A quiet-looking year where a new problem starts — the fuel pump, and the stalls that come with it.

The 1.5T's other recurring complaint, and one that overlaps confusingly with the fuel pump above — both produce an "engine power reduced" message and a car that will not accelerate, so a scan tool is worth more than a test drive here. On the turbo side, GM's bulletin covering 2018 to 2021 describes fault codes P0299 and P0234 set by moisture freezing in the wastegate solenoid in cold weather, and the charge-air-cooler and crankcase icing Service Update runs through the 2022 build. Owners of neighbouring years report turbo replacement quotes of 1,500 to 3,000 dollars just past 60,000 miles. There is no recall and no free program for the turbo itself.

The failure that dominates 2018 through 2021 — the pump quits, the pedal goes rock-hard and the car will not slow — drops sharply on the 2022, and GM's service bulletins for it stop at the 2021 build. That is a real improvement and worth crediting. It is not, however, a guarantee, and the consequences if it happens are severe enough to justify the same check regardless: an independent dealer who handles these cars reports a seizing pump taking out engine internals. Brake hard from a roll on the test drive. It costs nothing and it is the highest-value thirty seconds of a second-generation Terrain inspection.

Part of this year's complaint volume is not a defect at all. Because of the industry-wide semiconductor shortage, cars built from 15 November 2021 could leave the factory with the front heated and ventilated seats, front heated seats or rear heated seats simply not working, and cars built from 28 June 2022 without a working side blind zone alert. GM covered both under Customer Satisfaction Programs — a Customer Satisfaction Program being GM's free repair scheme for a known shortcoming, in this case restoring the missing hardware. Buyers were supposed to be told at the point of sale, and second-hand buyers often were not. Test every seat heater, the ventilation and the blind-spot warning, and if any is dead ask the dealer to check the VIN against these programs rather than assuming it is broken.

A recall specific to the 2022 Terrain. The driver's seat may have a stripped or loose bolt at the pivot for the height adjuster, which means the seat may not hold the driver properly in a crash. Dealers inspect the seat and replace the cushion frame if needed, free of charge, and notification letters went out in November 2022. It is quick to check and there is no reason for it to be outstanding on a car this age, so an unrepaired one tells you something about how the car has been maintained. Work the height adjuster through its full range and listen for movement or knocking in the seat base.