MY TERRAIN HAS 104,000 MILES I WAS DRIVING IT WHEN THE TIMING BELT BROKE AND DESTROYED THE ENGINE. THE MECHANIC SAYS IT WAS DUE TO LACK OF OIL CHANGES BUT THAT IS A LIE BECAUSE I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP EVERY TIME AND I HAD ON STAR ACTIVE SO THE COULD REMIND ME TOO I BROUGHT IT TO BARKER GMC IN YOU MA LA THEY HAVE A RECORD OF MY SERVICE.I WAS DRIVING MY CAR ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN IT STARTED SHAKING AN…
2011 gmc Terrain engine problems
moderate 123 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $3,100
What owners are reporting 8 most recent
TAKATA RECALL : SUCKING UP OIL, RATTLING SOUND, CAR JERKING FORWARD- DIAGNOSIS FROM GMC DEALERSHIP- REPLACE PISTONS, TIMING RINGS, AND ACTUATORS, VEHICLE HAD 1 QUART OF OIL AND VEHICLE HAD REGULAR OIL CHECKS AND WAS IN SHOP LESS THAN A YEAR PRIOR. THIS WAS A KNOWN RECALL BY THE DEALERSHIP. 59K MILEAGE ON VEHICLE . WE HAVE LETTER AND ALL DOCUMENTS
I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET AND THE STABILITRAC WORDS CAME UP ON MY DASH. THEN IT SAID POWERING DOWN. THEN MY VEHICLE STARTED RUNNING ROUGH AND I PULLED OVER AND SHUT IT OFF. I WAITED A MINUTE AND SHUT OFF TRACTION CONTROL BUTTON. THEN STARTED AGAIN AND A FEW MINUTES LATER THE WORDS CAME ON AGAIN AND IT STARTED RUNNING ROUGH. I SHUT IT OFF AGAIN AND WAITED AND GOT IT HOME SLOWLY ABOUT 3 MI…
FUEL PUMP FAILURE ALLOWING GASOLINE INTO CRANKCASE IN LARGE VOLUMES. ROUGH IDLE, CONSTANT STALLING, MISFIRING, FUEL SMELL RECIRCULATING INTO CABIN. EXACT ISSUE ADDRESSED BY GM RECALL FOR MY EXACT TERRAIN AND EQUIVALENT CHEVY EQUINOX WITH 2.4 ECOTEC. WAS TOLD MINE WAS NOT COVERED AS IT WASN'T IN CORRECT VIN RANGE THOUGH SAME MAKE, MODEL, YEAR, MOTOR, HIGHLY DANGEROUS COMBUSTIBLE ISSUE MATCH…
THERE WAS A RECALL FOR MY VEHICLE TO REPLACE THE HIGH PRESSURE FUEL PUMP. THIS WAS REPLACED AND 1 WEEK LATER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TAKEN TO DEALER. DIAGNOSED AS CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER IS UNDER A PUBLIC SERVICE EXTENDED WARRANTY (10 YEARS, 120,000 MILES WHICHEVER COMES FIRST). OF COURSE I NOW HAVE 138,000 MILE ON THE VEHICLE. GMC WILL NOT COVER REPAIR COSTS. THIS SH…
SIGNIFICANT EXHAUST FUMES ACCUMULATING INSIDE PASSENGER CABIN DURING IDLE/STOP. VOLUME OF GASES SMELL LESS WHILE IN MOTION BUT STILL EVIDENT. SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN ENGINE POWER NOTICABLE; AS WELL AS ERRATIC NOISE FROM THE ENGINE AND EXTEMELY HESITANT ACCELERATION RESPONSE.
SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST WEEK MY CAR IS STALLING. IT HAPPENS IF I AM AT A STOPLIGHT, DON'T GET UP TO SPEED FAST ENOUGH, ETC. THE M AS MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP KEEPS GOING ON AND OFF. THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS OF SIMILAR ISSUES AND THIS SHOULD BE HANDLED BY GMC. *TR
ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 84,000 MILES . STATES ON DOCS AT TIME OF REPLACEMENT TIMING CHAIN AND CAM WORN DUE TO LOW OIL .HAS WARRANTY BUT FOR REPLACING DUE TO 'OIL CONSUMPTION ' BUT SERVICE MANAGER REFUSES TO WRITE THAT ALTHOUGH HE HAS STATED IT.GM REFUSES TO HELP
Common questions
How serious is the engine problem on the 2011 gmc Terrain?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 123 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $3,100 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the engine typically fail?
Mileage data is limited for this issue. Owners report failures across a wide range, suggesting cause is more about driving conditions and maintenance than mileage alone.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $3,100 for engine repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to engine?
No active recalls currently cover engine issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.