2016 GMC Terrain: engine stalls while driving

Filed Jun 5, 2026 · Engine, Transmission · NC

My 2016 GMC Terrain 2.4L Ecotec first stalled while idling at a red light in Raleigh, NC. I restarted it and it sounded different, so I drove it home. The next morning it would not start. The failure occurred at approximately 69,939 miles with no meaningful warning. The dealer’s diagnostic report states there were no current relevant codes and no relevant codes in history. The dealer documented major timing-system failure: timing chain tensioner failure, timing chain guide failure, a timing chain guide bolt pulled out of the cylinder head, aluminum contamination in the cylinder head/oiling system, and engine replacement recommended. The vehicle was found unsafe to operate. This vehicle regularly transported my family, including my children. If the stall/no-start failure had occurred at highway speed, while merging, or in heavier traffic, it could have created a serious crash risk. The oil was maintained outside the dealership network and had been serviced before failure. I also topped off the oil shortly before this occurred. The 2.4L Ecotec engine family is known for oil-consumption issues, yet this vehicle gave me no direct warning that oil consumption had reached a dangerous level. A reasonable owner would not know to check oil every day when there were no relevant stored warning codes. Other the federal safety agency complaints involving 2016 GMC Terrain vehicles describe similar patterns: oil consumption, no warning lights, sudden stalling or no-start conditions, timing-chain failure, and engine replacement recommendations. I am filing because this appears to be an ongoing safety risk involving oil consumption without adequate warning, timing-chain/timing-guide failure, internal contamination, and sudden engine failure. I request the federal safety agency review this issue for investigation or recall expansion before this failure mode causes a preventable serious crash, injury, or fatality. The vehicle was inspected by a GMC dealer and remains unrepaired.

Filed Jan 15, 2026 · Engine · WI

I bought the vehicle in November of 2025. No warning lights or problems running. Check the engine oil upon purchase and have the dealership sticker showing oil change was recently done and oil showed that it was full. Approximately 3 weeks after purchasing, the car starting idling rough and stalled a few times during my commute to work. The check engine light came on and it showed that the vvt was a possible solution for the code P0014 this was on December 12th 2025. I replaced the suspected part with no change in vehicle condition. I checked the oil and found that it was empty/no oil on dipstick. I had to add 5 quarts of oil and then it showed it was in the safe zone on the dip stick. Today (January 15th 2026) I checked the oil again and it showed no oil on the dipstick. I had to add 2 quarts for it to be at the bottom of the safe zone on the dipstick.

Filed May 16, 2025 · Engine · GA

My vehicle started shaking & stalling really badly out of nowhere on April 18, 2025. Had to have it towed to GMC dealership. They said the engine was showing low compression. Got timely oil changes and everything on this engine. The check engine light nor any other warning light ever came on when this happened. After some research, the engine in my car, the 2.4 L engine on the 2014 - 2017 models of the GMC Terrain has known defects which although GMC has known about, they have done nothing to address the issue. There was no prior warning that the engine was failing. It was very sudden and I was in traffic when this happened putting both my safety and the safety of other drivers and pedestrians in danger.

Filed Jan 16, 2025 · Engine · IN

I was driving my vehicle to the gym when I noticed it was driving weird, it would not accelerate like normal, was having a hard time getting going and was making a weird noise. I had just put some oil in the car because we had known for a little while that it had a problem with burning oil because of the make and model (as told by other mechanics previously), when I got to the gym I heard a pop noise and the car stalled on me, I eventually got it started up again after 2 hours of being stranded at the gym. The next day I had to drive 40 minutes away for nursing school Clincial where on the way home it was back to driving weird and making a loud horrible noise from the engine. I was only 5 minutes from home when it was really bad and once there I noticed the burning smell from the engine. When I checked the oil level after an hour and half of cooling down I could not get any oil reading on the dipstick, after adding almost 4 quarts there was still no reading on the dipstick. We finally drove the car to my mechanic (8 minutes away) and it was already back to making the loud noise, having trouble accelerating, and producing the foul odor. I was told the PCV was restricted and caused the engine to over pressurize and that lead to the Main Rear bursting and all the oil in my car being thrown over the entire underside and probably the roads. They also checked the oil filter in the car to see if the engine itself was salvageable, where they found metal flakes in the oil filter and deemed the engine failed and are saying the engine needs replaced in order to fix the car I’ve had for 15 months… I’m still paying this car off and I have only driven it for less than 17,000 miles. It is a 2016 GMC terrain that only has 91k miles, I truly hope GM makes this right seeing as so many have come with the same exact problem due to poor design and vehicle quality. My car has had regular oil changes and I check the oil every week because of the prior burning problem.

Filed Jan 29, 2024 · Engine · 104,000 miles · PA

The contact owns a 2016 GMC Terrain. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the timing chain had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 104,000. The contact was instructed to take it and have it diagnosed by the dealership he bought it from so I spent more money to have the garage take it on their roll back and drop it off at the dealership. The email stated I needed an engine with a $9000 estimate.

Filed Oct 16, 2023 · Driver assistance, Engine · MN

The engine - My engine blew because oil evaporated out of the #1 cyclinder, which drained the oil. No warning lights went on and the vehicle stalled in the middle of rush hour traffic. The dealership told me it was because of a factory defect, but no recall on that part of the vehicle. This could have been much worse if the vehicles behind me were going faster than they were and not able to stop before rear ending me. Because this was a factory defect it should have been recalled and I should have been notified of this problem when I bought the vehicle.

Filed Jan 23, 2023 · Engine · MI

Timing chain went out, at 80,000 miles, causing vehicle to stall.

Filed Oct 8, 2021 · Electrical, Engine · FL

2016 GMC Terrain SLT, service engine light came on, vehicle stalled many times, restarted but drove and misfired, stalled again, was able to get it to repair garage who I trust. He checked code and said I had to put a complete timing chain kit. Total cost came to $992.36 and didn't have a vehicle for a week due to weekend and a holiday. The vehicle only had 30,763 miles on it at the time but was out of factory warrantee. Reading other customer complaints, this looks like an ongoing problem and I feel should warrant a recall. Additional info such as repair invoice is attached. Please reply when received and thank you for your time.

Filed Jan 17, 2020 · Engine · 48,500 miles · MA

On january 17,2020. I was drive with my son going about 35miles when all of a sudden my stalled out or felt like it did but continue to drive. The check engine light turned on and the dashboard screen stated engine power was reduced and my stability needed to be serviced. Or something like that because it wasn't on to long. Luckily wasn't going to fast and there were no cars behind me. I've researched other complaints and I'm not the only one. This needs to be addressed because if that would to happen on a busy highway. O.m.g.