Diagsheet

2018 GMC Terrain · symptom sheet

Brakes grind, pulse or wear early

  • 80owner reports
  • 60,000median miles
  • 2involved a crash

Newest report Aug 24, 2026 · checked Sep 9, 2026

80 of the 219 complaints on this car describe brake wear, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2018 Terrain.

Tick what matches of 80 reports

3
2
5
3
47
9

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the booster (11 reports), the ABS module (4 reports) and the pads and rotors (3 reports).

Recalls and investigations

One recall on the brakes covers the 2018 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.

18V-576Aug 30, 2018
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Caliper

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.

Risk and remedy
Risk: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18279.

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 30,000 and 96,500 miles, from the 37 reports that gave a mileage.

117
218
319
420
521
1122
1123
2124
1125
1126

What owners wrote

“Driving on highway and all of a sudden I could not break - the car breaks failed to operate - had to slowdown by it self and pull to a McDonalds, I had the loss of effective braking with no warning whatsoever. We found out that the Break Booster Pump was destroyed without any warning from the electronics of the SUV.”

Filed Jul 31, 2023

“The vacuum pump started leaking and the car was parked immediately. When The pump was pulled out to be replaced, the reason for the leak was identified. The vacuum pump had busted into small pieces which are now in the engine.”

Filed Jul 19, 2023

“I was coming to a stop with my vehicle and the brakes would not work. I carefully got my car home and to a shop. It was determined that the break booster pump broke which caused metal parts to go into the engine. Now my engine is blown! Bought my car brand new in 2018 and kept up with regular vehicle maintenance has 90k miles.”

Filed Jan 3, 2023 · 90,000 miles

“Vehicle stuck in emergency assist mood. Without warning I couldn't slow down/stop without putting alot of my weight on the brake breaks were so hard to press down.”

Filed Sep 12, 2022

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 2 of 80 reports involved a crash and 1 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation.

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