2015 GMC Terrain: engine stalls while driving

Filed Apr 10, 2026 · Engine, Fuel system · PA

Oil consumption, causing high pressure furl pump to clog. It also causes catalytic converter to clog. No warning of oil loss. Causing stalling out while driving. Caused the engine to seize. New engine replaced and still same problem s

Filed Jan 22, 2025 · Engine · NJ

There is a well known piston ring gasket issue with various GMC Terrain model years. GMC had recalled some for the engine defect but not all years with the affected engine. The 24L Eco tec engine is faulty. The motor uses excessive amounts of oil between oil changes and all kinds of systems are affected by carbon buildup. The engines run rough and stall out WHILE DRIVING. GMC refuses to recall all of the vehicles with this problem and that includes my 2015 model year GMC Terrain with the 24L engine. This would cost me thousands to fix myself. This is a serious issue and also a safety issue that they can get away with selling such faulty vehicles to families and no one makes them fess up and fix the engines at their expense not ours. My wife has had the vehicle stall out constantly while driving and with our partially disabled child in the car. It has happened countless times to me as well. This will also eventually cause the motor to have a much shorter life. There is also a chance of the timing chain breaking and causing the engine to break. These defects should be fixed via a recall. This is a WELL KNOWN MANUFACTURER DEFECT please look it up. It affects thousands of GMC Terrains and other GM vehicles with the 24L Ecotec motor.

Filed Sep 13, 2024 · Engine, Fuel system · 127,000 miles · MS

The contact owns a 2015 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the vehicle jerked and shut off. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continue driving. The contact stated that on several occasions, while the vehicle was jerking at a complete stop, the contact shifted to park(P) to prevent the vehicle from stalling. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel pump was leaking fuel into the oil gasket. The mechanic replaced the mass air flow sensor, the oil gasket, the fuel pump, the catalytic converter, and the starter; however, the failure recurred while driving. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in an unknown related recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.

Filed May 9, 2024 · Engine · 160,000 miles · KY

The contact owns a 2015 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the message "Power Reduction Mode" was displayed, and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, there was a ticking sound coming from the engine compartment before the vehicle stalled another time. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine timing was faulty, and the engine had experienced a loss of engine compression. The contact was advised to contact a local dealer for service. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 160,000.

Filed Jan 3, 2024 · Transmission · NJ

There have been problems with the 2015 GMC Terrains Timing chain. The timing chain will break when the vehicle is being operated which causes the driver to lose complete control of the SUV, additionally, the engine will be destroyed. The bigger issue is the loss of control when you are driving - especially at highway speeds. GMC had hundreds of complaints but refused to issue a recall. A recall was issued but for only certain batches of VINs. I contacted GMC corporate service to inquire about what they are doing for the other owners who are experiencing the symptoms before the chain breaks. The representative told me they were only recalling certain VINS, I explained that it was not a fluke that my car was experiencing the same issues as the recalled ones. The response was they weren't recalling my VIN. I inquired why there were only some, not all, and she said it depends on what time of day the car was assembled the weather, and the place. Just bizarre this answer, my vehicle is the exact vehicle model that is being recalled and is experiencing the same problem - it makes no sense. So if I am driving on the highway or any road USA and my chain breaks I may kill myself as well as others. Then there is the cost to repair this defective part, by recalling certain VINs they are acknowledging there is a defect that they are responsible for. I want my vehicle repaired at the expense of GMC as they are the cause of the issue. I don't want to die or kill anyone. Can you please help me and many other owners who are dismayed and just confused and angry? My car is now stalling out while I am driving, or moving at all.

Filed Oct 13, 2023 · Engine · MI

Vehicle stalled, steering column was shaking. Fortunately, this took place when leaving work parking lot. Had it happened on the road, driver and passenger safety would've been at greater risk. In addition, this particular issue could've resulted in a fire in the engine compartment. Took to mechanics and was informed that cylinder #3 was no longer contributing to engine function. Technician discovered cylinder was leaking from exhaust valves. Vehicle has not been inspected by the other individuals. Prior to this incident, vehicle was consuming oil at an enhanced pace although the oil light indicator would never turn on. Engine light didn't appear until cylinder #3 failed. It's important to note there is a previous (successful) class action lawsuit for the 2010-2013 models for the same exact reasons noted above. Missouri is in the process of filing a lawsuit for the 2014-2017 models.

Filed Aug 12, 2023 · Fuel system · TX

My Terrain just started stalling. And it happens a few times a day. This is not safe. I had my daughters with me in their car seats, as I pulled out from a stop sign it just died. I couldnt steer or anything. People coming down the road and I am stuck In the middle of a street until I could put it in park and restart. And then it happens again when in reverse. I thought I accidentally had it in neutral. I restarted it and thought it was fine. It gave a little chugging when I hit the gas pedal but all was fine until I stopped to pull into a parking spot and tried to reverse again to straighten my car. I turned it back on, then it was good enough to get out. when I went back to my car it stalled like 4 times when trying to simply leave the parking lot.

Filed Jun 14, 2023 · Engine · 186,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2015 GMC Terrain. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with the federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was 186,000.

Filed May 26, 2023 · Engine · PA

My vehicle keeps running extremely low in oil and not alerting me with any warning lights. My vehicle starts to shake like it is going to stall and the engine makes a rattling noise. This is a safety concern.

Filed Apr 16, 2023 · Engine · CO

During a long distance trip, the timing chain tensioner failed. There were no obvious signs of this condition when driving at highway speeds. No warning lights or reduced engine performance! After traveling over 200 miles, we stopped and discovered the engine was running very rough. We decided to stay overnight in a hotel and check the condition of the Terrain in the morning. The next day the car, started briefly and then stalled. It didn’t start again. We had the vehicle towed and the repair shop determined the the timing chain tensioner broke at some point on our trip. This caused the chain to come partially loose and that in turn “chewed up” the gear teeth. The metal fragments from the gears spread throughout the entire engine. This resulted in the engine to be declared unrepairable. If we hadn’t stopped, the engine could have creased up, and the almost assuredly would have resulted in a serious car accident. This was an expensive repair, approx $8000 and we incurred the cost of staying in a hotel for a week.

Filed Jan 12, 2023 · Engine · 120,000 miles · IN

The contact owns a 2015 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle started jerking, lost motive power, and stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted, and the contact continued to drive; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the “Engine Power Reduced” message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the timing chain had fractured. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed of the failure but provided no additional assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

Filed Jul 18, 2022 · Engine, Visibility · VT

Engine failure - car engine turned off when I stopped at a stop sign. Car warning lights flashed. Had to shut ignition off and turn on again. Car started again, but with check engine light staying on. From that point on, every time I would slow down for traffic lights, stop signs, turns or for any other reason when slowing down, the car would shut off. This was extremely dangerous in traffic as it would stall out randomly when slowing down. The car did not give any indication of any pending problems. Windshield wipers - stopped dead during a heavy rainstorm while traveling on a highway. Wipers were completely non-functional in any mode. Had to try to pull off the highway and park as driving visibility was non-existent. Safety to myself and others was completely compromised as I could not see to drive. No warning signs or messages to advise of this problem coming.