Used 2013 GMC Terrain SUV Consumer Reviews
Used Terrain for sale
Known Defect in Engine Oil Consumption
DD, 03/15/2019
2013 GMC Terrain SLE-1 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl 6A)
58 of 61 people found this review helpful
I recently bought a 2013 GMC Terrain 2.4 L. The price seemed fair and vehicle appeared to be in good condition with relatively low miles. I did purchase an after market warranty, and am so thankful I did. I have had this vehicle for less than 5 months, and am now having to replace the engine. The engine not only consumes oil, but also builds condensation. My first indication of this was during a routine oil change when emulsified oil was found on the oil cap and the dipstick. No actual oil level was showing, only the emulsified oil film. When opening the drain plug, only about 2 to 2 1/2 quarts of oil came out. I felt the oil and found a fine gritty feeling in the oil...very bad sign. First thing Monday morning I called a GMC dealer and brought the vehicle to them reporting emulsified oil in the engine. Later that day I received a call telling me the timing chain needed replaced. As I have found out since, this is a common practice, but is not and does not resolve the root cause, it is just a band aid to put money in the dealers pocket. The repair facility stated I had mentioned a noise coming from the engine, which I had not done, performed and engine diagnostics, which I hadn't authorized, then told me I would owe them several hundred dollars that was not covered in my aftermarket warranty. Mind you, I had not check engine light, no alarms, no indication of any problem other that the oil issue I visually and physically saw. I have had to fight with the dealers repair facility to get the root cause of the problem addressed and an adjuster from the warranty company went to the facility to inspect the engine. Then and only then did I find out this engine would have to be replaced and as I did my own research found this is a common and ongoing issue with this engine. I have a friend with a 2017 Terrain that I asked if they were having any issues, and the told me that there last oil change they had emulsified oil on the dipstick. Welcome to my world. They fortunately are still under manufacturers warranty and are planning to get rid of the vehicle. GM has known about this problem and refuses to address it and make it right for their customers, even after our tax dollars went to bail them out. Shame on you and your 7 figure bonuses. I have always bought American, but this will definitely change that. Our federal government should step in and force them to fix their mess. I will still be on the hook for several hundred dollars and will only have a used engine as a replacement. So here we go again. Once repaired I will need to get rid of the vehicle as I still have a few years left on the loan. DO NOT BUY.
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The absolute worst vehicle I have ever owned
Lisa, 12/10/2019
2013 GMC Terrain SLT-2 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl 6A)
14 of 14 people found this review helpful
Oil consumption issues-no recall-GM hoping it goes unnoticed. You can Google this before purchasing. I bought mine brand new, Burned oil so fast that I would run on 0 oil-no lights came on but car wasn't driving nicely, figured out the oil was completely dry. Fixed this issue in July 2018 and in December 2019, my pistons' (that were just replaced a year before) were wearing out which means my engine is toast. GMC says their fix was only warrantied for 1 year, called GMC Canada who says this is not their problem. My 6 year old $40,000 vehicle with 130,000km is now going to be sold for parts. Will probably fight this further-DO NOT PURCHASE. Not the type to bash any companies online but I don't want anyone going through this same issue
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2013 GMC Terrain for sale near you
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- SLT-1 4dr SUVMSRP: $8,86613 mi away
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Worse vehicle I've ever owned
Leo, 11/09/2017
updated 05/17/2019
2013 GMC Terrain SLE-2 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 6A)
26 of 28 people found this review helpful
The engine started using 1 qt every 1000 miles, GMC told us, that was normal. The oil usage increased gradually to 1.5 qts, GMC wouldn't warranty the engine and kept stalling , then the next issue was the high pressure fuel pump was starting to give out, the automatic timing adjustable failed next, this was replaced. No warranty. The oil filter was plugging up with carbon deposits, the car became unreliable in two years, and I should have stayed with Toyota 😁,
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Regretful buy
Louie Aggy, 02/24/2017
2013 GMC Terrain SLE-2 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 6A)
42 of 47 people found this review helpful
Extremely disappointed with my 2013 GMC Terrain. It has a 2.4 cylinder engine that consumes too much oil between oil changes. A Technical Service Bulletin was issued by GM for the problem but they have not done a full recall yet. Vehicle was stalling due to low oil issues. Intake Solenoid had to be replaced because of low oil levels. Transmission fluid leaked from trans torque converter seal, left rear wheel hub had to be replaced due to bearings going bad all with just 52k miles. The engine specifically in my vehicle is a safety hazard/concern for anyone with a family. My wife is a nanny and does not drive the vehicle aggressively.
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Love this dependable vehicle
Ann, 02/01/2016
updated 02/01/2019
2013 GMC Terrain SLT-2 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl 6A)
38 of 43 people found this review helpful
I purchased this vehicle new in 2013 and love it. Ride, handling, gas mileage, are great with no complaints. I recently traded it for a 2019 Acadia because I wanted a vehicle to pull a trailer.
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2013 GMC Terrain 2.4L engine- total junk!
Matt Szcz, 01/06/2020
updated 07/08/2021
2013 GMC Terrain SLE-1 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl 6A)
9 of 9 people found this review helpful
I bought this as a used vehicle for my youngest daugher so she'd have something "dependable" for her and her 3 children to get around in. Boy was I in for a rough ride. Not too long after she started driving her "pride and joy" SUV, she complained to me that it was using quite a bit of oil. Good thing she's somewhat mechanically inclined, and knew exactly how to check oil, ask questions of mechanics, etc. At first, I was a bit disappointed to hear her complaining, after all, I went with her to help choose a ride. Made several mistakes in purchasing a vehicle that I won't soon make again, such as not doing thorough, and I mean thorough, internet research on the exact year, make and model you're considering. Whew, where do I begin? Still not out of the woods yet, but to date I have put nearly $8,000 in parts and labor into her 2013 GMC, just trying to fix all that's wrong with the engine so she doesn't have to pay 2 more years on a vehicle loan for a vehicle she can't even drive (it won't pass the emissions testing so it cannot pass inspection) Remove engine, replace pistons, piston rings, timing chain, drain, flush replace coolant, transmission fluid, new battery, at GMC discounted labor rate = $5050 Took it back after all that work, after engine computer reset itself, more engine codes popped up. This time, need to replace catalytic converter, gasket, water pump, gasket, another $2,000 plus in parts and labor. Hopefully all that she'll need to have a driveable SUV will be an inspection-but stay tuned, this piece of junk continues to amaze me with how many things on it are pure junk! UPDATE- July 2021...Spent 9K fixing this engine all together, including parts and labor but not towing or miscellaneous costs. Now this POS sets parked in my side drive with a blown engine, because after all of that work done to fix the engine, the oil pump went out and burned up the engine! I will NEVER, EVER buy another GMC product.
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Great Ride
cousman, 02/23/2014
2013 GMC Terrain SLE-1 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl 6A)
39 of 45 people found this review helpful
This is perhaps the most comfortable vehicle I have owned. Prior the Terrain I had an Audi and two cars ago a Mercedes and I do not for a second regret changing continents. I always chuckle a little bit when reviews say that such and such a car has less enthusiastic performance... compared to what. I tested a Mercedes GLK the same day as the Terrain, granted I used the gas peddle differently but I noticed no difference in acceleration and the handling was better with the GMC. In fact the stability when cornering is superior to that of my last five vehicles (3 Japanese and 2 German)
Perfect SUV for me!
beccalynn2021, 04/16/2014
2013 GMC Terrain Denali 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl 6A)
13 of 14 people found this review helpful
I researched several SUVs before I decided to lease the 2013 Terrain AWD Denali in October 2013 and I love it! The V-6 provides a quiet, smooth ride. I love the red accent lighting and red stitching on the seats and dash. The back seat also has lots of leg room which is nice because a lot of my friends are tall. The backup camera needs a little work. It gets dirty easily and depth perception is off. Usually the longer I have a vehicle, the more I find that I don't like about it but the longer I have this SUV, the more I love it!
DON'T BUY THIS VEHICLE
Chris Berry, 02/08/2019
2013 GMC Terrain SLE-2 4dr SUV (2.4L 4cyl 6A)
27 of 31 people found this review helpful
Being an owner of this vehicle for 6 years, I'm VERY disappointed with GM. Car was bought new off the lot with a 3 year maintenance package. It was served for the 1st 3 years at the dealer it was purchased at. Not one word was mentioned that this engine excessively burns oil, 1 1/2 quarts every 2,000 miles. The 1st time we bring it to our mechanic, he told us that it burns oil. Skipping to this year, 1/21/2019, it was a 2* Fahrenheit morning. My wife was driving to work, 33 miles one way, it stalled on the exit ramp. She got it started up again, but it was running rough. She got to work, maybe 1 mile away from the exit, and she noticed that there was a puddle of oil under it. A tow truck was called to take it to our mechanic. He determined that the rear main seal failed. After researching the probable causes, he found GM Service Bulletin 14882. This bulletin states that after a long drive in cold weather, the PCV system can freeze, and become clogged. In this bulletin, there's a picture of a 1/16 inch drill bit being used to clear the clog. The function of the PCV system is to let the pressure of a running engine to escape. So since it gets clogged, the pressure has to be released somewhere, and the rear main seal is where it's released. Since there's a service bulletin, it's a known problem to GM but only certain VIN numbers are attached to this bulletin, and my VIN isn't attached to it. Since my vehicle has 125,330 miles, it's not covered under the 120,000 mile cut off for this bulletin. This is a manufacturers defect that GM expects it's customers to cover the repair costs of. The PCV system is poorly designed. GM's customers didn't design this engine, so regardless of how many miles, or how old the vehicle is, this should be fixed by GM. I was told by a GM customer service representative to save my receipt, because in the future my vehicles VIN number might be added to this bulletin. That is a admission of fault in my book. This vehicle needs to be recalled and replaced by GM. Search GM service bulletin 14882. There's also a ACDelco of Canada bulletin for this repair as well.
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Loving this ride!
NJ, 06/07/2016
2013 GMC Terrain SLE-2 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl 6A)
16 of 18 people found this review helpful
Drove an Altima coupe for 5 years and wanted an SUV for AWD purposes that was reasonable to purchase and repair. Doesn't look like a bug compared the all the other SUV's out there. Smooth ride and comfortable. Very dependable. GM did a great job with this one!
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