2019 GMC Terrain · symptom sheet
Brake pedal goes hard or the booster or vacuum pump fails
- 54owner reports
- 70,000median miles
- $900median quote
- 0involved a crash
Newest report Sep 24, 2026 · checked Sep 29, 2026
54 of the 71 reports of brake wear on the 2019 Terrain describe brake booster failure.
Part of Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (71 reports)
Tick what matches of 54 reports
Brake booster failure on other Terrain years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2026.
What this problem usually is
This is the narrower sheet inside brakes for reports about a hard pedal or a failed power assist. The pedal stops feeling normal: it turns stiff, takes far more force, and the car needs a longer distance to stop.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the vacuum pump (41 reports) and the brake booster (11 reports).
Recalls and investigations
One recall on the brakes covers the 2019 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
All 3 recalls on the 2019 GMC Terrain, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
What owners paid
9 of the 54 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $640 to $2,400.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 45,000 and 80,000 miles, from the 13 reports that gave a mileage.
What owners wrote
“While driving the breaks completely locked up and the smell of exhaust entered through vents. Ran a code machine indicating that the break booster power vacuum pump was needing replaced. There are no other issues with my vehicle that would cause it to malfunction out of no where.”
Filed May 12, 2025
“Vacuum pump failed causing hard brake pedal and the inability to properly stop the vehicle. Thankfully I made it to a safe area and had the vehicle towed. No warning light or engine service lights ever illuminated. Once it was taken apart the bearings were disintegrated and metal shavings are in engine components.”
Filed Mar 2, 2025
“Break booster pressure sensor and engine underbooster causes the car to slam on breaks or not break at all.”
Filed Aug 19, 2024
“I had just gotten off the highway and had gone less than a mile on a 35 mph road when the brakes acted like the antilock brakes came on for a brief second then the brake pedal became very hard to push. This resulted in me having a difficult time stopping the vehicle. The service brake light also came on.”
Filed Apr 13, 2024
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 54 reports involved a crash. 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. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 25 reports