There are 28 owner-reported air bags & restraints complaints for the 2012 GMC Terrainin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The contact owns a 2012 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the garage, the front driver's side air bag unexpectedly deployed without an impact to the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 148,116.
Issues with the passenger side seatbelt not pulling to lock. It's jammed off and on. Doesn't work.
DASH CRACKS EVERYWHERE, ALL ATTACHMENT POINTS ARE CRACKING. NO APPARENT REASON OTHER THAN USING A UN U.V PROTECTED PLASTIC.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 GMC TERRAIN. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, WHEN TWO VEHICLES IN FRONT OF HIM CRASHED. THE CONTACT STATED HE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP AND REAR ENDED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A FRACTURED STERNUM DUE TO THE SEAT BELT AND WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL AND STAYED OVER NIGHT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO IMPOUND LOT. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED AS OF YET. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 136,000. *DT
ON FEB 10, 2020 I WAS INVOLVED IN A SIDE IMPACT CRASH WHEN A LARGE TRUCK FAILED TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIRS AS THE FRONT QUARTER PANEL AND WHEEL WERE DAMAGED. THE COLLISION SHOP CALLED TODAY AND STATED THAT ALL FOUR OF MY IMPACT SENSORS ARE "DEAD". HE SAID I WAS VERY LUCKY BECAUSE THERE IS NO WAY I WOULD'VE KNOWN THAT MY AIRBAGS WOULDN'T HAVE DEPLOYED AND I VERY LIKELY WOULD'VE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASH, AND NO CODE. THEY FOUND IT BY ACCIDENT ON A MORE INTENSIVE DIAGNOSTIC. THIS IS SCARY BECAUSE HOW MANY OTHER 2012 TERRAIN OWNERS WON'T KNOW UNTIL ONE OF THEIR LOVED ONES ARE INJURED OR KILLED!?!? YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. I GOT LUCKY BUT YOU HAVE NOW 23 COMPLAINTS ABOUT THESE BAGS NOT DEPLOYING. PLEASE DO SOMETHING!!!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 GMC TERRAIN. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE WAS REAR-ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE DRIVER'S AIR BAG BUSTED OPEN, SMOKED AND EMITTED DEBRIS BUT DID NOT DEPLOY. THE SERVICE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT AND A NINE-YEAR OLD CHILD IN A BOOSTER SEAT, IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED INJURY THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED AND WAS DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT DID NOT RETRACT. THE CONTACT CALLED THE STAN MCNABB CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP RAM DEALER, LOCATED AT 200 N. JACKSON ST, TULLAHOMA, TN 37388 AND WAS TOLD THAT THE INFORMATION WOULD BE ENTERED IN THE CONTACT'S FILE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 125,000.
WHILE DRIVING, THERE IS A RANDOM DING. NO IDIOT LIGHTS COME ON THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR OVER A MONTH. TODAY I HAPPENED TO LOOK UP AND THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT WAS FLASHING. AS IF STATING THERE WAS SOMEONE IN THE SEAT. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP IT IS TO HAVE THE PASSENGER SEAT BELT BUCKLED WHILE DRIVING. THIS ONLY HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING. IT IS VERY DISTURBING BECAUSE I AM NOT SURE IF I AM IN AN ACCIDENT IF MY PASSENGER WILL BE SAFE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 GMC TERRAIN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HER GRANDSON WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40-45 MPH, A DEER JUMPED INTO THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE CAUSING SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE BUT THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE RADIATOR WAS PUSHED INTO THE ENGINE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED WHIPLASH INJURIES THAT DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED BY THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND A CASE WAS OPENED BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000. *AS *AS
FRONT SEAT BELTS WON"T RETRACT AND GET CAUGHT IN DOOR WHEN CLOSED AND THE PLASTIC COVER ON THE SEAT BREAKS AND THEN IT WILL NOT LATCH. THIS CAUSES THE SEAT BELT TO BE INOPERABLE. IT THEN CANNOT RESTRAIN THE OCCUPANT THUS IT CAUSES A SAFETY CONCERN AS WELL AS VIOLATION IN NOT WEARING A SEAT BELT.
SEAT RE-TRACTORS DON'T RETRACT AND SEAT BELT GETS CAUGHT IN DOOR WHEN CLOSED. DOOR CRACKS PLASTIC COVER ON SEAT BELT COVER WHICH LEAVES A SHARP EDGE THAT CUTS YOUR FINGERS WHEN YOU TRY TO BUCKLE YOUR SEAT BELT.
MY SERVICE BAG LIGHT CAME ON ABOUT 1 MONTH AGO. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TO CHECK IT OUT. THEY SAID MY YEAR IS NOT IN THE RECALL LIST. THEY ALSO SAID NONE OF THE AIR BAGS WILL WORK UNTIL IT GETS FIXED. I AM LIVING ON A LIMITED INCOME AND CANNOT AFFORD TO FIX THE AIR BAGS. EVERY YEAR BEFORE AND AFTER OF GMC TERRAIN HAVE BEEN RECALLED. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY MY 2012 HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED. WITH THIS BEING A MANUFACTURED PROBLEM I BELIEVE GMC SHOULD PAY TO FIX THE AIR BAGS. I AM AFRAID TO TAKE MY GRANDCHILDREN WITH ME TO THE STORE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 GMC TERRAIN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT DID NOT RETRACT. THE CONTACT CALLED DONDELINGER CHEVROLET BUICK GMC CADILLAC AT 877-211-6240 (LOCATED AT 2310 PAUL BUNYAN DR NW, BEMIDJI, MN 56601) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE SEAT BELT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 106,000.
SEAT BELT RETRACTORS FAIL TO RETRACT AND BELT CLIP GETS STUCK IN CLOSED DOOR. DEALER FIXED ONCE BUT REFUSES TO FIX AT THEIR COST. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SERIOUS GM DEFECT AND A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE A HALF OPEN JAMMED DOOR WILL NOT OPEN.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 GMC TERRAIN. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE CONTACT STRUCK A DEER. THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IMPACT WAS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SERVICE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ODOR FROM THE AIR BAG PROPELLANT EVEN THOUGH THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT OPERATED AS INTENDED; HOWEVER, THE SEAT BELT SEIZED IN POSITION AND WOULD NOT RETRACT EVEN AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 GMC TERRAIN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVING AND ON OCCASIONS WHILE STOPPED, THE SERVICE AIR BAGS MESSAGE WAS DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAG WAS INOPERABLE WITH THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT REMAINING ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TWO UNKNOWN DEALERS HOWEVER, WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 126,000.
I EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH MY GMC TERRAIN. I HAVE CONTACTED MY LOCAL DEALER (DORAL GMC, IN MIAMI, FL) ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS WITH NO RESPONSE. I HAVE SUBMITTED A WRITTEN COMPLAINT TO GMC ON APRIL 10TH, 2012 AND NEVER RECEIVED A REPLY. I'VE EXPERIENCED CONTINUOUS CAR PROBLEMS SINCE THE PURCHASE OF MY VEHICLE. WITHIN THE FIRST 3 MONTHS OF PURCHASE MY CAR HAD ALREADY BEEN KEPT AT THE DEALER FOR 30 DAYS ON 2 SEPARATE OCCASIONS. VEHICLE PROBLEMS WERE, FOR EXAMPLE; THE AIRBAG SERVICE LIGHT TURNED ON, CAR TURNED OFF WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY, THIS ISSUE WAS TAKEN CARE OF BUT RETURNED SEVERAL TIMES TO HAVE IT CORRECTED AS IT KEPT HAPPENING. THE VEHICLE ALSO EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION ISSUES, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALSO KEPT TURNING ON AND SERVICE DEPARTMENT COULDN'T FIGURE ANYTHING OUT WITH MY VEHICLE.THIS WAS MY FIRST GMC PURCHASE AND IT HAS BEEN MY ABSOLUTE WORST EXPERIENCE WITH ANY AMERICAN CAR COMPANY. THE LATEST ISSUE SINCE DECEMBER OF 2017 HAS BEEN THE AIRBAG SERVICE LIGHT ONCE AGAIN AND THE STABILITY TRACK LIGHT. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE ONCE AGAIN AND I WAS CHARGED FOR DIAGNOSTIC SERVICE SO THAT THE ISSUE COULD BE FOUND FOR EACH ISSUE AND WAS TOLD I WOULD HAVE TO PAY $135.00 PER ISSUE. I ONLY PAID FOR THE AIRBAG ISSUE SINCE IT SEEMED TO BE THE MOST DANGEROUS ONE AND WAS TOLD BY SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT THE MODULE KIT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS NEW CHARGE WAS $ 823.90 THAT I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET. THIS ISSUE SEEMS TO BE A FACTORY ONE AND I WOULD LIKE TO BE REIMBURSED SINCE THIS IS A SAFETY FEATURE THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. I'VE NEVER HAD AN ACCIDENT AND HAVE KEPT IT SERVICED AND WELL MAINTAINED AT THE DEALER THROUGH OUT ALL THE RECALLS AND SERVICE PROBLEMS. THE REASON I PAID FOR THIS SERVICE WAS MAINLY FOR THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY BUT ONCE AGAIN, IT'S AN INCONVENIENCE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 GMC TERRAIN. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO TAP THE BRAKES TO SLIGHTLY SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE STOPPED ABRUPTLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT FOUND THAT WHENEVER HE WOULD LIGHTLY TAP THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE WOULD ABRUPTLY STOP. THE CONTACT FOUND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A BRAKE ASSIST SYSTEM AND BELIEVED IT WAS ACTIVATING PREMATURELY. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE WILLIAMSON CADILLAC DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE SYSTEM WAS PERFORMING NORMALLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OPENED CASE NUMBER: [XXX], WHICH WAS NOW DEEMED A CLOSED CASE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000. THE CONSUMER STATED AT APPROXIMATELY 40-50 MPH AS THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED RAPIDLY AND LIGHTLY THE BRAKES SYSTEM ENGAGES CAUSING A SUDDEN STOP. UPDATED 09/11/2017*JS THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS PARTIALLY REPAIRED. THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER THE REPAIR THE SYSTEM ACTIVATED FOR 2 SECONDS, CAUSING A JERK, THEN CONTINUED NORMALLY.*JS*DT INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'*JB
DASH BOARD HAS CRACKED AROUND AIRBAG. CONCERNED THAT IF THERE WAS A COLLISION THAT TYE AIRBAG WOULD EXPLODE AND ENTIRE DASH WOULD EXPLODE WITH IT
I WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 75MPH WHEN A DEER RAN INFRONT OF ME, I WASN'T ABLE TO STOP COMPLETELY AND HIT THE DEER ON MY RIGHT FRONT SIDE OF MY VEHICLE.. THE SMELL OF SMOKE CAME FROM MY VEHICLE AND MY "SERVICE AIRBAGS" INDICATOR CAME ON.. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED.. I HAD MY 6 YEAR OLD SON IN THE CAR WITH ME!! MY CAR ISN'T DRIVABLE DUE TO THE SIGNAL BEING ON EVEN THOUGH THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY.
SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION WHEN VEHICLE SHIFTED FROM PARK TO DRIVE, RESULTED IN EXTREME HIGH SPEED ACCELERATION AND NO CONTROL OF VEHICLE. THIS RESULTED IN A HIGH IMPACT CRASH INTO GARAGE SIDE WALL. ALSO AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. ASSUME THROTTLE WIDE OPEN CAUSING SUDDEN ACCELERATION. INSURANCE REPORT , AND POLICE REPORT PENDING
Showing 1–20 of 28 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026