Model year report

2013 GMC Terrain: what breaks, and at what mileage

What breaks on the 2013 GMC Terrain

On the 2013 GMC Terrain, the failure owners report most often is excessive oil consumption, and the reports cluster around 87,500 miles. The earliest to appear is other body or interior problem, reported by a median of 20,000 miles. Overall it scores 70 out of 100, high risk for a 2013.

High risk for a 2013 — 177th riskiest of the 284 2013 vehicles we can rate. 485 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.

What owners report breaking

Owners have reported 54 named failure modes on the 2013 GMC Terrain, and the three most-reported carry 41% of everything filed.

Excessive oil consumption leads with 82 reports, about 0.7 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 65k to 100,000 miles.

Other engine problem follows with 69 reports, usually reported between 60k to 102,500 miles.

Timing chain, belt or tensioner failure follows with 46 reports, usually reported between 94k to 135,000 miles.

By system, the reports fall mostly into engine (246), glass (40) and transmission (26).

When these failures get reported

317 of the reports on the 2013 GMC Terrain came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 75,000 miles.

Cumulatively, 27% by 50,000 miles, 73% by 100,000 miles and 96% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed, with 1 filed above the top of the chart.

The busiest stretch is between 90,000 and 100,000 miles, which alone holds 13% of the dated reports.

18% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles.

In the order they tend to show up: other body or interior problem around 19k, other electrical problem around 45k, other visibility problem around 54k and wiper or washer failure around 58k.

Median

Excessive oil consumption

87k
Other engine problem

90k
Timing chain, belt or tensioner failure

115k
Other visibility problem

54k
Complete engine failure or seizure

125k
Oil leak

90k
Other powertrain problem

95k
Other body or interior problem

19k
Other electrical problem

45k
Wiper or washer failure

58k
Other lighting problem

28k
Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure

66k

Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens

Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 54. The full list is in the table below.

How reports accumulate

Share of reports filed by each mileage

half by 75k

Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A further 1 report came in above that, which is why the line stops short of the top. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.

Line share of reports filed by that mileage
Dashed the median reported mileage

How bad it is when it goes

Across the named modes, 12 mention a crash, 2 a fire and 15 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.

The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.59, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.

What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: excessive oil consumption at $900–$6,500, other engine problem at $300–$4,000, timing chain, belt or tensioner failure at $1,200–$4,500 and other visibility problem at $150–$1,400. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.

58% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures, so more than half of what owners complained about here is expensive.

Every reported failure mode

Mileage figures are percentiles of owner-reported readings. Click a column to sort.
Failure mode	System	Reports	With reading	25th	Median	75th	Per 1,000	Typical repair	Severity
Excessive oil consumption	engine	82	55	65k	87k	99k	0.7	$900–$6,500	High
Other engine problem	engine	69	50	60k	90k	102k	0.6	$300–$4,000	High
Timing chain, belt or tensioner failure	engine	46	32	94k	115k	135k	0.4	$1,200–$4,500	Critical
Other visibility problem	glass	30	14	48k	54k	79k	0.2	$150–$1,400	Moderate
Complete engine failure or seizure	engine	19	7	—	125k	—	0.2	$4,500–$12,000	Critical
Oil leak	engine	18	14	73k	90k	93k	0.1	$250–$2,200	Moderate
Other powertrain problem	transmission	16	10	50k	95k	111k	0.1	$400–$4,500	High
Other body or interior problem	body	13	10	444	19k	61k	0.1	$200–$2,000	Moderate
Other electrical problem	electrical	12	8	29k	45k	59k	0.1	$250–$2,000	Moderate
Wiper or washer failure	glass	10	8	47k	58k	76k	0.1	$120–$800	Moderate
Other lighting problem	lighting	9	2	—	28k	—	0.1	$120–$1,200	Moderate
Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure	suspension	8	6	—	66k	—	0.1	$400–$2,200	High
Other fuel system problem	fuel	8	3	—	80k	—	0.1	$300–$2,200	High
No-start or intermittent start failure	engine	7	4	—	142k	—	0.1	$200–$1,800	Moderate
Fuel leak or fuel odor	fuel	7	4	—	76k	—	0.1	$300–$2,500	Critical
Other steering problem	steering	7	5	—	45k	—	0.1	$350–$2,400	High
Complete transmission failure	transmission	6	5	—	77k	—	0.0	$2,800–$8,000	Critical
Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure	electrical	6	4	—	34k	—	0.0	$700–$3,000	High
Other suspension problem	suspension	6	5	—	27k	—	0.0	$350–$2,000	Moderate
Other driver assistance problem	adas	6	6	—	54k	—	0.0	$250–$1,800	High
Infotainment screen failure	infotainment	5	3	—	48k	—	0.0	$400–$2,600	Low
Liftgate, tailgate or trunk failure	body	5	3	—	86k	—	0.0	$250–$1,500	Moderate
Torque converter failure	transmission	4	4	—	111k	—	0.0	$1,100–$3,200	High
Airbag inflator rupture	airbag	4	3	—	43k	—	0.0	$0–$0	Critical
Other brake problem	brakes	4	4	—	29k	—	0.0	$300–$1,800	High
Other wheel or tire problem	wheels	4	4	—	31k	—	0.0	$200–$1,500	High
Stalling while driving	engine	3	3	—	15k	—	0.0	$300–$2,500	Critical
Differential or transfer case failure	drivetrain	3	2	—	90k	—	0.0	$900–$4,200	High
Airbag failed to deploy in a crash	airbag	3	3	—	41k	—	0.0	$1,000–$5,000	Critical
Cruise control failure	adas	3	3	—	60k	—	0.0	$200–$1,400	High
Parking sensor failure	adas	3	0	—	—	—	0.0	$180–$900	Low
Rust or structural corrosion	body	3	1	—	78k	—	0.0	$500–$6,000	High
Headlight failure or clouding	lighting	3	3	—	47k	—	0.0	$150–$1,800	Moderate
Overheating	cooling	2	1	—	114k	—	0.0	$400–$3,500	High
Wiring harness or short circuit	electrical	2	0	—	—	—	0.0	$400–$3,500	High
Engine sensor failure	electrical	2	1	—	55k	—	0.0	$180–$900	Moderate
Audio or connectivity failure	infotainment	2	2	—	5k	—	0.0	$150–$900	Low
Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault	airbag	2	0	—	—	—	0.0	$300–$1,600	High
Seat belt or retractor failure	airbag	2	2	—	36k	—	0.0	$200–$900	High
Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure	steering	2	1	—	74k	—	0.0	$700–$2,600	High
Exhaust leak or fumes in the cabin	emissions	2	1	—	100k	—	0.0	$250–$2,000	High
Head gasket failure	engine	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$1,400–$4,000	Critical
Misfire or rough idle	engine	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$250–$1,600	Moderate
Water pump failure	cooling	1	1	—	10	—	0.0	$500–$2,200	High
Radiator or coolant leak	cooling	1	1	—	144k	—	0.0	$350–$1,900	High
Fuel pump failure	fuel	1	1	—	44k	—	0.0	$600–$2,600	High
Fuel gauge or level sensor failure	fuel	1	1	—	55k	—	0.0	$300–$1,200	Moderate
Instrument cluster or gauge failure	infotainment	1	1	—	48k	—	0.0	$350–$1,400	Moderate
Loss of braking	brakes	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$400–$3,000	Critical
Parking brake failure	brakes	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$250–$1,300	Moderate
Steering column or shaft failure	steering	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$600–$2,500	Critical
Tire pressure monitor failure	wheels	1	1	—	9k	—	0.0	$80–$600	Low
Air conditioning failure	hvac	1	1	—	53k	—	0.0	$400–$2,800	Moderate
Other speed control problem	adas	1	1	—	2k	—	0.0	$250–$2,000	Critical
Unclassified problem	other	24	13	19k	61k	78k	0.2	—	Moderate

Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.

How often, against how many were built

Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2013 GMC Terrain draws about 4.0 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 83rd percentile of complaint rates among 2013 vehicles we can rate.

That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.

The working figure is 122,602 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2013 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.

What owners wrote

Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.

Excessive oil consumption

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 gmc terrain. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced excessive oil consumption. During an oil change, the technician diagnosed that the oil was a quart and a half low. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where a technician performed an oil consumption test. The technician stated that it was within normal operating range. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 51,155.

51,155 miles NHTSA complaint 1347250 filed 2017-01-09

2013 gmc terrain with 119,000 miles has excessive oil consumption. This was a known issue with gmc, chev and buicks. There was a tsb issued 13-06-01-003f. In 2014, gm was fixing all vehicles under warranty, unfortunately mine did not occure until the warranty expired. I had changed my oil every 5,000 to 7,000 miles using the synthetic blend recommended by the manufacturer. When trying to start my vehicle, all check engine, lights, etc came on and the vehicle went into power shut down mode, which luckily my vehicle wasn't moving. Http://gm.oemdtc.com/1893/excessive-oil-consumption-2010-2013-buick-chevrolet-gmc/2

119,000 miles NHTSA complaint 1373363 filed 2017-04-25

Timing chain, belt or tensioner failure

Car makes terrible engine noise when starting/as it idles. This is almost always due to low oil.this car burns through oil faster than anything ive ever seen. Even with full synthetic oil I have to add at least quart every 700 miles for so. Keeping the oil level up helps obv, however this problem was going on for some time before I figured out the car was consuming oil at a super fast rate. So who knows what damage may be inside the engine at this point. It has been reported that there is an issue with the timing chain on the i4 engines and they burn oil because the timing is off. However gm's only fix thus far is to run an oil study which takes up a lot of time.this is also huge pain when dealing with any dealer, because only a gm dealer can run the test, and even if it is found that your car is burning oil they will determine it as "normal" if it's not a specific rate. There's no way full synthetic should be burning up this quickly. Gm needs to do a recall for this issue but will not because once they truly fix the issue it will open up a can of worms that would cost them thousands. So instead the cost is passed on to the owner…

60,000 miles NHTSA complaint 1458332 filed 2018-04-01

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 gmc terrain. While the vehicle was at a fuel station, a rattling noise was heard from the engine compartment. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic who determined that there was a timing chain failure and recommended taking the vehicle to a dealer. The vehicle was taken to perrysburg auto mall (26875 n dixie highway, perrysburg, oh 43551) where it was diagnosed that the timing chain, piston rings, cams, and water pump failed and needed replacement. The vehicle was currently being repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

70,000 miles NHTSA complaint 1496913 filed 2018-09-05

Recalls on the 2013 model year

NHTSA has issued 3 recall campaigns covering the 2013 GMC Terrain, affecting an estimated 215,400 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.

The campaigns cover exterior lighting:headlights, visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor and power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/t. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.

One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.

22V137000

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

740,581 vehicles 2022-03-08

Defect: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2010-2017 GMC Terrain vehicles. A reflection caused by the headlight housings may illuminate areas above the vehicle and outside of the driver's view with excessively bright light. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Consequence: The bright reflection may cause a glare for other drivers, reducing their visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will install headlamp appliques, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 8, 2022. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is N222363740.

16V582000

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR

367,808 vehicles 2016-08-04

Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the ball joints in the windshield wiper module may corrode and wear over time, possibly resulting in one or both of the windshield wipers becoming inoperative.
Consequence: Inoperative windshield wipers may reduce the driver's visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, dealers will repair the AIP-hole, inspect and, if necessary, replace the front wiper module, free of charge. The recall began on April 13, 2017. 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 25302.

16V502000

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

8,367 vehicles 2016-07-05

Defect: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock levers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor…
Consequence: If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.

Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.

How it ranks in the 2013 field

The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.

Risk score against the rest of the 2013 field

Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.

Left fewer and less serious reports
Right more, or worse
Marker this vehicle

Where 2013 sits in the model line

High risk for a 2013 — 177th riskiest of the 284 2013 vehicles we can rate. Every score on this site is a rank inside its own model year, which is what makes a 2004 and a 2019 comparable at all.

Across the 17 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2021 comes out best at 62 and 2019 worst at 80, with 2013 itself at 70.

If the model year is negotiable, 2021, 2016, 2015, 2022, 2014 and 2025 score lower than 2013 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.

Within the 2010–2017 generation specifically, 2016 is the strongest year at 63 and 2011 the weakest at 74.

Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.

Risk score by model year, out of 100

Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.

Within the 2010-2017 generation, 2016 GMC Terrain scores best at 63 and 2011 GMC Terrain worst at 74.

What the numbers say to check

The mileages below are where the first quarter of reports for each mode had already been filed, which makes them the point at which a fault is worth looking for rather than the point at which it happens: other body or interior problem from about 444, other electrical problem from about 29k, wiper or washer failure from about 47k and other visibility problem from about 48k.

On a 2013 GMC Terrain with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether other body or interior problem has been dealt with, and if so with what parts and at whose expense. A car that has already had the repair is in a different position from one that has not.

Treat it as where to point the inspection, not as a prediction. A well-maintained example can sail past every mileage on this page, and a neglected one can fail well before the first of them.

Where these figures stop being useful

485 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.

Of those 485 reports, 317 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 65% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".

The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.

And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.

Questions this page answers

What are the most common problems with the 2013 GMC Terrain?

The most-reported failures are excessive oil consumption (82 reports, median 87,500 miles), other engine problem (69 reports, median 90,000 miles) and timing chain, belt or tensioner failure (46 reports, median 115,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.

At what mileage do 2013 GMC Terrain problems start?

Other body or interior problem is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 20,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 400 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 75,000 miles.

Is the 2013 GMC Terrain reliable?

It scores 70 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 177th riskiest of the 284 2013 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2013 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.

Which year of the GMC Terrain is best?

Within the 2010–2017 generation, 2016 scores best at 63 out of 100 and 2011 worst at 74. Same body, same engines, different luck.

Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.

What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car

Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt 30 August 2026 Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed