, is EPA-rated at 27 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 195 complaints, most often about service brakes. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrain FWD | Gas | FWD | 1.5L 4-cyl turbo | 26 | 30 | 27 | $2,300 |
| Terrain AWD | Gas | AWD | 1.5L 4-cyl turbo | 25 | 28 | 26 | $2,400 |
| Terrain FWD | Gas | FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 22 | 28 | 24 | $3,250 |
| Terrain AWD | Gas | AWD | 2.0L 4-cyl turbo | 21 | 26 | 23 | $3,350 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
Out of factory warranty soon?
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Recalls (2)
Child Seat
highProblem: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. The four rear-seat lower child seat LATCH anchorage bars may have excessive powder coating, which could prevent a child seat from being installed with the anchorage bars. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 225, "Child Restraint Anchorage Systems."
Risk: The inability to install a child seat with the LATCH anchorage bars could result in an unsecured child seat, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Owners are advised to install child seats using the vehicle's rear seat belts until the remedy is complete. Dealers will inspect the latch anchorage bars, and remove and replace the finish, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 2, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N232403240.
Power Train
criticalProblem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
Risk: Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.
Owner complaints
195 complaints filed
7 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 5 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2019: 1 · 2020: 10 · 2021: 14 · 2022: 13 · 2023: 29 · 2024: 25 · 2025: 63 · 2026: 40
Most-cited components
- Service Brakes — 63
- Engine — 57
- Unknown Or Other — 34
- Electrical System — 27
- Power Train — 27
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 16% |
| SUV FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 18% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning.
Other Terrain model years
2027 Terrain
0 recalls · 0 complaints
A2026 Terrain
1 recalls · 27 complaints
A2025 Terrain
0 recalls · 13 complaints
A2024 Terrain
1 recalls · 49 complaints
B2023 Terrain
2 recalls · 38 complaints
D2022 Terrain
4 recalls · 85 complaints
B2021 Terrain
2 recalls · 34 complaints
D2019 Terrain
3 recalls · 182 complaints
F2018 Terrain
5 recalls · 219 complaints
A2017 Terrain
1 recalls · 133 complaints
B2016 Terrain
2 recalls · 152 complaints
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 41501, 41506, 41753, 41507). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.