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2011 GMC Truck Terrain

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2011 Terrain.

Body SUV

The 2011 GMC Terrain is an SUV whose engine lubrication calls for 5 quarts of 5W-30 oil, situating it in the compact-crossover utility space during the model's early years. It stands out for all the wrong reasons: 397 owner complaints make 2011 the highest-complaint year across the Terrain's 2010–2026 production history, with engine problems leading the tally and four recalls reinforcing the concern. That peak is thrown into sharp relief by the model's lowest-complaint year—2025, with just 12 reports—meaning the 2011 sits at the rough early end of a reliability curve that improved substantially over time, so researchers should treat this model year as one requiring careful scrutiny rather than representative of the Terrain's overall trajectory.

Model year2025 2017 2011

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity5 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30OEM · verified

Lug nut torque140 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 47 · 525 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12731742. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 47 · 525 CCAOEM · verified

Tail / brake / turnLAMPOEM · verified

Tire sizeP235-55R18OEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12731742 alt 12580255
Engine air filter	23335811
Spark plug	12681660 alt 12681658
Battery	88866291 alt 88866309
Front wiper blades	19432580 alt 19432579
Serpentine belt	12634319 alt 12636138
Thermostat	03522676 alt 12622410
Cabin air filter	20901295

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 5 qt of 5W-30 engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 140 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission Fluid	ATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity	4.2-6.4
Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Differential Gear Oil Capacity	2.0 qt
Engine Coolant	DEX-COOL OR EQUIVALENT
Engine Oil	5W-30
Engine Oil Capacity	5 qt
Engine Oil	5W-30

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	7.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	10 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts	7.4 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	140 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug	NVG900: 11.0, Gertag 760: 29.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug	NVG900: 18.0, Gertag 760: 29.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	151 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub	151 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-3-4-2
Cylinder Firing Order	1-2-3-4-5-6
Cylinder Firing Order	1-3-4-2
Cylinder Firing Order	1-2-3-4-5-6
Spark Plug Manufacturer	AC Delco
Spark Plug Gap	0.043 in
Spark Plug Torque	15.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.43 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	4.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	47
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	525 cca
Standard BCI Group Number	48

Service checks

Pressure Test	15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	188-206 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	50-100
RPM	43-58 @ Idle rpm
Injector Primary Resistance	1.9-2.3 @ 68 degreesF ohms
Injector Primary Resistance	1.9-2.3 @ 68 degreesF ohms
Engine Compression	100 Minimum psi

Brakes

Minimum Pad Thickness	0.080
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.001 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.002 in
Rotor Discard at or Under	1.06 in / 0.72 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

74 ft. lbs., step 2: 100 ft. lbs., step 3: 150

74 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts. Use new bolts coated with clean engine oil. · M11 Bolts

1	22.0 ft. lbs.	22 ft. lbs
2	150 degrees; M8 Bolts	150 degrees
1	11.0 ft. lbs.	11 ft. lbs
2	75 degrees	75 degrees

Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

10.3 ft. lbs., Step 2: 10.3

10.3 ft. lbs

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

17 ft. lbs., Step 2: 17

17 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 mi	Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 25,000 mi	Cabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 50,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect)
Every 100,000 mi	Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transfer Case Assembly (drain & refill) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)
At 150,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 2011 GMC Truck Terrain lead in one area — the engine, 95 of 397 reports (24%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 4 recall campaigns target the engine, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 11 of the reports describe a crash and 8 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the engine pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

1761

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

397

Owner complaints

11 involved a crash · 8 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Overall★★★★★

Frontal★★★★★

Side★★★★★

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’10’11’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’19 ’20 ’21 ’22 ’23 ’24 ’25 ’26

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 397 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine95

Power Train32

Visibility/Wiper27

Air Bags21

Unknown Or Other18

Power Train,Engine15

Engine & Engine Cooling10

Unknown Or Other,Engine9

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 4 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

16V502000Electrical System:IgnitionReported 05/07/2016

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… 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…

14V447000Seats:Front Assembly:Power AdjustReported 23/07/2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Buick LaCrosse, Regal and Chevrolet Camaro, as well as certain 2010-2012 Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain vehicles, equipped with power… Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the height adjuster shoulder bolts, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed interim letters to owners on September 11, 2014…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 1761 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
PIP6113	2026-05-18	Unknown Or Other	This document provides the technician with a diagnostic tip if the vehicle stalls and set…
PIT3271Q	2026-04-01	Unknown Or Other	This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel…
PIP6104	2026-03-09	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and…
PIP4902V	2026-03-09	Unknown Or Other	This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into…
PIP4902U	2026-01-08	Unknown Or Other	This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Terrain. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 47 battery Vehicles taking 5 qt Engine oil filter 12731742 Engine air filter 23335811 Spark plug 12681660 Battery 88866291

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2011 Terrain take?

5 qt of 5W-30 MEETING GM DEXOS 1 SPECIFICATION, per the factory manual.

Does the 2011 Terrain have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.